Hello again! And wow, usually I don't stay interested in a chapter fanfic for this long! But thanks to the reviews, I did! You guys are awesome! =) Anyway, although the third chapter ended a little bit gross, I'll try to make this chapter better, but still a tiny bit ominous. Okay, enjoy! Thank you, and please R&R! =)

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Jessie.

"Hey, Ravi? I brought you some tomato soup."

The said Indian boy peeked out from his red-orange blanket and briefly grinned at his nanny. "Thank you, Jessie, but I am not hungry."

"You're still not hungry?" Jessie set the rejected bowl of soup on his nightstand, then gently placed her hand upon the 10-year-old's forehead. Ravi had thrown up at school yesterday and had been running a fever ever since. He had been showing minimal interest in food, and Jessie's maternal instincts alerted her that this had much more to it than his disease.

Jessie took her hand off the boy's forehead and sat down on the side of his bed. "Ravi…" she said. The raven-haired boy met her eyes. "Did anything happen yesterday that maybe upset you? Be honest."

"The school counselor came and said the new unit was on child abuse…"

Jessie cocked an eyebrow. "And…?"

Ravi glanced down timidly and refused to meet his nanny's eyes. "And…" he started. "And something happened before the bus came to pick us up…" he trailed off.

Jessie gently placed her hand below the 10-year-old's chin and tilted his face so he was looking her straight in the eye. "Then what happened?" she inquired. "Did anyone hurt you?"

Ravi hesitated again, as if pondering how to break some terrible news to her. It was then that Jessie knew she had hit the right nerve. She recalled back to when Luke had chosen Ravi for his partner in a paintball match. When the pressure had made the younger boy crack, Luke had said, "Stop crying!" Ravi's answer had been, "At least I have not started my projectile of vomiting!"

If being nervous had caused Ravi to throw up at school yesterday, and if Jessie's suspicion was correct, then she wouldn't like the answer.

The teenage nanny removed her hand from Ravi's chin and placed it on his shoulder. Ravi flinched as if by reflex, but then registered that it was meant as a comforting gesture and met his nanny's eyes.

Jessie was careful to give the child a meaningful look before asking, "Ravi, did it have anything to do with your father?"

Somehow, his reply didn't stun her. "…Yes…"

"It did? Okay, now speak clearly. What happened?"

"We were waiting at the bus stop, and then Zuri shrieked. There was a note attached to a small stone and Emma had read it out loud…" Ravi trailed off again, and tears started forming in his deep brown eyes.

Noticing this, Jessie tenderly wrapped her arms around him and pulled the Indian boy into a hug. She gently stroked his back and murmured "Shh..it's alright" into his ear until he ceased silently weeping.

Once he was done, Ravi glanced back up at the 18-year-old nanny. The mixture of pain, fear, worry, and weariness in his eyes tore Jessie apart on the inside. At the same time, hatred burned in her heart for his biological father. How could the man torture a helpless child like Ravi? And do it just because he was smaller and weaker, and not regret it (enjoy it, even)? Just the thought of it made Jessie's blood boil. She swore, the next time she saw the man, he was SO going down, down…

"Jessie?"

Her string of mental threats interrupted, Jessie looked back at Ravi. The 10-year-old had apparently become uncomfortable in her tight grip and squirmed out without her noticing.

"The note…" he continued. "It said, 'I know where you live. It'll only be a matter of time before I will get you'. He is after me."

Whether Ravi was too frightened or too tired (or both) to shed any more tears, Jessie would never know. She patted his back and stood up from her unofficial spot on his bed.

She gently cooed, "Ravi, don't worry. You're not alone. Your parents, Emma, Zuri, Bertram, Luke, me…we're all here for you. Don't ever forget for a second that you have a good family that will always love and protect you."

For the first time in quite a while, a full-blown grin grazed across Ravi's face. Jessie thought he looked a bit similar to the Cheshire cat for a second, but nether less, it was marvelous to see his smile again.

Ravi continued his childish grin as he playfully added, "Even Mr. Kipling?"

Jessie laughed with him and agreed. "Even Mr. Kipling!"

They continued their laughing session for a good thirty seconds. Once they were done, the two were still chuckling a tiny bit and clutching their aching sides. Jessie grinned at Ravi's smiling face. She preferred the sweet, blissful Ravi over the depressed and terrified one. She also loved how whenever the Indian boy smiled a truly gleeful smile, it never failed to lighten up the mood in the room, no matter how disturbing the situation.

After they finally quit chuckling, Jessie asked, "So do you want that soup now? I could warm it up."

"Yes, please."

Ta-da! Okay, I admit it, this chapter didn't really add much to the story, but it did let Jessie and Ravi have a cute moment! Alright, let's try for at least two reviews from two different people (or some faves, hint hint clue clue) before the fifth chapter! This won't be a long story, since I was only planning on this having six or seven chapters max. Next chapter, sparks might fly, depending on the mood I'm in. If you want me to go ahead and start to wrap up this fanfic, please say so in your review. But no flames, please. Thank you!

P.S.: By the way, do ya'll like my new profile image? Since I'm pathetic at drawing snakes, I got an image off the internet (which I'm pretty sure most people on this site do) and posted its URL on my profile. Hope ya'll like it! =)