"Finished with the girl talk?" Spot asked, sticking his head back in the room.

She laughed. "There wasn't really much girl talk to be had, but yes, we're finished."

He walked back in and dropped into a chair. "Andy and I are going down to the cabin this afternoon..."

"Oh?"

"We can't do much, but we'll see what we can do."

Molly smiled. "I'm sure any little bit will help."

"It's those floorboards that I'm worried about."

"Perhaps someone in town will be kind enough to help?"

"I'll take a look."

"Thank you," Molly said gratefully.

They could hear a loud noise coming from upstairs.

Rae was to her feet in an instant, worry crossing her face.

"I'll go see what they're up to," Spot said. "I think I hear James crying."

Molly motioned for her to sit down, understanding her worry. "They're okay."

Rae sighed. "James is hungry..."

A moment later, Spot brought him down. "Guess who wants to see his momma."

Rae reached for him. He smiled, handing the baby over. Sighing, Rae stood and left the room.

Spot looked at Molly. "Is something upsetting her?"

"She looks exhausted Spot...What's really going on?"

He frowned and, after a long pause, said, "After having the triplets, Trent said it weakened her heart and, if she had another baby, it could kill her."

Molly gasped.

"Also," he continued, "He wants her to rest a lot."

"I'll do what I can to help," Molly said.

He smiled. "Thank you, Molly. But make sure you keep some time for yourself too...With you and Chris getting married, that's important too."

Molly nodded.

"How is everyone back in Brooklyn?"

"My brother is walking on air...and Sippi seems to be lost in thought all the time...like his mind is a hundred miles away..."

Spot laughed a bit. "Well... Rae suspects he likes our ballerina."

"It's about time he found someone."

"Absolutely," he agreed.

Andy slunk into the room. "Can we go down to the cabin now, Daddy?"

Spot laughed. "All right. Let's go, kiddo."

"Thank you. Those girls are being mean."

Spot shook his head. "Again?"

"Yes."

He shook his head. "I'll have to give them a stern talking to..."

Andy looked up at him. "Why do girls act like that?"

"If we tried to analyze why girls acted the way they did, we'd go insane," Spot said with a grin.

"They're weird."

"Yes they are."

"Hey!" Molly protested, "I can hear you!"

"We better be quiet," Spot whispered.

"Yeah," Andy giggled.

~*~

Chris woke and looked around the room. He sighed. He was alone. He winced when he tried to shift his weight and his stitches pulled. He was starting to feel restless. A person could only sit still for so long and after nearly a week of just sitting, anyone would be restless.

Moments later, Molly's head poked in the room. "Oh, you're awake!" she said with a smile. "Are you hungry? I brought some breakfast for you."

"Thanks," he said, attempting to shift his position again.

She set the tray aside and helped him up. "How are you this morning?"

"Restless."

She set the tray on his lap and sat next to him. "Well, just another week or so, and you should be able to move around a little more, or so the doctor said."

"I don't know that I can last that long..."

She squeezed his hand. "I know."

"I need a new book," he said, handing her the one that he'd finished the night before.

"Is there anything in particular you wanted to read?" she asked, tilting her head.

"Just pick something..."

"A- all right... she said uncertainly.

She grabbed two books and set them on the table by the bed before leaving the room.

Chris sighed, picking at his breakfast.

Molly walked into the kitchen and slumped in her chair.

"What's the matter, Molly?" Spot asked, as he fried up some more pancakes.

"Chris..."

"Having a hard time, still?"

"Yes..."

He went over and squeezed her shoulder. "He'll get over it soon."

"I feel like I'm just there to get what he wants...and can't get on his own..."

"Maybe you should have a talk with him?" he suggested.

Molly sighed. "Maybe..."

"All you can do is try."

"I know," Molly said, resting her head on the table.

With a sigh, Spot patted her back and went back to his pancakes.

"Will you go check on Rae for me?" he asked.

After a moment, she nodded. "All right..." Climbing to her feet, she disappeared from the kitchen.

She knocked on the door to Rae's room.

"Come in," Rae said.

Molly opened the door and walked in. Rae was sitting in the rocking chair feeding James.

"Spot wanted me to see how you were doing."

"I can't seem to wake up," she said, yawning.

Molly smiled a bit. "You should probably go back to bed after you're finished feeding him."

Rae nodded. "I just might..."

"Would you like me to bring the babies downstairs when you're ready?"

"You have enough on your hands right now taking care of Chris..."

She smiled. "They're not that much trouble. Besides, Misha is here to help me."

Rae looked at her. "Are you alright Molly?"

She nodded. "Why?"

"It just looks like something is bothering you..."

"Oh... Just some stress with Chris... It's okay."

"Wanna talk about it?"

She smiled. "Thank you, but I'll be all right. You have enough to deal with anyway."

"Let me know if you need to talk."

"I will."

Molly sighed. "I guess I should go see if Chris is finished with his breakfast."

Rae gave her a sympathetic look.

Lizzy fussed a little and Molly picked her up. "Come on sweetie, you can help me with Grumpy."

"Good luck" Rae called after her.

"Thanks."

She smiled. "Any time."

Molly walked into the study. "Finished with breakfast?"

Looking up, Chris nodded. "Yes... thank you."

She placed Lizzy in his lap. "Hold her while I take your tray to the kitchen."

"Oh.. okay," he said, rather startled.

"Be right back," she said, waltzing from the room.

Chris looked down at Lizzy. "Well, hello missy."

She tried to grab his shirt and made baby noises. Chris placed his finger in her grasping hand and she clutched it tightly. She wrinkled her nose and let out a little squeak.

He smiled. "You're strong, kiddo."

Molly leaned against the doorframe and watched him talk to Lizzy.

After a moment, he looked up. "Oh, you're back already?" he said with a faint smile.

She nodded. "I hated to interrupt."

"Interrupt all you'd like. I don't mind."

Sighing she walked in and sat on a chair. He gave her a disappointed look and glanced down at the stool beside the couch.

She blushed a bit. "I'm sorry..."

Lizzy tried to stick her fist in her mouth and made a noise. "See," Chris said, "she agrees with me."

"You just seemed to want your space lately," she said, coming to sit next to him now.

"I just get so frustrated sometimes..."

She squeezed his arm gently.

He took her hand and kissed it.

She smiled at him, relieved that he seemed to be getting back to his normal self, at least for a little while.

There was a knock on the open door. "May I come in?" Doc asked.

"Yes," Chris said and Molly went to open the door.

"I'm here to take a look at that leg."

"Should I leave then?" Molly asked.

"Just for a little while, Molly...and take the baby..."

She scooped up Lizzy. "Come on, little one." She closed the door on her way to the kitchen.

"How's everyone?" Spot asked, when she entered the room.

"Better," she answered. "Doc came to look at his leg."

Spot smiled. "I know, I let him in."

"Do you think Doc will let him start moving around some?"

"I hope so. Seeing him just laying there is making ME antsy."

She smiled.

"So how are you doing with all of this?"

"It's really hard Spot..."

"Want to talk about it?

She sighed. "I just feel so helpless..."

He squeezed her shoulder.

"I don't know what to do anymore..."

"Well, sometimes you just have to wait a little. When I got injured, I was a grouch for months... but Rae stuck it out with me, and we've been happily married ever since."

Molly smiled a little

He smiled. "Don't worry, he'll come around."

She looked up at him. "Any breakfast left?"

He held up a plate of fresh pancakes. "Eat your heart out."

"Not for me...I'm going to make sure Rae eats," she said, taking the plate and handed Lizzy to him.

"Oh, all right. Make sure you eat some too."

"I will," she said, leaving the room.

Spot smiled.

Molly knocked softly on the door.

"Come in," Rae said, a few moments later.

Molly opened the door. "I thought you might be hungry..."

Rae gave a little smile. "I think I could go for some breakfast. Thank you."

Molly handed her the plate and sat down. "Can I talk to you... "

She nodded, cutting the pancakes into little bits. "What is it?"

"Why did you stay with Spot after his accident?"

"Well, before the accident… he was a real jerk, but after... I was the first to find out about it, and I didn't react how he expected me to. So I went with him when he left... and we were friends... and then we fell in love... I couldn't abandon my friend, whether I fell in love with him or not."

"Did you ever think about leaving once you got here?"

"Sometimes. We got into an awful lot of spats... and one time, I did actually leave."

"Why?"

"Well..." She smiled. "He had a reputation. He was THE Spot Conlon after all... And I was afraid to fall in love with him."

Molly sighed.

"It wasn't until Sippi had asked me to marry him that I realized that I had already fallen in love with Spot..."

"How romantic," she sighed.

Rae smiled at the girl.

Molly stood. "I guess I should go see if Doc is finished," she said, running from the room. Again, Rae smiled, and finished her breakfast. Doc opened the door just as Molly was about to knock.

"Right on time," he said with a smile.

"How's his leg?"

"Doing better than I expected...but I want him to stay off of it for another week at least..."

She frowned a bit. "I bet he wasn't too pleased to hear that."

"Not really."

"Well thank you for all your help though."

"Just keep him off his feet...and make sure that bandage gets changed."

She nodded. "I will."

"Good girl. Then I'll see you next week."

"All right. Thank you again."

She slipped back into the room and sat on the stool next to Chris.

He glanced over at her. "Doc said I had to stay off my feet for a whole extra week."

"I know," she said, brushing a stray lock of hair from his forehead. "He told me."

"I'm so tired of just laying around..." Chris said, frustrated.

"You'll be on your feet before long."

"I wish I was now..."

"I know, Chris..."

He rested his head against the pillow and looked over at her. "I'm sorry about all this."

"It's not your fault..."

"But this is setting us back so far," he said. "If I had been more careful, this wouldn't have happened."

"Things happen Chris... You were checking to make sure the house was safe for us."

He still didn't seem quite satisfied.

She sighed. "Chris...I don't need a house or a lot of money...I just need you..."

"But I feel like I'm failing you..."

"You aren't Chris..."

"You aren't upset that we can't get married right now? That we have to wait even longer?"

She shook her head. "No...I'm just happy that you're alive."

"I'm sorry... I must be such a bear to live with right now..."

Before she could answer Kendra skipped in with Sam on her heels.

"Morning Daddy!"

"Morning, Short Stuff."

She went over and hugged him tightly.

"Is Sammy keeping you busy?" he asked.

"Very."

Chris laughed slightly.

She leaned in and whispered, "He keeps repeating what I say...."

"That's cause he wants to be just like you," he whispered back.

"Why?"

"Because he likes you..."

"Well, he's silly," she said, but she looked pleased.

"Did you lose your dolly?" he asked, noticing that she no longer held the doll that had almost seemed attached to her arm.

"Pape is sleeping on her... and I didn't want to wake Pape up."

"Oh..."

"How come?" She tilted her head.

"I haven't seen you without her since you came back..."

"Well, I would have her now, but Pape was sleepin' on her when I woke up. She's a silly kitty."

"Yes she is," he said, ruffling her hair.

"Is Pape gonna live with us when we move?"

"Of course...she's part of the family."

"Good!" she said with a grin.

"Why don't you and Sam go play upstairs now...Chris needs a nap," Molly said.

She pouted. "Do we have to?"

"Yes," Molly said, giving them both a gentle shove toward the door

Kendra pouted. "We'll see you later, Daddy!"

"Bye sweetheart."

She closed the door carefully behind her dragging Sam behind her.

"Do I have to take a nap?" Chris asked.

"Yes," Molly said, tucking a quilt around him.

She smiled. "If you're a good boy, you can have a cookie for a snack."

He grabbed her arm and pulled her close. "And what if I don't?"

"Then I'm sorry, but you don't get the cookie."

He pouted.

She smiled and kissed his forehead. "Take a nap," she said, slipping from the room.

He looked up at the ceiling and sighed.