"Where have you been?" Ann asked, placing her hands on her hips.

"I just had to get some thoughts straight..." she replied vaguely.

"We needed you here last night!"

"How come?"

She made a face. "Kendra kept screaming for you."

"She did...?"

Annie nodded. "She's making Momma mad right now..."

She sighed, walking further into the house. "I... I'm home!" she called out.

Spot walked into the room with Sam. "Thank goodness, you two are back."

"I... sorry to... worry you," Molly apologized, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and looking down.

"I wasn't too worried. But we could have used your help around here last night and this morning...both of you..."

"I'm sorry," she murmured.

"Forgiven. Now go see if you can rescue Rae from that holy terror of yours."

She gave a vague smile and went in search of Rae and Kendra.

Kendra was in the kitchen yelling unintelligible words at Rae who looked ready to strangle the child.

Peeking in, Molly said, "Er... I'm back..."

"Wonderful! You see if you can do something with her," Rae said, storming from the room.

She gave a little sigh, and then looked at Kendra, who was screaming on the floor. "Kendra, you'd better not be screaming... I talked to you about that."

Hearing Molly's voice, Kendra stopped screaming and looked up at her, tears flowing down her face.

"What's wrong, Kendra?" she asked, crouching next to the girl.

Kendra pouted. "You left me! And you promised to read me a bedtime story last night!"

"I'm sorry Kendra... I had to be alone for a while." Not that she really got to be alone, but this would probably be the simplest explanation for the little girl to understand.

"You promised!"

"I... I know, I'm sorry Kendra. I just had to do something."

Kendra huffed and crossed her little arms. "I don't like you no more."

"Well, I'm afraid that you're just going to have to not like me then."

Kendra poked her lower lip out.

Molly looked at her. "Someone told me that you've been very naughty while I was gone..."

"I wasn't..." She said, trying to look innocent.

"Is that so, little miss?"

"Y... yes..."

Molly pulled the little girl into her arms, their foreheads touching. "You gotta learn to be nice, Kendra, or you'll end up old and grumpy like Aunt Hades." Kendra gave a little giggle.

She wrapped her little arms around Molly's neck. They had no idea what a cute picture they made or that they were being watched from the hallway.

Chris smiled, leaning against the wall. If only Molly would get it through her thick skull. Kendra loved her very much and in fact, Molly had done more in raising Kendra than Spot or Rae had. He shook his head. Like he had said before, women were confusing.

"Tell you what," Molly said, "how 'bout we go upstairs and I read you that bedtime story?"

She nodded brightly. "Okay!"

Molly stood.

"Can we read it in the big bed? In your room?"

She smiled. "Of course."

"Yippee!" Kendra squeaked as she grabbed Molly's hand and they walked toward the kitchen door.

Molly looked up and saw Chris standing there. "Hello."

He looked a little guilty. "H...Hey..." he stammered.

With a little smile, she asked, "Were you out there listening?"

"Guilty."

She laughed. "Would you like to listen to the story too?" she asked a bit teasingly.

Kendra tugged on her arm. "He can't listen."

"Why not?"

Kendra looked up at Chris. "Jus' me and Molly!"

He gave her an amused look. "Is that so?"

"Uh huh," she said with a nod.

He sighed. "All right... I'll see you ladies after your story."

Molly kissed him on the cheek and led Kendra up the stairs. Once in the bedroom, she scooped Kendra up and tossed her gently on the big bed. She squealed and bounced on it a couple times, clearly excited. Molly grabbed the book of fairy tales from the table beside the bed, where Annie had left it. Kendra wiggled under her arm and snuggled up against her as she opened the book.

"Once upon a time..." Molly began to read.

"What story is this one?" Kendra interrupted, looking at Molly wide-eyed.

"The Princess and the Pea."

She grinned and bounced. "I like this story!"

Molly laughed. "Then settle down and let me read it, silly girl."

"'Kay!"

Molly began to read again.

* * *

Noticing the strange quiet that had settled over the house, Rae went in search of their biggest noisemaker, Kendra. She peeked into Molly's room and found both girls curled up on the bed asleep, a book in Molly's lap. She smiled and slipped into the room, carefully removing the book from her hands and placing it on the nightstand. Grabbing a light quilt, she tucked it around both girls and gave them both a kiss on the forehead before slipping out of the room.

Chris came out of Julie's room just as she was leaving. "Are Molly and Kendra finished reading the story yet?"

With a smile, she nodded towards the room. "See for yourself."

He walked down the hall and poked his head in the room. At the sight, he smiled and slipped back out. "She goes on like Kendra can't stand her... and then you see this."

"I know. I just wish she could see what the rest of us see."

"I know..."

"We'll just have to keep thinking."

"Thinking?" Turning, he gave her a slightly puzzled look.

"Thinking of a way to get her to understand."

He nodded in agreement.

She sighed. "Well, I've got to get lunch started.

"Do you need any help?"

Rae laughed. "Thanks for the offer, Chris, but I got it."

"All right."

"Why don't you take the twins for a walk? They're about to go stir crazy."

"Er... you're trusting me to take them?"

"Of course."

"Okay..."

"Go..." she said, shooing him from the room.

And away he went. He walked into the living room where Spot was attempting to get them to read the newspaper. "Rae says that I have to take you two for a walk."

They sprang up from the couch, shrieking, "YAY!" Their enthusiasm was particularly because they were not enjoying this attempt to read the paper. They raced for the door.

Spot shook his head. "I'll get you back for that, Chris," he said with a faint grin. "Taking my students away."

Chris threw his hands up. "It was Rae's idea."

"Let her know I'll get her back for that too then."

"No, sir. You do that yourself."

He smirked. "Have a good walk."

"Sure," Chris said, following the twins.

"We're going outside! We're going outside!" they chanted in unison.

Chris plopped a hand on each head. "Quiet down." They brought their voices down but kept on chanting. "If you two promise to hush, we'll go get some ice cream."

"ICE CREAM! YAY!... oops..."

He sent them both a look. They quieted down immediately. "That's better. Let's go."

Ann and Andy latched onto his hands and they followed him down the street.

An hour later they slowly followed Chris into the house, ice cream covering both of their clothes. Rae was heading past the door when they came in. "What in the world happened?!"

"They started arguing and wouldn't stop when I told them to. They ended up knocking the table over and getting ice cream everywhere," Chris answered.

Smacking her forehead in exasperation, she then took Andy and Ann's arms and hauled them to the bathroom. "Both of you need a bath now. What have I told you about this arguing?"

"He started it," Annie protested.

"Did not!"

"Did too!" she said, pushing him.

"Did not!" he shot back, pushing her in return.

"Did so!" she yelled, grabbing a fist full of his hair.

Rae whistled sharply, pushing them apart. "Stop it this instant you too!"

With a growl, Andy rushed toward his sister, knocking Rae off her feet.

"HEY!" Spot yelled sharply from across the hall, having seen this. This got both their attention and they stopped instantly, their heads hung. "I am VERY disappointed in the both of you," he said firmly, expressing his disappointment clearly in his voice. "You apologize to each other and your Momma right now."

"Sorry, Momma. Sorry Andy," Annie said quickly, while Andy looked up at Spot stubbornly.

"Andrew Conlon," he said sternly, giving him a look.

Andy simply stared at him.

"Apologize right now or you will be confined to your room for the week."

Andy huffed and crossed his arms. "But I'm not sorry."

"You're not sorry that you knocked your mother over? Or that you were squabbling rudely with your sister?"

"I'm not sorry that I was fighting with Annie," he said.

Spot gave an aggravated growl. "Go to your room."

He stared up at him as if he was going to be defiant, but after only a moment's hesitation, he headed toward his room.

"When you're ready to apologize, come find me."

Andy closed the door to his room without replying.

Spot shook his head. "That boy is starting to act like Chris used to..."

"I know," Rae said, from her place on the floor.

"Oh... sorry Rae." He held out his hand for her and pulled her to her feet. "Are you all right?"

"I think so."

He shook his head. "I don't know what's gotten into him..."

Rae sighed. "I think I'm gonna go lay down for a little while."

"All right, I'll be around if you need me."

She nodded and went toward her room.

Spot looked at Ann. "Come on Miss Annie, I'll draw you a bath."

"I'm sorry, Daddy," she whispered.

"It's all right. You two just need to curb your fighting..."

She nodded and hung her head.

He ruffled her hair a bit. "Come on, let's get you a nice bath."

"Ok," she said, somewhat more cheerfully. Taking her sticky hand he led her to the bathroom, drew her bath and left her to her own devices.

About this time Molly appeared from her room with a not quite awake Kendra, clinging to her neck.

She yawned a bit drowsily. "What's going on?" she asked Spot.

"Andy's just causing some problems. Would you mind helping Annie with her bath while I go take care of Sam and Julie?"

Molly nodded. "Sure."

"Thanks," he said, going to look for Sam.

"No problem." And she headed into the bathroom, where Ann was already splashing merrily in the tub. "You're a mess," Molly said, kneeling beside the tub.

She glanced up at Molly. "Yes... Me and Andy got in a fight again."

Molly shook her head and reached for a strand of Annie's hair. "What is this in your hair?"

"Ice cream."

"Gross."

"He started it."

"One day the two of you are going to cause some serious problems with your fighting."

Annie hung her head. "I don't want to fight with him..."

"Then why do you?"

"I don't know..." She shrugged. "He just... gets mad at me... and so I get mad at him."

"I know, Annie. Now let's see what we can do about this hair."

She nodded mournfully. "Will we hafta cut it?"

"Let's just try to wash it first."

She nodded and grabbed the soap

* * *

Spot found Sam in Julie's room, sitting on her bed happily chattering away. Julie was just giving him a little half smile and nodding drowsily.

Spot crept up behind his son and scooped him off the bed. "Julie wants a nap, son."

"But I talking!"

"Julie's sleepy."

She smiled sleepily at him. "Yes... but thank you for coming to talk to me, Sam."

He grinned at her. "Kiss?"

Laughing weakly, she nodded. "Come give me a kiss."

Spot put him back on the bed and he scrambled over to Julie, kissing her cheek.

Again she smiled. "Thank you, Sam."

"Welcome," he said, crawling back over to Spot.

"Do you need anything, Julie?" Spot asked, picking his son up again.

She shook her head slowly. "Just a nap for now."

"All right. I'll check on you later."

"Thanks, Spot."

With a nod, he cleared out of the room.

"Want a snack, Sam?" Spot asked, heading down the stairs.

He nodded vigorously. "Snack!"

"Let's go see what we can dig up."

"'Kay!"

"Me have a snack too?" Kendra asked from the doorway of the kitchen.

Looking up, he smiled as she toddled over. "Okay, come on over." She grinned and ran over to the table, climbing up in one of the chairs. "What would you like, Miss Kendra? We have apples, plums, and oranges."

"Apple!"

Rinsing it clean, he cut it up and handed the towel full of slices to her. "There you go."

"Thanks!"

"You're welcome."

Sam tugged on Spot's sleeve. "Orange!"

With a laugh, he grabbed one, peeled it, and handed it to him. "There you go."

Sam grinned and bit into the orange. Within seconds his hand were covered in sticky orange juice.

A few minutes later Molly and Ann joined them in the kitchen.

"Everything all clean now?"

"I think I managed to get all the ice cream out of her hair," Molly answered.

He nodded. "That's good. Thank you, Molly."

"You're welcome."

Ann scampered over to the fruit basket. "Can I have one, Daddy?"

"Sure. Which one?"

"Um... Orange, please."

He peeled an orange and handed it to her.

"Thank you!" And she trotted off to the table to eat it.

"How's Rae?" Molly asked, biting into an apple.

"Sleeping, I think."

"Is everything alright? I thought I heard what sounded like someone hitting a wall earlier."

"Andy and Ann were fighting in the hall, Rae tried to stop them, and Andy pushed her."

Molly gasped.

He nodded. "She said she was okay, so..."

Molly nodded. "She's a stubborn mule."

With a smile, he nodded again. "That's what I love most about her."

"Any idea where Chris is?"

"No... I haven't seen him since he brought the twins home."

"I think I'll go find him," she said, grabbing another apple.

"All right."