My apologies for the delay in uploading, my health hasn't been the best lately and I just haven't been able to write. Anyway, enjoy.

Chapter 3

Abigail sat sipping tea on the couch, listening to the fire crackle in the stove later that night, deep in thought. The girl had barely spoken to her all day, again refusing to eat either her lunch or dinner. She wished there was some way she could get through to her but again the child had gone back into her shell. She sighed, sipping at her tea gingerly. Lord, I need your help. Please.

The sound of soft footsteps behind her made her look around. The girl was standing behind her, in her nightgown as tears ran down her cheeks. 'Oh Joanna-' She placed her tea down on the coffee table and got up, placing her arm around her. 'What is it honey?'

'I-I-' She stuttered, holding onto Abigail. 'I'm scared.'

'Did you have a nightmare?' The girl nodded, sniffling. 'It's alright honey, you're safe. Nothing is going to happen to you.' She glanced back at the couch. 'Come on, let's go sit down and you can tell me about it.' Joanna nodded again and they went over to the couch, the girl curling up on her lap and she stroked her hair gently. 'What was it about honey?'

'The cliff at the edge of the forest-' She whispered. 'I was going to jump today Mrs. Stanton, I just wanted this pain to go away.'

'Oh sweetheart-' Tears came to her eyes. She was worried the girl would think about doing something like that. 'Honey, you're going to be alright. I know you're broken, I know you're hurting but ending it like that isn't the right way.'

'I know.' Joanna whispered after a moment. 'I know. I'm sorry Mrs. Stanton. I'm sorry.'

'Ssssh, it's alright-' She held her close, her chin resting on the girls head. 'Your safe, that's all that matters.'

'I'm just scared and tired and sad and-' The girl hiccuped, choking on a sob. 'I miss them.'

'I know you do.' Abigail kissed her head. 'I know you do honey.'

'It's not fair, it's just not fair.'

'I know-' She tried to console her as the girl broke down in tears again. 'It's not fair.'

Joanna cried into Abigail's shoulder, her tears soaking the woman's blouse. 'I-I was going to jump, I was gonna-'

'Honey, it's alright. You're safe. You're going to be alright.'

'When will this pain end?'

Abigail felt tears running down her own cheeks, her heart breaking again for the girl. She knew what she was going through, she understood what Joanna was saying. She felt the same way. She wanted the pain she was going through losing her Noah and her son to end too. 'In time honey, in time.'

'Hold me.'

'I'm here.' She assured her, holding onto the girl tighter as she cried. 'I'm here. You're alright. It'll be okay.' The minutes ticked by, the girl finally crying herself back to sleep and Abigail stroked her hair softly. Lord please heal this broken child. She pleaded, looking at the girl lying in her lap, her cheeks stained with dried tears. Please bring her comfort and peace.

She stared back at the stove, her eyes misting again as she thought of Noah and Peter. She'd hardly had time to grieve them properly, they still hadn't even been buried yet. There was no consolation, no closure that a funeral provided. The poor child hadn't been able to bury her father and brother yet either, they weren't among the men who had been buried the week before. Maybe once they were able to bury them they could start to heal a little.

Abigail stroked the child's cheeks softly. Even in sleep she could see the child was exhausted and tormented. Joanna whimpered in her sleep, a sound that reminded her of when Peter was little when he had nightmares. He'd come to her for comfort, falling asleep in her lap like the young girl had. The poor child was so tormented and broken she'd contemplated suidicide as a way out. A tear ran down her cheek. She wished with everything she had that she could make it better for the girl, take away the child's pain yet there was nothing she could do of her own power. Nothing that was except pray and she'd been doing a lot of that.

A knock sounded on the door and she glanced up, frowning. It was late, extremely late. Who would be up at this time? The knock sounded again and she glanced down at the girl, Joanna still asleep in complete and utter exhaustion.

Gently she picked the girl up to place her aside, her heart sinking as she felt how light the child was. She really was skin and bones. Carefully she laid her back down on the couch as she stood up, placing a blanket over her to keep her warm then went to the door. 'Miss Thatcher-' She exclaimed, looking at Elizabeth standing there shivering in the nightgown she'd lent her. 'Come in, it's freezing out there.'

'T-thank you.' Elizabeth stuttered, walking in as Abigail closed the door behind her, thankful to be out of the cold night.

Abigail turned to her, something had happened. 'What happened?'

'I-I burnt the t-teacherage down.' She looked down at the ground. 'I-I'm so sorry-'

'Hey, an explanation of the rest can wait.' She interrupted softly as Joanna sat up, woken by the commotion. 'It's late, it can wait till tomorrow.'

'I didn't know where to go or what to do, so I came here-'

'It's alright-' She placed her hand on her shoulder. 'There's a bed upstairs, you need to get some rest. We can talk about what happened in the morning.'

'Thank you, Mrs. Stanton.'

'Abigail.' She smiled then looked at Joanna. 'You need to get back to bed too honey.'

Joanna nodded as she got up and handed the blanket to the teacher. 'It's awful cold out there, you better warm up.'

'Thank you.'

'Come on, this way.' Abigail led the way upstairs, opening the door to the room Joanna had been using. 'This is the only spare room I'm afraid, Joanna has been staying in here but for tonight she can sleep with me. Tomorrow we can sort something out but for now you can stay here.' The smell of smoke was heavy in the room, obviously from the nightgown. Elizabeth couldn't sleep in that. 'I'll go get you some clothes to change into.'

'Thank you.' Elizabeth mumbled again as the woman left, feeling terrible for putting the girl out of her bed. 'I'm sorry for putting you out of your room, I didn't realise-'

'It's alright-' The girl assured her as she re-made the bed. 'You need somewhere to sleep. I'll be fine. There we go-' She tucked the covers under the mattress. 'All done.'

'Here we go.' Abigail walked back in, carrying an armful of clothing. 'There's an outfit for you to wear for teaching school tomorrow too.'

'Thank you so much Abigail.'

She smiled then patted Joanna's shoulder. 'You try and get some sleep Elizabeth. Come on Joanna.'

Joanna followed Abigail back downstairs, watching as she stoked the fire then followed her to her bedroom. Abigail pulled the covers back on the bed and hopped in, patting the mattress beside her and the girl joined her on the bed.

'You okay now honey?'

She shook her head. 'I'm too scared to sleep.'

'Come here.' She wrapped her arm around the girl, kissing her cheek gently. 'I'm right here. Nothing is going to happen to you. You can sleep. I'll be right here.'

The girl finally drifted off after a time, Abigail watching the girl as she slept. When Peter was little he'd climb into bed with her and Noah if he was scared, she smiled sadly at the memory as she listened to the girls even, slightly quick breathing. Noah was gone, Peter was gone, no amount of grieving or missing them was going to bring them back. She knew that. Like it or not life went on. That was the way it was. She had to move on and somehow she had a feeling that the child sleeping beside her was God's way of helping them both to heal.