Rae answered the door two days later to find Trent and Sippi standing on the porch. She shook her head. "Don't you come here and tell me that my baby is dead..."

He smiled and held a bundle out to her.

She moved the blanket. "Lizzy..."

"But... there seems to be a problem. She has been ill... and she is now blind," Sippi said.

"NO! Trent...tell me he's lying..."

Trent shook his head. "I'm sorry."

She turned and ran into the house. They heard a door slam down the hall and looked at each other, Sippi shifting Lizzy in his arms.

Spot sighed. "Thank you, for finding her, Sippi. We owe you so much. And you too Trent. I'll talk to Rae."

"Can we come in?"

"Yes. We just finished lunch, there is some left, if you'd like it."

"Actually," Sippi said, handing Lizzy to him. "I want to talk to Misha."

"Oh, okay. I'll get her."

As Spot left the room, Ginny came running in. "Beau!"

"Hi Ginny!"

She wrapped her arms around his legs. "Can Annie and I come stay with you?"

He lifted his brow. "What's all this about suddenly?"

"Annie wants to be a ballerina, just like Misha...and Spot and Rae said she could...but she has to go to Brooklyn."

"Oh she does, does she?"

"Uh huh...Can she? Please!"

He thought about this for a while. "Well... I guess."

She squealed in delight.

He smiled and ruffled her hair.

Misha followed Spot down the stairs. "Hello, Beau," she said, blushing.

He smiled a little. "Hello, Misha."

"You wanted to talk to me?"

"Yes."

"Well... " She smiled.

"Let's take a walk."

She nodded.

~*~

Spot opened the door to his room and looked around for Rae. He found her sitting in her rocking chair, facing away from him. "Rae..." He walked over to her. When she didn't look at him he placed Lizzy in her lap.

"I just knew it. I knew there was something wrong."

He placed his hand on her shoulder. "But Rae... she's alive. Sippi brought her back alive!"

"She's BLIND!" Rae sobbed.

"But she is alive Rae!" he said. "Would you have rather her been dead?!"

"I want her back...the way she was when she was taken..."

"Rae... you know that can't be done...."

She sighed deeply.

"Aren't you happy that she's back, safe?"

She gathered Lizzy into her arms, crying. Gently, he rubbed her back. "Why Spot?"

"Why what?"

"Why did this happen to our baby?"

"I don't know..."

Lizzy fussed and gripped Rae's shirt.

Leaning down, he gently kissed Rae's forehead. "Feed Lizzy...and then we'll sit down and talk to Trent..."

She nodded and sniffled.

"I need you to be strong, Rae...I can't hold this family together by myself."

She sniffled again. "I know... I'm trying."

He gently ran his fingers over Lizzy's curls.

"I'm so glad Sippi was able to bring her back.."

"I am too..."

He kissed her forehead again. "I'll be back."

She nodded and settled in to feed Lizzy. When Spot walked back into the hallway a strange couple was standing near the door talking to Trent.

Spot frowned a bit. "Trent?"

"Spot...this is Mr. and Mrs. Webster...they've been taking care of Lizzy."

He nodded and held out his hand. "I'm Spot Conlon…Lizzy's father. Thank you, for taking care of her."

"You're welcome, Mr. Conlon," Mr. Webster said shaking his hand.

"I wish there was something we could do for you."

"Spot..." Trent said, "the Websters had adopted Lizzy..."

"Oh... I'm sorry." He frowned a bit. "Wait a minute...."

Trent looked at him and nodded.

"Marty..."

Trent nodded again.

"Who is Marty?" Mrs. Webster asked.

"She's an orphaned girl who is living with us at the moment."

Mrs. Webster looked at her husband and then back at Spot. "Do you think...she might...consider coming to live with us?"

"You'd have to speak with her. She's rather... strong willed about some things."

"Can we meet her?"

"Of course. I'll get her now."

He disappeared and returned a moment later with Marty by the hand.

She looked up uncertainly. "What's goin' on?"

Spot knelt beside her. "Marty...this is Mr. and Mrs. Webster...they took care of Lizzy while she was gone..."

She looked confused. "She's back?"

"Yes."

She nodded. "Why are they here?"

"They wanted to meet us."

She nodded again.

"Marty..." Spot said, turning her so that she was looking at him. "Martha...they want a little girl to come and live with them..."

She wrinkled her nose. "I don't like it when you call me Martha..."

"I'm sorry...I just wanted to make sure you listened to me, Miss Marty."

"I'm… listenin'."

"They were taking care of Lizzy because they wanted a little girl to come and live with them...They adopted her just like we adopted Ann and Andy..."

"They wanna adopt me?"

"It's up to you..."

She looked up at them. "I... don't know." She rubbed her ear. "Would I still be able to visit Ann and Ginny?"

Mr. Webster knelt in front of her. "I think Mr. Wayne said that they would be coming to Brooklyn to live with him...We live in Brooklyn too...they could come visit you as much as you want..."

"Really?"

Mrs. Webster put her hand on Marty's shoulder. "Anytime you want, honey."

She looked back at Spot.

"We won't make you go, Marty..."

"I don't know..."

"Why don't you think about it for a few days..." Mr. Webster said. "Mr. Wayne can tell us what you decide later."

She nodded shyly.

~*~

Sippi led Misha toward the lake. "I've missed you..." he said.

She smiled. "Did you?"

He took her hand. "Yes...I did..."

She blushed a bit. "I.. I missed you, too."

"How has your stay here been?" he asked, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

She smiled. "Good. I am liking this family more and more. They make me laugh."

He smiled back at her. "Then you won't have a problem staying here a while longer?"

After a moment she shook her head. "Is it still dangerous?"

"I still haven't found out anything, Misha...but I'm trying."

"All right."

He gently tilted her head up and kissed her lightly. Misha blushed faintly. Sippi gently ran his hand down her cheek.

"How much longer will I have to stay?" she asked.

He sighed. "I don't know, Misha darling."

"Will you.. visit again?"

"Of course," he said, holding her close.

"Then... I will be happy." She smiled.

He kissed her forehead.

"Perhaps we should return now?"

He nodded and they walked back toward the house

"Just in time," Spot said when they entered the house. "Dinner is ready."

"Great," Sippi said. "I'm starved."

A moment later Rae walked into the room with Lizzy.

Sippi looked at her with an uncertain smile. "Hello Rae."

"Hello, Sippi," she replied with a sigh.

"Are... you all right?"

"I will be...just give me some time."

"I'm sorry I had to bring back bad news..."

She put her hand on his arm as she walked past. "I know."

He squeezed her hand.

She wrapped her free arm around his neck. "Thank you for bringing her home."

"You're welcome."

"Who are they?" she asked softly, nodding toward the Websters.

"They were the couple who had adopted Lizzy. We were discussing that Marty might like to go with them."

Rae nodded. "Annie wants to go to Brooklyn to study the ballet...and Ginny said that she wants to go back if Annie does...It might be good for Marty..."

Spot nodded. "We brought it up to her. She's thinking about it."

Mrs. Webster walked over to them. "Mrs. Conlon?"

"Yes?"

"I just wanted to tell you that I'm sorry...about what happened with your babies...and about Lizzy's eyesight..."

Rae nodded. "Thank you," she said softly.

"She is such a sweet baby," Mrs. Webster said, gently touching Lizzy's head.

"Yes... She is," she agreed.

Marty walked over and tugged on Rae's skirt.

"Yes?"

"Is that Lizzy?"

"Yes." Rae smiled a little. "This is Lizzy."

"Can I hold her?"

She nodded. "Just be gentle, all right?"

"I will," she said, holding her arms like Rae had taught her.

Carefully, Rae placed Lizzy in her arms.

"Hey, Lizzy," Marty said.

Little hands grasped the air.

"Is something wrong with her eyes?" Marty asked, looking up at the two women.

"She is blind," Rae replied.

Marty made a face, "Blind? You mean she can't see?"

"No, she can't see."

"Why?"

"She got very sick for a little while," Mrs. Webster said. "We think that has something to do with it."

Marty nodded. "Poor Lizzy." Rae nodded quietly in agreement.

~*~

After the Websters left to go back to Brooklyn, and most everyone had settled down for the night, Rae and Spot sat down with Trent in the living room. "Is this blindness permanent?" Spot asked.

"From what I can tell, yes," Trent said. "I'm not guaranteeing it.... I don't know positively. But I'd say more likely yes than no."

"Is there...anything we can do?"

"Just be there for her. She's going to need a little more attention. Her other senses will develop and improve to take place of her sight... but she will need help getting around when she's older," he said.

"I heard something once...about a school for blind children..." Spot said.

Trent nodded. "I've heard of it too... I can look into it, if you'd like."

"I don't want to send my baby away," Rae said.

"It wouldn't be forever... and it wouldn't be for a while yet," Trent said. "I just think it might be an option you want to consider, anyway."

"My answer will still be no," she said, looking at Spot.

"But how would she be educated?"

"We'll teach her ourselves. I've already lost her once...I'm not going to lose her again!"

Spot frowned a little and placed his hand on her shoulder. "It's going to be okay."

She stood and squared her shoulders stubbornly. "I'm tired...Goodnight."

Again, Spot frowned. "Sleep well sweetheart." Nodding she left the room. Spot sighed heavily.

"I'm worried about her Spot," Trent said.

"I am too.."

"What have her eating habits been like? Has she been getting enough sleep?"

"It varies. Sometimes she's up all night and just bird picking her food... Other times, she's more normal about it."

"I can't tell for sure...but I think the birth of the triplets has weakened her heart...not a whole lot, but some..."

Spot frowned. "Weakened her heart? What do you mean...?"

"I mean that her body is just not as strong as it used to be..."

He looked at Trent worriedly.

Trent sighed. He hadn't meant to worry them this much, just yet. "She needs more rest...and to eat more."

"You'll have to tell her.. She won't listen to me..."

"I will...but I'm telling you too. I want her to sleep for an hour every morning...and an hour every afternoon...and to get as much rest as she can at night. I realize that she can't sleep all night because of the triplets...but they should start sleeping through the night soon."

Spot nodded. "I'll try to get her to."

"Good. I'm counting on you."

"I hope I don't disappoint."

Trent stood. "It's late...and I have a long trip in the morning..."

Spot nodded. "You will talk with Rae though, before you leave?"

"Yes. I will."

"Thank you," he said.