It was Sam's first field trip so Nina had decided to go with Sam's class. There had been a shortage of chaperones anyway, and it would make Sam feel better. The trip was, ironically enough, to a field…. Actually it was to a nature preserve, but fields were included. Sam's teacher called them 'meadows,' but she was fooling herself, they were fields….

It was half an hour on a school bus each way so Nina made sure to pack plenty of carrot sticks, celery, and other things kids wouldn't normally eat if they had a choice. She also brought coloring books and those markers that don't write on anything but the special paper. Sam's teacher said he would be plenty occupied by what she had planned, but ever since that medication bit, Nina had a diminished value of Sam's teacher.

Nina was sure she was ready to go, she had everything she will and might need. The only thing she lacked, really, was a babysitter for Meredith. Since the field trip was on a school day all of the names on Nina's babysitter list were in school. Nina needed to find someone who knew how to take care of a baby and it wouldn't interfere drastically with their work. Nina needed a parent with a boring job.

Amy and Colin sat at a little table toward the back of the cafeteria. The table was in the secluded area, sheltering it from many of the other students. These tables were never used for eating purposes, usually they were used for, recreational encounters, but Amy and Colin sat there purely for comfort reasons. Colin had a headache that he claimed to be nothing, but Amy took no chances with her returned boyfriend, and moved them to the quieter region.

"Grover," Colin said abruptly. Amy's head turned to him, "that was your nickname, right?" he finished. Amy nodded.

"So, what was mine? And Bright's, what was Bright's nickname?" Colin asked her. Amy smiled, remembering.

"Bright's was 'Nacho.' Bright 'Nacho' Abbott," Amy told him and Colin chuckled slightly.

"So, what, does he have some odd obsession with Mexican food?" Colin asked. She smiled and shook her head.

"No, no. Originally it was 'Not So,' but over time it just changed to 'Nacho,'" she explained while lifting her eyebrows. Colin chuckled again, and Amy was glad to hear it.

"Not So Bright, I get it, did you come up with that one?" Colin asked her. Amy placed an index finger to her lips and shooed him jokingly. He laughed again.

"So what was mine?"

"'Blood 'n Guts!'" Amy told him with a bit of pizzazz in her voice.

"How on earth did I get that nickname?" Colin asked completely confused and yet amused by it.

"In the seventh grade you knocked the guts out of a baseball. They added the 'blood' for dramatic effect," she told him. He nodded his head smiling.

"Never a dull moment in Everwood, huh?" he asked her. She moved her chin to one side.

"Not recently anyway."

Nina was refilling a coffee mug when Penny Laderer walked into the diner. Penny took her normal stool and exchanged pleasantries with Harold, who was already half way finished with his lean ham sandwich. Upon seeing the librarian an idea formed itself in Nina's head and took over. Nina walked over to Penny and filled her mug with coffee.

"What can I get for you today Penny?" Nina asked her smiling. Penny sighed in thought.

"Um, just a grilled cheese sandwich," Penny replied. Nina ordered it for her with a smile. Harold had been watching Nina and Penny since Nina had first smiled at her, now he just sighed in aggravation.

"Nina, whatever it is you want to ask her go ahead, you're driving me crazy," Harold instructed her, taking a sip from his coffee mug. Nina bit her lower lip and Penny looked at her confused.

"Do you need something?" Penny asked her cautiously. Nina frowned at the push forward.

"I need a babysitter," Nina admitted. Penny's eyes widened in surprise.

"No! No, no, no, no, no, no…" Penny said standing up. Nina frowned again.

"It'll only be for a few hours Penny, I-"

"No Nina! You can't ask me to do that."

"Penny, you have to move on sometime," Nina told her earnestly for her own good.

"Why? Why do I have to?" Penny demanded from her.

"Because if you don't you'll turn into you're mo-" Nina started but stopped herself. At that everyone in the room was shocked to hear Nina start saying what they knew she had started saying. Everyone, that is, except Andy, who had just walked in the door. Penny's eyes narrowed angrily, and sadly.

"Into my what? Into my mother?" Penny finished for her. Nina looked at her sadly.

"Penny I didn't..." Nina started but Penny shook her head and raised her hand to stop Nina from going on.

"Forget it," Penny said grabbing her coat and walking past Andy and out of the door.

 Nina sighed and looked at her feet as everyone in the diner went back to their plates. Andy sat down next to Harold and took Penny's still warm coffee mug in his hands.

"What was that about?" he asked anyone who would answer. Nina shook her head and walked into the back, out of sight of everyone. Harold sighed.

"Has anyone gotten around to telling you about Penny's marital status yet?" Harold asked him. Andy looked at him somewhat surprised that he of all people would respond to his inquiry. Andy nodded anyway.

"Yes, and about her daughter," Andy told him. Harold nodded.

"Figures. Well, Neil Laderer, Penny's father, was not her mother's first husband. She had been married previously and had a child, who died in infancy. Her husband died shortly not there after. Penny's mother shut herself in, wouldn't talk to anyone, she made herself very sick. Finally her family made her marry Neil, and she had Penny. That was a touch and go birth. But, for the rest of her life Penny's mother was always very ill, she finally died when Penny was in college," Harold explained. Andy nodded in understanding and took a sip from Penny's mug. He sighed and turned once again to Harold.

"That family doesn't have a curse on it, does it?"

"There have been rumors," Harold admitted. Andy looked at him in immense surprise.

"Really?" Andy asked shocked. Harold nodded.

"None I'd give any merit to, of course. But they're out there."

"Like what?" Andy asked curiously. Harold looked at him questionably, but then sighed.

"According to local rumor, which I have no doubt is made completely out of fallacies, Penny's mother was a descendant of Ronald Everwood, the town's American founder," Harold started. Andy nodded in understanding.

"I've heard the story, about his daughter…."

"Okay, well, supposedly because of what Ronald Everwood did, everyone in the line was to lose a child. So far the curse hasn't missed a generation," Harold told him. Andy nodded his head comprehending it all. He took a sip of Penny's coffee.

Ephram laid stomach up on his bed. He had his music on and was just looking at the ceiling, somewhat in thought, and somewhat asleep. He really hadn't spoken to Jig since Isaac left, and he really wanted to. Not only was it his duty as her best friend to walk in when Isaac walks out, but, he just bought the first Inu-yasha manga book and he wanted her to read it.

 Fairly shortly after laying down, Ephram fell asleep. His dream had something to do with a horse and oranges. It didn't make any sense but not a lot of dreams do. When he did awaken he felt somewhat light headed but very calm and comfortable. He did notice something was different from when he had fallen asleep, so he looked over to his left, and smiled. Jig was asleep next to him on the bed. She must have come to see him and didn't want to wake him up. He poked her slightly in the shoulder with his index finger. First she frowned, then she batted his finger away, then she finally woke up and saw him looking at her. She smiled too and sat up, looking down at him.

"I didn't want to wake you," she told him. He nodded, sitting up too.

"I figured that," he replied. She looked at him for a moment, capturing that image of him to keep with her no matter what might happen in the future. She sighed.

"I've been avoiding you," Jig confessed. Ephram nodded again.

"I figured that," he repeated and she laughed slightly.

"I just, I don't know, I didn't know what to say," she tried to explain. He shrugged to begin his response.

"There's nothing to say, really…."

"But-!" Jig started but Ephram stopped her with a raised hand.

"You're still the Jig you were before he came here. Nothing has changed," he reassured her. Jig smiled, pleased by his feelings on the subject. He lowered his hand.

"Now, I have a new manga!" he told her jumping off his bed and to a pile of books he had in the corner. Jig joined him happily.