Gilda and Edge took their time to enjoy their evening meal and the pegasus complimented her enthusiastically. Once they were both well fed and calmed down from the earlier incident, they decided it was time to file their complaint with the City Guard. Hand in hand, they flew together to the nearest precinct which they assumed would be where the offending Guard was based. Edge demanded to speak to whoever was in charge and was soon led to the office of the station commander. Sadly, that was as smooth as events progressed.

After explaining the nature of their complaint to the impassive earth pony mare, she regarded them with disdain for a long moment before responding.

“I have read the report from Constable Snare. He responded to a call about a breaking and entering. After questioning the mare who made the call, she described an unfamiliar female griffon fumbling with the lock of the apartment belonging to a male pegasus. As the griffoness was having difficulty getting inside, the witness reasonably assumed that there was an attempt being made to force the lock.”

“What?!” Gilda exclaimed. “The key is brand new and a bit tight in the lock. It still only took me a couple of seconds to open it. How does that translate to become what you said?”

“It doesn’t matter – Snare could only go by the witness’ statement. He nevertheless checked with neighbors to confirm that the apartment in question did belong to a male pegasus. Only then did he approach the apartment and, upon noticing activity inside when it was supposedly still empty at that time of day, he knocked on the door and was met by the alleged intruder.”

Gilda sneered. “Yeah – thieves always politely answer the door even if they’re cooking a meal for themselves.”

The mare ignored her and continued. “Snare asked for proof that you lived there and you were unable to provide such.”

“For the millionth time, I had only just moved in!”

Edge added, “Lack of proof does not constitute a crime. What Snare did after that is one though. He dragged her out of the apartment against her will, as we told you already.”

The station commander did not even blink at their words. “Snare reported that after asking you politely to come with him to the station to sort the situation out, you lashed out at him with your talons. Assault on a City Guard is a serious offense and grounds for arrest and restraint.”

“FUCK THAT LYING BASTARD!” Gilda screeched. “I not only never did that, I was out of reach even if I wanted to. He grabbed me with his unicorn magic while I was still in the apartment!”

“And what proof do you have of that? If you have none, I must take the word of the constable over that of a stranger to this city.”

Gilda looked at Edge. “That mare – Idle Gossip, was it? She witnessed it.”

Edge shook his head. “Do you really think a racist like her is going to support you in any way?”

The griffoness sagged. “I suppose not.” She turned her glare on the commander. “But if I did assault him, why did he release me instead of bringing me here?”

“Upon confirmation that Mr. Edge was the legal occupant of the apartment and you were his guest, then Constable Snare elected to drop the charge.”

“And the bit where he outright said he believes a pony anytime over the words of a griffon?”

“I do not believe that he said that. Again, there is no evidence that he did.”

Edge scowled at the mare. “Funny how you’re so insistent on proof that you know we can’t provide. And on how well informed you are of the minutiae of an incident that was supposedly dropped. I wonder if Snare’s attitude is endemic at this station?”

The mare frowned. “This interview is over. Good evening, Mr. Edge.”

The fact that she did not bother addressing Gilda did not go unnoticed by either the griffon or the stallion. “This isn’t over, Commander. If my future wife ever has more trouble from the City Guard, you’ll be hearing from me.”

“Get out,” she coldly replied, “before I have you both locked up for harassing a City Guard.”

Knowing that they had pushed their luck as far as they could, Edge took Gilda’s arm and led her out of the office and the station before she could say anything more. Gilda nevertheless quietly fumed all the way home. When they were back inside, she threw herself on the couch and looked up at him.

“Told you that ponies don’t like griffons.”

Edge sat down beside her and put a comforting wing around Gilda. “That’s not fair, love. Besides Idle Gossip, how many ponies you encountered have been rude or hostile so far? At worst, some have kept their distance but most have been polite and even friendly. The City Guard has been the only exception so far.”

“That’s hella big exception, Edge!”

“I know, Gil, and unfortunately, you might have to tread lightly in some cases. I love your personality, but if you rub a Guard the wrong way, well, the balance of power is on their side. Or maybe not.”

Gilda narrowed her eyes as she stared at him. “What do you mean by that?”

“Oh, I know some friends who might be able to help. I’m not going to say more for now because I can’t make any promises except to say that I’ll do my very best to get justice for you.”

The griffoness sighed and laid her head on his shoulder. “I know you will and trust you on this. If I didn’t, then I really would show Snare what my talons could do.”

Edge chuckled. “Good thing for him that I will.”

The two cuddled and kissed for a while before deciding to turn in for an early night.

The pair woke up early enough to make love for a short while before showering and preparing for the day. After Edge departed for work, Gilda did not feel like venturing out, so she decided to concentrate on working on her cooking skills. She read sections of the various cookbooks that she acquired and began experimenting.

When Edge arrived home, he paused just inside the doorway of their apartment and inhaled the delicious aroma permeating the place. He made his way directly to the kitchen where he found Gilda pulling a tray of scones from the oven.

“You’re just in time, love,” she said as he put his arms around her to give her a hug and kiss. “I’ve whipped some cream and there’s a pot of strawberry jam on the table. We’re going to have a traditional high tea,” she said proudly.

Edge grinned. “I bet you didn’t even know what a traditional high tea was before now.”

Gilda blushed and chuckled. “Nope, but I think you’ll like it. And yes, I even made us tea rather than coffee.”

“Always game to try new things, eh? I’ll wash up and join you soon.”

Although he had heard of high teas before, Edge had never partaken in one. Nevertheless, both he and Gilda greatly enjoyed the scones slathered with jam and cream washed down with tea. And while both remained staunch coffee drinkers, they decided that tea had a place in their home for future moments.

“The only thing left to work out now is to decide what to do with all these other cakes and pies you’ve cooked up,” Edge said.

“I was thinking we could give some to any neighbors that you think might be sympathetic to our relationship.”

“That’s a pretty good idea, Gil. Not everypony is like Idle Gossip, thank Celestia.”

“And it’ll give them a chance to get familiar with a griffon coming and going from the complex.”

“That too. Well, there’s no time like the present. Shall we go?”

“Umm… let me change into something more… umm… conservative first.

Edge swept admiring eyes over his fiancée’s clothes – a halter top and cut-off shorts like she preferred. She loved how he appreciated her fit form and how his glances lingered on her swelling belly. But if they were going to present her as a new neighbor, first impressions counted, as she knew far too well.

Gilda changed into a skirt and blouse while Edge carefully loaded the baked goods into a shopping cart. The two then went door-to-door, offering a cake, a pie, or cookies to their neighbors. They received responses ranging from polite thanks to one pegasus mare who gushed over Gilda’s pregnancy. The griffon was blushing by the time she and Edge proceeded to their next stop.

“I take it back, Edge. Some ponies are too damn nice!”

The stallion chuckled. “I think you just found your new best friend.”

Gilda groaned. “Just five minutes with her has worn me out. She’s worse than Pinkie Pie!”

Edge raised an eyebrow at that but said nothing because it was time to knock on another door.

The two returned to their apartment with a shopping cart that was empty of everything but the goodwill they had acquired. They sat down to dinner featuring the slightly misshapen razzleberry pie that they had not taken with them, plus some vegetable sides.

“Are you planning to bake as much as you did today?” Edge asked between mouthfuls.

Gilda shrugged. “Maybe, but I’m rapidly going through the ingredients. Besides, we can’t be giving away the result every day.”

“Funny you should mention that. As I flew home, I noticed the market packing up. Have you considered renting a stall and selling your baked goods?”

Gilda looked thoughtful. “I was already doing that kind of thing from a cart that I dragged around Griffonstone. It’d be a lot easier from a fixed stall if I can get one.”

“It seems to me that you’d be happier pursuing something you’re obviously great at doing. What did you expect to do once you settled in? I sure don’t see you as a stay-at-home housewife.”

The griffoness snorted at that. “No way. But you’re right – I do like baking, and if ponies are prepared to buy goods from me, then maybe I can contribute to our income and provide more for our cub. Or foal. Whichever.”

“Then, I suggest you check out the market tomorrow. Let me know how it goes.”

The next day when Edge arrived home from work, after an enthusiastic welcome home, the griffoness held out her hand.

“I need money.”

“Oh? Why would that be?” he asked with a smirk.

Gilda grinned. “I got that market stall. I start the day after tomorrow, so I need to stock up on ingredients and bake a ton of stuff.”

Edge reached into his pocket to retrieve his wallet. “Then it’s a good thing I stopped at the bank.” He passed her a wad of cash.

“You guessed I’d need funds? You were that confident?”

Edge put his hands on her shoulders and looked her in the eyes. “Gilda, darling, I believe you can do whatever you set your mind to do. You’re strong-willed and determined, which I love about you. Between that and your fantastic cooking, you’re going to be a hit. I know it.”

“You soppy dweeb – of course I will,” she said fiercely but with a blush from his praise.

From the moment that Edge left for work the next day, Gilda threw herself into the task of baking a commercial quantity of baked goods. She was grateful that the apartment came equipped with a large oven that enabled her to have several items baking at the same time, although it was tricky to balance the different temperature needs of disparate products. However, even more than the previous day, she fell into a comfortable rhythm of mixing, placing into appropriate receptacles, and baking them. The contents of the pies had to be prepared separately on the stove, but that was achieved with as little fuss. Gilda chuckled to herself when a stray thought had her thinking about what her cutie mark would be if she were a pony. Perhaps a rolling pin crossed with a ladle?

Gilda only took a short break for lunch during the day, and Edge found her still at work when he entered the apartment. “I’m home, love!” he called out.

The griffoness looked up and smiled. “Just a moment, dear!”

She cut slits in the pie’s top crust and then set it aside in the queue to be baked. She then wiped her talons on her apron as she walked to greet her fiancé. She reached out to embrace him and he did the same, ignoring the flour and other ingredients that transferred to his clothes. He realized that she was wearing only the apron once again, and he gave her bare butt an appreciative squeeze as he kissed her.

“Are you always going to dress like that when you cook?” Edge asked as they drew apart.

“It helps me keep cool in the hot kitchen. Any objections?” Gilda asked slyly.

Edge smirked. “Nope. Standard kitchen uniform, as far as I’m concerned.”

“Good. If you’d like to help me finish this last lot, go wash up and join me there.”

“Aye, aye, Captain!”

Five minutes later, Edge entered the kitchen wearing an apron… and nothing else. Gilda burst out laughing when she noticed.

“You’re such a dweeb!”

“Just following the kitchen rules,” he replied smugly. “Now, how can I help?”

“First, take out the pies on the top rack of the oven and put these in their place. Then, figure out some way to get the finished ones ready for transport. I only thought about that belatedly.”

“Not to worry – I can empty my camping cart and use that,” Edge replied as he opened the oven door.

“Oh, good. Less risk of squashing anything with that big cart. Might have to figure out some sort of rack arrangement to put in it if I’m successful tomorrow.”

“I can knock together something like that. I’ll have to improvise tomorrow morning though. Good thing it’s a Saturday so I can help you on your first day.”

Gilda paused her work and gave him a troubled frown. “Edge – I want to achieve this on my own. I don’t want to need my mate to succeed at the only real skill I have to offer.”

“And you will, hon. But nopony, and no griff either, starts off a business without various forms of help. Once you get familiar with how the business is working out, then you will be able to continue by yourself. But, until then, let your mate help you get to that point.”

The griffoness nodded. “I suppose you’re right. Celestia knows how I could get all this to the market without you and your cart.” Then her eyes shifted to the unbaked pies on the counter. “Although it seems I might have to put those pies in the oven myself after all.”

“Oops. Sorry, boss!” Edge hastily completed that task before Gilda gave him another.

They soon wrapped up work and then sat down to dinner. When they finished eating, Edge took the plates into the kitchen and placed them next to the sink that was already piled high with dirty cooking gear.

“Leave the washing up to me,” the pegasus said as he began filling the sink with hot water. “You’ve been on your paws all day and you and the baby could do with a rest.”

Gilda wanted to argue but her aching paws told her to take the offer. She sat on the sofa, put her legs up on a hoofstool, and sighed with relief. “So, how was your day?” she called out.

“Not as fun as yours,” came the reply. “Let me tell you about this moron customer…”

Edge regretfully extricated himself from his mate’s embrace to get an early start to the Saturday morning. He did not bother with anything not essential, including breakfast, before heading out to the garage. The previous evening, he emptied and stacked away the camping gear before assessing the materials he had at hand. There were plenty of offcuts left over from several previous DIY projects and he reckoned he could knock up some shelves that could serve temporarily until something better could either be built or procured. He hoped Gilda’s efforts would be successful enough to justify investing in more equipment, and not just for the extra income. His mate’s happiness and satisfaction were paramount to him.

The arrangement that Edge managed to build inside his cart was far from pretty, but as long as it functioned as intended, that was the least of his concerns. Gilda had brought over all the baked goods by the time he secured the last board, and they stacked them carefully inside. The last items the griffoness had handed to the pegasus were a couple of warm muffins and a travel mug full of coffee for his breakfast. Meanwhile, she hitched herself to the cart, glaring at him wordlessly when he attempted to do so. Edge got the message – this was something she needed to be able to do by herself.

Nevertheless, Edge accompanied Gilda to the market. Even she knew that the first time would be the hardest, and a little moral support did not hurt. There certainly were lots of startled looks on the faces of the ponies already present and setting up their stalls. A few looked nervous but curiosity was the dominant emotion, perhaps tempered by Edge's presence with the griffoness. Only one pegasus mare showed open hostility which Gilda did not fail to notice.

“What’s with her?”

Edge looked in the direction Gilda’s beak was pointing. He groaned. “That’s Open Skies – a mare I briefly dated. She did not take rejection well.”

Gilda smirked and gave him a very affectionate nuzzle. “That ought to rub it in.”

Edge glanced back at Open Skies and reckoned she could be better named Thunder Cloud now. “Try not to piss off any other stallholders, love. Working alongside them is half the battle.”

“So, I should concentrate on just her then? No problem. I’ll wear my pinkest apron the next time I come here.” The stallion’s wide eyes and brief look of panic let her know she had guessed right.

He took a deep breath. “In the interest of World Peace, I strongly recommend you don’t start a race war in the market.”

“Yeah, yeah. I know. I’ve gotten the ‘Magic of Friendship’ lecture before. Now, let’s get my stall set up.”

The stalls that the market provided were very basic. Each one was accessorized by the renter to suit their needs. Edge had made the shelves for the cart in such a way that they could be transferred to the stall to display the baked goods. Because this was the first time she had seen them complete, she had no qualms about Edge helping her with the task on this occasion. In the future, she expected to do it all herself. There was one thing that she did do without her mate’s help, and that was put up a banner that she had made while Edge had been busy in the garage. When she had it fastened against the blank billboard above the counter, she noticed a few chuckles coming from nearby merchants.

GILDA’S BEAKERY

The griffoness hoped that the humorous poke at the owner’s race would attract curiosity and lower reservations from customers. It did not matter how wonderful her goods were if she could not get them to come to her stall.

Once everything was set up, Gilda used the few minutes left before the market opened up to take a plate of scones slathered with strawberry jam and cream around the other stalls. She offered the merchants a free sample and most accepted. Gilda excluded a certain pegasus mare from her rounds that warned her off with a scowl any drill sergeant would envy. The griffoness ran out of them mere moments before opening time and she had to hasten back to her stall which Edge had been minding.

“Do you want me to hang around?” Edge asked.

“Yes and no. While your moral support would be nice, I need to know if I can do this on my own.” She laughed. “Besides, the customers can’t be any worse than the griffs back at Griffonstone.”

Edge grinned at that. “I’ll head home to do some chores, but I’ll check in on you later.”

“Sounds good. Now piss off and let me get to work!”

The pegasus gave her a kiss before he left her to greet potential customers.

When Edge returned about three hours later, before he could say anything, Gilda thrust the cashbox at him and said, “Gotta go to the bathroom!” She was gone in a flash.

Edge chuckled. That was one aspect neither of them had thought about. Undoubtedly, the other merchants had some sort of arrangement for when they needed to leave their stalls but Gilda had yet to work that out. Meanwhile, he looked over the stock and was pleased to see that nearly half of it was gone already. That boded well and he could hardly wait to hear from his mate.

Gilda returned looking much relieved. Upon seeing him, she said, “Until I figure out a better way, you’ll have to come back every few hours. I know you won’t be able to do that for the weekday markets.”

“So, you reckon that your bakery is a viable concern then?”

“Sales have been good. I reckon sheer curiosity has brought over several customers. Hopefully, they like my stuff enough to come back. One already has. A unicorn stallion bought a couple of fruit buns and returned an hour later to buy half a dozen more.”

“Told you they were awesome.”

Gilda shrugged. “Different senses of taste between griffons and ponies. You’re going to be my official taste tester for the future. Anyway, while there are wrinkles to be ironed out, things have been going pretty well. I could do without having to see Open Skies giving me the stink-eye constantly, but if that’s the worst I have to put up with, I’m happy to call this a success so far. We’ll see how things stand at the end of the day.”

“That’s great to hear, love. Anything else I can do for you while I’m here?”

“Nope. Bring me coffee next time though. Oops! Customer. Gotta go.” She gave him a quick nuzzle before turning her attention to the pegasus mare. “What can I interest you in today?” Gilda asked in her best customer service voice.

Edge watched as his mate persuaded the mare to buy an apple pie and banana cake. He smiled proudly before heading back to the apartment.

When Edge returned to the market for the third time, all but one carrot cake and a bag of chocolate chip cookies were left unsold. Gilda said that they might as well pack up although it was still a couple of hours before closing time. The pegasus began disassembling the shelves and returning them to the cart. Before that was completed, an earth pony mare bought the cake.

“I’m going to take this bag of cookies to pass out at work,” Edge declared as Gilda fetched her banner. “Maybe the freebies will drum up some business.”

“Good idea,” the griffoness replied as she folded the banner and stowed it in the cart. “I’m glad you persuaded me to make twice as many as I had originally planned. They were a best-seller.”

Edge grinned. “You need to remember that ponies like their sweets. I had to resist the temptation to eat them myself.”

Gilda did not object when Edge hitched himself to the cart, and she slumped tiredly as they exited the marketplace.

“You look exhausted,” the pegasus commented.

“Yeah. It wasn’t the physical work though. Trying to remain upbeat and friendly to all those ponies, especially the suspicious ones, was wearing me down more than I thought it would.”

“What? Is that the cheerful and polite catbird I fell in love with?”

Gilda gave him a flat stare. “Keep laughing it up, perv, and you won’t be touching these boobs tonight.”

“Would it change your mind if I offered you a massage when we get home?” Edge asked with an impish smile.

“Now, that’s more like it,” Gilda conceded. Her stallion’s leering smile made her realize she missed something. “And, no, you may not start with my boobs!”

His laugh made her feel better all by itself. The griffoness shook her head. “Perv,” she said just loud enough to make sure he heard her.

After gaining clear air to take off with the cart, they flew toward their apartment. After a minute or so of silence, Edge spoke up.

“So – was it worth it? Do you plan to keep selling at the market?”

Gilda gave him a tired but proud smile. “I proved to myself that my cooking is good and ponies are prepared to pay for it. I made good money today, and I reckon I can make even more once I learn what sells best and how much they’re prepared to pay. So, yeah, I’m going back again.”

Edge smiled back. “I’m proud of you, love. And if this is truly the career for you, then I know you won’t be bored and frustrated. I think things are only going to get better from here on.”

The griffoness snorted. “You’re always too bucking optimistic, but I have to admit that things haven’t turned out as bad as I feared. But that doesn’t mean everything’s fine. It’s still too soon and I have other regrets to overcome yet.”

“You’re thinking of Ponyville, aren’t you?”

The griffoness nodded. “I’m not fixing that up with some baked goods.”

“No, but you’re not going to be able to fix everything at once.”

“Who says it can be fixed? I wasn’t exaggerating about how much I screwed up. I don’t think I could ever show my beak there again.”

“Never say never, darling.”

“Give it a rest, Edge.”

“Shutting up, Gil.”

Upon reaching the apartment, Gilda headed straight for the bathroom while Edge put the cart away. He found her standing under the shower, her eyes drooping as the hot water cascaded over her. He chuckled, stripped, and quickly joined her. He sponged her as she chirped in pleasure then whined when he turned off the water.

“Can’t have you falling asleep before I give you that massage,” Edge said as he handed her a towel.

It was still a very damp griffon that stretched out on the bed for that promised massage. She fell asleep halfway through.

Gilda woke again to the smell of fish cooking. She hauled herself off the comfortable mattress and, still naked, made her way to the kitchen. Under the amused gaze of her mate, she sat at the table and picked up the knife and fork already laid there. “Food! Now!” she demanded, emphasizing it with a clack of her beak.

Edge chuckled and brought the sizzling frypan to the table. Using the spatula, he transferred a fillet onto her plate and paused. Upon seeing her raised eyebrow, he added the remaining three from the pan. She nodded in satisfaction before attacking her meal.

The pegasus went back to the stove where a second frypan was cooking more fish. He suspected that Gilda would have quite a large appetite. Giving her only one fillet at first was just a tease. He served up the fish, added some lemon juice, and then joined Gilda at the table opposite her. That way, he could enjoy the meal and the view at the same time. The griffoness made a saucy show of eating the last fillet that made Edge’s pants uncomfortably tight. He relieved the strain by getting up to make coffee. Gilda giggled as he adjusted his clothing first.

After the meal, they sat on the sofa and cuddled while Gilda told him about all the customers she had dealt with. Then the conversation turned more intimate and it wasn’t long before they were making impassioned love.

Sunday morning, Edge bought some timber to improve the shelving arrangement for the cart and added capacity for, hopefully, increased sales. The rest of the day, he and Gilda spent enjoying themselves at the gorge.

The new week began with Edge going to work and Gilda shopping for ingredients before starting to bake once more. As a one-person business, she could only either cook or sell on a particular day, not both. She decided she would alternate days baking and going to the market, leaving Sundays free for the couple to enjoy for themselves.

For a few weeks, that was the routine. Then one Saturday evening, they were surprised by a visitor. Gilda was nearest the door when a knock came, so she answered it, promising mayhem if she found a City Guard out there. Instead, her eyes widened in delight.

“Gabby!”

“Hi, Gil! Oof!” She gasped as Gilda grabbed her in a hug. “Glad to see you too, sis. Wow! That baby bump is sure getting big.”

Gilda pulled her inside, calling out, “Edge! Guess who’s visiting!”

The pegasus emerged from the kitchen and smiled upon recognizing the griffoness. “Gabby, isn’t it? Welcome to our home.”

The grey-furred griffoness giggled. “I didn’t know I was going to be glommed so hard. Sorry I couldn't visit sooner. My courier job took me elsewhere until now. Nice place you have here.”

“Let me show you around.” Gilda dragged her amused sister around the apartment while Edge prepared drinks and snacks. They spent the rest of the evening catching up and Gabby was invited to stay the night in the spare room. They made a family day of it the next day before the griffoness had to regretfully head back to Griffonstone.

The only event that changed Gilda and Edge’s routine was when their appointment with the Justice of the Court came up. Edge took off the afternoon from work and, because it was Friday, Gilda opted for taking one market day off to leave the weekend free and spent the morning preparing a celebratory dinner instead.

Gilda flew to the town hall to meet Edge there. She was accompanied by Gabby who had been invited to the marriage ceremony and who would act as a witness. Edge turned up with his boss, Crafty, who had been pleased to be invited as a second witness.

It was a simple affair as weddings before a Justice of the Court typically were. Justice Legal Bond, a unicorn stallion, started with a short speech welcoming the couple and their witnesses and talking about the significance of marriage, especially between two different races. He then asked them to declare their intent by affirming their commitment to each other. Edge and Gilda exchanged expressions of love and promises to support and cherish one another. They then exchanged their rings, their enchantments adjusting to their new wearers and the inlaid gem glowing in confirmation of the renewed bond. The Justice then declared the couple legally married by the power vested in him by the Crown. The griffoness and the pegasus then kissed and nuzzled to the applause of Gabby and Crafty.

The marriage license was duly signed by the couple, the Justice, and the witnesses. Justice Bond congratulated the couple before magically duplicating the license, giving the copy to them to commemorate the occasion, and taking the original to be processed so that the official marriage certificate could be issued later.

Gilda, Edge, Gabby, and Crafty headed to the couple’s apartment where they celebrated with a big dinner and drinks all around – non-alcoholic for Gilda, of course. It was late that evening before Crafty headed home. Gabby stayed the night but had to leave very early the next morning. She would have said farewell to the new husband and wife, but she knew they had worn themselves out that night and needed their sleep. She left the apartment, deliriously happy for her sister.

If Edge had not set an alarm, the two might have slept for another hour or so. However, the lovers had plans for the weekend. A short honeymoon trip had been arranged to a resort where they could relax and be pampered. Gilda was proud to be able to say that she had paid her entire half of the cost out of her successful and growing business. And she owed it all to a pervy pegasus who turned her life around. She could hardly wait until she could present her love with the fruit of their union.

# # # # # # #

Author's Note

Nothing like a successful business venture to bring life satisfaction. While I'm sure Gilda would have been happy with Edge in any case, being able to stand on her own two paws is so much better.