J - Juggling Jelly Beans

by Bdoyle

Continuation of Parenting through the Alphabet and sequel to A Full Quiver. Phil and Melinda must attend a funeral across the county leaving the younger kids with Lian at her farmhouse in Pennsylvania. Skye and Fitz are a hard sell but it's Jemma that has the worst time accepting the situation. Skye, Fitz and Jemma are children in this series aged respectively four and nine.

J – Juggling Jelly Beans

"I no wanna go a Nainai's howz." Skye sniffed as she watched her sister pack a small suitcase.

"There's no reason to be afraid, sweetheart," Jemma consoled the smaller girl as she ceased her chore and sat on the bed next to her. "It's only for a few days while Momma and Da take care of some adult affair they must attend."

Skye blinked a few times at her older sister, not quite sure what that meant but understood that her mother and father were going somewhere. "I go wit Momma." She nodded her head quickly.

Jemma took her little sister's hand and smiled sadly. "I'm sorry, Skye, but this time we can't go with Momma. She and Da have to do this without children to worry about."

The little girl shook her head. "I no be whoa-ee to Momma. I promiss." Skye was close to tears.

Jemma hugged the little girl as Fitz entered the room carrying his small satchel. "Well," he huffed as he dropped the bag and fell back against Jemma's door frame. "I'm ready, but not very willing. I am not sure I like this idea." He folded his arms over his chest and shook his head.

Skye lifted her head from Jemma's hug. She looked to her brother and then back to Jemma before the wailing began.

Xx

Melinda moved across her room, dropping items into a suitcase spread across the bed. Phil moved at his own speed doing the same.

"You really have to calm down, Mel. They'll be fine." Phil smiled at the growl on his wife's face.

"You've never lived with my mother." She spoke through her teeth, looking at him over her brows.

"It's only a few days and she's happy to have them." Phil dropped his shaving kit into his bag and stopped her from throwing another item into hers.

Melinda let out a long sigh. "I cannot believe that every person we know has somewhere to be this weekend." She shook her head as she sat down on the edge of the bed.

Phil moved back to the task of packing. He opened the closet door and pulled out a dark suit then turned to Melinda. "Mack wouldn't miss his kid brother's wedding and Elena's anxious to meet the family." He smiled over his shoulder as he tucked the suit into a garment bag and began flipping through his collection of neck ties.

Melinda shook her head as she stepped next to him and slapped his hand free of the tie he held then slipped another from the rack and handed it to him. "It was very inconvenient for Professor Maxwell to pass away when everyone is so busy."

Letting out a short laugh Phil shook his head. "I'm sure he didn't plan on it."

"Maybe I should just stay home. You can go without me, speak for both of us." She looked at him expectedly.

Phil shook his head. "Mrs. Maxwell specifically asked for both of us. You were one of his prized pupils. It seems fitting you would speak at the service."

"But not mandatory, Phil," she paused for a moment and stared at the open door, listening to the mumbly voices of her children. "We could just take them with us."

Phil laughed out loud. "Fitz and Skye in a hotel room? At a funeral service?" He simply looked at her in disbelief. "Might actually put the 'fun' in funeral." He wriggled his eyebrows at her.

She rolled her eyes then shook her head, laughing slightly at the ridiculousness of his statement. "Why do Hunter and Bobbi have to be so far away?"

"They run the London office, Mel. It helps that they live close by." Phil sniped as he snapped his suitcase closed. He looked at the haphazardly packed bag on the opposite side of the bed. "Not that I'm complaining, but you've pack four nightgowns and a pair of sweat socks. You might want to reconsider." He slid his bag off the bed and set it on the floor.

Melinda shook her head and let out a frustrated huff. She marched to the bed and grabbed the lingerie out of the bag, pushing Phil aside. He laughed once and she slapped him away.

"Gram had to pick this weekend to visit New York and drag Trip along for the ride." She growled as she threw the nighties back into the draw and dropped on to the small chair in front of the vanity.

"Come on, Mel. You know she's been planning this excursion for months and Trip couldn't wait. None of them realized something like this could happen. And all of them offered to change their plans. You were the one who insisted they go." He reminded her.

Melinda took a deep breath. "That was before I knew Sr. Mary Clair would be off on a weeklong retreat and my mother would mysteriously find out we were desperate." She narrowed her eyes, silently accusing him.

"Well, she is ex-CIA. She probably knows things before they happen." He shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe she's got the house bugged."

Melinda opened her mouth to reply but stopped with the piercing wail of her baby.

xx

"You are definitely not helping." Jemma scolded Fitz as she tried in vain to calm her little sister.

The boy pointed to his own chest and raised his eyebrows in a 'who me?' expression. He stepped aside as his mother rushed into the room.

"What is going on in here?" Melinda demanded as she glanced from child to child and assured herself that no one was hurt. Skye had already wriggled from Jemma's embrace, slid off her sister's bed and was reaching up to her mother. Melinda picked her up and looked to the older girl for explanation.

Fitz spoke first. "She's not keen on going to grandmother's house." He shook his head. "Maybe we shouldna upset her so."

Melinda glared at him for moment. "You're no help."

Fitz shrugged his shoulders and looked back and up as his father entered the room and stood behind him. Phil placed his hands on his son's shoulders and gave a gentle encouraging squeeze.

Melinda looked at her little crew and shook her head. She moved to the bed and sat down next to Jemma, sitting Skye on her lap. Phil pushed Fitz forward then sat on the other side of his older daughter and held the little boy in front of them. Skye continued to sob on her mother's shoulder.

"Okay," Melinda began. "We've talked about this. Momma and Daddy have to go to a funeral for a very old friend and it's not a place for children. Nainai offered to have the three of you come visit her in Pennsylvania for a few days while we're away. She has a big house and a lot of land for you to explore."

"I no wanna splore." Skye sniffed without taking her face out of her mother's sweatshirt.

Melinda kissed the top of her head and smiled at Phil. "You don't have to, but I bet you'll want to when you see it."

"Nainai has two fine goats, Skye. You've seen the pictures. I thought you wanted to pet them." Jemma tried to help. Fitz rolled his eyes.

Skye shook her head into Melinda's shirt. "I no wanna pet none. I no likes goatses. They is mean to me."

Phil pulled Fitz into a hug to stop the little boy's sniggering.

"They aren't mean, Skye." Melinda reassured her baby. "They are fine goats and they love to climb in a very big tree that Nainai has."

The little girl sat back and looked up at her mother with a mini-scowl. "Goatses no climb trees, momma. They is no taygers, they is goatses."

Melinda smiled as shook her head and hugged the little girl closer. "Oh, baobei these are very special goats and you will see they indeed do climb this tree."

"Doesn't that sound splendid, Skye?" Jemma asked, nodding her head quickly.

Skye eyed her sister for a second then shook her head. She looked up at her mother. "I no wanchu go to a fume a rall."

"Professor Maxwell was a very good friend of momma and I, angel eyes." Phil explained. "Everyone would be disappointed if we didn't go."

Skye was still shaking her head. "Why no Fesser Masell come to our howz to see you? Him could sleep in the cellar like Hunner and Bowbi."

Fitz exploded with a loud laugh. "That would be splendid then, wouldn't it? The bloke is d…"

Phil wrapped the little boy's head in a bear hug and continued. "Done…done traveling. Professor Maxwell doesn't travel anymore."

Poking his hands and head up through his father's embrace, Fitz added, "not in this plane of existence." He finished with a giggle as he sunk back into Phil's arms ignoring his mother's glare.

"He can't come here, baobei. Daddy and I have to go to Seattle to see him one last time." Melinda spoke softly to Skye while frowning at Fitz. "You have nothing to be afraid of baobao. Jemma and Fitz will be right there with you the whole time."

Jemma nodded and took her little sister's hand. "You know Nainai likes you, Skye. Remember when she visited and you shared dessert with her? Remember she told you about momma when she was a little girl?"

Skye leaned against her mother's shoulder and blinked at Jemma. "I no wanna go, momma."

Melinda looked over the little girl's head at Phil and sighed. This was not going to be easy, but there was no other choice. He could see the doubt in her eyes and knew they'd be up all night discussing this…again.

Phil moved Fitz aside, stood and took Skye in his arms. He held her close and rocked her gently as he paced across Jemma's room. Fitz leaned against the foot of the bed and watched his father try to console his baby sister while his slightly older sister moved closer to their mother and wrapped her arms around her. Jemma was doing her own version of consolation.

"I really need your help, angel baby," Phil whispered into Skye's ear. "Momma needs to go to this special meeting and she needs you to be a big girl while she's gone. She needs you to make sure Fitz stays out of trouble and Jemma eats all of her vegetables." He bounced her a little, feeling the slight shake of her head against his chin. "Do you think you can do that for Momma? Can you help take care of Fitz and Jemma?"

Skye played with the button on her father's shirt with one hand and twirled a piece of his fine hair between the fingers of the other. "Fizt no lisstins a me, daddy. Him no lisstins a Jemma, eetho." She shook her head and sniffled. "I be a bozz?" Skye smiled for the first time all day as she leaned back and looked her father in the eye.

Phil turned so that the little girl's back was to the others. He peeked over her shoulder and winked one eye at her. "It will be our little secret." He whispered.

"Do Neenee know?" Skye raised her eyebrows.

"I will tell her all about it." Phil assured her.

"You come back?" Skye whispered softly, once again playing with Phil's shirt button with both hands.

There it was. The real issue. The bottom line. Skye's perpetual fear of being abandoned could not be silenced.

Phil leaned forward until his forehead touched hers. He motioned with a crooking finger for Melinda to join them. She was there in a moment with Jemma and Fitz in tow. She wrapped her arm around her baby and rested her head on Phil's shoulder. Fitz and Jemma squirmed between them in a giant group hug.

"Now," Phil began. "We are a family. We are a family today and tomorrow and everyday. Always," he kissed Skye's forehead. "And forever," he kissed Melinda's. "Sometimes we have to be apart but we will always…ALWAYS…come back together."

"Nainai is family, too, baobei. Grandmothers are part of your big family. Nainai is momma's momma and she will take very good care of you until daddy and momma come back to get you." Melinda spoke softly to the little girl while rubbing her hand on Fitz's back. She knew he was nervous as well, but would never admit it. She smiled at Jemma who smiled back.

Everyone was quiet for a moment before Melinda spoke again. "Tomorrow we will all drive to Nainai's house and spend the day together. We'll have dinner and momma and daddy will tuck all of you in for the night."

Skye let out a long shaky breath and fell forward on her father's chest. "Then daddy and momma will go to the airport and on to Seattle. Two more sleeps and we'll be back to take everyone home."

Phil finished as he stood back from the group and allowed Melinda to take Skye from him. He quickly bent down and kissed Jemma's head before pulling her into a tight hug. She smiled up at him.

"Okay, big guy," Phil began clapping his hand together in front of him then rubbing them together. "Let's get finished packing these bags so we can get them into the car. I'll give yours the once over and the girls can help each other get all their stuff into their own."

Fitz rolled his eyes and threw his head back as he stomped across the floor, snagged his bag and dragged it out the door with Phil close behind. Melinda laughed at the boy's plight before setting Skye on the floor and helping Jemma to get everything into her bag.

xx

The Coulson's were on the road before sunrise the next morning. Jemma and Fitz stumbled out of bed, dressed and curled up together on the back seat of the SUV, back to sleep before Phil pulled out of the driveway. Skye was scooped up still asleep and strapped into her car seat clad in PJ's and wrapped in her favorite blanket. It was agreed that Salty would stay at behind keeping constant vigil on the place that was their home. Jemma gifted her little sister with a small yellow striped kitten for emergency travel. Skye held it tightly.

By sunrise the kids were waking and hungry. Phil found a diner and pulled into the parking lot. Melinda slipped into the back seat to quickly dress Skye then joined the family at the booth they'd secured inside. Jemma and Fitz were fascinated with this taste of American culture. With very few customers at an early hour other than weary truck drivers, the family spent a leisurely hour enjoying their meal. Everyone made one last pit stop before climbing back into the car to continue their journey.

The usual two hour trip was stretched out to almost five as Phil made several stops at roadside attractions to keep the kids from getting too antsy with being strapped into their seats for long periods of time. It was five minutes past noon when he pulled the large black car onto the driveway that led to Lian May's farmhouse. The rowdy bunch that bounced and sang in the back seat fell silent with the realization that this was it. This was real, they had arrived.

However, so had a late summer storm. The skies had grown heavy with gray clouds and thunder rumbled in the distance. The western horizon lit up with the promise of the lightening to come. The wind blew a chill into the air and brought with it a fine mist that would soon turn to heavy rain.

Sky peered through the back window at the dark clouds. "I no wanna go heore." She sniffled, peering out at the impending storm.

Fitz slapped a hand to his forehead. "Not again," he sighed.

Jemma patted her hand. "It's okay, sweetheart. These storms don't last very long. Look at all those pretty flowers." She pointed toward a field of wild flowers. "They need the rain to grow."

"They no need a lite-a-ling an tunner, Jemma. It bees too loud a me." Skye shook her head as a low growl of thunder caused her to shiver.

Melinda eyed Phil. He raised his brows and turned down the corners of his mouth. They'd get through this. They had to.

xx

Lian met the family on the side porch seconds before the sky unzipped and the rain drenched the dusty ground. Phil set Skye on the wooden, screened in porch and sighed at the fact he had gotten all three children inside before it started but the luggage remained in the car. He looked up through the curtained window at a sky that did not promise a quick downpour. Nope, they were in for an all day rain. He frowned at Melinda as she herded the crew into the house behind her mother, flipped up his collar and pushed open the screen door.

By the time Phil unloaded the car, even with the help of Lian's farmhand, Ben, he was soaked to the skin. Melinda, with the insistence of Lian, ushered him upstairs to the old fashioned bathroom for a hot bath and change of clothes. Their exit left three apprehensive children with the grandmother they barely knew.

Jemma looked from Fitz to Skye and smiled at the older woman. "It is very nice to see you again, Nainai and very kind of you to offer your home to us while our parents are away." She tried stepping out of the tight armless embrace her siblings had created on either side of her.

Lian smiled back, or at least she thought the older woman smiled. It was hard to tell. "It is a parent's job to help their children when they can just as it is a child's job to be dutiful to their parents. I hope you will make them proud by your behavior in the next few days."

Skye wriggled closer to Jemma. Fitz swallowed hard.

"Have you eaten?" Lian asked.

"We stopped at a diner for breakfast…" Fitz began, stopping when he noticed the look of disapproval that crossed his grandmother's face.

"Mmmm," Lian began, crossing her arms the same way Melinda did when she was not really happy with something. "Your mother allows you to eat such foods, full of so many things bad for your health. I taught her better." She looked toward the stairs and shook her head.

"We do eat healthy foods at home, but that is not always easy when traveling." Jemma defended her mother.

"And we were very hungry." Fitz added. Skye wormed her small hand into her brother's and nodded in agreement.

"And so we will have lunch," Lian informed them. "Come." She turned and walked toward the kitchen expecting them to follow. When they did not she stopped and raised one eyebrow at the trio.

Jemma tried to take a step, held in place by the close proximity of the smaller children. She let out a soft huff, grabbed their hands and tugged them forward.

Phil and Melinda joined their children at the table a few minutes later. Skye immediately relocated from the chair Lian put her into her father's lap. She peered into the bowl of crinkly noodles, meat and vegetables. It looked like soup with no broth and smelled good. She looked up at Phil and back to the bowl.

Across the table Melinda picked up the chopsticks set next to her bowl and demonstrated to Jemma and Fitz the proper use. Both youngsters caught on quickly and experimented with the various foods in their bowls. Skye watched closely but refused to try.

Phil smiled and kissed the top of her head before offering her a spoon and helping to cut the long noodles smaller, making them more manageable. He winked at Lian when he noticed not one green veggie or smidge of seasoning in the little girl's bowl. Grandmother had remembered.

The storm lasted the rest of the day, preventing Lian from giving the family the tour she had planned. That would have to wait until tomorrow. They spent the day together. Skye and Phil napped on the large bed in the guest room where the girls would be staying while Fitz checked out the large A-frame attic room that would be his for the next few days. It seemed like an adventure in the daylight but he tried to hide his apprehension of the fact he'd been up here…all alone…in the dark…all night…by himself.

While lunch had been a traditional Chinese fare, supper was a bit more American cuisine. Fried chicken, sweet corn, tossed salad, fresh rolls and apple pie had everyone rubbing their full tummies and congratulating the cook, Ben Watson.

Ben worked for Lian taking care of the farm, the animals and occasionally the cooking. His family had run a restaurant in the suburbs of Atlanta for most of his life. He'd learned to cook at his grandmother's side and grew up working there. When the restaurant closed, after his grandfather's death he moved north and spent years in New York City before meeting this woman and joining her on this acreage. It was quite a difference but he enjoyed the pastoral life.

Skye stared at the man despite being scolded by her mother twice. She stood next to him as he helped to clear the table and pass dishes to Melinda and Lian at the sink. He smiled down at her with a quick wink. She smiled back.

"You is barown like-a my Trip is." She smiled as she gently rubbed her tiny hand over his large one. "Him is mine brudder." The large man nodded his understanding.

"Skye!" Melinda tried to hush her baby and hide her own embarrassment. She lifted the little girl from the chair she had climbed onto and directed her toward the living room. "Go see what Daddy and the twins are doing."

Ben laughed a deep laugh. "It's no big deal, M'linda. She's just a little bit and calls 'em as she sees 'em." He shrugged his shoulders. "Besides, I am barown." He finished using Skye's pronunciation of the word brown.

Skye sidestepped her mother's gentle push and moved back to stare up at the man who stood in her grandmother's kitchen. "An you has eyes juss like mine momma and hoer momma," she brushed her fingers over her own eyes and smiled. "An they bees like myun too."

"Skye!" Melinda admonished the little girl again, this time scooping her up and landing a soft pat on her backside.

"No need for that, missy." Ben furrowed his brows at Melinda. "I've heard much worse and this little lady is just a might curious." He reached out and ruffled Skye's hair. "It ain't always easy being different, but I managed."

"Ben's momma was Chinese, like your momma and like I am." Lian explained to her granddaughter. "His baba was African like your older brother, so he is a little bit of both."

Skye shook her head. "Trip no is fricken, him is mine brudder. Him likeses baptist ball and him haves eyes like hims gramma, too."

"Well, I would like to meet this brother of yours little miss." Ben smiled as Melinda set Skye back on the floor.

"Him is gone in N'yoke onna bus." She lifted her hands, palms up as she shrugged her shoulders.

Ben smiled. "Well, maybe next time." He reached out to take her hand. "How 'bout we go see what your papa is up to and maybe get us a game of Parcheesi before you all turn in for the night."

Skye took the man's hand and turned to walk through the swinging door with him. "Him bees mine daddy and we non't has a cheesey to turn."

Melinda watched as they walked away then turned to help her mother finish the after-meal cleaning.

xx

By eight-thirty Melinda had moved all three children through the large claw foot bathtub that Skye insisted was a swimming pool right in the bathroom, wrestled her and Fitz into pajamas, combed through both daughters' hair and after all three had said their good nights accompanied them back to the guestroom.

Fitz climbed onto the bed with his sisters. "I don't want to sleep up there," he motioned with his eyes toward the ceiling, "all by myself." He pushed his feet under the covers and snuggled into the large down-filled pillows. "It's much too cold up there." He announced, pulling the blankets up around his chin.

"Fitz," Jemma sighed. "It's the end of August and probably at least thirty degrees Celsius!"

The little boy frowned at the sister who definitely saw through his ruse. He looked to his mother.

"Well the air conditioning sometimes makes it a bit cooler up there." Melinda smiled as she tucked Skye into the space between Fitz and the wall. She quickly kissed the tip of his nose as she moved back to the opposite side of the large bed. "And I think since it's the last night we'll spend together for a few days that daddy and I will squeeze into this big bed with the three of you and we will have a family slumber party tonight. What do you think of that?"

"We haves a poorty inna bed?" Skye asked around a wide yawn.

"Yes, baobei," Melinda smiled as she sat on the bed and patted the mattress encouraging Jemma to climb in as well."

"I'm not very tired." The little girl hesitated. "Maybe I should stay up with you and da for a bit, just until I become sleepy."

"Me too!" Fitz and Skye exclaimed together. Fitz had already kicked his feet free of blankets. Skye rolled over and was crawling out as well.

"Oh, no you don't." Melinda caught her son's ankle and her baby's hand directing them back to their respective spots. "It is bedtime for all of you. Let's go Jemma, you too." This time she held up the blanket and tilted her head in the direction the little girl should move.

Jemma let out a dejected sigh and did as she was told, climbing into the large bed and allowing Melinda to tuck the covers around her. When her mother bent to kiss her good night she wrapped her arms around her neck and held tightly. "I'm scared, momma." Jemma whispered into Melinda's ear, hoping her little brother did not hear.

Melinda hugged her older daughter tightly and whispered back. "Everything will be fine, Jemma. We will be fine." She felt more than heard the sob come from the little girl. Staying with Lian was not Jemma's fear; it was knowing her parents would board a plane in the morning. That fear was almost paralyzing.

"You can't know that, momma. You can't." Jemma tried unsuccessfully to quell her tears.

Melinda sat back and looked down at the little girl, knowing the other two were paying close attention. They were now silenced by their normally calm and confident sister's behavior. She wiped away Jemma's tears with her thumb. "Baobei, don't think that way, please. I promise we will call you every time we touch down and let you know we are okay."

"But…" Jemma began.

Melinda shook her head and laid a finger on the little girl's lips. "Mmm hmm, Jemma stop. You can't let what happened make you so afraid." She left out some of what needed to be said in order to keep the others from asking too many questions.

"It won't happen again, Jemma. The chances are one in five million, three hundred and seventy one thousand, three hundred and sixty nine." Fitz nodded as he rested his hand on his hand, leaning on his elbow. He stared at his sister seriously, with Skye resting her chin on his hip.

She cast him a weak smile.

"Okay, scoot over," Melinda lifted the blanket as she kicked off her slippers and slid under it. She wrapped her arms around Jemma and pulled her close. Fitz snuggled closer as Skye wriggled over all of them to cuddle into her mother's opposite side. Melinda squirmed to the center of the large bed and got comfortable amidst her brood.

"What about Da?" Jemma asked quietly not moving from the spot she had snuggled into.

Melinda cuddled closer to her daughter, resting her chin atop the little girl's head as Skye pressed closer on her other side. "We'll leave him some room on the edge." She smiled as she closed her eyes.

xx

Melinda sat in the car forcing herself not to look back at two tearful children and one hysterical toddler as she and Phil drove away from the farm. She was sure she'd see a small dark haired girl racing behind them with her brother and sister close behind. She wiped a tear from her cheek and glanced at Phil whose knuckles were white on the steering wheel. He was putting up a good show of it just for her sake. She wasn't sure and he would never admit it, but there might have been a tear slipping over his cheek as well. He wiped it away right before shooting her a quick smile.

xx

The rain had stopped during the night, followed by a warm wind that helped dry most of the land. The sky broke blue promising a picture perfect day. The Coulson children could not care less. Jemma took her younger siblings in hand and led them back to the living room gathering both into her own comforting embrace while they sat on the overstuffed sofa.

Fitz brushed away his tears with the sleeve of his shirt and pushed himself away from his sisters. He kicked at the coffee table in front of them, the anger that usually followed his feeling of loss building. Jemma place a hand on his knee. He looked at her with a slight growl. She shook her head.

"Momma warned you Fitz. You know she means what she says." She reminded him.

"I know." He replied, falling back against the sofa.

Lian stood in the doorway watching. She understood her grandchildren missed their parents but this needed to end. She would not allow them to spend the next three days wallowing in misery. She stepped into the room and clapped her hands.

"The sun is shining on this day. It is time you saw what my farm has to offer. Let's go." She stepped back and swept one arm toward the back door.

Jemma and Fitz stared. Skye sniffled and wiped her nose with the back of her arm. Lian waited a few seconds.

"This is not a request. Up, up, up," she pulled Fitz to his feet. Jemma stood and tugged at Skye to do the same.

"I no wan to see a farmer." Skye sobbed, refusing to follow her brother and sister.

"No one is saying they do not want to, xiǎo sūnnǚ." She informed the little girl. "Jemma, take your sister to the washroom and clean her hands and arms then meet young Fitz and I outside the back porch." Lian took Fitz by the hand and tugged him along behind her not ever looking back to be sure the girl had done as she was told.

Jemma dragged a reluctant Skye out the door after doing as their grandmother had ordered. She stuffed her pocket with several tissues and informed her little sister that is was impolite to clean her nose with her arm or her fingers or her hands. If she needed to do so, she would provide the needed Kleenex. Skye nodded then promptly sniffled and rubbed her arm across her nose again. Jemma washed the little girl again and repeated her tissue lecture before heading outside.

Nainai was waiting a few feet from the back porch steps. Fitz was noticeably absent. Jemma looked in all directions for her brother, finding no trace of him. A flush of alarm cross her as she helped Skye down the wooden stairs.

"He has gone ahead with Ben. The boy is impatient and felt you were taking longer than necessary." Lian informed Jemma before the girl had a chance to ask. She motioned for the girls to follow and began a slow walk down a muddy walkway toward a structure at the bottom of the slope.

Jemma was glad for the muck boots her grandmother had provided for all of them and wondered how the woman had guessed their sizes correctly. Of course, momma could have told her but how would either of them have known about yesterday's storm. She shrugged her shoulders as she watched her Lian walk ahead of her. Maybe Nainai had a room full of these boots in every available size, just in case. She shook off the thought as it was quite ridiculous. Skye stomped in the chocolate colored puddles sending sprays of mud in all directions. Jemma quietly scolded her, afraid that grandmother would strongly disapprove, but Lian said nothing. She simply walked ahead with her hands clasped behind her back squashing the soft mud with her own muck boots as she did.

The large building at the bottom of the slope almost a hundred feet from the house turned out to be a barn. Jemma smiled at the quaintness of it and Skye released her sister's hand for the first time all morning to clap in recognition. It looked very much like any barn she had ever seen in picture books. The little girl immediately broke into a verse of 'Ole McDonald'. Of course in Skye-speak it was more like 'Oma Dawno'.

Lian smiled a very thin smile at the girls as she pushed open the large door and they peered into the dim interior. Skye raced forward before Jemma could snatch her but the older girl was relieved to spy Ben and Fitz at the far side of the building as her eyes adjusted to the change in light.

"She's fine, Jemma. Ben is there. He will keep her from hurting herself…or anything else. I think she will be intrigued by what she finds."

Skye crashed into her brother knocking him slightly off balance before Ben steadied both of them. She squeezed around Fitz to peek over the edge of the crate he was standing against. She squealed with delight as she wrapped her fingers around the edge of the large box.

Inside was a large yellow tiger cat with its eyes closed in light slumber. Four frisky kittens scampered over their mother and scratched up at the sides of the box. Three were identical to mama cat while the fourth was a combination of yellow and gray with deep dark eyes.

"This is Miss Lizzie and her family." Ben informed the girls as Jemma stood behind Skye and grinned at the little fuzz balls mewling in unison below. He reached down and gently lifted one of the kittens then squatted down to hold it at their eye level. The little creature fit in the palm of his hand. "This here little fella is Sebastian. He's the big brother." He handed the kitten to Fitz over Skye's head. The little boy smiled as the kitten bounced its tiny pink nose against his chin. Skye bounced with excitement.

"I hode a kitty? I no squeeze him." She shook her head seriously.

Ben tapped the end of her nose and reached into the box a second time lifting another yellow kitten. This one meowed loudly, showing its tiny white teeth. It pushed away from Ben's hand and squirmed back toward the box.

Skye gave a little pout and shook her head. "Him misses hes momma. Him no wanna get hoded." She knit her brows and pointed into the box at the large cat that had opened her eyes and sat up in alarm. "Him needs to be inna box wid hees momma, Bin. No make-a him cry." She put her hand on the man's large one and moved it toward the box, smiling when Ben gently set the kitten back inside. She watched as the small kitten scurried under its mother's legs and peeked back at them.

"I call that one, Sniffles." He smiled at Jemma as he caught the third yellow kitten. "This one is Sugar, because he is the sweetest." He brought the docile little animal to his face and kissed its tiny head before handing it to Jemma. She held it close to her chest as it cuddled into a tight ball and closed its eyes. "He loves to be snuggled." Ben informed her.

He looked to Fitz who held Sebastian on its back and wriggled his fingers at the animal who batted its tiny paws at them. Fitz smiled with delight. Jemma held the little cat and rocked back and forth cooing to it as if it were a baby. Skye looked back and forth as well then looked to Ben and tugged at his denim shirt. He looked to her and almost laughed at the scowl on her face and the little booted foot that tapped impatiently.

"You no give me a kitty to hode, Bin. I not too liddle." She held her palms up and scowled at the man. "You forgetted me."

Ben put his head down to hide his laughter and shook his head. "No way, little bit. I did not forget you. I just saved both of you for last." He reached down a final time and scooped up the grey and yellow kitten. "This little lady is Dusty. She is a little bit of her momma and a little bit like her daddy." He looked up toward the loft. The children followed his gaze noticing the large grey tom-cat glaring down at them. "That's Boss-man," Ben explained. He passed the tiny kitten to Skye. It immediately attached its tiny almost transparent claws to her denim bib overalls.

"Her gots hold-ons to me!" Skye smiled as she gently tried to pry the little kitten from her clothing. "Her is stuck a me. Her like-a me." She grinned as she gently hugged the little animal at her chest.

Lian smiled at her grandchildren. She looked to Ben who smiled as well. He was her right hand here on the farm, caring for it as if it were his own even when she was away for months. He was good with the animals and even better with people, especially small people.

After an extended visit with the kittens and only getting them back into the box by convincing Skye they needed to snuggle with their momma and have some lunch the group moved to the enclosure outside the barn. Two black and white dairy cows waited for Ben to open the gate then ambled toward the pasture in the distance. Ben explained that Rosie and Eleanor would spend the day happily munching on grass and find their way back by mid-afternoon when he would show all of them the proper way to get farm fresh milk. He then took them to a small igloo shaped building that held a calf that stood taller than Skye. His name was Ronald and Eleanor was his mother. He was too little to go to the pasture but he was very hungry. Ben produced the biggest baby bottle Skye had ever seen and gave each child a turn to hold it while Ronald pulled at it voraciously. Lian stood back casually snapping pictures she would share with her daughter.

She'd missed all of this with Melinda, having given her time to her job and believing that being firm, strict and no nonsense was the best way to raise her own child. By the time Melinda was a few years older than the twins she'd been packed off to boarding school and spent most of her holidays with William. Her only daughter had chosen a much different method to raise the children that had become her own. Melinda had broken tradition, with the help and influence of her doting father and become a hands-on mom. Lian did not agree with everything her headstrong daughter did, but she was proud of her. She could see just by spending a short amount of time with these children how Melinda and Phil had fallen in love with all of them.

"Neenee?" Skye broke her grandmother's reverie with one word. "We see you goatses inna tree?"

"Goats are incredible climbers, however I do not know of any that climb trees." Fitz smiled as the small calf suckled his fingers. He giggled at the strange feeling then grimaced at the slobber left behind. Jemma scrunched her face in semi-disgust. Ben laughed and pulled a large railroad hankie from his back pocket to clean the boy's hand.

"Well, our goats will prove you wrong, bucko." The large man laughed as he shoved the rag back into his pocket. "And I will introduce you to the lot of them right after we get cleaned up and have a good lunch." He tilted his head toward the house, ignoring the protests from the crew. "You didn't even notice your grandma wandered back to the house to make sure it'd be ready when I get you there."

The big man stood and wiped his hands on his jeans before pointing the kids in the direction of the path that led back to the farm house. Fitz took off first claiming he would beat all of them to the back porch. Jemma shook her head, refusing to engage in her brother's antics she glanced around for Skye who stood in the center of a large puddle. Jemma could not imagine how, but was not surprised that her little sister had gotten there that quickly.

"Skye," Jemma stomped her foot in anger. "You come out from there right now!"

Skye looked at her sister and frowned. "I not come out, Jemma."

"This is no time to be naughty, Skye. I am not playing a game with you. You need to come out of there this instant." Jemma tried using her mother's sternest voice.

Skye shook her head and wobbled side to side for a moment. "I not playin, Jemma. My foots is stucked in this muddle. See?" She pulled at one foot then the other, but did not move. "I no wanna stay heor, Jemma. You saves me?" She reached an arm toward her sister.

"Oh, Skye," Jemma sighed and took a step toward her, stopped by Ben's hand on her shoulder.

The man stepped into the water behind Skye and lifted her up and out of her boots. She stared down at them open-mouthed. She looked at the man who now held her against his side then back down. He smiled, leaned down and snagged the muck-boots by the loops at the tops and yanked them free with a loud smacking sound. Skye giggled at the sound. The boots dripped with thick light brown mud.

"Guess you'll need a lift, won't ya." Ben smiled at the little girl in his arms then carried her and the muddy boots toward the house with Jemma close behind.

xx

Lunch was chicken, rice and a variety of fresh vegetables shared by all. Clean up was quick and Skye was whisked off for a quick bath and a nap that she fought until Nainai wondered what Melinda might do with such a fussy little girl. That turned into a long sobbing session of missing momma and ended with the little girl crying herself to sleep on her grandmother's shoulder. It had been a very long time since Lian had rocked a little girl to sleep. She did not realize how much she missed it.

Ben and the twins cleaned the kitchen then headed to the fields that bordered the north end of the property. He propped both children on the large tractor and rode through the acres that produced corn, wheat and an entire field of pumpkins. He explained the corn and wheat were grown mostly as feed and sold to other local farms for their live stock. There was a smaller field that yielded corn that would be part of their meals and sold at a roadside stand by a small group of kids that worked during the harvest. He also told them that the pumpkins were sold from the end of September until Halloween to local day care centers and elementary schools that came by the bus load to pick a perfect gourd to carve into a jack-o-lantern.

The best thing he showed them was a large clean pond set far behind the barn. There was a small flat bottom row boat overturned on the grass and a floating dock a few feet from the shore. On one side was a patio made with large flat rocks. There was a large covered swing, a round table complete with a bright yellow umbrella and lots of chairs.

"Little cool today, with all that rain yesterday, but tomorrow promises to be a hot one. I don't suppose you'd be interested in tryin' out the old swimmin' hole." He smiled at the twins as their eyes lit up with the promise of tomorrow's treat.

By three the small group was back at the house ready to lead their baby sister to the promised reveal of those tree climbing goats. Skye was awake and ready to go. Her now clean boots were waiting on the porch and she pulled them on without being asked.

The walk to the goats' enclosure was a little longer than Skye could manage. Ben had to carry her part of the way but by the time the area was within view she was running well ahead of the small group. Lian called to her three times before she stopped to wait but Jemma had already hurried ahead and caught her little sister by the hand.

"Skye, you must wait for all of us." She softly scolded the little girl.

Lian stepped next to them and took Skye's other hand. "I cannot run as fast as you, xiǎo sūnnǚ. You must wait for me." She shook the little girl's hand. "Do you understand, Skye?"

Fitz and Ben caught up and waited for Skye's response. Once she nodded, the group continued along the narrow path.

In the distance was a large ash tree with massive branches that grew in haphazard directions. The tree looked as if someone had tried to bend it into the numeral four. The lower branches were void of leaves while the canopy provided a large swath of shade. Below the lowest branch was a square structure with a slanted roof. It was slightly larger than a big dog house and stood on short legs off the ground.

That lowest branch might have, at one time, been a shoot off of the trunk. It grew out of the main tree about four feet from the ground. On it rested a wide rung ladder. The ground was trodden and grassless. A large tire lay on the ground with a mental insert that held water and a long wooden triangular trough for feed and hay.

Skye slipped free of her grandmother's hold a few feet from the fence that surrounded the area. She hooked her fingers through the openings in the framed chicken-wire. Fitz was first to join her looking in all directions for the talented goats. Jemma stood behind her siblings a bit disappointed to find the pen empty.

"Them is no heor." Skye sighed. "Where them go?" She turned toward her grandmother who simply shrugged her shoulders.

"They were here yesterday, were they not, Ben?" She looked to her farm manager.

Ben tilted back his baseball cap and scratched his head. "They certainly were here yesterday. I made sure they had feed and water just after supper last night."

"You left them out in the storm?" Fitz spun on the man in disbelief.

Ben snapped his fingers. "I bet that's what happened."

"Them blowed away?" Skye was flabbergasted.

"I'm sure they did not." Jemma smiled. "The wind was not that strong." She looked sidelong at Ben seeing through his teasing.

"No, little ones, I bet they're just inside their hut. We should just check." He was already unlatching the gate. Fitz hurried inside with Skye close behind. Jemma walked with her grandmother fully expecting the animals to trot out of the small hut as soon as Ben rousted them.

Fitz reached the small structure first and peered over the half door into the dark interior. Skye stood on tiptoes to see over it. The little boy turned and shook his head. "They're not in here."

Skye bounced on her toes until her brother wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her to see for herself. Ben stepped behind them and opened the small door. He poked his head inside then allowed both children to step into the hut. They emerged a few seconds later shaking their heads.

Ben looked at Lian and smiled. He winked at Jemma who played along. "I guess they must be off in the pasture. Perhaps visiting with the cows." The young girl offered.

"Perhaps you are all looking in the wrong direction." Lian suggested. "These are special goats. Where do you think they might be?"

"Inna tree! Inna tree!" Skye jumped up and down clapping her hands.

Everyone looked up and sure enough three goats were perched in the large branches above them. The largest of the tiny herd lay on the lowest branch with its legs folded under it. Its eyes were closed but its head upright as if it were meditating. The smallest goat stood in the yoke of the tree peering down at them with a suspicious glare and the third had climbed to a higher branch. It seemed to be staring off into the distance, ignoring not only the people who had invaded their space but the other goats as well.

"What's thems names, Bin?" Skye breathed as she moved toward the wide rung ladder.

Ben had opened a large wooden bin and pulled out a bunch of carrots that still had the greens attached. All three goats seemed to be interested in what the man held as they each began to move slowly down from where they were perched. Skye noticed their movement and hurried back to her grandmother's side.

"Hey there, Snickers," Ben greeted the large black goat that stretched its neck toward the tasty treat the man held. He allowed the animal to take one of the big carrots.

Fitz laughed. "Do you call her that because she is nutty enough to sleep in the tree?"

Ben nodded as the goat continued to munch the carrot. "Absolutely, Fitz, very observant."

Skye squatted down with her hands on her knees and peered at the goat's mouth. "Him is a jean us. Momma toed me."

The second goat had made her way to the ground and butted her way through the small group knocking Fitz to the ground in her hurry to get to the offering. She pushed the larger goat out of the way and jumped up like a dog resting her front hooves on Ben's thick leather belt.

"Well, hello to you too." The man smiled at the creature. "This is Skittles."

Fitz stood and brushed the debris off his jeans. "I can't guess that one."

"No real reason," Ben explained. "I just started callin' that and she likes it." He handed a few carrots to Fitz which Skittles followed pulling them from the boy's hand before he could offer them. "She's a little over anxious."

Fitz laughed as he played tug-o-war with the brown and white goat that pulled gently on the carrots. Jemma smiled at her brother's glee and Skye stepped closer to the animal to watch.

The smallest goat bounced off the second to last step and slipped behind the wide tree trunk. It peered around the trunk with the same look she'd given them from his perch above. "That there is Jelly Bean. She's not too sure about us. It takes her a while to decide if she wants the carrot or if she's gonna just pretend we aren't here."

"Perhaps she's just shy." Jemma proposed.

"I suppose." Ben agreed. "Until her belly gets the better of her." He held one of the carrots out to the girl and nodded toward the little goat. "You could give it a try."

Jemma stared at the carrot for a moment then looked at the little animal peeking from behind the tree.

"Snickers and Skittles are sisters, came to us from a farm up the road a bit after the folks there decided to sell out. Jelly Bean…well, she had a different time of it. Seems her momma was pretty sick and couldn't look after her, not enough milk so little Jelly Bean didn't get too big. Her momma passed and it took a long time to get the little one to eat. Could be why she's so shy." The man shrugged his shoulders. "She's happy here, just not as friendly as the others."

Jemma sighed, immediately feeling sympathy for the animal. She walked slowly across the pen, holding the carrot out in front of her. "It's okay little goat. Come try a carrot. There's no need to be frightened. I know how you feel." She moved toward the animal that seemed more curious than nervous as it watched the little girl's approach. It did not move toward the girl, but did not run away. Jemma smiled as she moved within arms reach and stopped. "Hello, Jelly Bean," she spoke softly. "I'm Jemma. I lost my mum too, but I have a momma now and she loves me very much. I think Ben loves you and it looks like you have a nice family as well." The goat moved its head side to side and took a tenuous step, stretching its neck to reach the offered carrot. Jemma smiled. "Come on, baby, it's quite alright." Jelly Bean took another step and then another bringing it close enough to nibble the end of the carrot. Jemma looked back at Ben who gave her a thumbs-up.

Skye was content to watch and shook her head at the carrot Ben offered. When the large goat moved toward her she reached up to Lian, practically climbing up her grandmother before the woman could lift her into her arms. She wrapped her arms tightly around her grandmother's neck.

"Thems eyes is in wrong, Neenee. How them see me?" Skye shivered at the odd horizontal rectangular shaped goat eyes. "Why them go this way?" She rubbed her hands back and forth across her eyes and waited for her grandmother's reply.

Lian paused for a moment stopping herself from telling the little girl it was a ridiculous question and she should not be concerned. She wondered how Melinda would respond, what Phil would say to this curious and now rather frightened little girl. Before she could form an answer, Fitz rescued his grandmother.

"It helps them to see when they are grazing. Their eyes stay parallel to the ground at any angle therefore they can see if any predators are upon them." The boy smiled as Skittles yanked a second carrot from his hand then gently butted him looking for more.

Skye stared at Fitz waiting for him to repeat what he said in words she knew, like he always did but he was too busy with the silly goat. Jemma had coaxed Jelly Bean to the bottom of the ladder and was sitting on the wide rung speaking softly to the creature.

"It helps them to see when they are eating the grass." Lian simplified.

Skye nodded then shook her head. "I no like-a them a look a me, Kay?" She buried her face in her grandmother's neck. "I like them climb up inna tree. We go now?"

Lian nodded and carried her tiny granddaughter out of the pen letting Ben know he should catch up to her when the older kids had enough of the goats. She pushed the gate closed and took a few steps before feeling a slight buzz in her pocket. She pulled out her phone and recognized her daughter's number.

xx

Lian held Skye's hand as she spoke softly to her daughter telling her all was well and the children were doing fine. When Melinda asked to speak with Jemma, Lian turned and looked back the hundred feet or more that she had walked. Fitz and his sister were still busy with the odd little goats and content to help Ben with feeding and watering them. She sighed at the thought of walking all the way back and wrestling with the very apprehensive Skye in order to do so. Lian explained that the older children were in the fields with Ben and that she would let both know their parents had called to say they'd arrived safely.

Melinda thought for a moment before agreeing to what her mother proposed. She'd promised Jemma she would speak to her, to let her hear her voice and know all was well. But Phil had already hailed a cab and like always it was pouring rain in Seattle. They had to check it at the hotel and change in order to make it to the reception being given by Professor Maxwell's family. They were pressed for time and Melinda knew that it would be well past the children's bedtime before she could make a second call. She really wasn't sure how her older daughter would take this, but Jemma was normally level headed and accepting of the changes that sometime had to be made. She considered speaking with Skye who she could hear singing in the background but decided it would probably start the little girl's tears all over again. Making sure her mother promised to tell Jemma she had called and why she could not speak directly to her, Melinda reluctantly hung up and hurried to join Phil who was holding the cab door and a large umbrella.

Skye spun around and swung her grandmother's arm while singing another farm themed song she had more than likely learned in preschool, oblivious to the fact the woman next to her was speaking to her mother a continent away. As Lian pushed the small phone back into her pocket, Skye twisted in a circle around the woman's arm.

"Neenee, we see the kitties? Them has good eyes and them is okay a look a me." She took a deep breath and looked up at her grandmother with 'puppy dog eyes'.

Lian stilled the little girl and glared back down at her. "I would think you get your way many times with that look, xiao sunnu."

"Why you call me sow soonoo, Neenee. I Skye." She pointed to herself, clearly ignoring or perhaps not even understanding her grandmother's statement.

Lian smiled and squeezed the Skye's hand a little. "Because you are my little granddaughter, Skye." She looked back at the others still involved with the goats. "Come, we will make sure Miss Lizzie and her babies are in need of fresh milk."

She began to walk toward the path that lead to the barn with Skye hopping along beside her. "You get a meolk fromma cow, Neenee. I helup?"

"I think for now we will take the milk from the jug." She pointed toward the pasture in the distance. "Rosie and Elsie have not yet come back to the barn. I think they know to wait for Ben."

Skye squinted in the late afternoon sun in the direction her grandmother pointed. "They bring a meolk to Ben?" She scrunched up her face with confusion.

"How about we let Ben show you that?" Lian let out a soft breath. How did her quiet daughter deal with this never ending questioning? "Let's just worry about the kittens for now."

Skye nodded and pulled her grandmother forward.

They arrived in the barn about ten minutes before they were joined by the others giving Skye ample time to climb into the large box while her grandmother turned to retrieve a saucer of warm milk for Miss Lizzie. Lian felt an unfamiliar twang of alarm when she turned back and did not see the little girl. She looked in all directions and stopped a second before calling her name when she heard the familiar giggle.

The little girl sat in the shredded material that lined the bottom of the kitten's box, giggling at the three little creatures that climbed on her lap and chest. The fourth kitten remained close to Miss Lizzie whining in its loud scratchy voice.

Lian placed the bowl in the far corner of the box and reached down to lift her granddaughter out of the box. "Skye, you should not be there. The cat may take exception to you sitting with her kittens."

Skye watched as the little fur balls fell away from her and squirmed to get back down. "I non't hort them, Neenee. I bees gentil like Jemma telled me. Them is ownee babies and I non't reach over this bigga howz they in." She peeked over the edge into the box when her grandmother set her down. The little girl had to stand on tiptoe to be eye level with it. She held out one arm toward Lian. "I gots liddle orms." She demonstrated trying to reach over the box. "See, Neenee I non't reach."

Miss Lizzie suddenly leapt to the top of the box and slipped to the floor without a sound. All four kittens began protesting loudly. Skye watched as the cat padded to the door and disappeared. "Where her go? Her babies is crying, Neenee. Her no wan them no more?"

Lian was surprised at the look of fear on the child's face. Melinda had told her the stories of all of her children. It took very little for the woman to see how Skye would think the mother cat was abandoning her kittens. "No, baobao, Miss Lizzie is only going to stretch her legs for a little while. Perhaps she needs to relieve herself. She will be back."

Skye blinked a few times, digesting what her grandmother was saying then looked back into the box. "But them is scareded and them is sad thems momma is gone." She looked up again realizing what she had said. "Thems momma is gone like my momma is gone."

Lian could hear the beginning of tears in the little girl's voice. "Perhaps they would feel better if you were to take care of them while their momma is away." Before Skye could answer, Lian lifted her back into the box.

Skye folded her legs and sat back down, gathering all four kittens into her arms and shushing them softly. The yowled for a few seconds before finding this small human something to explore and began climbing and sniffing the little girl. Skye smiled up at her grandmother when the whiney little Sniffles curled into the crook formed in her lap and relaxed.

Jemma looked into the box a few minutes later and shook her head. "Oh dear, Skye, you'll require another bath before bedtime." She laughed at the condition of her baby sister.

Fitz followed Ben into the corral to let the cows in and then drove them into two separate stalls. Ben demonstrated the fine art of milking with Boss-man keeping close watch. Fitz paid close attention judging just how much pressure Ben used and the speed at which he tugged on the animal's udders. He laughed as the large man aimed one udder toward the large grey cat that caught the spray of milk with practiced ease.

When finished, Ben lifted the large bucket of fresh milk and poured it into a tall galvanized tank. He picked up the small stool and set it next to the second bovine inviting Fitz to give it a try. Fitz eagerly sat on the seat as Jemma and Lian watched. He placed his small hands on two of the cows udders and jumped with the animal let out a loud 'moo'. Ben patted the boy's shoulder to let him know it was normal and jutted his chin toward the target. Fitz pulled a few times with no success, let out a frustrated breath and tried again…with no success. Ben squatted down beside the boy and placed his large hands over Fitz's, demonstrating the slow method that was his. Fitz matched the rhythm and nodded for the man to let him try again. This time the boy beamed with pride as the milk squirted into the bucket. Jemma clapped her approval and pride in her brother. Ben raised a thumb and Lian gave an approving nod.

Scooping Skye out of the box as Miss Lizzie slipped back in, Lian announced it was time to clean up for dinner and ordered all three children to the bath. Fitz quickly offered to be last, allowing the girls use of the giant tub while he continued to help Ben with the last of his chores. Lian eyed the boy suspiciously, but allowed him to stay as she ushered her granddaughters to the house.

Supper was served on the back porch, consisting of lean hamburgers grilled to perfection by Ben, salad which Skye absolutely refused having just too much green for her taste (but she enjoyed the tomatoes and carrots with no problem), fresh sweet corn and peach cobbler for dessert.

Jemma helped to clean up afterward, offering to wash the dishes and leaving her grandmother to dry and put them away. Ben entertained the younger kids with a large box of Legos he'd pulled from the top shelf in grandmother's closet.

The little girl stood on a small step stool and rubbed a dishcloth around one of the flowered plates. She glanced up at the clock…seven ten…she wondered how long a flight to Seattle might take but did not want to cause her grandmother undue worry. She however had been trying to quell her fear since they'd walked from the goats' pen. Jemma did not want to cause stress for her siblings. She knew how upset Skye and Fitz would become if she did not keep her cool.

Momma had promised she'd call and momma always kept her promises…unless she couldn't…unless something was keeping her from keeping them. Jemma tried not to think about it. She'd tried to eat but ended up putting most of her food into her napkin, much like she'd done before her parents had caught on to her eating issue. Maybe Lian didn't notice, but she had a feeling her grandmother was very much like her mother. If she did, Lian hadn't said anything. Maybe she just thought Jemma was too polite to say she did not care for the cooking. Jemma mentally shook her head. Momma would have told her.

Jemma smiled at her grandmother, finished her chore then joined her brother and sister in the cozy living room. Neither Fitz nor Skye made it to their eight p.m. bedtime falling asleep on the large oval rug that covered Nainai's hardwood floor. Ben easily carried both up the stairs, depositing Skye on the guestroom bed and moving on toward the third floor with Fitz.

"No," Jemma stopped him. "Please put him with Skye." She almost begged as she followed the man into the hall.

Lian placed her hands on the girl's shoulders. "Jemma, it isn't proper for your brother to sleep with you girls. He needs his own bed."

Jemma pulled away and turned back to protest. "You can't put him up there all alone. He's not used to being alone and he has terrible nightmares at times. He needs us to feel safe." She tried in vain to control the anxiety in her voice.

"Fitz is perfectly safe in his own room." Lian spoke calmly, nodding toward the stairs as indication for Ben to take the boy up to his room.

"No, you can't!" Jemma grabbed the man's elbow. "You can't take him away like that. You just can't!"

Ben looked to his boss and waited for her direction.

"He slept with us last night. He slept with us and with momma and da. Lots of times we all sleep together, when we're scared or sick or just need to be close. You can't leave him all alone." She pleaded with her grandmother who did not seem to be changing her mind. "If you put him there he'll wake up and just come down to our bed regardless." She looked from Ben to Lian and felt the anger growing. "You absolutely must put him with us. I demand it! He is my brother. You cannot take him from me." She stomped one foot and clenched her fists at her side.

Lian felt the hackles on her back rise at the child's disrespect but at the same time she sensed the girl's apprehension and need to protect her brother. She was torn between scolding the child and pacifying her. She knew exactly how she would handle her own daughter in this case, but Jemma was Melinda's child. Melinda would not approve of Jemma's method but she would not react as her Lian might.

"Put the boy in with his sister," she spoke quietly to Ben who nodded and walked back into the room.

Lian eyed Jemma who now kept her gaze to the floor. "It is late, sunnu. You and I will have words in the morning. Sleep well." She turned and walked down the stairs.

Jemma knew her grandmother was cross. She could feel it. Ben stepped around her, resting his hand on her back for a second as he did. He wished her goodnight with a sympathetic smile and moved down the stairs. She heard him wish Lian goodnight and waited in the hallway until she heard the door close and knew he had gone.

The little girl stepped into the room and pulled the door closed. She quickly changed into her nightclothes then sighed at her fully clothed brother and sister on the bed. It was a difficult task but she'd seen momma and daddy do it many times. Skye was easy, she was so little and light. It was easy for Jemma to wriggle her out of her clothing and into pajamas. Fitz…not so much. She had no choice but to wake him and insist he change. He grumbled a lot but rolled off the bed and began undressing. Jemma waited until he climbed back into the bed before turning out the light and climbing in next to Skye. Fitz had curled up on the baby's other side.

xx

Jemma tossed and turned until she fell into a fitful sleep filled with memory induced nightmares. She woke with a start and stared at her siblings who slept soundly. It was much later; she could tell by the silence and darkness that now engulfed the room.

Momma and Da had left a little after eight. That meant it was more than twelve hours and it certainly didn't take that long to fly across the United States. It only took nine hours for them to fly all the way across the Atlantic. Nainai had no television that Jemma had seen, so she had no idea if there had been any tragic accidents. No one had called during dinner and they'd all been together all day. Momma hadn't called…like she promised. Something had to be wrong.

Jemma felt sick. Her empty stomach churned with apprehension as she slipped out from under the blanket and hurried to the door. She made it to the bathroom just in time, flushed the commode, rinsed her mouth and tiptoed back to her room. Climbing back into bed she noticed Fitz sitting against the wall.

He yawned and rubbed his eyes before speaking out loud. "Are you sick?"

Jemma shook her head and shushed him as Skye moaned and squirmed in her sleep.

"Are you sick?" Fitz asked again in a soft whisper. "I saw you hurry to the loo."

Jemma sat against the headboard and looked down at her hands. "Momma didn't call. She said she would." She whispered more to herself than to her brother.

Fitz thought for a moment. "Perhaps she and da are extremely busy." He offered, realizing it was a ridiculous excuse. Neither parent had ever been too busy for any of them.

Jemma looked at her brother as the tears streamed over her cheeks. "Perhaps something dreadful has happened. Perhaps they know and refuse to tell us."

"No," Fitz reached across the sleeping baby between them. "No, Nainai wouldn't do that and momma is fine. She is, Jemma. So is Da. They just went to their good friend's funeral."

Jemma shook her head. "But she said she'd call me. She promised." The girl could not contain her sobs.

"The time difference…there's a three hour difference." Fitz smiled, hoping that was the answer. "Look, they would have to great the family somehow or at some event. If it were over even at ten p.m. it would already be one in the morning here. Mom wouldn't call at one o clock."

"But she promised to call when they landed, Fitz and momma never breaks her promise."

Fitz put a finger to his lips with Skye fussed again. He patted her back until she settled. "Their flight left at noon and went to Chicago then on to Seattle. With the time difference they most likely landed around…"

"It doesn't matter, Fitz. Momma promised." Jemma almost growled.

"Momma," Skye whined, sitting up and rubbing her eyes. "Momma!"

"Oh, lovely," Fitz smacked his forehead. "Now look what you've done." He quickly wrapped his arms around his baby sister and pulled her close, shushing her softly."

Jemma scooted closer to them and pulled both down on to their pillows. "Oh, Skye, sweetheart I'm so sorry I woke you. Shh, shh…go back to sleep baobei." She lay down and wrapped her arms around Skye and Fitz comforting both until they all fell asleep.

xx

Fitz and Skye bounced into the kitchen ready for breakfast. Lian had a large basket on the table. Skye climbed on a chair to peek inside. Fitz stood on tiptoe to do the same. Lian shooed both to their seats for a meal of scrambled eggs and bacon.

"Is Jemma coming?" Lian asked as she set a third plate on the table,

Fitz shook his head but remembered to swallow before speaking. "She's considering it, but she probably won't eat." He shoveled more eggs into his mouth and chewed slowly. "She rarely takes any food when she is in a mood." He nodded at Skye who nodded back.

"Is she not feeling well?" Lian moved toward the swinging door.

"She's just being Jemma." Fitz sighed as he gulped down a swallow of milk. He pointed to the glass. "Is this the milk we took yesterday?"

Lian shook her head. "No Fitz, that milk must be processed before it can be used. It takes about a day. This is from last week. Ben takes some of it to local shelters so it is used before it spoils." The woman spoke but seemed more interested in whether or not Jemma was on her way to the kitchen.

"Jemma non't like egges, Neenee. Her non't eat them at our howz." Skye did not follow her brother's example and spoke around the mouthful of toast she was chewing. She reached for the rather large glass of milk sloshing it out of the glass on both sides as she moved it toward herself. Lian helped by holding it for the little girl to drink, then poured it into a smaller cup and set it closer to Skye's reach.

"She does eat toast." Fitz pointed with his fork. "Ben said we might spend some time at your fine pond today. Do you think that would be possible?"

"I guess would depend on Jemma. We certainly cannot venture into the pond if she isn't well." Lian told him.

Fitz waved a hand at his grandmother. "Oh, she's fine, you'll see. She's just having a mood, like I said before." He stared down at his dish then looked to the one next to him. "She's really not about to eat any of this," he pointed with his thumb. "Perhaps I should just…" He swirled his finger around in circles above the plate.

Lian took the empty plate and slide the other in front of him. "There is plenty, Fitz. You only need to ask."

The swinging door slowly opened as Jemma stepped into the kitchen. "Zǎo ān, nǎinai." She greeted her grandmother in Mandarin.

Lian moved to the little girl, placing her hand on the girl's forehead. "We will take your temperature before we decide our plans for today." She said, leaving no room for argument.

Fitz choked around a snigger as Jemma blanched. "I'm fine, Nainai. I didn't sleep well, but I am fine."

"Perhaps the bed was overcrowded." Lian said with quiet sarcasm.

Fitz pushed himself away from the table and carried his plate to the table. "Okay, Jemma is not sick." He turned and looked at his grandmother and sisters. "The plan to go to the pond for the say is fine, then?"

"I go too!" Skye announced trying to slide off the large chair.

Lian spun her back. "Finish your breakfast, Skye. Your sister will join you." The little girl jutted out her bottom lip and scowled at her grandmother.

It was a struggle to have Skye finish and get Jemma to force down one slice of toast but Lian had the patience to do it. Her stubborn streak was twice that of her daughter and beyond both granddaughters. Breakfast took a lot longer than planned and Fitz spent a great deal of time sulking as he waited, but eventually the girls were finished, the kitchen was cleaned, the basket lunch was packed and everyone was dressed.

Ben arrived in what Nainai called the wagon, but it looked more like a small jeep with a trailer on back. Fitz and Jemma climbed into it with the large basket while a pouting Skye sat with her grandmother in the back of the jeep. It was a short drive to the pond but transporting three children, several towels, swim suits and enough drinks and snacks to keep them happy made it necessary.

The one thing not packed was Lian's cell phone, left on the table to prevent being accidentally knocked into the water by over zealous children. Something she rarely, if ever did, but this time felt it was the safest decision.

Melinda called an hour after Ben pulled away from the back door. She called two more times before she and Phil had to leave for the funeral service.

xx

Jemma was unusually quiet and reserved as her brother and sister splashed in the cool water. Fitz swam the short distance to the dock and showed off his many crazy dive moves while Skye doggie paddled in the shallow waters sporting a bright pink swim vest. Jemma barely got her suit wet and mostly strolled back and forth in the ankle deep water at the shore. She glanced at her grandmother every now and again, wondering just when they would have the 'talk' Lian had promised.

At noon Lian called everyone to the table and served a quick lunch. Both younger kids protest being slathered in sunscreen for the fourth time, but gave in when Lian told them they could have one more hour in the pond before they returning to the house. She kept the word 'nap' out of the conversation but found it unnecessary as Skye was asleep before the small jeep made it to the back porch. Once again Ben carried the little girl to the large bed and tucked a blanket around her before heading back down to the small family. Fitz had collapsed on the sofa and was snoring lightly.

Lian checked her messages when she saw she had missed two calls. Melinda was concerned but there was no way to contact her as the funeral had already begun and would continue with a gathering of family, friends and former students as memories were shared and the eulogy was given. It would be an all day event. She was sure she would speak to her daughter before the children went to bed this evening.

Jemma stood in the doorway and watched as her grandmother placed the phone on the table. She knit her brows as she stepped closer and pointed to the object. "Momma was supposed to call but she couldn't if you left your phone here on the table and why don't you have an actual phone." The little girl demanded. "Don't you want us to speak to her?" She stomped her foot and clenched her fists trying to contain her anger.

Lian took a breath. "Your mother called yesterday to say she had arrived and all was well. You were not present when I took the call and we became busy with so much that I neglected to tell you. For that I apologize. However, even that does not give you permission to speak to me in such a manner. It is unacceptable."

"It is quite acceptable for me to be upset and I do not need permission to speak in any manner. You should have told me so that I was able to return momma's call and hear her speak to me." Jemma snarled.

"You have voiced your opinion, Jemma and I have apologized. Now it is wise to control yourself. If that is not possible perhaps it would be wise for you to go to the room that was to be your brother's and calm yourself." Lian was not threatening but she was not suggesting, it was more of an order.

Jemma blew out a frustrated breath, slammed the swinging door against the wall as she ran through it then stomped up two flights of stairs before throwing herself on the small bed in the A-framed room and sobbing into the pillows.

The rest of the day did not go well for the girl. She refused supper and elected to stay in the small room rather than deal with any of her family. While her brother once again visited the crazy goats and helped with the milking, Skye was content to hold her favorite kitten and attempt to make friends with Sniffles.

Jemma stormed down the stairs to take a bath. She slipped into her pajamas and helped to tuck Fitz and Skye into bed before her grandmother had a chance to try. She pushed her anger to the rear while she kissed Skye on both cheeks, just like momma did every night then sang to her softly until the little girl was sound asleep. Fitz jumped back and held both arms in front of him when she turned toward him.

"I'll wait for momma, thank you." He grimaced as he snuggled into his pillow and stared at her for a moment. "You shouldn't be so cross with grandmother. She didn't keep momma's call from you to be cruel. Perhaps she didn't want Skye to become upset again. She starts to cry if we so much as say momma or perhaps she merely forgot." His eyebrows shot up. "She is an old woman you know." Fitz wriggled into a more comfortable position. "In any case, Jemma, I think you may be in an awful lot of trouble."

"I don't care." Jemma snorted.

Fitz yawned and shook his head. "You're suppose to be a genius Jemma, think about what you're saying." He bounced his body again and snuggled into the pillow slowly closing his eyes.

Jemma turned to reply but realized her brother had fallen asleep. She folded her arms over her chest and stared into the darkness. Fitz was probably right she was in a lot of trouble and momma would not be happy but she couldn't help it. She was angry…and scared and Nainai had broken momma's promise and maybe momma called again and maybe she didn't tell her for some reason. She was so angry she couldn't contain the tears that started falling again. Jemma closed her eyes drifted into a restless sleep.

xx

A little before twelve thirty a.m. Lian's phone vibrated. She muted the small television in her bedroom that currently showed a continuous news broadcast and looked at Melinda's number.

"Melinda?" Lian answered.

"There's nothing wrong here, mama." She assured her mother. "I tried calling you this afternoon but got no answer. I've been worried all day and this is the first opportunity I've had to call you again."

"We were at the pond. My phone was safer in the kitchen." Lian explained calmly. She hesitated for a moment before letting her daughter know what had transpired in the last twenty-four hours.

"Mama, you know Jemma lost her parents in an airplane crash. I promised I would let her know we were safe." Melinda sighed.

"I understand that Melinda, but it does not give her permission to be disrespectful or to lose her temper so violently." Lian replied quietly. "I would never allow you to speak to me the way this child has done."

"I realize that mama, and I am not making excuses for her but this is very unlike her. Please let me speak to her." Melinda sighed.

"The child is asleep Melinda. It is past midnight." Lian scoffed.

"I know that, mama, but it is important. Please wake her and let me speak with her." Melinda requested a second time.

Lian let out a frustrated breath and threw the blanket off her legs. She set the phone on the bed and threw on a robe then picked it up and walked to the children's room. Melinda listened to the sounds of her mother moving through her home. She heard one door open and a few seconds later a second, there was a long pause and the door closed. The sound of her mother's steps changed. They were faster, more urgent. Melinda heard a light switch once and then again a few minutes before the sound of her mother's feet on the wooden stairs told her the woman was on her way down to the first floor. She heard the creak of the swinging kitchen door and the groan of the screen that opened to the closed in side porch. The sounds caused her to anticipate a problem and she paced as she waited for her mother to speak again.

"She's gone," Lian stated quietly. "She's not in her bed or any where in the house. I'm going to call Ben. She cannot be far, probably in the barn."

"Mama," Melinda began.

"I will find her Melinda. I will find her and call you in a few minutes." Lian hung up before Melinda could answer.

xx

Ben shined a large flashlight in the corners of the barn and called Jemma's name several times. He walked around the house and the outside of the barn looking under the porch and any place where a small girl could squeeze into and hide. He flipped the large switch in the power house that turned on the outside spotlights and looked in all directions as he started the small jeep and pulled onto the dirt road that lead to the highway about a mile away.

Lian paced in the kitchen, with Skye and Fitz asleep upstairs she could help the man to look for her granddaughter. She was a combination of furious and terrified. It was dark and there were dangers a small girl with Jemma's background could not understand. What was that child thinking? Why would she do such a ridiculous thing in the middle of the night? The woman looked up at the clock and then at the phone in her hand. It had been almost an hour since she'd promised Melinda she'd call back.

She hit the redial button and listened to the ring four times before voice mail responded. She left only a message for Melinda to call her back but no more. Whatever was to be said should be said directly. Calling the police at this point would be useless. An angry child missing from her bed would not bring them rushing to the farmhouse. Ben would have more luck and Lian was sure the little girl would be found quickly.

xx

Jemma had seen Ben's flashlight and moved behind the large tree trunk. She wasn't ready to go back or to talk or to be lectured again. She needed time to herself, to control her anger and her fear. She watched as the man walked around the base of the large tree then climbed back into the small farm jeep and drove back toward the barn.

Jemma waited until the vehicle disappeared, until she could no longer hear the sound of the engine in the still night air then slipped back onto the wide branch and stepped down the wide rung ladder. She sat at the bottom for a few moments before Jelly Bean timidly approached.

"Hello, little one," Jemma sniffled. "You understand don't you?" She reached out and stroked the animal's nose gently. "I can't lose another momma, Jelly Bean. I don't think I would survive it. Now, I've gone and made everyone mad at me. Even Fitz says I'm in an awful lot of trouble and I don't know what to do."

The little goat bleated softly causing Jemma to smile. It moved closer, stepping up to join her on the ladder. Jemma wrapped her arm around the little animal's neck and wept into its coarse hide.

Jemma Coulson Simmons was not afraid of the dark. She was intelligent enough to know that everything that existed in the light of day was still there in the absence of that light. Darkness did not create or deplete anything. All of that nonsense came from the mind and the tricks it played on you. The little girl had learned long ago to control those silly childish fears. However, here in the rustic acreage of her grandmother's farm it was not the lack of visual ability that frightened her. It was the unfamiliar sounds of the farm at night.

She held the little goat close and listened to its heart beating rapidly. Normal, she told herself, for a small animal. Somewhere another animal let out a long low moan. Jemma believed it was an owl, but could understand how less intelligent beings might mistake it for a wraith's wail or even that of the dreaded ban sidhe. She shook away that thought as the moan sounded again just a little closer. Outside the fence the brush rustled with the night wind creating a scratchy sound. Jemma watched as a small dark animal scurried from beneath it and disappeared under another. The lack of light prevented her from seeing the creature's color. She could not identify it as friend or foe.

It could have been a rabbit, she told the skittish goat, but then again it might have been a fox. Would a fox prey on a goat? Would the fence keep it out? Snickers and Skittles were bigger and had lovely horns atop their heads. Surely they could defend themselves if they were rousted from their comfy little hut, but poor Jelly Bean had but nubs and was much smaller. In fact, Jemma realized, the goat was more the size of a dog than the other two.

But Jelly Bean and her companions stayed here all night, every night and they were fine. She pulled the carrot she had pushed into her pocket free and held it for her caprine friend. Jelly Bean nibbled happily. Something shrieked across the dark field causing Jemma to jump. The startled goat thumped on the wooden step and hopped up higher. Jemma looked up at it.

"Perhaps you're right, Jelly Bean. We might be a bit more secure if we were to climb higher. I don't believe foxes climb trees." Jemma told the small animal, but then again until a yesterday she really didn't believe goats climbed trees either.

The little girl wiped the tears from her cheeks with the back of her sweater and stood. She moved up the ladder to the wide branch then crawled across it to the yoke of the tree. There three large branches shot up from the main trunk creating almost a tripod that stretched to the sky. The leafy canopy drooped down around it. Jelly Bean hopped over the bark that spread between two of the trunks and seemed to look back inviting Jemma to follow. The girl put one hand on each of the study trunk-branches and stepped over the same piece. The three shoots had split and the space between them formed a flat surface big enough for one small girl and an even smaller goat. Jelly Bean folded its little legs under it and lay against the wall formed by nature. Jemma filled in the remaining space, resting her head on the animal's side. She looked up through the leaves at the starry sky.

"I've made a terrible mess of things." Jemma sighed. "I'm not sure how to fix it."

The goat nibbled on the girl's hair invoking a shiver. Jemma gently pushed it away. She peered at the stars for a moment then sighed.

"Fitz says stars are the windows of Heaven. He believes his maw is an angel and peeks down at him." She pointed up around a sniffle. "It helps him to cope with his loss. I've not considered it, Jelly Bean." She was quiet for a moment then continued. "Do you think that's wrong of me…not to think my own parents are angels?"

The little goat bleated and nibbled again on her hair. Again she gently moved it away and smoothed down the now wet hair Jelly Bean had been enjoying.

"If they are looking down upon me, they are probably…" She sobbed heavily. "They are probably quite ashamed of my behavior. I am old enough to know Aunt Mel would not lie to me and that Lian truly meant to tell me but got so involved with Skye…and she is only a baby…and then there's Fitz and he's always into so much mischief." She stopped, unable to continue for a few minutes. "I should have been helping, not whining and complaining and certainly not sassing back and demanding my needs be met. Oh, I'm such a disappointment to everyone." Jemma turned on her side and cried until she exhausted herself into a fitful sleep.

Jelly Bean rested her small chin on the girl's head and closed her eyes.

xx

Skye wandered into the kitchen a little before eight. She looked at the empty chairs and yawned before climbing onto the one she'd adopted as her own. "I non't fide Jemma in a bed o a batroom. Where her is?"

Lian let out a sigh. Ben had searched all night and not found the little girl. At five a.m. she'd broken down and called the local sheriff. The man arrived a little after six and listened as Lian explained the situation. He was sure they'd find Jemma somewhere on the property hiding until things cooled off a little. He'd seen it before, did it himself as a kid when his dad boiled over some stupid stunt he'd pulled. Ben and the officer were searching again, keeping contact with Lian by phone.

Lian lifted the sleepy little girl and stood at the large window above the kitchen sink. The curtains had been pushed aside giving her a clear view of the front yard and fields beyond. "I believe Jemma went for a walk last night and has not yet found her way back." She explained.

"Has she gone totally daft?" Fitz exclaimed as he joined his grandmother at the sink and jumped up and down trying to look at whatever she was looking at. "It is entirely improbably that she has forgotten what happened the last time!"

Lian looked down at the little boy then carried Skye to one of the large chairs. "Your sister has done this before?" She asked as she put the little girl on the chair and set a box of cereal and two bowls on the table.

Fitz tilted his head and scrunched up one side of his face. "Well, it was more of a joint effort and it did not turn out very well. We barely escaped with our lives." He informed his grandmother as he pulled two spoons from the drawer behind him and joined his sister at the table. The little boy grimaced at his grandmother's choice of cereal. Bran Flakes was not one of his favorites and he did not want to think about what it might do to Skye.

"This might not be the best choice, Nainai." He tapped the box with his spoon.

Skye stared at the picture on the box and sighed. "I non't like-a them kind, Neenee. It bees all mooshy inna meolk. I think mine belly hoerts if I eats it."

Fitz leaned over and spoke to his grandmother behind his hand. "She tried it once at Grams' house. Momma had to change her about twelve times before lunch."

Lian pick up the box and turned it toward her. She hadn't even realized what she'd put on the table. Shaking her head she slammed the box back into the cabinet and dropped a box of Cheerios on the table. The box teetered for a moment then dropped to its side.

"Duìbùqǐ," Skye whispered around a pout as she slipped off her chair and joined Fitz on his, burying her face in his pajamas. Fitz rolled his eyes, wrapped an arm around his sister and grabbed the edge of the table to keep his balance.

"She doesn't mean to cause a problem. She's just a wee girl." He threw his grandmother a scolding glance then comforted his sister. "Look Skye," he smiled. "It's the kind with the bee on the box and nothing at all is green."

Skye shook her head without turning around. "I non't wan Neenee be mad to me." Her muffled voice came from against her brother's chest.

Lian took a breath. She moved to the children's side and took the little girl in her arms. "I am not angry with you, xiao sunnu. I am sorry I frightened you. I am merely concerned that Jemma has not returned." She stopped and turned toward the window as the sound of a vehicle speeding to a halt caught her attention. It stopped beyond her view but she heard two doors open and slam a few seconds before the back door was thrown open.

"MOMMA!" Skye squealed as she slid out her grandmother's arms and raced to her mother's open arms. "Momma, momma, I misted you." She kissed her mother's cheek and wrapped her arms around her neck.

"Mom! Da!" Fitz was out of his chair and in his father's arms a second after his sister plowed into their mother. He squeezed the man tightly before realizing what he was doing and slipping back to the floor. Phil smiled at the boy and pulled him into a hug before taking Skye from Melinda and covering her in kisses. Fitz wrapped his arms around his mother's waist and kissed her back when she kissed his cheek. "I missed you." He whispered so only she heard. She kissed him again before looking to her own mother.

"Anything?" She asked for a needed update with one word. Lian shook her head then nodded toward the door implying her daughter should follow her to the living room.

"Hey, Cheerios with the Bee!" Phil smiled as he propped Skye on one hip and reached for the box. "My favorite and boy am I hungry." He told Melinda to go with one look then plopped Skye on her chair and poured the cereal in her bowl.

"We gots meolk outta a cow." Skye informed him with wide eyes, as if she did not really believe it.

"Holy cow!" Phil exclaimed as he lifted the jug to pour it on the little girl's cereal. He looked to Fitz who surely understood his mother needed to speak privately with Lian.

Fitz took a deep breath and gave a slight nod before sliding back on his chair and reaching for the cereal.

xx

Lian gave Melinda all the information she had up to and including the sheriff joining Ben in the search. She could not stop her daughter from storming out of the house to search for herself.

Melinda hadn't been on the property for years and was never one to roam the fields. She was not familiar with the land but she was familiar with her daughter and after learning everything that had transpired she was sure Jemma had sought out a place to bury her insubordination. The little girl could handle just about anything with a level head…anything but guilt. Jemma rarely misbehaved and when she did she punished herself much more severely than her parents would imagine.

She'd sabotaged a science project of a rather uppity girl in her class, after the girl had bullied Fitz into tears and then made a laughing stock of him. The teacher demanded an explanation that never came and was forced to call Melinda and Phil to a conference. They chose to ground her for two weeks. Jemma insisted on one month after making a full confession to them. But before any of this Melinda had to talk her daughter out of a bathroom stall where she had chosen to hide her shame.

The worried mother was sure this was the same thing and Jemma had squeezed herself into some place to hide again. Lian and the younger kids began searching every small space in the house as if it were a game of hide and seek. With three floors and a cellar to search it would take at least two hours.

Phil tackled the back porch, the side porch, the crawl space and the barn opening storage boxes, feed containers and the farthest corner of every animal stall. Melinda moved to the field knowing that tall grass provided an excellent hiding place. She stopped at the top of the path and watched as Ben and the sheriff walked the perimeter of the pond.

The sheriff was speaking, waving his hands in all directions as Ben shook his head. No, Melinda squeezed her eyes shut. She would not go there…would not think that her beautiful girl had gone near that water in the dark. Jemma was not a good swimmer but she was not reckless. She would not do something so dangerous no matter how upset she was feeling. The sheriff threw his hands in the air and walked away. Ben watched for a moment before shaking his head and following. He glanced up and noticed Melinda. He gave a quick wave before disappearing behind the tree line.

Melinda waved back then continued through the field spying the goat enclosure in the distance. She'd walk that far then follow the path back to the barn. The vibrating of her phone alerted her and she said a silent prayer that Jemma had been found.

"Mel," Phil's voice was soft and quiet, a sure sign something was not right.

"Phil," Melinda tried to keep the panic from her voice and he immediately knew he had made things worse.

"No, no, Mel there's no news but…" he hesitated. There was no way to tell her what needed to be said. "The sheriff wants to drag the pond, Mel." He failed to keep the crack in his voice from letting her know his own fear. "He insists."

Melinda grit her teeth and marched forward. "She's not there." She growled. "Jemma would not do something so stupid, Phil. You tell that damn sheriff that our daughter would not go near that pond in the dark."

Phil nodded, almost believing she could see her. "He's already called in his team, Mel. I know they'll find nothing."

"They won't." She punched the off button on the phone, shoved it into her pocket, wiped the tear from her eye and stormed toward the goats.

Melinda kicked open the gate and marched to the small hut. She peered into the dim interior met by a pair of odd rectangular eyes. Skittles balked a strangled bleat and galloped out of the hut, kicking up dirt in its wake. Snickers stared down from her usual perch on the thick branch above. Melinda shook her head and kicked a tuft of dirt after it.

Jemma slapped her hand over her mouth to cover the gasp. She could not see who was below her but she was sure someone had startled Skittles. She wasn't ready to be found, in fact her plan was to walk back to the farmhouse, 'turn herself in' and take whatever punishment Nainai saw fit. She pretty much deserved it.

Melinda was angry, terrified and angry but not so much she didn't hear the soft gasp that was definitely her child. She looked up into the tree just as Jelly Bean hopped out of the tripod branches. The little goat gave a weak bleat and walked across the horizontal branch to the top of the ladder steps. It stared down at Melinda for a moment before hopping to the ground and nuzzling her hand in search of a prized carrot.

"Sorry, Jelly Bean," Melinda sighed. "I've got nothing for you."

Jemma gasped a second time and bounced to her knees to peer through the smallest opening. She recognized her mother's voice. "Momma," she whispered.

Melinda smiled to herself as she scratched the insistent goat's head. "Thank you for taking care of my girl, Jelly Bean." She spoke quietly but loud enough for Jemma to hear. The woman sat on the second wide rung of the ladder and watched as the little goat tripped to the feed tough. "Hungry, huh? I think we all need some breakfast after the night we've had."

Jemma sat down with her back against the tree wall. Momma had come…come all the way from Seattle because of her. Things were much worse than she had imagined. She felt her pulse quicken and her breaths grow fast and short.

"It would be a lot easier to talk to you if you came down here." Melinda said calmly, without looking up into the tree.

Jemma stood slowly, not surprised that her mother knew she was hidden above. She stepped over the lip of bark that formed the enclosure and stepped onto the wide branch. The ground seemed to bounce up to her and then back. The height had not been so dizzying in the dark. She threw her arms out to her sides for balance.

"You got yourself up there, now you need to get yourself down." Again Melinda spoke without looking at the girl.

Jemma took a deep breath, swallowed and stepped carefully across the branch without looking down. She reached the ladder faster than she thought and easily stepped down until she stood one rung above her mother. Melinda looked over her shoulder at the girl then patted the spot next to her. Jemma took another breath and dropped down in the spot.

Mother and daughter sat in silence for a long time. Melinda quelling the anger she felt while Jemma searched for what to say. It was the little girl who broke the quiet.

"I'm really sorry, momma." She whispered as she spoke to the ground.

"You should be." Melinda barked before she could stop herself. She took a deep breath and tried again. "You should be sorry, Jemma. You had to know how worried everyone would be." It came out in a soft breath making the girl feel even worse.

"I am so very sorry, momma." Jemma repeated the only thing she could.

Melinda wrapped an arm around the little girl who let the tears she had been holding fall free. She pulled her daughter into a tight hug and kissed the top of her head. Jemma sobbed until no more tears would fall.

"I was so angry, momma." She sniffled as she sat back and looked into her mother's eyes. "I wasn't thinking. I was angry and afraid and I couldn't stop thinking…" she stopped almost unable to go on. "I…I…was so afraid you wouldn't come back that the plane…oh, momma I miss them so much and I love you and da so much and I couldn't do it again. I needed to know you were safe and Nainai just forgot to tell me you called and…"

"Shhh, shhhh," Melinda stopped the little girl's rambling, pulling her close and kissing her forehead. She rocked her child back and forth continuing to shush her softly.

"Oh, momma, she apologized and I still acted so badly…spoke to Nainai with such disrespect and then…" Jemma drew a shaky breath and sat up straight. "I just ran away from everything without any thought of what it would do to all of you." She fell back into her mother's arms.

"Baobei, I am sorry you are so afraid. I'm sorry Nainai didn't tell you I called and so sorry I didn't call back." Melinda spoke into the little girl's hair.

Jemma shook her head. "No, momma. This is all my fault. I am the one who needs to accept what is and move on."

Melinda took Jemma by the shoulders, turning to face her. She gave her a firm but gently shake. "Who told you that?" She demanded.

"No one did." Jemma shrugged her shoulders and sniffled. "But Fitz and Skye have survived terrible things and they don't get all put out of sorts or cry themselves to sleep or…"

"Fitz and Skye spend plenty of time mourning their past. Jemma, you've seen or heard their nightmares. I've held Fitz many nights when he cannot stop crying. Skye is still afraid we'll send her back to St. Agnes. Why do you think Salty is still sitting on her bed…at home? Every time your da and I go anywhere she is sure the social worker is coming to take her back." She shook the little girl again. "Don't you ever think they've forgotten or have just 'moved on' and don't you dare either." Jemma sobbed again and fell back into her mother's embrace.

"I understand, Jemma." Melinda sighed. "I truly do understand how you feel but it doesn't mean you can be so reckless or insolent." Jemma nodded inside her mother's embrace and cried out her new flood of tears.

They spent at least an hour calming the girl and discussing the ramifications of her behavior. Jelly Bean tried several times butting the little girl to urge her toward the food bin. Jemma finally sniffled and pulled the tissues she had reserved for Skye from her pocket. She blew her nose and wiped her eyes then walked to the bin and pulled out two carrots and a large purple turnip for Jelly Bean. The little goat kicked up its back legs in appreciation. Snickers and Skittles made their way down the tree and helped themselves to the other vegetables Jemma laid in the trough.

Mother and daughter walked back toward the farmhouse hand in hand. Jemma listened as Melinda spoke to Phil, letting him know the little girl had been found and they were taking a slow stroll back. He offered to drive the jeep out to meet them but Melinda explained they needed the extra time and he understood.

When the house was in view Jemma hesitated, slowing down a few paces behind her mother. Melinda stopped and turned back questioning without words.

"I suppose I'm in for a good tanning." Jemma sighed, unable to meet her mother's eyes.

Melinda smiled and brushed the light hairs from the girl's face. "I wouldn't rule it out." Melinda breathed morosely.

"I will apologize to Nainai and accept whatever punishment she sees fit." Jemma offered quickly.

"I may have to draw the line there. Your father and I will talk and we'll decide what happens. Nainai will have to understand and she feels very badly about all of this."

Jemma squeezed her eyes shut to stop the tears from starting again.

"How about we just let Da and the kids know you're alright and not worry about it for now?" She shook Jemma's hand gently and started walking again.

Before they started up the last slope they heard Fitz and Skye calling and watched as they raced down the small hill ahead of their father. Phil raised his hand in a quick wave and hurried to pull Skye from the tall grass she had fallen into.

A few minutes later the family reunited in a group hug with Phil lifting a now sobbing Jemma into his arms. He hugged her tightly and kissed her several times before landing a firm swat on her backside. Jemma took a quick intake of air and wrapped her arms around her father's neck.

"Don't you ever pull a stunt like that again," Phil breathed into her ear, hugging her even tighter. Jemma shook her head, unable to answer. He winked at Melinda over the girl's shoulder as she held Skye and herded Fitz back toward the house.

They'd spend the next few days visiting with Lian. Melinda and Phil would meet the kittens and explain to Skye why they could not take them home. They'd try their hand at milking and traipse out to see the goats while Skye napped and Lian kept watch.

Phil and Melinda spoke at length about Jemma and what course her chastisement would take deciding Jemma should also have some input although both knew what the little girl would insist.

Phil took the younger kids to the pond while Melinda quickly doled out the agreed upon discipline.

A few minutes later Jemma lay on the bed in the guest room and wiped a tear from her cheek. She could hear her parents and siblings in the yard below the window.

Nainai and Ben had prepared a Barb-b-q that lasted well past dark. Jemma lay on a lawn chair and stared up at the millions of stars in the country sky. Melinda stepped next to her and motioned for her to scoot over and make room then wriggled into the space next to her daughter. They both had to lie on their sides to fit in the narrow chair. Melinda wrapped her arms around the girl and kissed her head. They watched as Fitz helped Skye catch lightening bugs in a glass container. Phil poked at the large bonfire, chatting amiably with Ben. Lian kept a close eye on the younger children but glanced at her daughter with a knowing smile.

"How you doing, baobei?" Melinda asked as she snuggled closer to Jemma. She rubbed her hand up and down the little girl's back and patted her bottom lightly.

"It's not so bad." Jemma sighed as she too snuggled closer. "The stars are so much easier to see here without all the lights of the city. They are so beautiful."

"Everyone last one," Melinda agreed.

"Do you think…" Jemma started, and then stopped reconsidering.

Melinda jiggled her a little. "Think what, baobei?" Melinda prodded.

"Do angels really watch down through them…like Fitz says?" Jemma whispered.

Melinda smiled and kissed her little girl again. Jemma rarely sounded like a child, but right now she was just a little girl with a big wonder. Jemma knew exactly what stars were and scientifically angels could not be proven.

"I think it's possible." Melinda sighed as she rested her cheek on the little girl's head.

"My mum and dad are probably frowning down on me after today." Jemma sighed.

"Oh I don't think so, sweetie. I think they are very proud of you and how you apologized and accepted the consequences." Melinda assured her.

Jemma thought for a moment. "They definitely would have agreed on the end result." She frowned as Melinda snorted and hugged her tighter.

"Look at that!" Fitz shouted as he pointed to the sky causing all eyes to look in that direction. "It's a genuine meteor." His voice squeaked as he jumped up and down.

Skye's eyes grew wide as she watched the small object streak across the sky. "Wow," she whispered softly then joined her brother in hopping in all directions.

"There's your answer, baobei. Your parents are putting on a light show just for you and don't you ever forget it."

Jemma watched the shooting star until it disappeared. She wished her parents a good night and thanked them for making sure this wonderful woman would be there for her. She snuggled closer to Melinda.

"I love you, momma." The little girl sighed.