Chapter 2

"You are Archie's daughter?!"

Kina quickly covered Slinky's mouth while anxiously waiting for someone to hear the exclamation.

After a couple of minutes, no one came and Kina breathed in relief before turning back and smile brightly to the Slinky toy.

"You do remember!" She whispered happily. It's been a while since she met another toy which her father made. The rest of them... Well.. they all gone with the fire.

And Kina can't help but to shudder fearfully and sadly to the memory.

Slinky noticed the child's fear. Who would not? Especially knowing the child who knew that the toys were alive.

"Don't worry, Child. Everyone will take a good care of you here, including us."

Slinky and Kina looked at the source of the voice before their eyes settled on a stuffed animal plush, which was a tiger with orange color and black stripes, which has long arms and legs that has a velcro in each ends of his hands. He sat at Kina's bed and smiled softly at the child who was his new owner from now on.

Kina was at lost to what to say except a nervous, "Hi."

The tiger chuckled softly at the 3 year old child. He had never have a conversation with the humans before, but doing it, making him so relief in some ways, and.. happy. He can finally get to know his owner better, which was one of his secret wish before he finally... retired being a toy.

"Hello there, Child. What's your name?"

Kina didn't hesitate to answer when she noticed the warm tone in the toy's voice, "Kina. Kina Lynson Greysworth. And you are?.."

The tiger shrugged but smiled warmly, "I have gone with so many names, and one never really stick long enough to be my name. How about you named me, Child? As a welcome gift from me, and for many days to come for us to play with."

Kina pondered on it for a while. She was seldom to named her toys because they usually already has their own name. She needs to think of something special for the soft plush toy.

"How about.. Longie?.."

Slinky and the tiger looked at the girl, their gaze was one of confusement. Kina smiled innocently and said, "You have long arms, legs, and tail. And I.."

Kina's smile redeemed into a slight sad frown, before the tiger understand what she simply meant.

"You are longing for your life before this. The happy times."

Kina didn't dare to meet his eyes, which confirmed to both old toys that the tiger guess was right.

"It's okay, Child. I'll be happy to hold those meanings to you by becoming 'Longie'."

Kina look up then to the tiger, "You would?"

The tiger simply nodded and Kina quickly swiped both toys into her arms and hugged them happily. Both toys were content with their new owner, even though Slinky will still miss Andy, he knew from a very long time that he will never be Andy's most special toy. His favorite will always be Woody. Slinky never really mind with that, he was happy before. But now, he can help this girl much more than he can help Andy with. And for that, he was happy. So much happy.

He and the now newly dubbed 'Longie' promised to themselves that they will do their best to protect, care, and help the child as best as they can.

Because they already love the child with all their heart.

Slinky tapped one of Kina's arms before saying, "We should go back to sleep now. Tomorrow is a new day."

Kina nodded and yawned, drawing a light smile from both her toys. Kina gathered the blanket from the end of the bed before involving both her and her toys inside it.

"Good night.." Kina muttered sleepily before finally fell asleep. Both toys fell asleep as well not long after that.

But that night.., Kina suddenly screamed in the middle of the night, tossing and turning, waking up both her toys and her new mother.

"Kina? Kina, what's wrong?" Mrs. Davis asked the very disturbed child. It woke her up, but Mrs. Davis immediately felt sadden when seeing her condition.

Kina was sweating, her long grey hair was disarray, tears were caught up in her throat, she was sobbing fearfully, her eyes... Her grey eyes were full of terror from the nightmare that just occuring.

"Oh, Kina.. I'm sorry.." Mrs. Davis soothed while carrying the child in her arms. There's no doubt that the child was having a nightmare about her house in a fire, since she was muttering, "Fire.. fire, hot."

It was definitely a memory that still got stuck in her deepest mind, considering that the misfortune happened just recently.

Mrs. Davis felt bad leaving Kina to sleep by her own. She should've known that the child wasn't ready. So she could only whispered some comfort and soothing words to the child she was carrying in her arms, whom sobbed fearfully into her pajamas, and clutching the blanket tightly in both of her hands.

Unknown by both of them, Slinky and Longie shared a worry glance before turning back into a motionless toys when Mrs. Davis put Kina back onto the bed after she had calmed down.

Mrs. Davis tucked Kina in and stayed with her until she completely falls asleep. After she left Kina's room, both toys scooted closer to the child, comforting her in their ways while hoping silently that the nightmare won't bother her again, at least for tonight. The child has gone through so much, they just don't want something to add it into her burden. She was just 3...

The morning wasn't any better.

Andy was preparing to go to school, while Molly and Kina still slept in when the old lady came...

There were shouting. Those woke Kina up from her tiring slumber. She can't fall back to sleep, she couldn't. So with foggy mind, she went to her door and open it, when she met a thunderous argument downstairs.

"I have become her legal guardian, you have no rights to rule her live!" she can hear her new mother shouted to someone.

When Kina look downstairs, her body immediately trembled in fear.

"She is my great granddaughter! I have the rights as well as you are!"

There, standing proud and with a look of stoic stern and firm, was her maternal great grandmother. She has maiden family 'Winston' and she was part Russian and part British, as well as American. Well... Kina has the American part. Her great grandmother didn't and her Russian and British blood were stronger than ever.

Her mother never really liked the matriarch of the family, so her mother gave her a family name 'Greysworth' from her father's name, and named her 'Kina' despite her great grandmother's protest. But the matriarch didn't give up. She wanted the name 'Lynson', so she will get it. She messed with Kina's birth certificate, making her has a name written there, "Lynson Greysworth", rather than "Kina Greysworth". But what has been done can't be changed, so the family still calls her 'Kina', but her great grandmother always calls her, 'Lynson'. And Kina never like the woman ever since the first time they met...

"Lynson! What are you doing there still in your pajamas? Get dressed and get down here now!" the Winston Matriarch ordered sharply.

Kina was frozen in fear. But Mrs. Davis quickly come to her rescue, "It's fine, Kina. Just.. come here for a while, alright? Your.. great grandmother wants to talk with you." She said gently.

Kina was at lost, but she quickly obeyed her mother and went downstairs. The whole time, her bedroom door was open, and the two toys there heard everything that had been said.

When Kina reached beside her mother, her great grandmother clicked her tongue. With her cane, she reached into her grey long hair, eyeing it with disdain.

"If only you didn't born looking exactly like your father, you would be perfect for the family."

Kina stiffened at that. Her eyes and hair were an exact traits from her father, while she didn't really look like her mother. Her great grandmother despise that. Kina knew from all the time her great grandmother looking at her with that sharp eyes and looking at her like she had done something wrong in her eyes.

Besides that, her great grandmother never agree that her mother married with her father who was only a toy maker. Looking at her now who has her own father traits, her great grandmother will never love her. Not while she looks like the number one enemy for her.

"She's fine looking like she is." Mrs. Davis said, stepping forward, half covering Kina from her great grandmother's sight.

Her great grandmother, who was named Loraine, clucked her tongue and turned around before going outside. At the doorway, she said, "I already assigned you, and from now on, you have dance and swords courses. Maximus here will pick you up tomorrow afternoon."

The said, Maximus, was a broad man in his fourties if she has to guess. He was Loraine's butler and the one who helps take care of her biological mother when she was young. He has white hair from his aging and sharp or careful brown eyes. He was like a guard. But asides from all that, Kina thought that the man was good, and better to associate with than her own great grandmother.

"And one more thing."

Kina and Mrs. Davis look up to the old woman when she said, "I expect Kina to enter preschool when she's turn 4. There's no need to delay something like education. Earlier is better. Good day."

Just like that, she went to her car with Maximus following while Mrs. Davis yelled that a 4 year old wasn't ready to be in a preschool.

Kina stood frozen, processing everything that had been said, along with Andy who stand at the kitchen doorway, shocked of what he had seen and heard just a minute ago.

Unbeknownst by them all, was that the toys were all listening intently. Either Molly's toys, Andy's toys, and even Kina's only two toys, had heard everything. And boy, did their blood almost boil furiously, hearing what Kina's great grandmother had said. The only one who was oblivious to that was Molly, who was asleep when the whole conversation took over. She just woke up when she heard someone slamming the door, who was Mrs. Davis. She opened up her bedroom door and asked, "What's with the noise?"

Mrs. Davis look up and saw her daughter before ushering her back softly, "Nothing Sweetie. Just go get dressed, we'll have breakfast in a second."

Come a sleepy relply of 'okay' from Molly before she returned back to her room. Mrs. Davis sighed and then looked at her youngest child who was still processing what her great grandmother had said.

"Don't mind the senile old woman, Kina. Yes, you have to go to those courses because she.. still your family member and the matriarch, so she still has a grasp in your live. But don't worry, everything else she said has nothing to do with you and does not true. Do you understand?" she said gently.

Kina nodded numbly, but her mind was elsewhere. Mrs. Davis sighed again and gently prodded her back to her room to get dressed and have some breakfast.

Kina did as she was told, and immediately dressed before the two toys asked anything and then went out again. Speed as lightning.

Everyone sat in silence at the table, aside from Molly's little chattering to her mother which she replied kindly. Andy was glancing at Kina and her untouched food. He was at lost in what to do or to say. But before he managed to utter a word, his mother hustled him to hurry up, because he is already late. Andy can't say anything to Kina and settle on just patting her shoulder before heading to school with his mother to drop him off at school.

Mrs. Davis kissed the two toddlers on the forehead before heading out herself. Leaving both children alone with the kind hearted neighbor who volunteer to watch over the kids until she's come back.

Molly happily played with the neighbor, while Kina politely retrieved back to her room. When she closed the door, she slid down to the floor with a numb expression in her face. Both toys had been waiting for her to come back into the room, and quickly went to her sides to comfort her.

Kina sniffed before brushing off her stray tear while saying, "I guess you heard everything.."

Longie and Slinky looked at each other before nodding, "It's alright, Kina." said Slinky, "If you want to and if you're allow to, you can bring us with you everytime you need to go outside."

Kina looked at him at that, "I can?" Bringing her toys will bring her so much comfort, especially at some new places.

Slinky nodded, "But you need to ask your mother first."

Kina nodded, "I will." She then hugged the two toys and happily snuggled with them, "Love you.."

Slinky and Longie smiled. Slinky answered, "Love you too, Kiddo."

"And we'll never stop loving you as our kid." Longie added.

Kina smiled brightly, "Thank you.."

The two toys smile wider when they saw her finally smiling again. They are worried that her great grandmother had broke the already fragile confidence and happiness that the child has. But so far, Kina still going to keep on going. Just like what the toys will do, and help their child going through with it, every step of the way.

A.N : See you in the next chapter! Hope you enjoy it :)