Meh... You can call this a short filler chapter if you want. I call it progress XD

Commence!

Chapter Six: In Which Emily Has A Conversation with Rabbit

Once Emily had changed into a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt (saying "I Believe in August Booth" (1)), she sat in her seat by the window and stared out at the forest in the distance. Her Dad used to bring her there when she was a kid to play. He even told stories about his adventures in the woods with a neighbor named Darby.

Her mind drifted away to a memory.

They stood in the middle of a bridge together. It was once painted white, but had since faded to a mix of brown and gray due to the harsh weather. Each had a stick in hand: one that was thin with some leaves, the other was smooth with all of its bark stripped off.

"You ready, kiddo?"

The little girl beamed, "Yes, Daddy!"

"Alright. On your mark… get set… GO!" Both threw a stick down to the river below. "Hurry kiddo!" They dashed to the other side. The stick with leaves peeked out from the other side first.

"I win!" The young child squealed excitedly, "I win!"

"Congratulations, Emmy!" He lifted her up onto his shoulders. "How about we go home and have some ice cream to celebrate?"

"Emily?" She snapped back to reality to find Rabbit staring at her. Why do these people like to sneak up on me? "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine…. Just thinking."

"What about?" He sat down next to her.

"My Dad used to take me to the forest over there. We would play games and go on little adventures."

"Well, maybe he'll take you again sometime," Rabbit responded passively. But then he saw the look on her face. One he had seen very few times in his life. "Emily, where is your father?"

Emily sniffed, "He's gone."

"Gone where?"

"He's not here anymore. He won't ever come back. Ever!" She was crying now, tears coming down like a waterfall. Rabbit stood there, unsure of what to do.

You see, Rabbit knew quite a number of things. He could tell you how to care for a garden. He could tell you how to set a trap. He even knew a thing or two about childcare. But when Rabbit heard Emily say that her father was gone, he had no clue of what she actually meant by "gone".

He patted her knee, "There, there. Don't cry. I'm sure he loves you very much. Now, c'mon, dry those tears." She did, taking a few deep breaths. "There ya go. Now cheer up and let's go join the others, okay?" Emily put on a smile, making Rabbit feel like he did the right thing as he hopped out of Emily's room.

But in all honesty, Emily felt even sadder than she was before.

(1) Shameless plug! I heart Once Upon a Time! XD

Btw, anyone who guesses the game Emily and her dad are playing in the flashback gets a cupcake! ...Alright, an imaginary cupcake, but those are better. That way you don't get a flavor you don't like :P