Rae sank wearily onto the couch and sighed.

"Tired," Spot asked,

She nodded. "I didn't realize weddings would drain a person's energy...."

"I told you," chimed China, who was still with them.

"I was feeling better....I didn't see any reason to miss Blank's wedding."

China sent her a look.

She sighed. "All right, all right."

One of the babies cried and Rae started to stand, but Spot motioned for her to sit back down. "You stay. I'll get the crier."

She closed her eyes. "It's Lizzy."

He smiled and went to get Elizabeth, who, indeed, was crying.

Sippi walked into the room. "Need a hand?"

"I think I've got it," Spot replied.

"Can we talk a minute?"

"Just a sec." He gave Rae Elizabeth and then returned to 'Sippi. "What do you need?"

Sippi looked at the carpet. "Umm....can we talk outside..."

With a puzzled frown, he nodded and followed Sippi out the door.

Sippi stuck his hands in his pockets. "I wanted to apologize..."

"... For what?"

"The way I acted toward Rae when we first came."

Spot nodded. "It's okay. You got over it," he added with a faint smirk

Sippi kicked at a clump of dirt. "If you two ever need anything....just let me know..."

Spot nodded. "I will. Thanks 'Sip."

"Look....I know you two don't have any other family...."

He lifted his brow quizzically.

"North, Blank and I talked it over....we would like it a lot if you would consider our family to be your family...."

He smiled. "We'd love to. Heck, you already pretty much are."

Sippi laughed slightly. "In a round about way, I suppose we are..."

"Why so secretive?"

"I wasn't about to apologize to you in front of your wife....it would ruin my image."

With a smirk, he slapped 'Sippi's shoulder. "You are a true Brooklynite, my friend."

Sippi laughed and glanced across the yard where Ginny and Ann were swinging, still in their nice dresses from the wedding.  "I suppose I need to give Annie an answer about Ginny staying..."

"Yes... they've been pestering me lately- wondering if I knew any inside details of your decision," he agreed, smiling.

"I was going to clear it with Rae before I said yes....but she's exhausted....I know she'd say yes, even though it's not what's best for her...."

With a nod, he said, "Rae'd say yes if we had a hundred children under our roof... I think this makes her think of the lodging house- busy, always someone to do something with."

"I considered taking Ginny back to Brooklyn when we all go....and when Rae is up to it...bringing her back out here for a while...."

"That would probably be the best course of action."

"We'll be leaving day after tomorrow."

Spot leaned against the porch post. "I'd give Rae about a month to recover."

"That's what I figured....just let me know when she's ready to add another kid to the mob that you already have."

He laughed. "I will."

Annie and Ginny ran over to them. "Can she stay, Mr. Sippi?" Annie asked.

"Well, we have to return home for a little while so Rae can rest and Ginny can get her things. But... yes, she can."

The two girls squealed loudly. Both Spot and Sippi laughed.

The front door opened. "Get in here and help your wife with these kids, Conlon!" China said, her bag in hand. "I'm going back to Brooklyn."

"Finally!" he called out, grinning.

"No more babies for a while," she said, thumping him on the chest as she walked past.

"I'll keep that in mind."

With a flick of her wrist she disappeared down the drive.

Spot smiled and shook his head. Motioning to Sippi, he headed inside.

Rae was half asleep on the couch. He smiled and scooped her up and carried her to bed.  When he returned, Sippi was in the rocking chair, talking to Lizzy in low tones.

Spot smirked. "When are you getting married, 'Sip?"

"No girl wants to take on the crew that I have to look after."

"Oh, I doubt that."

"You took the only girl I know who would even consider it."

Spot frowned slightly.

"I'm not sore anymore, Spot."

"I know... but..."

"It wasn't meant to be...I can tell that she really does love you, Spot. You don't have to worry about me."

"Well, I'm not worried about that... I just... I think there is someone else for you. And I don't want you to be so blinded by a former love that you don't find her." And he was pleased to think that he sounded very mature with that comment.

"Give me time, Spot.  It took me nearly three years to get over Rae..."

"Three years is a lot…"

"Exactly. But I promise you that as soon as I'm ready to think about settling down again, I'll start looking for the right girl."

Spot smiled. "It better be sooner than later. I hate seeing your brothers and sisters trying to fix you up with people."

Sippi laughed. "Don't worry. As soon as we get home I'm putting a stop to that."

"It's kinda scary when your seven-year-old sister brings home a nine-year-old girl and thinks she'll be your new wife."

Sippi shook his head. "She's a handful alright. Are you sure you want her to stay?"

"Well, Annie can always use a playmate."

He fell silent for a moment. "Is it really as bad as she makes it out to be, Spot. The way the townspeople talk, I mean."

"About what?"

"Your scars. She said the kids at her school call you a monster and a freak. Is that true?"

He sighed and nodded. "Yeah."

"It's not going to get any easier for them if you stay hidden out here, ya know."

"I don't stay hidden. I just haven't had reason to go to town."

"Some advice from an old friend. Find an excuse. Put your money to good use and open up some kind of business.  Make those people eat their words."

"But I don't know the first thing about running a business…I just know how to sell papes…and fight my enemies."

Sippi snickered. "Does this town have a newspaper?"

"Hmm…one that I know of. Probably a few others that are less circulated. It's not a big town."

"Hmm…How about a bookstore? You have all those books in there that haven't been touched."

"Julie had been reading them," Spot said softly.

Sippi frowned. "So you're just going to keep them laying there without another soul to read them?"

Spot scratched his chin. "I hadn't thought about it quite like that..."

Sippi nodded and gave him a pointed look.

"But what do I know about running a business?"

"There's not much to know. You need to know your numbers ... and" he shrugged, "that's most of it, I think. You know the basics."

"Once I sell all of the books here, what am I supposed to sell? Dust bunnies?"

"Use some of your profit to by more books. We have plenty in Brooklyn we could sell you for a cheap price.... How do you reckon other vendors do it? Their merchandise doesn't just appear on the shelves by magic."

"I'd need someone in Brooklyn buying more books and sending them to me..."

"You have an entire Brooklyn Lodging house. Besides that, I know we have some books lying around- and hardly any of them actually read those books."

Spot absently rocked the cradle with his foot. "You know. This just might work."

"What might work?" Chris asked as he and Molly entered the room.

"'Sippi suggested I open a bookstore."

"It would give you something to do besides sit around here all day."

"Well I don't sit around all day... I help take care of you lot."

Chris glared at Spot. "I'm seventeen, Spot. Or had you forgotten that small detail?"

Spot sighed and rolled his eyes. "Forgive me, O Ancient One." He smirked.

"That's not what I meant, but if you will take it as so, then so be it."

Molly bit her lip. "Spot?"

"Hmm?" He looked at her.

"You can't run a store all by yourself....you'll need some help....so...."

He smiled. "Would the two of you like to help me with the project?"

"Only if you pay...I have a daughter to support."

"Wouldn't dream of not paying you."

She nodded "Just making sure.  So what are we going to call this place?"

"Um..." Spot paused. "You know, good question."

"Keep it simple," Sippi said. "Conlon's Books...or something like that..."

"Hmmm... Perhaps."

Sam toddled into the room and crawled in Spot's lap. "Hello Sam," he said with a smile.

"Momma no play with me."

"Momma's tired, kiddo. She needs a lot of rest."

"But me wants to play wif her."

"Well I'm sorry, but you can't."

Sam pouted.

"Now now.. buck up, okay? She'll be able to play with you soon."

He sighed.

He hoisted Sam onto his shoulders. "Come on... let's find something to play." Sam gave a happy squeal and clapped his hands. He carried Sam all about the house, making noisy woo woo sounds, like a train.

Molly sank onto the couch just as one of the babies began to cry. She sighed and stood back up again. "I'll get the crier..." She disappeared and came back a moment later with both boys balanced carefully in her arms.

"Both of them awake at the same time?" Spot asked, coming back into the room with Sam crying out "choo choo!" on his shoulders.

Molly nodded and handed one of them to Chris. "I think James decided that he couldn't be outdone by Robert."

He laughed. "I can only imagine what they'll be like when they're older."

Kendra bounced into the room. "I hear Robe't"

Chris snickered. "Sounds like she's saying 'Ribbit'."

Molly laughed a bit and would have whacked him playfully, if they hadn't been holding a baby each.

"Don't even think about it," Spot said, pointing at Sippi.

Sippi shot him an innocent look and then grinned. "Come on, Spot..."

"No!"

"It's a cute nickname!"

"NO!"

"I bet Rae would let me..."

"Don't you dare."

Sippi just grinned at him.

"I will not have my son being called Ribbit!"

"What's an uncle for if not to give the nephews stupid nicknames?"

"A good one."

Sippi rolled his eyes. "Lighten up, old man. I was just kidding."

Spot smirked. "You better have been."

* * *

Spot crept into the room where Rae slept.  He sat on the edge of the bed and brushed the hair from her face.

Rae stirred slightly but didn't wake.

"Rae..." he said softly.

She whapped his hand away and rolled onto her side, still fully asleep.

"Your old beau has every intention of calling your son Ribbit..." he whispered in her ear.

"Wha?" she murmured sleepily, opening one eye to a slit. "Ribbit? Why're you making frog noises?"

"I'm not making frog noises. Sippi has gotten it in his mind that our son Robert should be called Ribbit."

"Why Ribbit?"

"Kendra calls him 'Robe't'...and Chris said it sounded like 'Ribbit'."

She laughed sleepily. "How cute."

"He is NOT calling our son that!"

"Why not?"

"I got stuck with a name like Spot...I will not have my kid stuck with a stupid nickname."

"You know you never changed your name back," she said with a grin.

"Because I can't remember what it was."

"Awww, how sad! How long have you had the nickname Spot?"

"As far back as I care to remember."

"Oh Spot..." She squeezed his hand.

"Don't worry your pretty little head about it," he said, kissing her forehead.

"I try not to.."

"Are you feeling up to joining the family?" he asked.

She stretched. "Yes... I think so."

He scooped her up into his arms.

She laughed. "I can walk, Spot."

"I know."

"Then let me down!"

"Nope," he said, kissing her. "I like having you here."

"Of course you do."

She said. "But don't you dare drop me!"

"I wouldn't even think of it."

"You better not. Or I just might have to soak you when I get better!" she warned. He laughed as he deposited her on the couch in the living room. "Hey, I think that counts as dropping."

He poked her in the ribs. "Do you really want to argue that?"

"I don't know. I'm debating."

He kissed the tip of her nose and left the room. Not more than five minutes later, Sippi and his siblings, along with the children who lived in the Conlon home, filed downstairs.

"Momma!" Sam squealed, toddling over to her.

Rae smiled. "Hello Sam." She scooped him up.

"Kiss!" he said.

She gave him a kiss, laughing.

"Now Annie."

"What about Annie?"

"Kiss Annie."

And one after the other, all the children piled onto the couch for hugs and kisses. Rae laughed as she struggled to keep her head above the mass of arms and legs.

'Sippi laughed. "So, Rae. If given the chance, would you do things differently?"

"Not for love or money."