"Be back soon, sweetie!" Cassandra chirped as she gave her husband a quick peck on his cheek.

"Please, be careful!" he implored, forcing an indulgent smile as he watched his wife disappear through the Back Door after the other Librarians. Eve Baird, the last to pass through the door as always, gave the anxious man a quick smile of reassurance.

"Don't worry, I'll bring her back safe!" she said, her voice confident.

"You'd better!" he responded his voice deep as their now well-established ritual was performed. Eve gave him a curt nod, then turned and dashed through the doorway, vanished in a bright flash of light. The doors swung closed and silence fell over the workroom once again. Jenkins stared at the darkened doorway for several seconds.

"Ha!" he snorted softly, clapping his hands once as he spun around to face his desk.

"Franklin!" he called brightly, walking toward the desk. "I have a surprise for you today!"

A long, narrow, iridescent green head shot up at the sound of the old Caretaker's voice, its long ears upright and alert, its large black eyes focused on Jenkins. A faint whine sounded in the tea dragon's throat as he picked up on the excitement in the immortal's tone, and the end of his tufted tail began to twitch.

Jenkins rounded the end of his desk and pulled opened one of its drawers. He withdrew a parcel wrapped in clear plastic and held it up to the closely watching dragon. Inside the parcel was an object, bright and multi-colored like a rainbow. Smiling, Jenkins snipped the plastic wrapping open with a pair of scissors and pulled the colored object out, held it up so that Franklin could see it clearly.

It was a deflated beach ball.

Franklin instantly scrambled to his feet and began to hop repeatedly into the air, grunting and huffing loudly in curiosity. He didn't know what this new thing was, but if his adoptive father thought it was a good thing, then it must be a very good thing, indeed!

Jenkins quickly found the nozzle and began to blow up the beach ball, comically puffing his cheeks out and closing his eyes as he forced air into the new toy. Franklin, incapable of patiently waiting for anything, started squirming frantically on the desktop as the ball grew in size, the serpentine tail lashing back and forth, his hindquarters wriggling with restless energy, his whines growing louder and more plaintive as the long minutes passed. By the time the ball was fully inflated, Jenkins was panting for air, his face pink with the effort; he was feeling more than a little lightheaded, too.

"Next time I use a tire pump!" he grumbled sourly to himself. He looked over at Franklin, saw the small creature's excitement and his momentary grumpiness disappeared. He smiled and held up the beach ball.

"So what do you think, my fine little fellow?" he asked the ecstatic dragon. "You want the ball? Yes? You want the nice beach ball?" Franklin immediately shrieked in reply, barely able to restrain himself now. Jenkins laughed and turned toward the open main floor of the Annex workroom. He raised his arms high over his head, the ball held firmly in his hands and poised for release. Franklin whimpered, his entire body barely holding on to any semblance of self-control

"Go get it, then!"

Jenkins lobbed the beach ball high into the air and out into the open area of the Annex workroom, and Franklin let loose a deafening scream. Papers, pencils, books and documents flew off of the desk as all four feet scrabbled wildly for purchase on the desktop. Finally, his tiny claws were able to dig into the wood, and he launched himself into the air after the ball. He hit the floor and shot across the smooth wood marquetry, his black eyes locked onto the ball as it began its downward arc. Still screaming like something mad, he closed in on his target. When he was about a yard away, he leaped into the air. All four limbs spread wide. He landed on the beach ball, wrapping his limbs and long body around it in a frantic hug and rode it down to the floor,

When it landed, the ball bounced slightly and rolled. Franklin let go of the ball and began to bat it wildly around the floor, delighted by how easily it could be moved and how it bounced across the floor and off of objects. Leaping and bounding with total abandon, he chased it around the workroom, shrieking and squealing with joy. As he watched, Jenkins felt his heart swell with happiness at his little friend's blissfull delight. He was about to go and retrieve the ball so he could toss it into the air again when disaster struck: Franklin's sharp teeth tore into the soft vinyl of the ball and it deflated almost instantly. Franklin turned look at Jenkins, his expression one of utter confusion and dejection.

Jenkins stopped in his tracks, sucking in a sharp breath as his happiness of a moment before evaporated as he gazed into the little dragon's disappointed eyes. Franklin turned back to stare at the limp scrap of vinyl for a moment, blinking in dismay, his long ears and tail drooping just before his entire body dropped onto the floor with pathetic sigh. Jenkins exhaled, his shoulders unconsciously drooping in sympathy with the tea dragon's distress. He strode quickly across the workroom to the airless beach ball and bent over to pick it up.

"Ohhh, Franklin," he said sadly, "I'm so sorry! I should've known better than to give you something so flimsy—" But before his fingers touched the ball, Franklin suddenly jumped up and shot forward. He snatched up the deflated ball in his jaws and gave it a few rough shakes, then he looked up at surprised Jenkins. When he was certain that the immortal was paying attention to him, Franklin turned and scampered away across the floor, stopping at the doorway that led into a corridor. He turned and looked back at a slightly perplexed Jenkins. Franklin dropped the ball and gave a sharp yelp, then bounced around the flaccid beach ball a few times before looking back at Jenkins again expectantly.

Suddenly, Jenkins understood: It was a clear invitation to play. He grinned, marveling at the little reptile's resilience and adaptability. He then chuckled in wonder at what he was about to do as he removed his suit coat and carefully draped it over the back of a nearby chair. Franklin whined the whole time, eager for the game to begin.

Jenkins turned and planted his feet, looked directly into Franklin's large, shining black eyes. If anyone had told Jenkins ten years ago that one day he would be willingly chasing a tea dragon through the Annex, he would've thrown the fool out on his backside. And yet, here he was, getting ready to willingly chase a tea dragon through the Annex, and only because it would make that little tea dragon insanely happy. Jenkins rolled his head and shoulders a couple of times in preparation. He lowered his head and put a stern look on his face.

"Frankli-i-i-n!" he said, his voice heavy with mock reproach. Franklin squealed in reply, then he slowly, deliberately stretched out his long neck and very carefully took the remains of the ball between his teeth, his eyes never leaving Jenkins. The little reptile's entire body thrummed with anticipation. Jenkins narrowed his eyes.

"Franklin! Give me that ball!" he demanded, "Give it to me right now!" He took one step forward. It was all Franklin needed. He turned and flew through the doorway, disappeared into the dimly-lit corridor, screaming like a banshee the entire way. Jenkins grinned happily at the tea dragon's reaction, and he cleared his throat.

"FRANKLIN!" he bellowed as he began jogging toward the corridor. "YOU BRING THAT BEACH BALL BACK HERE AT ONCE!"

He quickened his pace, breaking into a long-legged lope as his ears picked up the far away sound of a tea dragon squealing in pure delight from somewhere deep within the Annex.