Chapter two:

Reese watched out the window as her parents talked to her aunt. They had said something about her grandparents had gone to see a play about an hour before they showed up. Max then told Reese that they would show up within the hour. So now Reese just sat her head in the window, waiting for her grandparents to show.

It was autumn on Paquin and the leaves were falling. Reese occupied her time by watching the leaves fall gracefully from their perch. They made her think of something her dad had said once when he thought he was alone on the bridge. 'I'm a leaf on the wind,' she thought, 'what does that mean?' She giggled at the thought of Serenity being like a leaf.

"Are they here yet?" Wash asked walking up behind his daughter.

"Why are you so anxious?" Zoe asked taking his hand in hers.

"Just want to see my mom and dad so bad," he said sarcastically causing Zoe and Max to laugh.

Reese's eyes went wide as her grandparents came into view. "They're here! They're here!" She exclaimed jumping up and down.

"Wow," Wash whispered covering his ears.

Max ran out the door to greet her parents. She started to ask them question about the play and how it went but her parents just wanted to get inside.

"Well here goes nothing," Wash sighed as his mother and father walked into the room.

---

Dawn Washburne walked in her house still talking with Max about the play when her husband dropped everything that was in his hands. She went to look up at him when she saw her son standing completely still with a protective arm on the small child in front of him and his other hand gripping his wife's hand so tightly that his knuckles were white. Dawn's eyes focused on the small child.

"Hoban?" Wash's father asked.

"Dad," Wash replied.

Reese backed up into Wash suddenly shy. She held onto his hand as her grandparents stared at her. She looked up at him and saw that he was watching her too.

"This is Reese," Wash told his parents who nodded. "Reese go say hi."

Reluctantly she let go of his hand and walked toward her grandparents. She looked up at them and they looked at her.

"H-hi," Reese said gripping her dragon tighter and putting her thumb in her mouth.

"Hello," Dawn replied running a hand through Reese's hair. "Would you like some cookies?" Reese smiled and nodded.

"Wait did you eat dinner yet?" Dawn asked.

"Not yet," she sighed knowing what was to come next.

"Well I guess we can give you your dessert first," Dawn said walking towards the kitchen. "Well are you coming?" She asked turning towards Reese.

She looked over at Zoe and Wash nervously, but walked towards the kitchen refusing to turn down cookies. Max followed them into the kitchen and left Wash and Zoe facing the sill shocked Grandpa. Wash walked over to his father and picked up everything from the floor. Wash went to say something when his father's arms were suddenly wrapped around him and everything he had picked up was back on the floor.

"I- I'm s-so s-sorry," his father sobbed. "I-I d-didn't mean any of it." Wash stood quietly as his dad let go of him.

"Daddy! Grandma made peanut butter cookies! They're so yummy!" Reese exclaimed running into the room.

"Really?" Wash asked trying to act all surprised. "Wait did you say peanut butter?"

"Yep and they're really yummy!" Reese exclaimed. "Why are they bad?"

"No," Wash laughed looking towards his father, "just the tickle monster loves little kids with peanut butter cookies!"

Reese stared at Wash for a second then looked at Zoe who had an equally confused grin on. "Daddy, what's the tickle monster?"

"You don't know what the tickle monster is?" Max gasped. "Your dad didn't warn you about the tickle monster?"

Reese started to back up into Zoe. "Momma!" She cried grabbing onto Zoe's arm.

"Now look what you did," Max joked, "you scared her!"

"No I didn't you did!"

---

30 years earlier

"Dinners ready!" Dawn called.

Hoban ran in knocking over two chairs and barely missing a third as he took his seat. Max wobbled in behind him tripping over the first chair.

"Hobie," Dawn sighed, "did you have to knock everything over?"

"Yes momma," Hoban grinned. "The tickle monster is after me!"

"Oh really?" Dawn looked at her son's pockets. "Turn them inside out mister."

"Awe come on," Hoban groaned turning his pockets inside out and letting three peanut butter cookies fall to the ground.

"Hoban Washburne how many times do I have to tell you 'No more cookies before dinner'?" Dawn asked picking up Max.

"You told me that but you never told me to eat any less cookies before dinner," Hoban smiled looking towards the door.

"Hobie wun!" Max screeched. "Dada gona get you!"

Hoban looked around the room for a new hiding spot before he hid in a cupboard. He heard his father come into the room and peaked out.

"Hun it's dinner time pick this little tickle monster thing up after dinner," Dawn sighed but Mark was still looking for Hoban.

"Come on boy, it's dinner time!" Mark called noticing the crack in the cupboard. "I see where you're hiding!"

He went to the cupboard and slowly opened the door. Hoban was sitting there with a big huge grin on his face.

"Dad," Hoban sighed crawling out of the cupboard, "how'd ya know?"

"I took a wild guess," Mark shrugged picking the boy up. "Am I allowed to do that?"

"Yeah but sometimes you gotta pretend to not find me."

---

"Dinners ready!" Max called.

Reese ran in laughing as Mark and Wash chased after her. Zoe walked in after with Dawn who seemed quite amused.

"Reese be careful," Zoe cringed as Reese ran near the stove.

"Oh don't worry she knows the limits just has to break them first," Dawn explained going to help Max. "Hoban Washburne!"

Dawn eyed her son as he slowly took his hand away from the counter. She motioned for him to turn his pockets inside out.

"I told ya you get caught!" Reese laughed as Wash took three cookies out of his pockets and placed them gently on the counter.

"You never learn do you?" Mark asked sitting down at the table. "Even when you're old and gray she will be there, watching."

"Ok foods getting cold and I want to eat so lets dig in," Max laughed.

Everyone took their seats, Mark at one end and Dawn at the other. Zoe sat on Wash's left and Dawn's right with Reese sitting across from her. Reese tried to eat with her fork but it just wasn't working the food wouldn't stay on.

"Reese you're allowed to use your hands," Wash smiled showing her how to fold the taco. "See?"

Reese smiled she looked at everyone else and noticed that they had done the same thing. Mark was in shock at his granddaughter's amazement over the smallest of things. He hadn't remembered if Wash or Max had ever been as amazed with anything like how Reese was amazed by a simple taco.

"Max is James coming to pick you up?" Dawn asked.

"Yes he is," Max smiled, "going to a vid."

"Really?"

"Who's James?"

"Baby daddy, and yes we are going to a movie." Max looked up at her brother. "You don't have to kick his butt dad already did."

"Well you know dad," Wash didn't look up from his plate.

"Can I have more?" Reese asked looking at her clean plate.

"What do you say?" Zoe asked getting up.

"Peas?" Reese smiled.

"Close enough," Zoe sighed.

Reese ate her second taco faster than the first. When she was done she sat at the table quietly while the grown ups finished there meal. She looked around the room and a picture above the fireplace caught her eye. There was a small girl that she assumed was her aunt Max but her dad looked a lot younger than the girl in that picture.

"Grandma," Reese started, walking over to the fireplace. "Who's that?"

Everyone at the table turned and looked at Reese. Dawn walked over got the picture down and handed it to Reese. Reese saw the picture up close and noticed that the girl was definitely not Max. She had blonde curls, gray eyes, and a pink tutu on with pink ballet shoes.

"That's Jetta," Dawn gave Reese a weak smile.

Wash looked at the picture that Reese was holding. He had remembered taking that picture, how he hated being all dressed up for Jetta's recital. That was her last recital.

"Who's Jetta?"

"Jetta would've been your aunt," Dawn answered taking the picture out of Reese's hand.

"What happened?" Reese asked.

"She got real sick started seeing things," Wash tried to answer in the best way. "She went crazy."

"Well that was some good food!" Mark exclaimed. "You guys staying the night or you got somewhere to be?"

"We'd stay but got to leave early tomorrow morning," Wash said helping Max clear off the table.

Mark nodded slowly. "Well I'm happy you guys stopped by I never thought I…Reese what are you doing?"

Everyone turned and looked at Reese. She walked towards the only closed door in the house. Wash knew what room it was and why it was kept closed. Reese's hand had barely touched the doorknob when Wash grabbed her and pulled her away, turning her to face him.

"Don't ever go in there!" He demanded. "Got it?"

"Yes daddy," Reese said tears forming in her eyes. "I heard scratching on the door."

"I know I hear it too," Wash picked her up and walked towards the couch.

"I want Draggie," Reese yawned.

"What's Draggie?"

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