I don't own The Penderwicks

Epilogue

10 Months Later (Skye's POV)

There's that saying that if you really want to know something then you need to teach it to others. I never really paid much attention to whether it was true or not until I stood face to face with a classroom filled with students. Some of them looked so bored I was surprised they weren't drooling on themselves, and yet others were sitting with an eager hand perched on their notes.

I guess I felt the weight of the full responsibility fall on me then, like I felt somewhat responsible for them. Or at least whether they all flunked out or not. Granted I realized they all had to pull their own mental weight too, but I still had a lot to do with it. I was the teacher, I was in charge, and man I had to be really old by now. Even though really I wasn't too much older than most of them. But it's pretty impossible to feel like you're facing a group of your peers when they all call you a combination of Mrs. or Professor Tifton. So to say the least I felt pretty nervous that first day, and about a couple dozen after it. But the one thing going for me was that I did know what I was talking about, and maybe more than that I loved talking about it. So I made it a goal to satisfy the attentive students, and wake up the rest by any means necessary. Well almost any means… We weren't still in the time where you could beat people with rulers. Which sometimes seemed a little bit of a shame.

But the way everything does it got to be a little easier or at least it felt easier. I guess I really just got used to it over time. But that didn't mean it couldn't unnerve you some days, or bring all the butterflies right back. In fact, parenthood was a lot like teaching a class that never ended…

"Class dismissed." I said finally as I sat back down and started shuffling examine pages on my desk. I didn't pay much attention to the typical noise of all of them gathering up their books and stuffing them into over packed bags, but today something was different. I heard a high pitched "aww" that instantly reminded me of Jane as I felt half the class rush past me in a gush of air. The female half I should add. They were all mobbed around the door while I was left staring cluelessly with the male members of the class. Somehow I guessed it wouldn't have been any different even if I hadn't been the teacher.

"They're twins right?" I heard one girl say before another squealed "Too cute!" Sighing with a slight smile I put the pieces together. They pretty much spelled Jeffrey, which is who I saw barely squeezing past the sappy mob. He had his arms full with our progeny, and his face looked about as smug as you could get.

"They are cute, girls," Jeffrey winked at me. "Guess which one of us they take after?"

I stood as I felt my face go a little awkwardly red. "In that case, be honest and tell them they were adopted…" I mumbled while giving Jeffrey an annoyed look. Timothy looked like he was enjoying all the attention but Astra looked more than a little reluctant as she clung tighter to Jeffrey's shirt collar. I figured that mirrored us pretty well right now.

"Oh how old are they Professor?" One girl with curly brown hair asked. Boy did she remind me of Jane.

I rubbed the back of my neck awkwardly before replying. "Almost a year."

She clasped her hands in front of her before beaming a dreamy smile. "You're so lucky to have twins! They're absolutely adorable!"

"As am I…" Jeffrey said playfully as he batted his eyes at me making the same girl, and half the class for that matter, laugh. But nothing could have prepared me for what came next.

"I hope I have a family as great when I'm your age ma'am!" The girl said sincerely. My age…? How old did she think I was…? Giving up on the embarrassment, and the grey hairs apparently, I just started pushing Jeffrey toward the door.

"Uh thanks," then poking Jeffrey a little harder in the back I add: "The secret is to get a massive life insurance policy, then drop a piano on them one day." I sighed as I just went along with the erupting laughter. "I'm about to cash in his."

"So that's your master plan is it?" Jeffrey said with a playfully annoyed look as we stepped out into the hall. Holding out her arms and frowning Astra gestured for me to pick her up, so relieving Jeffrey of her I playfully smiked at him. "I'm think about it, yeah."

He grinned. "Well, I'm thinking of opening a petting zoo for these two, just look at the fanfare they got in there. We could be rich without resorting to bloodshed."

I glanced down at Astra. "I don't think she's big on being a celebrity."

Jeffrey frowned thoughtfully before facing her. "Is that so?"

She just kept on her most resolute face and I couldn't help but laugh. "I think that said it better than I could."

Jeffrey sighed as he glanced Timothy who was leaning on his shoulder and sucking on his favorite stuffed duck toy. "Learn from this, women always stick together."

Timothy just laughed like he always did, in fact I think to him the whole world was hilarious. Or it could have just been since he spent so much time staring up at Jeffrey…? That had to be it.

"So…" Jeffrey drew out the one word slowly as his face filled with that familiar pouting look. "Is mommy your favorite now Astra…?" Then tossing her a playfully sad glance Jeffrey kept up his act. At first she didn't do anything but stare at him, in fact I thought I'd probably given him the very same look at one point or the other. But then he made a funny face and reached to tickle her side and when she started laughing it seemed all was forgiven.

"So, why'd you come as soon as I got off by the way?" I asked.

Jeffrey smiled with that same smug look before he glanced between Astra and Timothy and then back to me. "Actually we have a surprise for you, Professor Tifton."

"Oh really?" I asked raising an eyebrow. "You didn't cook again did you?"

He frowned playfully. "No. Not that it would have been so horrible if I had. Anyway, our lips are sealed until we get home so there's no use trying to pry it out of us."

I smiled a little as I looked over at Timothy. "Any clues you want to share, Shorty?"

He beamed at me before resounding one jumble of syllables. But it loosely translated to "star." I knew because I was the one who taught him it even before anything else. I looked up at Jeffrey who seemed a little shocked at his son's betrayal.

"Should I take that as a hint?" I asked with a wider smirk.

Jeffrey just sighed. "They both like you more today…"

I smiled at him before reaching for his free hand and tugging him forward a little. "Well, if it has anything to do with stars than I'm excited, let's get home."

Jeffrey's face brightened as he picked up the pace and stepped ahead of me excitedly. "Right, just follow my lead!"

So I did, and maybe, I always had in one way or the other...

"Now," Jeffrey began as he slipped the key into the front door. "Might I say that this surprise gift was only supposed to be revealed after it got dark."

I felt a wide grin slip over my face. "So it is a gift, and considering it has to do with stars and it being dark then…" Darting past him with Astra in tow I raced through the house and out the backdoor.

"The XT 5000." I said with a satisfied smile when I caught sight of the dark blue telescope already aimed at the sky.

Astra reached toward it with a clearly impressed look on her face. I nodded down at her. "Pretty nice, huh?" She just laughed before sucking on her fist as a response. I was caught up in examining all its knobs and mount when I heard Jeffrey clear his throat behind me.

So turning to him I smiled lightly. "Thanks by the way." Then I felt myself frown a little. "Not that I get the occasion?"

He grinned smugly. "Occasion you ask?" Pulling Astra and me into his arms next to Timothy he started trying to dance us around the backyard. "We my lady, are our own occasion!"

I smirked a little awkwardly when I finally got him to stop since we were getting eyed like crazy people by the neighbors. "I'm make sure to tell them that when they try to commit us."

Jeffrey just laughed before he reached to playfully poke my nose. "You, my fair Skye just don't know how to relax. Right kiddos?" He asked trying to lobby my own kids against me.

When they both chuckled I figured he'd won out, and now all three of them were against me. I smirked a little. But what else was new, right? And I guess he really was trying hard to win back the dad of the year award because he volunteered to make dinner. Which pretty much just consisted of partly burnt grilled cheese and tomato soup out of a can. Astra and Timothy seemed curious about what we were eating now, so every meal they usually squirmed and moaned until one of us shared something with them. I guess I couldn't blame them for getting sick of baby food and little bits of puffed cereal, I kinda hated the thought that I'd ever eaten it at one time.

So soaking two little pieces of sandwich in the soup until it got mostly soft I decided to have mercy on them. Though I couldn't help but think that if a soggy sandwich was a culinary step up they really were much to be pitied. But I guess it was good to get them used to it now considering we were going to be cooking for them for at least the next 14 years or so. And that's assuming one of them learns to cook for themselves by then. Chances are all four of us would be equally living on take out the rest of our lives. But maybe that was part of the Tifton/Penderwick legacy. Maybe it was just one more thing that proved we all were so much alike.

That was something I thought about as I scraped at the frying pan Jeffrey had mostly blacken earlier. The thought that we actually fit together like a family. I smiled a little to myself. Not that family every really have to fit together to be one. I guess the differences in Jane, Rosy, Batty and me pretty much proved that.

"I do believe it's dark enough to give the old XT a whirl!" Jeffrey said as he stuck his head into the kitchen. Timothy crawled in past him and over to me before he sat and stared up at me with a large smile that reminded me of Jeffrey's. In fact they both looked like little kids asking if they could "pretty please" do something. So drying my hands on a towel I knelt down next to Timothy.

"So, you wanna go see the stars too, huh?"

His little face just seemed to glow another shade brighter as he thrust his arms toward me in his classic "pick me up" command. His blonde hair was already showing signs of being inclined to be as messy as Jeffrey's. Which I knew he's just make a case for his whole it's genetic, not sloppy argument I'd heard for years. But I guess more than that I just kept finding it amazing, them amazing. He was looking at me like I was one of the biggest parts of his world. Which I guess I was, though given the size of a 10 month old's life that wasn't the biggest compliment. But still it...it made me think maybe I was turning out to be an okay mom after all…?

Playfully messing up his already messy hair made him laugh again before he leaned in closer to me. "Alright, let's go." I said with a nod to Jeffrey who scooped up Astra and bee lined for the back door. The next thing I knew we were standing under a starlit sky. Hardly a new sight I knew, but all the same it never ceased to take my breath away. And maybe most of all seeing it was like coming home. It was that warm familiar feeling Jeffrey must get with the piano, or at least partly why Jane almost floats through bookstores. It was just one of the things that made me, well me. And maybe more than ever before I was pretty content to just be that. I always figured I was pretty different, but maybe that was actually a good thing after all.

Kneeling down next to my new telescope I sat Timothy carefully down on the grass. Jeffrey did the same with Astra before scooted in closer to me. I adjusted the aperture and angled the tripod until everything seemed perfect. "The summer triangle." I said simply as I gestured for Jeffrey to take a look.

"And what do we have here…" He mumbled as he peered through the lens.

"The points are formed by Altair, Denab, and Vega." I explained matter of factly.

"Ah it is summer isn't it…?" Jeffrey said with a slightly dreamy sigh as he leaned back to look at me.

I nodded slowly, not missing his point. "Yeah…"

It was summer again…

"Star!" Timothy suddenly said as he reached excitedly up at the telescope.

Jeffrey just laughed before he reached to hold him up high enough to look through the lens. "One, constellation coming up tiny maestro."

I smiled. Jeffrey had started calling him that since he was about a week old. I guess he hoped Timothy really might turn out to have inherited the musical talent. Which I figured was pretty possible considering it was on my side too with Batty and all. I guess if I was honest I kinda hoped the same thing about Astra and astronomy but chances are we both could be totally off. Of course, in the end I don't think either of us really would mind however it went.

I was lost in thought when I felt a tiny weight plop into my lap. Looking down I saw Astra had crawled over to me and was now sitting nuzzled up to my shirt. I wasn't ever really sure what she was thinking. Honestly sometimes the looks on her face seemed too mature for just a baby. Dad said she was almost the mirror image of me at her age. And I guess I was starting to believe him by this point. I got the feeling her feelings weren't all that easy to express either. While Timothy could steal the spotlight as soon as he waddled into a room, Astra preferred to watch from the sidelines.

I think she was just like me…

So I closed my eyes and just focused on the feeling of her slowly breathing against me. Then gently I tightened my arms around her small frame before I opened my eyes to take in the stars again. It was like we were the smallest of specks in the vast universe. I mean really we were just like specks even from an earthly perspective. I guess there were times in my life when I'd compared myself to stars. Humans were so frail and didn't burn nearly as brightly, maybe it made me wonder why we were worth so much…

But that was before.

Before I realized what it felt like to kiss Jeffrey the day we got married, or to watch Astra and Timothy fall asleep on Treble. It was all those emotions I figured I, well would never figure out. It was all those things I knew were hard to even think about let alone express. The sappy stuff that always made me cringe. Well, sometimes I still did cringe. But that was just me, it was just how I was. It didn't change how important it all still was.

Was that it then…? Was that the meaning to everything?

"Fireflies!" I heard Jeffrey shout before he jumped up with Timothy laughing and started chasing after them.

I smiled as I watched them. Life was like a book or an invention or something. The product of a great idea, a masterful mind, but more than that… It showed just how much He must care.

Looking down I felt Astra's two eyes gazing up at me. Those same green eyes I once told Jeffrey were seasick green back when we were kids. Now, I guess that felt like a million years ago. Resting my chin softly on the top her head I held on a little tighter.

"I got one!" Jeffrey said in a victory cry as he captured a firefly in a paper cup. Or at least that was for about half a second before it escaped and flew away.

"Darn it, retract that."

I laughed a little to myself as I slow stood with Astra in my arms. "Wanna go show him how to catch lighting bugs?" I asked her. She didn't say anything for a second before she smiled widely up at me. It was a smile that made her face crease in all the right ways. It was a look that would probably make the world say she was beautiful when she got older. It was...a lot like mom I guessed. A lot like me somehow. And maybe it just took seeing it in someone else to believe it in myself.

Running into the fray the four of us chased the little yellow green dots of light, as if in our own private night sky.

This was my life, my family. My legacy. Our Legacy.

But not just ours…

It belonged to all of humanity.

Ad Astra and always…

Always, back again.

FIN

Thanks everybody, for all the kind reviews and words of encouragement all along the way. It's meant a lot, and has really motivated me when I felt a little stuck in a chapter. Mostly though I'd like to think Skye and Jeffrey without whom none of this would have been possible. I truly was just following you guy's lead. Love you two, and everyone for reading right down to the end. Not that it's ever an end. Not sure if I'm planning on another longer story right now, but I know I at least have some one shots planned for some time or the other in the future. We have but hardly scratched the surface of what could be now that Skye and Jeffrey are parents. Until then, Ad Astra...and always back again...

Okay, yeah I've really milked that too much by this point... lol