A month had passed and little Fred had turned four. He had gotten to know Mr. Beck a little better and only saw Mrs. Beck a few times, but Fred was always so shy around her...Mrs. Argall was getting Fred all dressed up so Mr. Beck could take him home. The adoption papers were final, and Amos and Leah Beck were Fred's legal guardians. They decided to have Fred keep his last name, though.

"Fred...Stay still please!" Jane laughed at the squirmming little boy. She was putting Fred in a red, burgundy, and brown plaid shirt, with brown trousers, suspenders and shoes.

"There...Now you can play if you want to." She smiled at him.

The door opened and Todd and Mr. Beck walked in. Fred immediately ran to Mr. Beck. They had gotten to know each other a lot more. Fred took an instant liking to Mr. Beck, and Amos enjoyed the young boy and couldn't wait till he could take him home for good. He and his wife never could have childen of their own, and Amos was hoping Fred could fill that void.

"Fred...Are you ready to come home and live with Leah and me?" Amos asked, picking Fred up. He smiled at the little boy. Fred looked at Mr. Beck and knodded his head. Fred looked back at Mrs. Argall, who looked as if she were about to cry, but she smiled and waved goodbye to the boy. There was a moment of akward silence and Mr. Beck didn't know what to say, so he knodded goodbye, and left with little Fred hoisted on his shoulders. Jane went to the window, placed her hands on the window sill and watched them leave. She thought she saw Fred turn around and wave at her. Jane suddenly felt her husband's strong arms around her waist.

"You're gonna miss that little boy,...aren't you?" Todd whispered. He buried his face in the crook of her neck and kissed her.

"Yes Todd...Very much..." She said, and tears began to stream down her cheeks. Jane turned around and fell into her husband's embrace.

"It just felt so natural...To have a little one around...Oh Todd...I sound so foolish...don't I?"

Todd kissed her forehead. "I don't think so." He smiled at her. "You know...We can have one of our own..."

Jane smiled up at her husband. "We haven't really discussed that, yet...Having a baby of our own."

"You want to...Don't you, Jane?" He asked.

"Well, of course I do!...Why wouldn't I, Todd Argall?" She smiled.

"...Well, Mrs. Argall,...do you want to get started on that little one?" Todd asked, smiling and his eyebrows were raised.

Jane stood on her tiptoes as her lips found his. When they released their kiss, Jane wrapped her hands on the back of his neck and his hands found her waist. "Ready when you are." She whispered and smiled up at him.

Amos Beck had brought little Fred home. Fred was so worn out from the long trip that Amos put him to bed up in the loft. Leah was in the kitchen getting her husband's evening coffee. She was silent the whole time. Leah set his cup of coffee on the table in front of him.

"Thank you, sugar."

"You're welcome." She said.

"What do you think of the boy?" Amos quietly asked.

"I still think he's a little young...But give him time...and he'll make a good farm-hand."

"Leah...I don't wanna the boy just for a farm hand..." Amos began.

"And why not? You can't do it all by yourself, Amos! You're not in your 20's anymore you know!"

"Don't remind me." He muttered. "...I've managed just fine for years!...Besides! That boy needs love...and I want to be the one to give it!"

"Love!...A boy doesn't need love!...He needs discipline!"

"And we'll give him that discipline when he needs it!...Now this is silly, so lets stop arguing about it." Amos said.

"Fine with me...I'm heading to bed. You coming?" Leah asked.

"Of course...Just let me finish my coffee." He smiled.

Pulling her shawl tighter around her, Mrs. Beck went up to their room, leaving her husband to finish his cup of hot coffee. Amos grabbed the iron rod they used for the fire, and poked at it, stirring the red-glowing coals a little. He had soon finished his coffee, so he went up to the loft to check on Fred, it being his first night with them. Amos saw him curled up in a little ball, the covers pulled tightly around him.

"Poor little guy must be cold." He thought and grabbed a couple of blankets from one of the dresser drawers, and layed them on him, brushed his hand over the boy's mop of blond hair, and then he climbed back down the ladder and went to bed himself.