AN- All characters (and songs)are owned by Disney, except William Evans.

Mary led the children to the park. "Hurry up, John, no dawdling. Spit Spot." Once they arrived at a sunny spot by the pavement. She smiled. It was a bit windy today, as was all the days she arrives, but it was very nice.

She stopped as she saw her favorite screever hard at work. He was humming Chim Chiminy. "Hello, Bert!" Michael said quickly, running up towards him. At his heels, were the rest of his siblings.

" 'ello, children. 'ow 'ave you been?" He grinned. He looked to be happier to see them then they were to see him, if that were possible. He didn't look up, but they watched, amazed. Even Mary stepped closer. She loved to watch him draw, even after all this time. "Ain't time for anover sweepin' "he said, "I woulda remembered." The Bankses responded by laughing. Mary couldn't help but join in.

"Why, if it ain't Miss Mary Poppins!" Bert bowed deeply. He was grinning as though his favorite person had just dropped by for a visit, and she knew in fact that they had.

"Bert, really. You mustn't make such a spectacle of yourself." She scolded, but he grinned at her with the goofy grin, she stopped. "What are you drawing today?"

"Just some o' me best work." He answered, focusing again on his chalk. "What brings you here today, Miss Mary?" he was being polite as he always was in public.

"The winds of course" Michael answered for Mary and the screever laughed.

"O' course." Bert agreed. "So I 'ear yous been bad?"

"Well… umm… not bad, just not good." He retorted and again Bert laughed.

"An' Miss Jane Banks, I 'ear you don't want no 'usband?" She frowned.

"Mother says—"

"Enough! All you do anymore is argue. You never wanna play anymore" Annabel yelled annoyed at Jane.

"Silence, both of you. Or we will go home this instant." Mary threatened.

"Let 'em 'ave their fun, Mary. They's only playin'." Bert told her. She frowned, but didn't say anything. She'd never argue in front of her charges.

"What else do you do 'sides being a chimney sweep, and a drawer, and a kite and balloon seller, and a-" Barbara asked.

"Well, I worked in a bank, once." He said not looking up from his artwork. This one was a forest scene with a cabin.

"You? In a bank? Father works in a bank." John said.

"Yes'm. But I did, too. Long time ago. Jane, hand me that orange one." He said without looking up. As he added a campfire, the children all looked to each other.

"What happened? Were you sacked?" Michael asked quickly before anyone else could say anything.

"Sacked? I ain't never sacked. I quit." Bert said, continuing instead to focus on his drawing.

"Why?" All five of the children asked at once.

That was when he looked up at Jane and Michael Banks. "Didn't want to work in a bank no more. Didn't like being caged. Didn't wanna be surrounded by all that cold, heartless money no more."

"Where'd you work in a bank?" Jane asked, intrigued.

Bert frowned "Switzerland... o' was it Germany?" he looked up towards the clouds as though they could help him. "Maybe Ireland? No matter. 'Twas a long time ago. But I know all yous didn't come 'ere to ask 'bout me previous employment…." He stopped as he saw Mary shake her head. Not on her first day back, not on her first day back. Ignoring her he continued "Are you goin' on an adventure o' a outing?"

"Bert." The warning in her voice was very evident to him, the children… not so much.

"Yes'm?" he grinned with that foolish smile and tried again. "Where you wanna go today? You ever been to the circus, Annabel?" he already started acting out the high wire routine, making everyone smile.

"Father promised we'd go… but he's too busy" She told him. Bert frowned.

"How about a Jolly Holiday?" Jane said grinning.

"Not today. The fair's closed." He murmured seeing the look Mary was giving him. "But we can go to the Green Hills, instead." He gestured to another drawing. "I think that there be music in them green hills, don't you, Miss Mary?" he looked right at her and laughed. She wouldn't meet his eyes.

"Honestly, Bert… There is no such thing as singing hills. Preposterous."

"What about magic? Jane said there's magic?" Barbara asked the two adults.

"No such thing as magic." Bert said quickly, not looking at Mary.

"But!"

"No buts, goats butt. Children do not." Mary said slightly annoyed that Bert was encouraging this.

"I thought you said she'd take us inside the pictures." John complained.

Bert caught Mary's eye. "Ain't nobody around" She shook her head.

""What about the beach? Or the zoo? Oh, please may we go to the zoo?" begged Annabel. Absolutely not. Mary did not want to deal with all of those animals bringing the children here today, wasn't such a good idea…

"Or this one instead." Bert said bending down next to the cabin again. "Sure looks real nice."

"Oh, please, yes. That one. May we go there? Please, please, please? Please, Mary Poppins? We promise to listen to you always, and never ever forget a lesson ever ever again" Jane and Michael cried.

"Pie crust promise, easily made, easily broken." She answered.

"I'll take you there, then." Bert said smirking at their magical nanny.

"Don't you dare-"

"Just a hop, skip, and jump, right?" Michael asked suspiciously.

"Nope, just be patient. Now, all hold 'ands. Yes, pretend you like your sisters, John." Bert said moving his hands up.

He was just about to move them down when Mary cried out, "Bert Alfred!"

"Yes, Miss Mary Poppins?" He asked slightly teasing. "Ain't nobody around…"

"Bert, I said no." she said and he knelt to the ground and continued drawing.

"As you wish." But she could still see the hurt in his eyes.

She sighed. "Oh, alright." Suddenly she was surrounded by six eager faces. Even though she trusted Bert with her life and the lives of her charges, she still looked around to make sure nobody was around.

"Now all hold hands, yes even you, john. Michael, stand up straight. Honestly, don't you ever learn…" She stopped herself when she realized they were trying. Lessons may not sink in the first time, but they were trying. It wasn't also just Michael and Jane Banks who were misbehaving this time; it was the three others, as well.

She blinked and they were transported. After the three girls showed extreme pleasure over their dresses, Bert whispered in Mary's ear "You look beautiful." Stressing the word, to please her vain nature. He started humming something suspiciously like Jolly Holiday.

"So not that we are 'ere, please Miss Jane, tell me more of this William." Bert said

She turned pink. "You've heard my arguments with Mother?"

" 'tis loud, even inside a chimney."

The ground became instantly fascinating to the seventeen year old. "Mother wants me to marry him. I wish to go to school."

"And you can't do both?" Mary asked.

"Father says I'll spend my days mooning over boys."

"Why does he want you to marry William?" Bert asked.

" 'Cause he's rich..." Annabel started.

"And handsome…" continued Barbara, ignoring the look from her eldest sister she continued on with all of William Evans' qualities.

"And finally, he's important. He works at the bank with Father." Finished Annabel. "Well he works at the same bank as father, not with Father, yet. But when they get married I heard Father and Mr. Dawes talking and –"

"Annabel, eavesdropping is very rude." Mary Poppins told the young girl.

"I tried to tell Mother and Father that I do not want to marry Wiiliam Evans." Jane said stubbornly. "Mother said if I don't want to get married then I can become a governess. I don't want to be surrounded by all those children."

"You have four siblings, Jane." Mary Poppins said kindly.

"But they are family. If I were to be a governess, I'd have to take care of strangers' children."

The families you nanny for always become family. Mary thought, but didn't dare say aloud. Leaving was always difficult and by admitting she loved them all as though they were her own children, she'd never be able to help another family. Burt noticed the melancholy look on Mary's face and began humming again. When she shot him a look, he began singing instead. "Oh, It's a jolly holiday with Mary…" Mary gave him a very stern look before he could sing the next line. "Oh, it's a jolly holiday with Jane and Michael." He picked up Annabel as he continued "Oh, it's a jolly holiday with John and Barbara. Oh, it's a jolly holiday with little Annabel." They were all laughing now. Mary was trying not to laugh, but she couldn't help it.

"Oh, it's a jolly holiday with you, Bert" Mary sang as he grinned, triumphatly.

Their faces were mere inches apart. Barabara wanted them to kiss, but Mary glanced over and saw the children staring. She couldn't let them see her and Bert, not like this, not here. She quickly turned away. She took each of the twins by a hand and started dancing as Bert 'danced' with Annabel. All seven of them continued to sing their song.

After they finished a few more rounds of their song, Mary noticed Jane seemed incredibly happy. She felt relieved that the girl was no longer thinking about how much she didn't want to get married.

" 'zcuse me, miss would you like anything to drink? We have Raspberry Ice tea?" a voice said stepping near the campfire, towards Mary.

"A penguin!" Michael said grinning.

"Everything's better with penguins, Michael." Bert joked. "Besides they are the best waiters around. Huh, Miss Mary?" he whispered into her ear.

She smiled at him, then to the penguin. She ordered the food, the kind she and Bert always have, even after all this time.

As they finished eating, Bert tried the topic of school again. He knew better than to mention William, so asked what Jane wanted to study. "I'm not sure." She admitted. "But if Mother and Father have their way, I won't need to decide." The penguins knew when storms were brewing, and decided to head inside the shed where they wouldn't partake in the rude habit of eavesdropping. "Oh, why must I get married? I don't want to. I'd rather be like you Mary Poppins."

Mary responded involuntarily "I am married."