Author's Note: HAPPY EASTER/EGG FESTIVAL! :D


Theme Song: Unavailable - Malinda


Hi.

Me sell hats. Okay, poke?

Come to old old old haus, poke. Bring coins.

- hat mouse


"Why do we have to color the eggs that the Easter Bunny is going to hide?"

The farmer paused, looking at the small girl in front of her, then smiled, "Because of how many children there are in the world who want to look for them. The Easter Bunny isn't as lucky as Santa is. He doesn't have elves to help him. So, he asks us to color the eggs, and then he hides them. Sometimes, he even replaces them with eggs full of candy as a thank you!"

"I think the Easter Bunny needs to borrow Santa's elves."

"But coloring eggs is a tradition! And it's so fun! I'll show you…" The farmer took an egg in her hand and began coloring on it with a white crayon. Once she was done, she dipped it into some turquoise dye, chattering with the small child about the process while walking her through it as well. After a few minutes, she pulled the turquoise egg out. "See? My picture is visible now, because the wax protected the egg from the dye. Isn't it pretty?"

The child smiled and nodded, but then her face slowly turned from joy to horror. The farmer frowned, concerned about what was wrong as she turned to see what had caused the change.

A large, shadowy figure loomed over them, snatching the egg out of her hand, "A pretty little thing… But pretty things can't survive in this world on their own."

All she saw was the egg smashing against the ground before she jolted awake, breathing heavily as her body shook. It was so dark, and she could feel his weight next to her. She had to escape. Had to-

She was distantly aware of a cat meowing and felt a warm tongue grazing over her cheek. Slowly, the tension eased and she reached out to feel the soft fur of her puppy as it comforted her, licking the salty tears from her cheek. The cat had moved and was now resting a fuzzy head on her shoulder, purring in a soothing manner.

It was just a dream… Just another stupid nightmare.

Or was it a memory? She couldn't rule that out either. The little girl didn't feel familiar in the slightest, though the man and the fear of him being so close to her in the dark…

You're safe, now. It wasn't real.

She tried to fall back asleep again, but she couldn't. Each time she closed her eyes, it was like going back to that place. That place that she didn't know where it was or why she kept thinking about it… But it made her feel awful. She tried to get up, but also felt paralyzed with a fear that she couldn't explain. In the end, all she could do was lie there with her animals, soaking in their comfort, until the sun came up and light poured in through her window to banish the darkness that was hanging over her. It was only then that she could convince herself to get up.

She mechanically watered her plants, too tired to really process anything. She was working on autopilot now. Once that was done, she moved to start clearing more of her land, but her movements were stiff and she was starting to feel detached from her body…

This isn't right. You can't keep on like this. If you're going to keep having nightmares, you need to talk to someone who can help.

She needed to find Dr. Harvey.

Finally feeling she was out of options and excuses, she quickly packed her tools and headed into town. She only stopped briefly to clear another mass of worms. Underneath them, she found what looked like some sort of fossil. Gunther would probably be interested in it.

As she neared town, she noticed some hustle and bustle going on. People were rushing to and fro, and she suddenly remembered…

Right. Today is Easter! Or… the Egg Festival? Why does calling it that feel… wrong?

"Can I be of any assistance?" she found herself asking as Mayor Lewis hurried by.

"Oh! No! I wouldn't dream of it!" he turned, suddenly looking very horrified. "Please, wait until the festival starts to come into town. We have everything taken care of!"

"It's really no problem. I would love to-"

"Off you go! Back to your farm!" he shooed her away.

"But-"

"No buts!"

The farmer turned, feeling a little hurt. She'd been hoping that helping out would take her mind off of things and give her something else to think about. Not only that, but if she wasn't allowed into town, she couldn't talk to Dr. Harvey about the word 'Easter' that was stuck in her head, and why it seemed so similar to what Sebastian had described as the 'Egg Festival'. Then there was her dream…

She let out a frustrated sigh as she returned to the farm. Maybe if she went around by way of the Mountain Pass to do some foraging, it would be time for the festival to start by the time she reached town…

The plan turned out to be a fruitful one. She found a leek, a horseradish, and a daffodil before reaching the stairs that led down into the center of town and it appeared that she had been right. The festival was already in motion as she walked down the steps.

"Hey! How'd you get back here?" Pierre looked up as she squeezed around a barrel.

"Sorry, didn't realize there was a specific way to enter town," she gave him a sheepish smile, and his expression softened.

"Don't touch anything."

"Yes sir!" she climbed over some of the decorative barrier ropes that had been strung up, joining the rest of the townspeople in the square. Everyone seemed to be there… Even Linus was in attendance, though he was standing off to the side.

"Linus! It's so good to see you!" she approached him with a smile. "No one has been bullying you this morning, right? No need to crack some skulls?"

Linus chuckled, "No one really talks to me… I just come for the deviled eggs."

"My favorite!" she declared before looking at him in slight shock. "Oh. I guess we have something in common."

Linus' face brightened, "I've helped you remember something! You better go grab some before they all disappear!"

She nodded in agreement, waving farewell before approaching the tables that were piled high with food, most of it egg-themed. "Wow… So many eggs. Where did they all come from?"

She jumped slightly when her question was actually answered by Shane, who had apparently overheard. "Our hens have been working overtime to prepare for this festival. They deserve the best tonight… bowls full of sweet yellow corn!"

"O-oh! You must have a lot of chickens on your ranch, then." Was he being… polite?

"A few," Shane shrugged slightly. An awkwardness filled the air, and he cleared his throat. "Um… Just a warning. Stay away from the punch."

"Why?"

"Unless you want to repeat the night on the dock…"

"Did you spike the punch!?"

"Not me!" he raised his hands defensively. "Just, it happens every year. Mayor Lewis hasn't figured out who yet…"

"Alright," she gave him a suspicious look, then smiled. "Thanks… For the warning. And for looking out for me. I… Appreciate that."

"It's…" Shane muttered something under his breath.

Did he say it's not the first time?

"Sorry, what was that?" she asked, her heart pounding.

"I said it's not a big deal, okay? So don't make it into one!"

Ah. There it was. That was the Shane she was used to.

"Is there any more food?" Clint busted between the two.

"There's plenty of food," Shane snapped. "Just because you don't like it, doesn't mean it isn't there."

"Of course. Because you just love eggs, don't you, Chicken Boy?"

"What was that!?"

"You heard me."

Clint made a face at Shane and the farmer pointed towards another table, "I'm just gonna… Go find the deviled eggs now."

She quickly made her exit, aware that Clint and Shane were now full on arguing with one another. As she looked around for the deviled eggs, she finally found them near the punch bowl. She approached, relieved to have escaped that mess, only to find herself grabbed around the arm.

She froze. Her heart started to race as someone came up behind her to whisper in her ear…

"Hehe… I put something nice into the punch."

"P-pam?" she asked, unable to turn. What was going on? Why couldn't she-

"Shhhh… that's just between you and me, kid."

She must have stood there for a little too long after Pam left, because Gus looked up, noticed her standing there, and approached with a grin to mask his concern.

"I hope everyone's enjoying the food… I've been cooking for days to get everything ready. Fried eggs, boiled eggs, poached eggs, deviled eggs, scrambled eggs, chocolate eggs… you name it!"

Right. She'd come over for the deviled eggs. Her limbs finally seemed to reconnect with her brain and she relaxed a little.

"It all looks wonderful. I was just trying to decide what to grab first."

"You did look a little lost…"

"I'm fine. Thanks for checking on me though," she smiled, placing some of the eggs on her plate. "By the way, have you seen Dr. Harvey? I need to ask him something…"

"Hmm…" Gus looked thoughtful. "No, not yet… But these things make him anxious. He always attends, but you'll likely find him pacing. Or, if you can find Maru you might be able to find him. She's probably the only person in town that he knows well, given she works at the clinic, so he'll usually hang around her. It's probably the most comfortable place for him to be."

"Thank you so much!" she waved. "And thank you for all the food!"

"Not a problem!"

She did find Maru, standing near Penny. Unfortunately, there was no sign of Dr. Harvey. She continued to look around as she picked up bits and pieces of conversation…

"The children have been looking forward to this festival for weeks!" Penny exclaimed to Maru.

"I always look forward to these gatherings… it makes the valley feel like a real community!" was the young scientist's response.

"Egg… What a strange thing to eat," Demetrius walked by, mumbling to himself as he stared at a hard boiled egg in his hand.

"When does the egg hunt start?! I'm so excited!" Vincent's voice rang out across the square, causing everyone to look his way. He was pacing excitedly, Jas in tow. She looked… Less enthused.

"What's wrong?" the farmer approached. "Aren't you excited too?"

Jas looked around nervously, "I hope I can find some eggs before Vincent takes them all…"

"Oh! Is Vincent really good at the egg hunt?" she asked.

"He finds a lot… But Abigail… She participates every year and she always wins," Jas folded her arms into a pout and stared at the ground. "I never find more than two."

"Well…" The farmer looked around. "Maybe I could help you this year?"

"Would you?" Jas looked up at the farmer, hope in her eyes.

"Sure," she smiled. "It sounds fun."

"Yay! Just make sure you tell Mayor Lewis!" Jas clapped her hands. "And make sure he knows that we're a team!"

"Will do."

The farmer left, glad she seemed to have helped the little girl feel at least a little better. Maybe she should find Abigail and get a few tips…

"... ub…. My doze…" Sam sniffed as the farmer approached the trio of friends once she found them standing off to the side.

"What's up?" she greeted them.

"Allergies…" Sam replied. He did look rather miserable. His eyes were all watery and red…

"Oh, hey," Abigail smiled. "Not much! Just preparing for the main event! Are you going to participate?"

"I promised Jas I'd help her out," the farmer nodded. "She said you're the pro, so I was hoping you could give me some tips…"

"Searching for eggs is like going on a treasure hunt!" Abigail grinned. "But if you want to know the real secret… They hide the eggs in the same place every year. The kids forget, but I don't."

"I see," the farmer smiled. "So if I do horrible this year, it's no big deal."

"Exactly," Abby nodded. "But, if you want a little hint… the graveyard is an excellent place to check. The kids are too scared to go near it…"

"Perfect. Thanks for the tip," the farmer turned her attention on Sebastian. "Are you… okay?"

She knew he'd understand she was referring to yesterday, but he still didn't seem ready to talk about it yet.

"Yeah… I just don't really look forward to these things. We used to do a rotten egg toss… Mayor Lewis put an end to that pretty quick. Since then… It's just kind of boring."

Sam nodded in agreement, but Abigail didn't seem to share their lack of enthusiasm. She continued to chatter on about how the Egg Festival was her favorite festival. Eventually, the farmer excused herself. She still needed to find Dr. Harvey…

"Abby's always loved the egg hunt, ever since she was a tiny girl," Caroline was speaking with Robin. "They're going to be starting soon. I wonder where she's at? She's probably run off to hang out with Sam and your son."

"Spring is a busy time of year… so it's nice to have a day off to catch up with friends," Robin responded.

"Even with my bad leg, I never miss a town festival," Marlon agreed, piling food onto a plate.

The farmer continued to weave her way through people. She spotted Haley and Alex talking to each other, and remembered what she'd been told about the bus accident. They must be really close friends after going through that… And even though she hadn't always had good experiences with Haley, if Alex could be friends with the blonde girl, surely she could too.

"Good morning!" she approached them. "Any chance either of you have seen the town doctor this morning?"

Alex shook his head, "No… But he'll be around. It's one of the few festivals where he actually approves of the food menu. I try to eat at least three eggs every day. I need that protein for my legs… So this is one of my favorite festivals."

"This festival is alright," Haley looked at her nails, seemingly bored. "But what I'm really looking forward to is the Flower Dance."

"Really?" the farmer tilted her head. "I've heard it's kind of awkward…"

"Only if you can't find a partner," Haley gave a snort, intertwining her arm with Alex's. "But Alex and I dance together every year."

It may have seemed like a bratty move to some, but the farmer couldn't help but notice how gentle Haley was being as she laid a hand on the jock's bicep… Besides, Alex didn't look uncomfortable at all. In fact, he almost seemed grateful.

"That's awesome that you guys are so close," the farmer did her best to let Haley know she wasn't a threat. "I bet that does make the festival much more enjoyable. Anyway… I should get back to my search. I hope you guys have a good time!"

"Yeah, you too," Alex smiled, waving back at her as she departed.

"Hey, Farmer!" Willy waved at her as she passed by the saloon. "Are you participating in the egg hunt this year?"

She nodded, "I promised Jas I'd help her out."

"Oh, good! I help hide the eggs, you know…" Willy then motioned for her to come closer, as if he had a secret to share. "Sometimes I'll hide an egg too well and no one finds it… Well, until summer rolls around. Then the hot air starts to bring out the rotten smell… hehe."

"Guess I'll have to be sure I find all of them this year, huh?" she laughed.

"Like a fishing challenge!" Willy nodded. "Only… with eggs. But you better let Mayor Lewis know when you're ready to start. I think he's waiting on you because he wants your first festival to be enjoyable."

"That's very kind of him," she smiled. "I'm just looking to talk to someone, then I'll be ready."

"A special someone?" Willy waggled his eyebrows. "A young thing like you isn't going to be alone very long in a town like this…"

"What!?" the farmer felt a blush rising to her cheeks. "No! Nothing like that!"

"The Flower dance is just a few weeks away…"

"I just need to ask Dr. Harvey something," she let out a nervous laugh. "About my accident. Nothing serious, just… I think my memories might be coming back, but I'm not entirely sure."

She thought she saw Willy's face fall a little, but she must have been mistaken, because he gave her a hearty pat on the back, "Well good for you! You're one step closer to getting back to where you belong! I think I saw Dr. Harvey pacing over behind the saloon a few minutes ago. Crowds make him anxious…"

"So I've heard."

"Good luck to you. Don't take too long though, the young'uns aren't gonna want to wait forever to start," he smiled as he waved her away.

"Point taken."

Dr. Harvey was, in fact, pacing behind the saloon. He looked up as she approached him, a smile on his face, "Are you enjoying your first festival?"

"I am," she smiled. "The food all looks so delicious. Haven't had a chance to try any of it yet…" she looked down at her plate and the untouched eggs.

"Eggs definitely have a place in a well-balanced diet," he nodded excitedly.

"Oh. Yeah…" she bit her lip. "Alex mentioned you liked the healthier menu for this festival.

"Oops," he blushed so hard, she wished she could take back what she said immediately. She hadn't meant to embarrass him. "I should take off my Doctor's hat for the time being."

"Oh, no! Sorry, that's not what I meant at all! In fact, I had a question for you… About my condition…"

"Oh…" he somehow looked more uncomfortable. "I- I mean… I don't know how much more help I can be to you there. But, I know this psychologist in Zuzu who would probably be able to answer all your questions…"

Ah. He doesn't feel comfortable helping you, now. Makes sense. It isn't his expertise and he probably doesn't want to get in trouble for saying something wrong…

"That… That would be great. Just give me the information," she tried to sound okay with it, but even she could hear her voice cracking with emotion. Why did it hurt so much? She shouldn't be hurt. He was just being professional.

Silence.

"Right. I'll… Send it your way."

More silence.

"Well, I should… uh… Go tell Mayor Lewis that I'm ready to start the egg hunt. Word on the street is that he's waiting for me to give the go ahead, so…"

"Sounds like Mayor Lewis," Dr. Harvey nodded. "He likes to make people feel welcome at these things, especially when it's their first time."

"Right. Well… See you around."

"See you later."

The farmer swallowed the lump in her throat as she approached Marnie and Mayor Lewis, who were standing in the center of the square, talking. Marnie noticed her approaching first.

"Welcome to the Egg Festival! Complements of my wonderful brood of hens!"

"Do you think everyone's ready for the egg hunt yet?" Mayor Lewis eagerly asked, eyes filled with excitement.

"Yes, let's start," The farmer mustered a smile for him. He didn't seem to notice anything was wrong. "I'm also supposed to tell you that Jas and I are on a team."

"Alright! Maybe someone other than Abigail will win this year, then…" the exuberant mayor started waving his hands in the air and shouting to get everyone's attention. Once a hush fell over the crowd, he spoke authoritatively, " It's time for the highlight of today's festivities… The Annual Spring Egg Hunt!"

Jas and Vincent both let out a little squeal of excitement, causing the Mayor to chuckle.

"Calm down now, kiddos. You're going to need all your energy if you hope to find the most eggs and take home the exclusive prize," he looked at the group.

Maru, Sam, Abigail, Jas, and Vincent all looked ready to take off. Sam was probably helping his little brother. Maru looked a little bit uncomfortable, but the farmer noticed Demetrius giving her a thumbs up. He was probably having a hard time not thinking of her as his little girl… Classic dad.

"Now… Is everyone ready? Let the egg hunt begin!" Mayor Lewis' voice jarred the farmer out of her thoughts, and she quickly got to work. She remembered what Abigail said about the graveyard, and headed in that direction. It wasn't long before she found her first egg, and once she knew what she was looking for, it was a lot easier to find them. Abigail's advice was especially helpful…

She found her final egg in the back of Mayor Lewis' truck right before the whistle sounded to signal the end of the hunt. When she returned to the square, Jas quickly dumped three eggs into her basket.

"Wow, look at all these eggs! Now if only I could get you kids to pick up litter this efficiently, we'd have the cleanest town this side of the Gem Sea!" Mayor Lewis chuckled before going from each basket and counting the eggs. The farmer noticed that Abigail seemed to have just as many, if not more than her and Jas had gathered combined. Finally, Lewis motioned for the crowd's attention once more. "And now, the winner of this year's egg hunt… The Farmer and Jas! Here's your prize! Enjoy."

The farmer took the straw hat that Mayor Lewis was holding out. She turned to give it to Jas, but the child shook her head, "Can I have the eggs? You can have the hat."

"Sure," the farmer smiled. She didn't really need the candy that had been hidden inside, and Jas seemed extra excited by the amount she'd get with their eggs combined.

"Congrats!" Abigail grinned, patting the farmer's shoulder. "Someone finally beat me!"

"I have a feeling we only won because we worked as a team," the farmer smiled. "So it probably shouldn't count."

"Aw, it's alright," the purple haired girl smiled. "I have so many of those hats… It's about time someone else got one."

"Well, that's it for this year's Egg Festival. Thanks for coming, everyone!" Mayor Lewis waved towards the tables. "If you have time to help move the leftovers into the saloon and take them down, it would be much appreciated!"

The farmer stayed to help. She started by helping Emily take down some of the banners, and as they worked, she couldn't help but notice how tired the cocktail waitress seemed to be.

"I've been up since dawn coloring eggs…" Emily had told her when she'd asked. "It's always my favorite part of the season!"

"I think it may have been mine, too," The farmer responded, thinking about her dream from the previous evening before moving on to help with another task.

But not with this holiday…

"Vincent love this festival… It's a joy to see him so happy," Jodi walked by, carrying half a platter of eggs towards the saloon. The farmer nodded as she followed after, dropping her own load of dishes off before returning outside to stretch as the sun went down. It had been a long day, but everyone seemed to be enjoying even the take-down of the festival.

"What's everyone so happy about? Hmmph… Eggs… why eggs?" George grouched nearby, Evelyn chuckling at his side.

"This festival has been a tradition for as long as I can remember. Tradition connects us with both the past and the future… it's comforting."

The older woman's words struck something within the farmer as she walked by and she suddenly found her feet frozen to the ground.

"Mmmm… This fruit punch is unusually good," Leah mumbled as she walked by, carrying the punch bowl and what was left in it in one hand while drinking a cup of it in another.

All around her, the farmer watched the happy faces of the townspeople she had come to know over the past two weeks. The more she watched, the more an empty feeling started to rise within her. Yes, it had been a fun festival… But to them, it was more than that. It was a tradition. It was something they had done for generations, and… Well…

She didn't belong.

"And how is our resident farmer this evening?"

Elliott's voice startled her out of her thoughts, and she turned to give him a sad smile.

"It was a fun day," she admitted. "But I'm starting to think I should have stayed home and just worked on the farm. There's still so much to do, and-"

"Taking breaks from work can make you more productive in the long run," Elliott cut her off quickly, as if daring her to try and finish her thought process. "We would have all been devastated if you were the only one not in attendance."

"Gunther didn't come," she pointed out.

"Gunther… Gunther has his reasons," Elliott frowned. "Legitimate reasons."

"What if mine are legitimate, too?" she asked.

"Depends on what they are," he stepped closer to her, concern in his eyes. "I already told you that working yourself to death is not a legitimate reason to stay away."

"Right…" she cleared her throat, trying to ignore how quickly her heart had started beating. "You're right. It was a stupid thing to say."

"Not stupid," he looked down at her hand as if he was trying to decide whether to take it in his or not. "Just troublesome. If you truly feel like you don't belong here… Well… I assure you none of us feels that way."

"I know that."

"Do you feel that way?"

"I- No!"

Elliott raised a skeptical eyebrow.

"I have only lived here for two weeks."

"And is that all that's bothering you?"

The sincerity of his question and the fact that she felt deeply in her heart that he knew she'd be lying if she said yes kicked her into panic mode. She barely knew this man. She couldn't suddenly saddle him with all of her fears and anxieties. She didn't even feel comfortable doing that to Dr. Harvey, and she knew him way better.

"I-I'm fine. Please don't worry about me."

"That doesn't answer my question…"

"Nothing else is bothering me."

"I don't believe that."

"I'm fine."

"You're shaking…"

"Leave me alone! I said I'm fine!" she finally snapped. Her heart fell as soon as she did it, especially when Elliott's face took on so much surprise and hurt.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have pushed like that-"

"I'm going home," she turned and started running before he had a chance to say anything further. She felt horrible, but she couldn't make herself turn around and face what she'd done. Not yet.

She thought maybe Elliott had started after her, but by the time she reached the farmhouse, it was too dark to see if anyone was behind her. She slammed the door shut behind her, locked it, and sank to the floor with her back against the door, sobbing.

"Happy Easter to me," she mumbled miserably.


Elliott felt terrible the moment the farmer snapped. He knew better than to press for answers when someone wasn't ready, but he had felt that it was important for her to know that the town cared very much about her and how she was feeling.

It was important for her to know that he cared.

He was going to let her run away and take some time to think things through on her own. That had always been a helpful thing for him… But as she turned to run, something fell from her backpack. It almost looked like it had been pushed from it, actually, but that was impossible. She just must have been carrying around a lot of stuff for it to be so close to the top…

He walked forward and picked up the water can. He didn't know much about farming, but he knew from his own roses that plants needed to be watered daily. Losing this would stress her out more about her farm in the morning, so he'd have to return it tonight. Maybe she'd be a little more open about her feelings if she was somewhere she felt more comfortable…

There was no answer when he knocked on the door, but he knew she was home because the soft crying he could hear through the barrier ceased when he did so.

"Farmer?" he called out softly. "I-I'm sorry. I'm really sorry that I pressed you so hard. I just… I just wanted you to know that if you were feeling at all like you weren't wanted… That isn't true."

No response.

"A-anyway…" he set the watering can on the porch. "You dropped your watering can when you… When you unexpectedly left. I thought you might need it tomorrow, so… I'm just leaving it on the porch."

Still no answer.

"Um…" he clenched his hands closed and then opened a few times. Leaving felt like the wrong thing to do. "I understand if you… If you don't want to talk about it. You don't know me very well, and I don't really know you all that well. But… I'll just wait out here for a bit. So you don't have to feel so alone. You don't have to talk. I just don't want you to feel like no one's here for you, to listen."

She didn't come out. She never even answered him or said a word… But after two minutes of sitting in the dark, the porch light came on. It was such a small gesture… But it spoke volumes to Elliott. The simple act was a way of her showing that she acknowledged his presence, and somehow he knew she was accepting his apology.

He stayed for half an hour, his back against the door. At times, he could hear her sniffling through the wood, and after a while, he simply started singing softly. He sang the lullabies his mother had sung to him when he was a child. He sung silly poems he'd written when he was a younger, more foolish man. He sung until his voice started to give out… And then he said a soft farewell through the door, brushing his fingertips against the wood before turning to leave.

The porch light turned off once he was far enough away that the lack of light wouldn't matter. He turned back one last time and could have sworn he saw a figure watching him from the doorway… But it was hard to tell in the soft, fading moonlight.