This is Prompt No. 92-Family

Three weeks after her sea voyage had begun, Mitchie found herself riding through the main gates of her family's plantation, eagerly drinking in all the familiar sights. With the sun setting behind it, the plantation looked like a picture. There, by the far fence, was the willow tree where she and Mitchell always had their private talks, and there was the large barn where the horses where kept. To the left were the fields of cotton, and the slaves straightened up from their backbreaking task to wave eagerly at the carriage.

"Missy's done come home!" someone called, and the hands whooped and cheered their praises. Still dressed in her breeches and shirt, Mitchie leaned out the window, waving madly at her friends as she passed them. The driver drove the carriage right up to the front porch of the large plantation house and Mitchie dropped out of the compartment, eager to see her family.

"So that's where my old outfit went," said a voice behind her.

Mitchie found a young man, slightly taller than she, leaning casually against one of the porch posts and trying to look stern, and failing miserably at it. "Mitchell!" she cried, launching herself at her brother, older by only twenty-two minutes, and giving him and tight, lengthy hug. "I've missed you so much!" she cried.

"Me too," he replied a little breathlessly, "but I can't breathe, Mitchie."

"Oh!" Mitchie exclaimed, embarrassed, as she let go. "Sorry about that. I guess I got a little carried away."

"Is that my little girl under Mitchell's dirty clothes?" Mitchie's father asked, stepping out onto the porch with his wife in tow.

"Daddy!" Mitchie cried, once again flinging and hugging. She did the same for her mom, who hugged her tightly and then gently pushed her away, wiping at imaginary dust smudges on her dress.

"I'm not entirely sure that I approve of that outfit you're wearing," Connie Torres told her daughter.

"Honestly, neither do I," Mitchie said, lying. "But, it's very useful when you're travelling by yourself and you don't want other men on the ship to recognize you as a young lady."

"She has a point," her father pointed out, affectionately stroking his daughter's cheek.

"Well," her mother said hesitantly. "I suppose we won't mention it if you get right inside and change."

Mitchie shot her brother an amused look and replied obediently, "Yes, mother." She gave the two men another hug and kissed her mother on the cheek before heading into the house. As soon as she was out of her mom's line of sight, Mitchie used her freedom from skirts to dash up the stairs to her second story bedroom and fling open the door. Just as she suspected, there stood Anna, her maid, waiting in the middle of the room, her eyes shining with pleasure.

"Anna!" Mitchie squealed, flinging herself into the maid's eager arms. "I've missed you so!"

Anna hugged Mitchie back. "As have I," she said excitedly. "Was Europe as much fun as you anticipated?"

Mitchie rolled her eyes. "It was a total bore, except for France." The glint in her eyes told her friend that there was much more to the story that she had to tell.

Anna pulled Mitchie over to the canopy bed that occupied the middle of Mitchie's room and said, "Now tell me."

Mitchie sat down, smiling at the familiarity that Anna used with her. On the outside, they played their prospective parts. Mitchie played the mistress and Anna played the maid, but on the inside, they were close, secret friends. The only other person that knew about their relationship was Mitchell, and he didn't have a problem with it. In fact, he approved, for Anna was his secret beau. He and she had already been making plans to marry, somehow, some way, but it was easier dreamed than done. Their whole backgrounds where their obstacles, and the state they lived in was the mountain they had to scale.

"Well," Mitchie said, leaning toward Anna excitedly. "I met a young man in France," she began, and told the whole story, leaving nothing out. She told Anna everything, including Shane's name, which she had left out when she had told Tess.

"He sounds wonderful," Anna commented afterwards. "And both Mitchell and I will be forever grateful to him that he saved you from that wretched man."

"Indeed," Mitchie agreed.

Rising, in complete authority now, Anna gave a tug at Mitchie's sleeve. "Come now," she said. "It's time for a bath and then time for bed. "You've had a long day."

"Anna," Mitchie protested. "I can get my own bath."

Anna smiled and said, "I know, but this is a special occasion, and so I'll actually do what your mother and father think I'm doing." She laughed and said, "You take a bath now and I'll get your dinner tray brought up. It's a bit late for it, but Lucy won't mind cooking something extra for you."

With that, Anna drew the bath and then disappeared downstairs while Mitchie sank into her hot bath, grinning at the feeling of the hot water relaxing every one of her muscles. Yes, she was glad to be home, she thought. She had a family that loved her well enough, a brother whom she adored and likewise, and a maid who was her best friend. What more could she want?

Unfortunately, she knew the answer to that. She wanted her parents to free their slaves. She wanted Anna to marry Mitchell with no impending problems of ethnicity. She wanted there to be no war. And because she was in love with him, she wanted Shane to be here with her. But none of that was going to happen, and Mitchie had a feeling that it wouldn't happen for a very long time, if ever.

A/N: Well? Please review and tell me what you think!