Two Months Later:

Meredith was at home, doing Beth's preschool lesson. She let her color as an art assignment and got up to answer the phone, it was from Maggie's school. "I'll be there in 10 minutes." She looked at Beth, and hung up the phone. "Come on Beth, let's go for a ride." She smiled putting Beth's shoes on her and sliding her own on. She put Beth in the car and drove to the elementary school and walked inside with Beth. She was 6 months along, and ignored everyone's whispers about her. She smiled walking into the office.

"Mrs Greene." The principle said standing in the doorway, he had Maggie and a boy in the office, along with the boy's mother.

"Yes." She said looking at Beth, and the secretary. "Can she stay here ?"

The secretary nodded and smiled. "Of course." She said getting out a coloring book for Beth and some crayons.

Meredith walked back to the office. She saw the boy had a black eye and bleeding lip, and Maggie had been crying. "Whats going on?" She asked sitting down. The principal sat in the chair and Maggie's teacher sat beside him.

"Maggie punched Jamie." Mr Randall said sitting down at the desk. "We have a no fighting policy here." He looked at Maggie.

"Why did you punch him Maggie?" Meredith asked looking at her and handing her a tissue.

Maggie sniffed and took the tissue wiping her face. "He put his hands up my shirt and wouldn't stop when I told him to stop, he kept doing it. I hit him."

Meredith raised a brow. "Has this happened before, Maggie?"

Maggie looked down and nodded, " I told Mr Thomas and he didn't say anything about it."

Meredith frowned and looked at Mr Randell. "Did you know about the other incidents?" She said turning her attention to the principle and Mr Thomas, and putting a hand on Maggie's shoulder.

"He's just being a boy. He - "

Meredith raised a hand, "May I reach in and touch your stomach? Or anywhere else - Sir?"

He widened his eyes ."No. That would be inappropriate."

Meredith narrowed her eyes. "So what makes it okay for a boy to do that to a girl?" She glanced over at the boy. "You are 8 years old and know plenty not to touch someone at all!" She snapped at the boy. "IF you ever touch my daughter or any other girl or boy and do anything inappropriate with them. We will have a talk - with a police officer and I will make sure their will be more harsh consequences. Understood young man."

The boy nodded and looked down, the mother didn't say anything, she just looked down.

Meredith glanced at the mother. "Best to talk to over with him now - Go get at it.. I expect an apology from your son - to my daughter, about all of this." Meredith turned back to Mr Randell and Mr Thomas "I also expect that if my daughter or anyone else comes up to you with an issue, that you take it seriously, and not to sweep it under the rug. If this happens again and I'm not notified or she isn't taken seriously - You will be dealing with me personally, and I'm not someone who takes things like this lightly..Got it. " She inhaled trying to calm down she was mad. "Goodbye." She said standing up. "Come on Maggie." She said walking out the door. Maggie didn't say anything she grabbed her backpack and walked with her to the front office. Meredith stopped and signed her out and got Beth. "Come on, let's go." She held onto the girls hands as they walked out of the school and got loaded up in the car.

Meredith laid her head against the headrest for a minute, she groaned and sighed. "Maggie. I'm sorry that happened to you. I'm proud of you for sticking up for yourself." She smiled at her. "Why didn't you tell your daddy and I about the other time honey?"

"I was scared too." She said softly, looking down, she was playing with her button on her shirt.

"Oh honey." she said reaching back and taking her hand. "Don't ever be scared to tell us something that is going on with you." she smiled softly. "We love you, and are here for you - and to protect you. I'm sorry you have been going through this." She smiled slightly. "I'm proud of you for sticking up for youself. Got a good hook huh?

Maggie nodded and held her hand, she didn't say anything, she had a slight smile on her face at the hook comment. "You were scary in there.."

Meredith smiled and held her hand for a minute, and then drove. "Mama's can be scary to protect their babies sometimes."

Maggie smiled and Beth giggled.

Hershel got home later and walked into the house. "Turtledove." He said looking into the kitchen seeing Meredith and the girls working on school work while eating an ice cream cones.

"Yes?" Meredith said looking up.

"Can we walk outside?" he smiled slightly,

"Oh sure." Meredith smiled back and walked outside with him letting the girls continue inside with their work.

"I got a call from Mr Randell today.." Hershel sighed. "He said you pulled Maggie out of school and threatened him." he stopped and looked at her.

"Bear." She looked up at him. "Maggie got into a fight today." She sighed.

"What? Why wasn't I called?" He frowned. "So you gave her ice cream as a reward for her fighting."

She frowned back. "I don't know why you were not called - Maybe they did and you were busy, but they got ahold of me." She sighed. "Yes, I gave them ice cream - Maggie defended herself."

Hershel shook his head, and sighed. "I didn't get any messages or anything." He glanced down at the floor. "Ice cream isn't a reward for fighting. My girls know better"

"Bear…."

"No. I'm not to thrilled with this. Turtledove." He sighed. "I'm disappointed - maybe you can't handle it."

"Handle it?" She frowned. "That's not fair. I'm doing a pretty darn good job at handling things with our girls. You don't know what happened to cause her to punch him. You decided to jump down my throat, instead of asking about what happened. I'm not sure what happened at work today so I'll let that slide.." She sighed. "She was getting harrassed, Bear." She said sternly.

Hershel looked up at her and frowned. "What?" he said stopping himself. "By whom?"

"Jamie." Meredith shook her head. "He put his hands up her shirt and wouldn't stop, she told him no - this is the second time it's happened she said, and she punched him because he wouldn't respect her."

"Oh…" Hershel said calming down, he looked over at her. "Dove.." He said grabbing her hand. "I didn't mean when I said you can't handle it." He said gently, pulling her close. He pressed his forehead against hers and closed his eyes. "I'm Sorry. I'm really sorry, I didn't listen to you."

Meredith sighed and pressed her forehead back against his. "I'm sorry I didn't call you right after it happened and tell you." She inhaled and exhaled calming down herself. "I was so gosh-darn mad.."

Pressing their foreheads together was their way of apologizing to each other - even if they didn't have the words to say it yet. They remained quiet for a long moment, soaking in that moment.

"Forgive me?" He asked softly. "I'm really sorry, I shouldn't have gone off on you like that. I know you can handle it. You're doing a great job so far...I'm still not sure what the heck I'm doing as a parent.."

Meredith nodded and didn't say anything keeping herself close to him. "It's okay.. I forgive you. I'm sorry for cursing."

Hershel kept his forehead against hers, and stroked her face. "I love you, turtledove."

"I love you too, Bear." She smiled at her nickname for him. He was like a protective bear to her and the girls. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him gently. Hershel wrapped his arms back around her and kissed her back.

"Let's go inside." Meredith smiled softly, leading him inside the house. She sat at the kitchen table with them and continued taking a bite of her ice cream sharing with him. She smiled pressing a hand on her stomach. "Sorry. Really active today."

Hershel pressed a hand against her stomach and smiled. "That's great." He smiled feeling it, and took a bite. The girls pressed their hands against Meredith's stomach and smiled feeling it.

Hershel then took Maggie into the living room and talked to her about what happened at school.