Quietly, he slipped from the room and entered the kitchen, where Molly looked a bit frazzled at the sudden influx of people as 'Sippi's brothers and sisters flooded in.

"When do we get started?" Chris asked between bites of food.

"After breakfast... after we make sure the kids are playing somewhere out of the way."

"Can we go swimming?" Andy asked.

"It's too cold," Molly said.

He pouted. "Not so VERY cold...."

"Cold enough."

He wrinkled his nose. "I don't like the cold..."

"It would be even colder if you went swimming."

"I know..." he grumbled.

"You can help me pack up your toys," North said.

"Why? What are we... are we moving?"

Spot answered. "We're moving the playroom upstairs and Momma and Daddy's room downstairs."

"How come?"

"Because Momma can't get up and down the stairs too good."

"Is it 'cause of the baby?"

"Yes."

"We don't need no more babies. We have a lot of people already."

"Andy..." Spot said with a warning tone.

"Well it's true..."

"I'll tell you the same thing we told you with Sam...it's not up to you."

He sighed, poking at his breakfast.

"Are you going to answer North?"

"Huh? Oh.... I guess," he replied with a shrug.

Spot turned to Ann. "Why don't you help too..."

"Yessir," she chirped, helping herself to another flapjack.

"Can I help?" Kendra asked.

He smiled. "Of course you can."

She grinned.

"This is turning into a big family project," North commented with a smile. "I'm sure Andrew would like to help." She smiled sweetly and Blank.

He rolled his eyes. "Sure."

Leaning over, she kissed his cheek. "Thank you, darling."

"You're welcome."

Spot stood and put his plate in the sink. "I'm going to check on Rae...then go figure out where to start."

Everyone involved in the 'project' nodded. He slipped into the living room and peered at the couch. Rae was fast asleep with her arm flung over her head. With a smile, he took the knitted blanket off the couch and covered her with it. She moaned and shifted slightly. Leaning over, he kissed her forehead gently, and headed back into the kitchen. "Alright, everyone ready?"

Everyone stood and followed him out the door. 'Sippi was already in there, pulling toys out from underneath the chaise. Turning to everyone who followed him, Spot began handing out orders. "Andy, Ann, Kendra, you start putting all your toys up in their boxes. When that's done, Blank and North, you can carry them upstairs. Then all of you start getting the clothes and other things packed up to bring down here. 'Sippi and I will get the furniture."

* * *

Molly was upstairs in the bedroom pulling the sheets off the bed so that she could wash them when Kendra came in.  She stood near Molly and every time Molly moved she nearly tripped over the girl.  "Kendra!" Molly finally yelled.

The little girl squeaked in surprise and jumped back. Her lip quivered a bit. "I was only tryin' a'help..."

"You were getting in the way!" Molly yelped impatiently.

She sat down hard on the ground and began to cry.

Molly sighed in frustration. "Kendra...don't do this now..."

"I just- just just- wanted t he-he-help!" She wailed.

"Straighten up, Kendra...Now." She looked up at Molly with eyes glistening with tears. Her lip quivered.

Blank walked in. "What in the world is going on in here?" he demanded, seeing Molly's anger and Kendra's tear stained face.

"I just... I don't know..." Molly plopped onto the bed, burying her face in her hands. "I don't know..."

"Calm down, Molly," Blank said, scooping Kendra into his arms. "Why don't you come help Uncle Andrew for a while," he said to the little girl. Whimpering a little, she nodded and clung to Blank's neck. He glanced over his shoulder as he left the room and saw Molly slowly stand and begin to finish her task.

"I just wanted a'help...." Kendra said.

"I know, little bit," Blank said. "You can help me, alright?"

She nodded, sniffling.

"I haven't seen your kitty yet."

"She's pretty... Her name is Pape," she said seriously.

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Why don't we go find her..."

She nodded. "She's this big-" She held her hands out. "And black an' white."

"That can't be the same kitten that I gave you...can it?"

She nodded.

"I bet she likes to sleep in your bed..."

Kendra frowned. "She's not allowed to.... I know she'd like to... But Momma and Daddy say no..."

"I bet she sneaks in there anyway..." he said, looking her in the eye.  After a moment she nodded slowly.  He grinned.

"Don't tell them...?"

"It will be our secret."

She grinned.

"I bet you a kiss that she's sleeping in your bed right now"

She giggled. "Pape is a sneaky kitty."

"A very sneaky kitty."

Kendra held a finger to her lips. "We can sneaky up on her!"

He grinned and put his finger to his lips as well. Quietly they entered her room. And sure enough, Pape was curled up on Kendra's pillow, fast asleep. She giggled and then clamped her hand over her mouth.

"Do you think we ought to wake her up?" he whispered.

She shook her head quickly. "Daddy said I'm 'pose to leave her 'lone when she's 'leepin'."

"All right. Then let's be extra quiet, okay?"

She nodded as he carried her from the room. "Where we goin'?" she asked.

"Downstairs to see what else needs to be done," he answered.

She nodded and sighed. "Molly don't like me."

"Of course she does. She loves you."

She shook her head.

"You don't think so? How come?"

"She yells at me."

"She's just very frustrated right now."

"Why?"

"I'm not sure."

Her face became cheerful when Rae walked out of the living room as they walked down the stairs.

"Hi Momma!" Kendra called out.

Rae smiled wearily. "Hey, sweet girl."

"I'm helpin' Uncle Andrew!"

Rae looked to Blank for explanation.

"We're all helping Spot move your bedroom to the playroom and vice versa," he said.

She nodded. "How's it going?"

"Pretty well, I think."

"Where is Spot?"

"Not sure... Last I saw, he and 'Sippi had just realized it wasn't going to be easy getting your bed out of the room... They might be in the playroom, discussing it."

"Trying to show the other up is more like it," Chris muttered, walking into the room.

She sighed. "That sounds like them..."

"Want me to go knock some sense into theirs heads?" Blank asked.

"You can try... I don't know if it will work though..."

He handed Kendra to Chris and walked down the hall.

He leaned into the room. "Hey! What's the problem here?" he said, when he spotted the two of them glaring at each other.  When that didn't work he tried something different. "Spot...Rae wants you..."

Spot looked up. "Pardon?"

"Your wife wants to see you."

He stood and nodded. "All right. I'll be back shortly."

Once he left Blank turned to Sippi. "What in the world are you doing, old man?"

"What do you mean?" 'Sippi asked.

"I've noticed you watching her..."

"Watching? Who me? Watching who?"

"Watching Rae...it's obvious you're still in love with her..."

He sighed. "Of course I am... I was before she and Spot ever even thought about getting married... Before Spot's accident... Before a lot of this..."

"But she's married now! Forget about her!"

"I'm trying!" he shot back angrily.

"Doesn't look like you're trying very hard."

'Sippi narrowed his eyes darkly. Blank stared back at him.  "You obviously haven't had problems with losing the girl you love to someone else."

"Maybe I haven't..."

"It's harder than it looks."

"I figured that." He looked up, trying to figure out what else to say.

Frowning deeply, 'Sippi squinted at him. "Do you think... that she noticed?... I don't want to cause problems with her and Spot... I'm not that sort of person."

"I don't know. But it's obvious to some of the rest of us."

He sighed.

"Why don't you just try treating her like you do your sisters..." Blank offered.

"Maybe..."

"Just trying to be helpful."

He sighed. "I know."

Molly walked into the room. "The bed is ready to be moved."

Standing quickly, 'Sippi nodded. "All right."

"It's going to take all four of us to move it," Blank said, dismally.

"Well, we're strong, we can handle it." 'Sippi grinned and slapped his shoulder.

He groaned as they went to find Spot and Chris. Shortly after, they were all in the room, standing at the four corners of the bed.

"All right..." Spot said. "We'll take the mattress off first... and pull it out. Then the frame... we'll have to carry it on it's side." Sippi and Blank moved to mattress across the room. Once that was done, they returned to the bed frame. "Everybody lift on three," Spot said, crouching near his end of the bed. "One... two... three!"

After nearly an hour they managed to get the bed down the stairs and into the old playroom.

As soon as the bed was in place, all four young men collapsed onto the floor. "I'm taking a break," Blank muttered, and they all echoed similar sentiments.

They heard noises upstairs. "That sounds like fighting," Chris mused.

"I wonder who it could be this time," Spot said.

"Most likely Jackson and Andy," Sippi said, pulling himself off the floor.

"I've never seen two kids their age go at it like that."

Sighing Sippi left the room.

"I guess I ought to help to," Spot said and followed him out.

Upstairs in the hallway Andy and Jackson were wrestling on the floor, several of the other children standing nearby.

"Hey hey hey!" 'Sippi bellowed, grabbing Jackson's shoulders and hauling him off Andy. "You weren't raised to act like this!"

Spot did the same with Andy. "You know better than this!"

"What is this all about?" Sippi asked, forcing his youngest brother to look him in the eye.

Neither boy answered right away. Spot eyed them both. "One of you had better tell us right now, or your both cleaning out the cow's stall for the next two weeks."

Virginia tugged gently on Sippi's sleeve.

"What is it Ginny?"

"I can tell you," She offered.

"Hold on... One last chance, boys."

The two boys just glared at each other.

He sighed. "All right, tell me Ginny."

"Jackson said that Mr. Spot was a monster," she whispered.

Spot gave a very aggravated sigh. He'd had it with the monster insinuations!

Sippi glared down at his brother.  "Spot...can I talk to you for a minute...alone..."

He took a deep breath through his nose and let it out sharply. Nodding, he followed Sippi out of the room.

"I'm sorry," Sippi said once they were alone.

"For what?"

"Jackson."

Spot sighed. "I've almost gotten used to it..."

"That doesn't excuse it."

Looking at 'Sippi, he gave him a funny sort of smile. "Thanks."

Sippi leaned against the wall. "So what do you suggest we do to them?"

He grinned. "Make them clean up cow pats until their dreaming of them."

Sippi smiled slightly.

He shrugged. "It's the best I can come up with at the moment, anyway."

He nodded. "I guess it sounds alright.  I'm going to have a long talk with Jackson and he will apologize."

"And I need to talk to Andy about fighting... again... He's worse than I was."

Sippi nodded again. "Do you want to tell them? Or do you want me to?"

"I can."

Sippi motioned for Spot to lead the way. And so, Spot did. The boys were still in the places they left them, glaring at one another. "You two will be scooping cow pats out of the barn for a long time. And I want you to get started now. There is a few pitchforks in the barn."

"Beau..." Jackson protested, looking at Sippi.

'Sippi shook his head. "You've been sentenced. Get started, Jackson."

Muttering Jackson, took off down the stairs.

"You too, Andy." Spot pointed after Jackson.

"But Daddy...that's Chris' chore!"

He gave Andy a stern look. "Argue with me more and I'll find you other things to do as well."

Andy glared at Spot for a moment before heading down the stairs too.

He shook his head and leaned against the wall.

"Daddy..." Annie said softly.

"Hmm?" He closed his eyes, quite frustrated with Andy and Jackson.

"Are you mad at Andy?"

"Just a bit frustrated."

"Why?"

"I just don't know what's going on in that head of his." She sighed and leaned against his leg. He ruffled her hair. "Don't you worry about it Ann."

"I don't like it when he acts like this."

"Neither do I."

He ruffled her hair. "Why don't you and Ginny go set up your doll house."

She nodded and wandered off in search of Ginny Wayne.

Spot sighed and looked at Sippi. "At least the girls have hit it off."

"Yeah... my sisters are generally.... nicer than my brothers." 'Sippi smiled a bit.

Spot shoved away from the wall. "Let's get that mattress moved."

"Right."

After they moved the mattress, Spot went to check on Rae. She was still on the couch but Sam and Kendra were both on the couch as well, trying to talk over each other. He smiled and went over to retrieve them. "Why don't you two let Momma rest, okay?"

"But we're telling her a story," Kendra protested, Pape held close in her little arms.

He glanced at Rae questioningly. Her eyes were closed. "I think Momma is asleep," he said to her. "Come on. Why don't you draw some pictures to go with your story so when she wakes up, you can show them to her while you tell her the story?"

They both nodded eagerly.

He lifted them off the couch and led them upstairs to the new location of the playroom. Gathering some stray scraps of paper, he handed them some pencils. "Here you go."

They settled on the floor, Pape never far from Kendra's side. He smiled and scooted from the room.