Tired of staying in bed, Julie slowly climbed to her feet and slipped her robe around her shoulders. She glanced out the window and saw that Molly, Chris, the twins, and Kendra were outside. She smiled a bit and watched them play a moment. She sighed deeply. Oh to be out there with them again. After another minute or so, she turned and slowly headed out her bedroom door.

Rae was rocking Sam in the living room when she walked down the stairs. She looked up, hearing the noise on the stairs. "Julie? What are you doing up?"

"I'm tired of that bed."

Rae smiled a little and reached out to her. "Want to help me take care of this one? Or do you want to visit outside with the others?"

"Can we take Sam outside?"

"We could do that as well."

Julie smiled weakly.

"Do you need an arm to lean on?" Rae inquired.

"Please," she nodded.

She held out her arm for the girl to grab onto for support, and, together, they walked out.

They sat on the steps and Rae placed Sam in Julie's lap.

Chris stopped chasing after Andy when he saw Julie out there. "Shouldn't she be in bed?" he asked Rae worriedly when she crossed the grass.

"Let her stay for a little while Chris."

"But... but she's sick!"

She put her hand on his arm. "Let's give the twins some good memories, alright?"

He frowned. "... All right."

"They're going to take this hard enough as it is..."

"We all are."

"The moment she starts to get tired I'll let you bully her back inside."

He managed a smile. "All right."

She nudged him in Julie's direction. "Go talk to her."

With a slight nod, he walked over to her. "Hey."

She smiled up at him weakly. "Hey, Chris."

"How... how are you feeling?"

She took a deep breath, "Pretty good right now."

"Really? You sure?"

She nodded. "Yeah."

"Let me know if you start to feeling bad again, alright?"

She smiled and nodded. "I will."

He bent down and hugged her before running across the yard to join Molly in playing with Kendra.

"How is your sister feeling?" Molly asked.

He looked toward Julie. "She says she's feeling fine right now..."

"Well, that's good."

"She doesn't look too good, Molly."

"You wouldn't either, cooped up in bed like that," she pointed out, holding Kendra's hands as she clomped over the grass.

He sighed and tossed Kendra up into the air. She shrieked in delight, flinging her hands about.

"Chris don't do that," Molly fussed as he caught Kendra.

"She doesn't seem to mind," he replied as Kendra shouted "Again! Again!"

"Yes, but I do."

"You're a worry wart."

She gave him an agitated look and folded her arms over her chest.

"I won't drop her, Molly."

"You might."

"You trust me don't you?"

"You- yes, your ability to catch my flying child, I don't know."

He stepped closer to her, "Does it really bother you that much?"

"Just a little.... I mean... what if you didn't catch her? She could really get hurt."

"I won't do it again..."

She frowned a little. "I'm sorry if it seems silly. But... I do worry, you know?"

"I understand."

With a smile, she squeezed his arm. "Thank you."

He threw Kendra up on his shoulder and walked over to where Ann and Andy were bickering about something. "Hey there, you two, what are you fighting about?"

"He pushed me," Annie said.

"I did not! She only thinks I did!"

"Did too...and you made me hurt my knee," she retorted, pointing to her grass stained knee.

"She tripped! I didn't push her!"

"Enough!" Chris said loudly. They flinched and looked at him, startled. "Annie, you aren't bleeding, so you must not be hurting too bad...just go inside and wash your knee off."

She huffed a little and stuck her tongue out at Andy before walking inside.

"We boys gotta stick together, huh Chris?" Andy asked.

"Andy, DID you push Ann?"

Andy hung his head and kicked at the grass. "I tripped."

He gave the little boy a half smile and ruffled his hair. "Go play," Chris said, playfully shoving Andy.

He grinned and trotted off.

"You're good with them."

Chris whirled around. "Blank are you trying to scare me?"

With a smirk, Blank shrugged. "Could be."

"Andrew!" Molly flung her arms around her brother.

Across the green, Andy said, "What?" not realizing they weren't talking to him.

Chris motioned for Andy to go back to whatever it was he was doing.

"Hey there Molly," Blank said with a slight laugh.

She hit his arm. "Why haven't you been back to see me in over a year?"

He gave her an apologetic shrug. "I was busy trying to live, little sister... you could have always come to visit me, you know?" he pointed out with a grin.

"After what happened with Duchess I don't want to go back."

"She's calmed down after.... 'Spot's death'." He quoted his fingers around the words.

"I'm still having nightmares about it," she admitted softly. "I'm not going back."

He gave her a half smile and mused her hair. "It's all right." Molly hugged him.

"Give me that girl, Chris," Blank said, reaching for Kendra.

He handed her over obediently.

Blank walked away from them talking to Kendra.

Molly smiled. "I wonder when he's going to get married... He's great with kids."

"He's too busy looking after you and Shadow to settle down."

"Well.... my sister, maybe, but I've got a lot of people looking after me here."

"He still worries about you."

She nodded. "I know... but he has less to worry for me than he does Gretchen."

"Do you think Ann will start asking him questions about us?"

"I hope not." Molly watched her brother. "She's so nosy..."

"He's gonna kill me..."

"Probably not... maybe just hurt you some."

"He threatened to kill me..."

She smiled. "That doesn't necessarily mean anything..."

"You're enjoying this aren't you?"

"It is amusing, that's for certain," she said.

He reached over and poked her in the ribs.

"Shouldn't you be afraid to touch me?" she asked with a laugh. "Andrew might come and kill you."

"Come here," he said, grabbing her hand and pulling her against him and tickling her.

With a shriek, she startled to giggle hysterically.

"Who's getting tortured now, Miss Molly?"

She was laughing too hard to speak.  "Uncle!" she cried and he stopped tickling her.

Her giggles faded off after a moment and she smiled at him.

Ann came running toward them, "Chris, Momma says that it's time for you to bully Julie now...What does she mean?"

He gave her a smile. "Just time for Julie to go back inside."

Molly took the younger girl's hand. "Let's go see if we can rescue Kendra." Ann nodded and followed her to Blank.

Taking a deep breath, Chris walked over to where Julie was still sitting on the porch. "Come on, missy. It's back inside for you."

"But I'm fine," she argued weakly.

"Don't argue with me or I'll get Spot or Rae out here.  And they'll just send for Doc..."

With a sigh, she let him pull her to her feet and guide her inside.

"What's wrong with Julie?" Blank asked, after watching Chris lead her up the stairs.

Rae sighed and shook her head.

"She's really sick," Spot said quietly. "The doctor hasn't given her too long to live..."

Blank nodded sadly. "Does she know?" They nodded. "How long?"

"Not much longer... the doctor said at most a year.... and it's been nearly a year since we found out..."

Chris came back down the stairs and sank onto the couch.

Rae glanced at him. "How are you doing, Chris?"

He shook his head. "She's getting a lot worse, Rae."

With a frown, she nodded. "I know..."

"Maybe it's time we let the twins know what's going on..."

Both she and Spot frowned deeply.

"Perhaps it's for the best," Spot said after a long pause.

Blank stood. "Maybe I should come back later..."

"No. Please stay," Rae said.

"But it's obvious you're going through some family problems... I'll be in the way."

"You are family, Blank."

He gave her a slight smile. "I still feel bad."

"Please don't."

After a moment, he nodded. "All right... But let me know if there is any way I can help."

"I will."

He gave a sort of half smile and stood. "I'll head into town. There are some people I haven't seen in awhile."

"Have you heard from your dad lately?"

He shook his head. "Not lately, but I'm not sure if I left him the address to the lodging house or not. I'm guessing he hasn't returned from his last voyage, then?"

Rae shook her head. "We haven't heard anything from him."

He nodded a bit. "It always was hard for him to get time to write- they usually keep him busy on the ships."

Rae nodded.

He headed for the door again and then turned back. "Do you need me to pick up anything for you?"

"Yes. Stop by Doc's and get some more medicine for Julie?"

He nodded. "Will do." And then he disappeared out the door.

Rae leaned against Spot, wearily.

"Well... he's one more body to help us keep things under control... or try to," he said to her.

"I'm glad he's here."

"Me too."

"Molly's gonna need him."

"We all are," he said quietly. "Blank'll be affected... but not as badly as the rest of us...."

She sighed. "I guess we better go find the twins.

Spot nodded slowly. This was not something he looked forward to at all. "Ready yourself... they're going to be upset."

"I know."

He went for the door and looked outside. "Ann? Andy? Could you two come in here for a second?"

Slowly they came back into the house.

"What do you want, Daddy?" Ann asked as he motioned for them to sit down.

"We need to talk to you about something very important."

They blinked at his solemnity and nodded silently.

He took a deep breath. "You know how Julie's been real sick?"

They nodded in unison.

"Doc...Doc said that she's not going to get better..."

"What... do you mean?" Andy asked.

"Julie's going to die..." Rae said softly.

"Die?" echoed Ann, looking shocked.

Rae nodded.

"But.... can't the doctor fix her?" Andy asked.

"No he can't, buddy."

"But why?"

"I thought doctors could fix everything!" Ann wailed.

"Not always, princess."

She sniffled. "I don't want Julie to die!" And she burst into tears. Rae motioned for Ann to come to her. Bawling, she crept over to Rae and crawled onto her lap. She held her close, her tears falling into the girl's hair. "Can't you tell her not to?"

"It doesn't work like that, sweetheart."

She clung to Rae, wailing more. Andy simply remained rooted in one spot.  He kicked at the carpet before bolting from the room.  Spot and Rae exchanged significant looks before Spot headed out after Andy.

"When is she gonna..." Ann asked.

Rae shook her head. "We're not sure... probably not too long from now..."

"I don't want her to go..."

"Neither do we, sweetheart."

Ann sniffled. "Can I go see Julie?"

After a moment, Rae nodded. "Of course... But don't wake her if she's asleep."

Ann nodded and crept from the room.

With a sigh, Rae rested her head on the couch. It hadn't gone as terribly as she expected.

Andy stopped on the porch, knowing that he would be in trouble if he went into the yard without permission.

Spot sat down next to him. "Hey there."

"Hey."

"Want to talk to me?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Then maybe she won't...."

"She won't..." he prompted.

He sighed. "Die."

"Why do you say that?"

"If we don't talk about it, she won't die, right?" he asked hopefully.

He gave Andy a sad sort of smile. "I'm afraid it doesn't work that way..."

Andy sighed deeply.

"Do you want to talk about it now?" he asked.

"I guess."

"Well... part of talking about it means you have to talk to me," he said.

"Why does she have to die?"

Spot shook his head. He often wondered that himself. "I'm not sure."  Andy leaned against Spot.  He ruffled the boy's hair.

* * *

Ann stuck her head in Julie's room. "You sleepin', Julie?"

She gave a drowsy sort of yawn and shook her head. "No, not yet."

Ann sniffled, "Can I come crawl in bed with you?"

After a pause, she nodded. "All right."

Slowly, Ann walked into the room and crawled on the bed. She settled under the covers next to Julie.

"How are you, Miss Ann?" she asked, tiredly.

"Alright," Annie said.

She looked at Julie for a long time.

"Is there something you want to tell me, Ann?" she asked.

Ann rolled over so that her back was to Julie. "Daddy says that you're gonna...gonna...go away..."

"Well..." She paused and looked at Ann. "I ... I am."

"Don't you like us no more?" Ann asked tearfully.

"Oh Ann," she said just as tearfully, hugging her. "Of course I like you... I don't WANT to go..."

"Then why do you have to go?"

"Because I'm sick and the doctor can't fix it."

"Why not?"

She sighed and shook her head. "I don't know. Some things just can't be fixed."

Ann cuddled up next to Julie. "I love you, Julie."

With a hug, she replied, "I love you too, Annie."

* * *

"Daddy?" Andy asked.

Spot looked down at him. "What is it Andy?"

"When is Julie going to go away?"

"We... don't really know," he said after a long pause.

"Is she gonna get more sick?"

"I... suppose it all depends."

"What got her sick?"

"We're not really sure... Stress... and maybe some other things- getting sick in general."

"Can't Doctor Trent make her better? He made Annie all better..."

Spot paused and stared down at Andy. "You know.... we never even thought of that..."

Andy cocked his head to the side. "Why not?"

"I... I don't know. But you, Andy, are a genius!" Spot opened the door and leaned into the house. "Rae?" he called. "Rae!"

She ran out onto the porch, "What's the matter?"

"Andy just had a brilliant thought... I don't know why we didn't think of it sooner." He paused. "Julie should see Trent!"

"It's a good idea...but we can't go back to Brooklyn."

Spot shook his head. "I can't. But you can, Blank certainly can... It has to work... we have to try it at least."

She paused in thought. "It could work..."

"We at least need to give it a try..."

She nodded.  "We'll leave first thing in the morning."

He nodded. Beside him, Andy looked hopeful.

"Ann and Andy will stay here with you..."

He looked as if he was about to protest, but she gave him a look and he sighed and nodded. Besides... he didn't want to risk another run in with Duchess. She may have been lenient once, but he doubted he had a second chance. "All right."

Rae turned and went inside to pack.

"Where are you going?" Chris asked, pausing near the open door of Rae and Spot's room.

"I'm taking Julie to Brooklyn tomorrow."

"I'm coming," he said firmly.

"Then go pack."

He paused a bit, surprised she had agreed. "Uh... Really?"

"Yes...really...now get," she said, pushing him from the room.

He stumbled to his room and packed.

Molly came into Rae's room with Kendra. "Where ya going?"

"Brooklyn," she replied, stuffing a spare skirt into her bag.

"Are you taking Julie to see Trent?"

She nodded.

"Is everybody going?"

"I don't intend for everyone to go... But Chris and Julie are ... and probably Sam as well."

"I guess I'll stay and help Spot keep an eye on Ann, Andy, and Kendra..."

She smiled appreciatively. "Thank you."

"I'll go...see if Chris needs any help...and then maybe I'll go pack Julie's things."

Again, she smiled. "Thank you for all your help, Molly. We couldn't do it with out you."

Molly nodded and slipped from the room with Kendra.

With a sigh, Rae looked skyward. "Please let this work."