"Bae: you're eight years old now - you'll still have auntie Neo and auntie Em taking care of you, and auntie Blake will drop in from time to time, too - and it will only be for a couple of weeks!" Flora's firm but consoling tones came from down the hall.

"I know..." said the girl, with a sniffle. "But...I just can't stop thinking about what if something really bad happens to you guys! Like what happened to daddy...and to me, too. Or- what if Cinder gets hurt again, like before?"

"The only person we know with Silver Eyes isn't going to just walk up and blast her," Flora replied, reasonable - and a dash humorous. "I think she'll be safe from that."

"But what if...?"

Elsewhere in the house - smack dab in middle of the living room - Cinder was sighing as two year old (nearly three, now) Maggy toddled over to her and hugged her leg, blinking up at her with those shimmering eyes of hers; was she really going to lose this fight? This one? If she spent any more time looking into those eyes, she damn well was...

"Maggy," she said, getting down on a knee and pushing the girl back. She pushed long, straight hair of shimmering black behind an ear. "Listen: You'll be okay! Neo loves you - you love her, don't you?"

Maggy nodded despite her tears and blubbering. "But I l-love you more, mommy!"

Cinder's soul soared. She smiled widely, nodding. "I know - and I think that's so- so wonderful. You're a wonderful girl. My wonderful girl! But my wonderful girl needs to stop crying before she gives mommy a migraine again," she concluded firmly.

"Sorry for m'grain, mommy, but I c-can't help it - don't want you to go!"

Cinder restrained another sigh. "It's not forever, okay? Just a couple of weeks! I go away every day for work at the cafe!" she added, switching tactics.

"I don't want you to go! I don't want you to!"

Cinder growled, wracking her brains for something that would work. She really missed the days before Maggy had learned to talk. And walk. And do anything other than lay around looking cute. Sure, part of that was just her own issues (thoroughly explored over past two years in initially-grating therapy sessions) with having a solid sense of control in her life - and over everyone in it - but she also knew that another part of it was just the plain fact that parenting a cute lump of a baby was a lot easier than a walking, talking, thinking-for-itself toddler.

"Maggy...I'm going, and that's that," she said, standing. She lifted her chin and crossed her arms. "Deal with it."

Maggy clung to her leg really, really strong for her age - and size - and began flat out wailing now.

"Hhhhhrrrrrggggggg." Cinder threw her arms down to her sides and began stalking through the house in a very undignified way, with a great weight hanging from one leg. "Flora! Help! I have no idea what to even say to-"

"Alright, why don't we swap out?" Flora nodded swiftly. She bent over to pry Maggy free, take the squirming, wailing girl into her arms. "You talk to Bae, I'll handle Maggy."

Cinder nodded back; Flora swept out of the room, the wailing diminishing somewhat. Her eye fell on Bae, who was gazing at her like it was the last time she was ever going to get to again.

"So..." Cinder started, seating herself on the bed next to the girl.

"Do you really, really have to go do this?" Bae asked, strained.

"It's really important to me," Cinder said quietly. "I've waited a long time to even go for this at all - maybe too long. For all I know, my mother died sometime in the last two years."

"I know it's important, but...but I..."

"What?"

"I...I'm- important too...right?"

Cinder eyed Bae, surprised. "Is that how you feel? You think that I don't think you're important?"

Bae didn't look at her. "I- no? I didn't mean- I'm sorry!"

Cinder shook her head, exasperated. "No, look, you said it - it's already out there. Now let's talk about it."

"Well...You always have work, and you go out a lot too - as the Fall Maiden - and...and now you're just going away for weeks!"

"And?"

"And...m-maybe it- feels like you just- don't want to spend too much time with me?"

"And that makes sense to you?" Cinder snorted. "I adopt a kid, and then I ignore her. Why even take you in to begin with, then?"

"I didn't- it's just...I'm sorry!"

"Ugh. Look, Bae: if it seems like I don't- have enough time for you in my life- I'll try to make that better, okay? I'll do better for you! But...after this. I need this, it's very important. I've never been away for this long, I know that, but I promise you that I'll be coming back. Safe and sound. And then...I'll take some days off work, I'll- we can go to the movies, or the park, or- anything you want. We'll do it together! Okay?"

Bae finally gave her a nod. "Ok..."

"Good." Cinder stood, reached out to stroke Bae's cheek - pat her on the head - with human hand. "Be good for your aunts. I love you - we both love you, so much. Please don't doubt that again; it's stupid."

Bae giggled. "I know, but I just can't help it..."

"I know," Cinder acknowledged. She left the room to find Flora - it wasn't hard, just follow the crying.

After a straight hour of dealing with Maggy, even Flora finally just threw up her hands and decided it was best to rip the bandage off and leave already. She'd settle on her own, get used to it because she had to.

Cinder and Flora exited the house together. Flora went to start the already packed up car; Cinder lingered on the steps to meet eyes with Neo and Emerald.

"I expect you to kill yourselves for them if you have to," she spoke clearly.

Neo rolled her eyes.

"I promise we won't let you down!" Emerald said instantly, face shining.

Cinder stroked Emerald's cheek. "I know you won't. You've never let me down, Emerald."

Emerald was practically melting under her touch, her cheeks flushed, her eyes sparkling. "And I won't start now!"

Cinder drew her hand away from hot skin. "No, you won't. I'll see you in a few weeks - but we'll be calling in every day via scroll."

"Of course! I hope you succeed at finding your mother."

"Thank you." Cinder gave a nod to Neo, and went to join Flora in the car.

She watched Neo and Emerald disappear into the house before giving a fixed smile to Flora.

Flora started them off through the streets of Mantle.

Cinder leaned back, then leaned herself right against her side window. In her lap, her hands were twisting over each other. Long, straight black hair curtained her face quite perfectly.

"Hey - they'll be fine," Flora spoke confidently. "They have two of the most invested babysitters imaginable. And they'll have even more help around if they need it, too."

"They'd better," Cinder muttered.

"You just have to trust them. You do trust those two, don't you?"

"I do - but that doesn't stop me from worrying."

It was funny, really, how one could go from being annoyed out of her mind and wanting to get away from her little brats at all costs...to wanting nothing more than to hop out of a moving car and go flying back to them. To just- sweep them up in her arms and hold them again, and tell them she wasn't leaving them after all - not ever! That this was a big mistake, that they were right, that nothing mattered more than them - not even her mother, not even her own past...

"I worry, too," Flora offered. "But we've trusted them to the people we have, and we're doing this - we're going. We have to get past all the baseless fears, too."

"I know." Cinder drew her head back, and smacked her face against the window. She shook her head and sat up straight. "I think it's going to take me a while, though."

"Then it will take you a while - but I'll be here to help you through it."

Cinder smiled. "I'm- glad to have you around for that."

"And for everything else, I assume!" Flora laughed.

"That was implied," Cinder quickly assured, her cheeks heating up. "All of it!"

"Hey, relax - I know I'm not just an emotional support pet."

"You really aren't; you're my partner."

"And I'm glad to be."

"I'm glad, too. Glad...to be your partner. I don't des- I mean, just...yeah." Cinder lapsed into a hasty silence.

Flora grinned - saying nothing, but knowing exactly what Cinder had been about to do again. Well, almost saying nothing.

"Gods, you're cute..."

"Yeah, well, you're...cuter - and also...really pretty and amazing and...totally, completely lovely! Yeah, that..."

"Thanks!"