It was night and 26 had carefully crept out of Karl's room and was wandering around the Hatchery. She couldn't find anything to eat inside the Hatchery so she wandered outside for a little. She eventually came to the Hatchery garden…

"26! 26!" Karl called out as he walked around the Hatchery. He had woken up that morning not met by 26's snoring or her smiling face. He often woke up to find her nose three inches away from his. But this morning she wasn't in his room at all and so far she was no where in the Hatchery. There was a nagging feeling of worry creeping up him but he tried to calm it. He heard David's voice calling for 26 and Amelia's right before she walked into the room Karl was standing in. Amelia looked at Karl sympathetically knowing how worried he must not be letting himself get. David's head appeared in the doorway leading outside.

"Guys," he said and disappeared. Karl and Amelia quickly followed him. Karl laughed in relief as he saw 26. She was laying in the middle of a giant hole that had been the Hatchery garden. Bits and pieces of vegetables surrounded her and she snored loudly. Almost every in of her was absolutely covered with mud and dirt but in her sleep she didn't seem to mind.

"If she thinks she's getting breakfast she's crazy," Karl said and Amelia and David laughed.

"Hey!" Amelia yelled as Karl poured a bucket of water over 26, getting some on Amelia in the process. Karl, Amelia, and David were down off the beach in the water pouring water onto the now awake 26 and washing her off. 26 was honking with joy and moving her head up and down.

"Sorry," Karl said smiling proving that he wasn't actually sorry.

"When does Marion get back from the Earth Farm?" David asked as he carefully poured water over 26. The Matriarch and Marion had gone to the Earth Farm early that morning to do certain things a Matriarch must do.

"This afternoon," Amelia told him. David sighed.

"It'll probably take us till then to finish cleaning 26," Karl said patting 26 on the back, splashing a little water every where. 26 honked again and splashed her tail on the water. The three of them laughed.

"At least she's having a good time," Amelia said rubbing the top of 26's head. Karl leaned between Amelia and 26 and rubbed 26's head too. Knowing it was now Karl 26 quickly turned her head to try and see him, but the sudden action made Karl fall over into the water, taking Amelia down with him. David laughed as the two sat up with the water level coming up to their elbows. They were both blowing water off of their lips and neither of them looked please.

"You can get off of me now," Amelia told Karl. He leaned off of her and stood up. He slicked his hair out of his eyes with his hand and helped Amelia to her feet. Amelia moved her bangs off of her face and glared at Karl angrily.

"Sorry," Karl apologized again.

"You're almost beginning to sound like you mean it," she told him.

"I'm trying to sound like it," he responded with a grin.

"I think 26 is about as clean as she's going to get," David told them. Karl looked 26 over once more before agreeing.

"She might be clean now but a few steps on the sand and she'll be dirty again…" Amelia informed them. Karl and David looked at each other, realizing she was right.

"You Outlanders are, well, you're something…" Amelia said. David and Karl had gotten a large cart and had gotten the wet 26 on it. Now the two of them were pulling the now heavy cart up the hill to the Hatchery. Amelia was walking behind the cart carrying towels. 26 was honking loudly, enjoying her ride.

"I didn't hear a better idea coming from you," Karl told her.

"Didn't hear a worse one either…" Amelia told him.

"Oh calm down you two," David told them.

"You could help us here instead of just complaining," Karl told Amelia, ignoring David.

"You do your own dirty work."

"You're the one who's freakishly strong," Karl told her. Amelia frowned and threw the towels she was carrying on Karl's head and walked past them into the Hatchery. David laughed slightly and Karl shook the towels off of his head, not having any free hands.

"If she wasn't Marion's friend, sometimes I could just…" Karl started.

"Please Karl, don't finish that sentence," David asked him.

The Matriarch and Marion were walking home from the Earth farm. Their visit took longer than they had expected but they still just enough sun to see their way home. They walked in silence but exchanged a look when they saw the clothes and towels hanging on the drying line. When they entered the Hatchery the smell of supper met them. They had both been working hard most of the day and were hungry as well as tired. 26 stomped over to them as they entered and thus making their presence known to the rest of the household. David and Karl came to greet them and Samantha ran over and hugged the both of them.

"You picked a good day to go to the Farm," Samantha told them. Marion and the Matriarch looked at her questionably. She was about to explain about the ruined garden but Karl picked her up under his arm and ran with her out of the room. Marion and the Matriarch looked at David for an explanation and David just laughed nervously.

The Matriarch left Marion to get the story from David and she walked over to the egg. Amelia was laying beside it, fast asleep. The Matriarch smiled and looked up to the roof. Amelia had finished fixing it. That would account for the dirt and small cuts on Amelia's hands and forearms. The Matriarch ran a few fingers down the smooth eggshell. There was the same feeling coming from the egg that the Matriarch felt when Mary and Amelia were born. It was a warmth, a connection. If Amelia could learn to accept who she was, she could do great things. The Matriarch wasn't going to push her, though. She would tell the others not to either. Her lineage was something Amelia would have to come to on her own. She was stubborn, much like her sister. The Matriarch did miss Mary often. Mary had a lot of promise; she could have done great things. But Mary always wanted to be alone. The Matriarch knew that Marion knew that about Mary, and that her daughter has made every attempt possible not to leave Amelia alone. Marion knew also that Amelia and this egg do have a connection. And that Amelia wouldn't do anything that would hurt the egg. Amelia wasn't Mary.

Karl stretched before sliding under the covers of his bed. He and David had to share a room while they were here and neither of them were very pleased about it, especially when they were both tired. David was already in bed and waiting for his brother to quiet down so David could get some sleep. Just when they were both settling down the door to their room creaked open and a loud, honking, stomping mass of dinosaur ran into the room and over to the side of Karl's bed. Karl immediately tried to calm her down and David sighed angrily.

"I don't like her sleeping in here. She snores!" David complained.

"You're just jealous because my saurian partners actually likes being around me!" Karl replied. David sighed again and got out of his bed. He grabbed his blankets and his pillow and left the room.

He entered the main room with the intention of sleeping on the giant pile of straw. He was surprised to find Marion standing in front of the egg. She turned quickly to see who had entered the room and smiled when she saw it was David. She was wearing her long, flowing white nightgown with her soft, brown curly hair hanging around her shoulders. David smiled. She was so beautiful.

"What are you doing down here?" Marion asked him looking at the blankets and pillow he was carrying.

"Oh, uh. 26 is sleeping next to Karl. She snores…" he said with a slight chuckle. Marion nodded in understanding.

"I'd offer you the spare room but Amelia is sleeping in it," Marion explained. David walked over to a pile of straw and started laying out his blankets. Marion walked away from the egg and closer to him.

"Amelia? Why isn't she sleeping at her house?" David asked knowing Marion was walking closer to him but didn't want to look like he was watching her.

"She fell asleep by the egg after supper and was too tired to walk home. We had a spare bedroom so…" Marion explained and David nodded in understanding but gave no vocal response.

"It's a boy…" Marion said. David looked up from his make shift bed.

"The egg?" he asked her. She nodded.

"It's a boy, I can tell."

"Does Amelia know yet?"

"No, not yet. Mother is going to tell her tomorrow."

"I wonder what she'll name it," David asked more himself than Marion. Marion looked at him a little surprised.

"I hadn't even thought of him being named," Marion said glancing back at the egg.

"What do you name a guy who's ¾ dinosaur?" David asked.

"Something meaningful, I suppose."

"We'll find out soon enough…"