Disclaimer, you know

Soon the three of them walked outside and rejoined the group. As the adults, all sat around watching the triplets be cute and chatting about various things about the neighborhood and the town and such dorothy, alex, Madeline, Ellie, Aislynn, Mayre, Betsy, and Annabella all sat around by the back door and chatted as well. This went well until Betsy finally asked a question.

"Dorothy, can I, um, ask you something?" Betsy asked.

"sure." Dorothy said.

"How did you come to live with your aunt and uncle?" Betsy asked.

"Betsy!" Mayre said.

"it's alright, I'll wind up telling this story sooner or later." Dorothy said.

"dorothy, you don't have to, you'll only upset yourself again." Alex said

"Alex, it's alright." Dorothy said.

"did I touch on a bad subject?" Betsy asked.

"yes, but if she wants to tell you the story, let her, don't try to stop her now, she'll only get upset." Madeline said.

"thank you Maddie." Dorothy said.

"your welcome." Madeline replied.

"anyways, both my parents passed away, they both fell ill not long apart, my father passed away in his sleep, and my mother, I, I was at her side when she slipped away." Dorothy said as Alex wrapped his arms around her.

"I-I-I'm sorry I asked." Betsy said.

"no, it's alright, it was bound to come up in conversation sooner or later." Dorothy said.

"Betsy, I think you should keep away from the personal questions for now." Mayre said.

"thanks trot, I didn't realize." Betsy said rolling her eyes.

"is everything alright?" Em asked walking over.

"yea, dorothy was just giving her life story." Annabella said.

"I really need to stop talking to my sister." Alex said rolling his eyes.

"Dorothy are you alright sweetheart?" Em asked.

"I'll be fine auntie Em, I, I just need a few minutes, excuse me." Dorothy said getting up and walking through the back door.

Dorothy walked to the living room and sat down on the couch. Toto and pockets immediately ran over to her and jumped up on her lap. dorothy sniffed and a bit and them pet them both.

"one of them asked, didn't they?" toto asked.

"yes boy, but, I'll be fine." Dorothy said.

"you're never fine, you always bottle your emotions." Madeline said walking in.

"Did one of them send you in here?" Dorothy asked.

"no, I followed against everyone else's wishes, dorothy, one day, you're going to have to let all of that emotion out." Madeline said.

"maybe one day I will, but not now, not today." Dorothy said sniffing and picking up her pets.

"Dorothy, please, promise me that you will." Madeline said walking over to her and sitting next to her.

"Maddie, I can't promise you anything, the memories, they hurt, and going to the cemetery, it's, I can't." Dorothy said, her tone beginning to turn from a sad tone, to a serious one.

"Dorothy, I, please, don't think about it." Madeline said.

"some days it's hard." Dorothy said.

"if I had an emerald for every time I felt one of your stray thoughts dwell upon your parents, I could build two whole emerald cities, and still have enough left over for like, a mansion or something." Madeline said giggling.

"Dorothy?" came Mayre's voice.

Dorothy looked up at her as she walked over. She sat down on the couch, and looked at dorothy with her eyes glistening.

"Betsy decided to return home, she's sorry for upsetting you." She said.

"it's alright, people do it all the time, it's just, the memories, they can be painful, and while I like remember my days as a young child, it's hard to think about my parents without dwelling on the memories of their deaths." Dorothy said.

"I know how you feel, my aunt, she had a heart attack right in front of the entire family, according to my father, she passed away right there, in front of us, this was when we lived in California, Mom couldn't bare staying there anymore so we moved to Oklahoma, dad however is always traveling, but his business decided to move here, Mr. bobbin, he was an office worker, well, still is, was moved here alongside us, at first, when I was told we would be moving to Kansas, I was frightened, because I would be leaving Betsy, the only person who actually tried to stick up for me. But when I heard that they were moving too, and we were both still going to live in the same town, I wasn't as scared anymore." Mayre said.

Dorothy looked at the girl and smiled, she knew she was going to like this kid. She seemed so cheery and chipper even with that one part of her life.

"but, Betsy is always trying to put a damper on your imagination." Madeline said.

"she's very shy, she; was my only friend back in Oklahoma, she stood up for me when no one else would." Mayre said

"I wish I was that lucky when I came here, I was the social misfit." Dorothy said.

"Oh, dorothy don't you start on that again." alex said walking in from the kitchen.

"are we moving the party inside?" Madeline asked.

"no, no one saw Mayre slip inside, I was asked to make sure she didn't go after Betsy." Alex said.

"why?" they all asked him in unison.

"don't ask me, I don't know." Alex said.

"well, you can tell them I'm in here, and please, can you call me Trot?" Mayre asked.

"if that's what you'd prefer." Alex said.

Mayre said nothing, she simply nodded and smiled.

"Trot it is then." Alex said smiling and running back out.

"dorothy, do you hold anything against Betsy?" Mayre asked.

"no, I don't, she had the right to ask, sure it was personal, but you both would have found out one way or another whether I told you or not." Dorothy said.

"but why would you tell us, if it hurts you so much?" she asked as toto sniffed at her.

"it's just something she's still trying to accept." Madeline said.

"what, trying to tell the story without all the pain?" Mayre asked looking down at the small dog that was looking at her funny.

"no, nothin ever so simple." Em said walking in.

"she's still trying to accept the fact that there will always be people who ask, and that she'll have to allow herself the pain of the memories surface." Madeline said.

"oh, um, Mrs. Gale, did my mother send you in to get me?" Mayre asked.

"No, she just wanted me to make sure you weren't making my niece feel uncomfortable with too many questions, oh, and dorothy, alex had to leave, he, his father, and Mr. Alistair are leaving tomorrow evening, so he's got to get everything packed, he wanted to come back in and say goodbye but his father seems in such a rush, since his in-laws don't ask for help often." Em said.

"well, when family calls." Dorothy said sighing.

"Mrs. Gale, oh, never mind, mommy, we're not leaving, yet are we?" Mayre asked.

"no, my darling, actually, I wanted to talk to dorothy." She said.

"Mrs. Griffiths…" was as far as Em got before she cut her off.

"Call me Claire." She said.

"alright, but I don't think it's a good idea to be crowding my niece." Em said.

"it's alright auntie Em, Mrs. Griffiths, what did you want to talk about?" dorothy asked fixing her posture causing both her pets to scramble about trying gain their footing.

"Betsy is, well, she's very shy, she's my daughters, first friend, and well, I want to see them both happy, but she can try to put a bit of a damper on Mayre, because she thinks that the more she talks about fairies and stuff, that she'll be made fun of more, even the bobbins know this, but your aunt says your aunt, uncle, and your friends say that you can do wonders with people, and Betsy's parents and like to believe my little girls stories that she comes up with, about her romps through the fields looking for fairies and unicorns, and we want you to try and open Betsy's eyes to the world she's missing." Mrs. Griffiths said.

"there's no lack of imagination in this town." Em said.

"yes, I think that that the only thing Mayre is bound to be made fun of for…" was as far as Madeline got before Mayre cut her off.

"could you two call me trot?" she asked.

"sure." Madeline and dorothy said nodding.

"I have a feeling that's where you were going, I might be made fun of for asking to be called Trot, right?" Trot asked.

"yes…" Madeline said getting up and walking to the other side of the room.

"I'll do my best Mrs. Griffiths." Dorothy said.

"please, life hasn't been easy for any of us, with my husband always traveling, this time with his first mate, but you'll meet both of them, eventually, and with Mrs. And Mr. Bobbin always helping me with something, I'm glad that those two have each other." Mrs. Griffiths said.

"I'll be delighted to meet him." Dorothy said.

"I'm sure he'll be grateful that his daughter and her best friend have made some new friends already." Em said.

"I hope so." Mrs. Griffiths said.

"Mrs. Griffiths, do you and Mr. and Mrs. Bobbin still believe in fairy tales?" dorothy asked.

"oh, yes, a little imagination is something that is lacking in this world nowadays it seems, Mrs. Bobbin and Mr. Bobbin are definitely some of the most imaginative people that I know, we're old fashioned like that, like around the holidays or if we went on camping trips together the three of us would sit around a fire, and we would come up with fairy stories which we would tell each other on the spot." Mrs. Griffiths said.

"well, then, I might have a surprise for all of you at some point." Dorothy said smiling.

"Mommy, can I come over and play with the others tomorrow?" Trot asked.

"that's up to Mr. and Mrs. Gale sweetie, and what about Betsy?" she asked.

"I'll go talk to her, see if I can't set things straight, she thinks she hurt me, but, people are always going to ask, there will always be someone, and people have the right to know, that I'm an orphan." Dorothy said.

"you are?" Mrs. Griffiths asked.

"Auntie Em, I thought you were telling them." Dorothy said.

"I was trying to when we noticed that Mayre wasn't here, and after Betsy said she was going home." Em said.

"well, Mrs. Griffiths, if you don't mind, can I take Trot with me over to Betsy's house?" Dorothy asked.

"No she doesn't." Came Mrs. Bobbin's voice.

"oh, did henry start boring you?" Em asked.

"my husband and your husband have a lot in common, but the girl we met earlier, and that other girl are really the only amusing out there since they're playing with your triplets." Mrs. Bobbin

Em smiled and looked at the clock nearby. She had a double take and then looked at the watch on her wrist.

"oh, my look at the time, it's passed their nap time." Em said

"Auntie Em, I'll…" was as far as dorothy got as her aunt cut her off.

"No, dorothy, you and Mayre, and Madeline, go after Betsy, she's going to need cheering up after she ran off in a huff." Em said.

"alright, but one question, Mrs. Griffith, and Mrs. Bobbin?" dorothy asked.

"Yes?" they asked.

"you all still believe in fairy stories, why?" dorothy asked

Both Mrs. Bobbin and Mrs. Griffiths smiled at each other, they then both turned to dorothy.

"well, when I was younger, Mayre's father's first mate, Cap'n bill, his father use to regale my husband and I with dark fairy stories of his travels." Mrs. Griffiths said.

"but you told me Cap'n bill retired after he lost his leg, why is he with your husband now?" Mrs. Bobbin asked.

"because, my husband always needs someone to travel with, and so he asked bill, anyways, your turn." She said turning to Mrs. Bobbin.

"well where to start, well when Betsy's father and I were little children, there was this woman, an old one, who live with her kids and grandkids, we were friends with grandkids, and she would tell us of how she once met fairies when she became a young woman, and how she became open to a whole new way of seeing things, and her father and I always held those stories close, never stopped, I just wish Betsy were more open minded." Mrs. Bobbin said.

Dorothy said nothing, she simply giggled and smiled. Both of her pets jumped from her lap and ran to the kitchen following aunt Em. Dorothy smiled and got up, as did trot and Madeline. They looked at each other and nodded.

"so, going to cheer up Betsy then?" Mrs. Griffiths asked.

"we're going to try." Trot said.

"it shouldn't take much, but I don't think she's going to want to talk to dorothy, so let Mayre talk to her first." Mrs. Bobbin said.

Dorothy smile and nodded. They all walked out of the house and started up the street. When they got to the Bobbin residence they found Betsy sitting on the front porch, bouncing a small red ball up and down.

"Betsy?" Trot asked.

"Why did you bring her with you?" Betsy asked.

"Betsy, it's okay, she's not upset with you." Trot said.

"Trot is right, Betsy, even if you hadn't asked me back at the farm house, one of you would have eventually, the memories hurt me, yes, but it's something I'm still trying to accept, I'm not mad at you by any means." Dorothy said.

Betsy looked up at dorothy, standing up she walked over and hugged her.

"I'm still sorry." She said.

"it's alright, you aren't the first person to ask, nor will you be the last." Dorothy said.

Betsy released dorothy and smiled. She then moved over to trot and hugged her. picking her up as she did so.

"Ah, Put me down!" Trot shrieked.

"Oh, come now, you know you loved it when I do that." Betsy said.

"not when you do it suddenly and scare the dickens out of me." Trot said.

"so, have you two registered at the school?" Madeline asked.

"yes, about a month ago, when we were told this was the town we were moving to they gave us the registration forms for the school, funnily enough, Betsy and I are in the same class, which is odd since, one, that's never happened before, and two, well, they sent us these little exams to take with the registration and we both qualify for the advanced class." Trot said.

Madeline arched an eyebrow at this and turned to dorothy.

"aren't you, ellie, alex, and Ace, in the advanced class?" Madeline asked.

"yes Maddie." Dorothy said.

"I swear, the coincidences, never mind." Madeline said shaking her head.

"don't hurt yourself thinking." Dorothy said giggling.

"hey, can you explain something to me?" Trot asked.

"depends." Dorothy said

"on what?" Betsy asked.

"what she wants explained." Dorothy said.

"well, I wanted to know, why Madeline sounds like you." Trot said.

"oh, well, that's a story for a rainy day." Dorothy said.

"awe." Trot said.

Dorothy smiled and looked at the two, however as she opened her mouth to say something she was interrupted by Donna, riding her bike up to her.

"Alex told me you might be here; he says he's sorry for just leaving but he really had to pack." Donna said.

"my aunt gave me that message." Dorothy said.

"Who's this?" Donna asked turning to Betsy and Trot.

"oh, right, these two are Betsy Bobbin, and Mayre Griffiths, but Mayre prefers to go by trot." Dorothy said referring to them in turn.

"So, you two are the new girls my uncle was talking about." Donna said.

"who's your uncle?" Betsy asked.

"the principal at the school, Mr. Alistair, but you aren't likely to meet him till after they get back from helping my parents." Donna said.

"Betsy, Trot, this is Donna Maitland, she's one of my friends, she has a little sister named Kelly." Dorothy said.

"Nice to meet you donna." They both said.

"Dorothy, have you told them yet? Alex told me to ask" Donna asked

"No, and I won't tell them yet either." Dorothy said.

"tell us what?" Betsy asked.

"another story for a rainy day." Madeline said glaring at donna.

"right well, I should be getting home, it will be getting on dark soon, and I should be helping my uncle get his stuff ready." Donna said.

"then why are you here?" Dorothy asked.

"alex, he wanted me to deliver a message to you, so I did, but also, I wanted to meet the new girls who will be in our class." Donna said.

"wow, news gets around quickly." Betsy said.

"I just told you my uncle is the principal; I know things that I probably shouldn't" Donna said.

"oh, right, well, we'll see you later donna." Dorothy said.

Donna nodded and took off on her bike. When she was far enough away where she was just a speck on the road dorothy smiled, and turned back to the girls.

"so, I'm sure we'll all get to know each other better over the next few weeks." Dorothy said.

"I'm positive we will." Madeline said.

"Definitely" Trot replied.

"maybe." Was Betsy's response.

Okay, so from here on out in the narrative I shall be referring to Mayre, by the name she goes by in the books, which is Trot. Also, this is my take on the characters, feel free to agree or disagree with my portrayal, since things could change as the narrative goes on. And now for the usual closing statements.

How will alex and dorothy take to being separated from each other? Will dorothy reveal Oz to the Bobbins and Mrs. Griffiths? Or will she wait for Mr. Griffiths and Cap'n bill to come into the picture? Will anything make sense? Will there be danger? Will there be pudding for dessert? These questions and more may be answered as the narrative goes on.