Part 17

"But why not?" AJ looked devastated, "I promise, I don't mind sharing my bed with Jimmy…"

"I know, son," Bud consoled, "But it just isn't fair having two children sharing one bed."

"Then we can get bunk beds!" AJ tried again.

"You're all going to grow out of bunk beds, sweetie," Harriet had now composed herself.

"Then I'll move into the nursery with the twins. That way, we'll only have three of us in each room."

"We just can't, AJ," Bud pulled his son into his arms, hugging him tightly, "I know how unfair it seems, but you will still see Tiegan and Tyler at school. I'm sure they'll go to a very nice family."

"If they go to a family who live far away, then they'll have to move schools," AJ pouted.

"If that happens, I'll drive you over to visit them, whenever you like…" Harriet began to promise, but was cut off by a cry coming from upstairs.

They all hurried out of the kitchen, in time to see an upset Tiegan rush down the stairs, trip-up over her own feet in the process and fall down the last few.

"Oh, Tiegan, sweetie!" Harriet exclaimed as she and Mac hurried over to where she had landed at the bottom, "Are you okay?"

Tiegan quickly got to her feet and shrugged out of Harriet's grasp, running towards the back door and out into the yard.

Mrs. Moon appeared at the top of the stairs, looking just as upset.

"She's okay," Harriet assured her, thanking the fact that her stairs had thick carpeting, asking, "Do you want me to…"

"Could you?" the woman seemed very relieved, "Tyler's very upset too, I need to finish explaining to him…"

Harriet assured her that she would bring Tiegan upstairs, once she got her inside.

Once she disappeared back into the children's bedroom, Harriet made her way outside.

She was back in a matter of minutes.

"She's curled up inside the fort and you know I can't get down far enough to get in."

"Would you like me to try, Harriet?" Harm volunteered, knowing how difficult it had been for Bud to get in, the last time.

At Harriet's nod, Mac followed him outside, thinking that maybe she should be the one to approach the girl, being a woman and the child knowing her better.

"Tiegan?" Mac asked softly, knocking on the front of the fort, "Can I come in?"

Tiegan only answered her with a sob, so Mac didn't know if that had been a yes or a no. She settled for parking herself by the entrance, not wanting to invade the child's personal space.

"I know that you're upset, sweetie," Mac continued, "I know that and you have every right to be…"

"It's not fair," came the sudden outburst, "Tyler and I have been there longer than most of those other kids."

"I know," Mac nodded, "but your foster Mom had no choice. I'm sure she loves you all the same, but the little kids need her because they're still so young. You and Tyler are brave, you're going to go to a great new family."

"I don't want a new family," Tiegan fumed, "I like this one…This is all the insurance people's fault. If they'd only have given us a bigger house…"

"I'm sure that the insurance money doesn't buy what it used to," Harm interjected, softly, "It's not anybody's fault…It just happens."

"It's still not fair," Tiegan cried, "I love my foster brothers and sisters, but I wish they didn't need Nana Moon more than Tyler and I do. I just want to go home and so that things could be like they used to…"

By now, she had slowed down considerably and the force behind her voice had faded. Mac could tell that she had nearly exhausted her anger, for now.

"I'm sorry it has happened, Tiegan," Mac comforted her, "Bad things happen to good people who don't deserve them, sometimes. But it isn't anybody's fault and sometimes all you can do is make the best of a bad situation."

Once Tiegan had climbed out of the fort, Harm and Mac hugged and comforted her and they all made their way back indoors.

Before they got in the front door, Tiegan spoke up again, worriedly.

"Will Tyler and me get to live with the same family?"

Harm and Mac looked at each other, communicating wordlessly. They both knew the probable answer to that question; there had been so much trouble trying to unsuccessfully get Tiegan and Tyler into temporary foster care…They really doubted that would have changed in the last couple of weeks.

"Don't you worry about that," Mac soothed her, softly, "Nana Moon will take care of it. And I bet she'll find you guys a really special family…"