A/N: Thank you to all those who have stayed loyal to this story, even after three years! Just so you guys know, this story s mainly based off the book-verse. There are some characteristics from the movie, but I prefer the book and I's like to honor that. In this story, Miss Peregrine both looks and sounds like Eva Green, however, she is about fifteen years older (around 45) and she wears glasses :)

The next morning I awoke to an unexpected warmth in the middle of my core. I sluggishly sat up in my bed and stretched. The clock on my bedside table said it was half-past five in the morning. I sank back down into my pillow and paused. The children would not be awake for another hour-and-a-half or so. I slumped back against my pillow and sighed. I hadn't slept for very long, but I felt well rested.

I slid out of bed and grabbed a cigarette from my nightstand. I slowly opened the French doors and stepped out onto the balcony, my bare feet touching the cool stone floor. I lit my cigarette and inhaled deeply, allowing a smile to appear on my face as I exhaled smoke. It was still rather dark outside, except for a brilliant streak of salmon pink that plastered the horizon.

Today's the day, I thought. We can have our ymbryne back.

After almost three weeks of constantly tending to the children, cooking, cleaning, entertaining Miss Avocet and keeping a watchful eye out for Wights, I could finally take comfort in the fact that Miss Peregrine was back. I would surely offer my assistance to help run things, as I had before Miss Peregrine had gone a-wall and gotten shot, but I decided that it would be a rather long time before I was put in charge of things again.

Just then, my parents crossed my mind. How were they? Did they even know that there was a possibility that I could not return? Did they even truly care?

I began to feel very odd inside. Being with Miss Peregrine and the children was utterly wonderful a life, but somewhere deep in my heart, I yearned to be in Wolcott again, if only for a day.

I sighed again and flicked my cigarette off the balcony. I would ponder on things in a while.

I went to my wardrobe and was disgusted with myself when I came to the realization that I needed to do laundry. The wooden laundry basket beside my wardrobe was full. I took note that I would do it later today. I settled for a plain three-quarter sleeved black sundress and a black shawl. I pinned my hair into a bun and headed for the first floor.

The house was surprisingly silent. Miss Peregrine and Miss Avocet must have stayed in bed.

I began by lighting a fire in the drawing room.

I then made my way into the dinning room, where I set the table for everyone, including an extra placement for Miss Avocet. I was sure to set the placements as close to perfect as possible.

In the kitchen, I began firing up the stove. I mixed some tea and put the kettle on to boil. When done, I poured myself a cup and I rolled up my sleeves. Time to get cooking!

Eggs, Bacon, Sausage links, scones, toast, slices of oranges, apples and bananas, I made it all.

My mood was rather cheery for not only getting a few hours of sleep, it was the excitement that the peculiar world would be turning back to, well, normal. If one could say that this world was normal, anyway.

Getting lost in mixing scone dough in a bowl, I began to hum. It had been too long since my ears had heard the unique beat of twenty-first century music. All we had were Miss Peregrine's old records, which were all special in their own way, but the older music didn't have the same effect on me as some of the music from my time did. I got so deep into my humming, and the movement of my arm as it stirred the dough was so relaxing that I closed my eyes, taking in the smell of the food warming in the oven. I could feel myself slipping into a trance-like state. It felt like nothing could ever harm me.

That is, until I happened to hear the familiar sound: click-clack, click-clack of a pair of woman's boots.

I peeled open my eyes slowly.

"Miss Stonington," said the voice of Miss Peregrine. There was a touch of relief in the voice.

I continued to stir for a few moment, a small satisfactory smile upon my lips. The footsteps advanced forward and came right up behind me.

I turned to look at her, continuing to stir.

Although she had been through so much, she looked... refreshed. Her dark hair was fashioned perfectly atop her head, her black gown had been recently ironed and it emitted an aroma of fresh laundry soap. Her face, rather pale, looked younger, even though she hardly looked her age, anyhow. Her piercing green eyes softly took me in from beneath her glasses.

She smiled and gestured to the menagerie of food items that were sprawled around the kitchen counter.

"My, my," she remarked. "You prepared all of this?"

"Indeed I did, Headmistress," I replied softly. I went to the counter and began spooning the scone dough into the proper baking dish. "I wanted to surprise you."

Miss Peregrine gave an approving nod. "Surprised I am," she commented. "And I'm sure the children will be, as well." She went to the stove and got herself a cup of tea. She took a sip and made a very soft mmmmmmm sound. "Delicious." Tea was obviously not a luxury accessible while in bird from, injured or not. I would have given her some via eye dropper while she had been injured if she had asked.

"The children will be so enthralled to see you," I said. "I think little Claire has asked me a thousand times if you were going to come back."

She chuckled. It was odd. Miss Peregrine hardly showed any true emotion, especially in the presence of the children. I had seen her afraid, trembling and crying the night Caul had abducted her. Then again, Miss Avocet hardly showed any emotion, either. I wondered if being overly gushy was against some sort of ymbryne code.

"Yes, it will be nice to see them," she said, hiding a smile behind the rim of her tea as she took another sip. She then reached into her pocket and revealed her pocket watch. "Ah, the children shall be up at any moment. Allow me to formally re-introduce myself during breakfast. However, I would like to speak with you in private whence the children disperse to play."

I nodded, "Yes, Headmistress."

And with that, she swooped from the kitchen.

Not long after that, I was making trips to the dinning room, setting food on the table, when Miss Avocet strode in.

"Good Morning, Miss Stonington. Do tell me, have you seen Alma?"

"Yes, Miss Avocet, I have, indeed."

"Where is she?"

"I belive she is strolling in the garden."

She disappeared then.

Soon all the children were seated in the dinning room, all of them chattering away with pure joy. As I finished serving the food, a million questions were being thrown at me.

"Where is Miss Peregrine?" asked Emma.

"Is she okay?" asked Jacob.

"Is she still a bird?" Claire asked.

The room suddenly became filled with the strident sound of all the children attempting to talk over one another. I was rather used to this, but for some peculiar reason which I could not put my finger on, all of their voices warped oddly and seemed to thunder against my ear drums. The tone from the children then went from pure curiousness, to curiousness bordered by deep worrying. I tried everything to calm them, hand signals, whistling, talking over them, but alas, nothing worked.

Until...

"QUIETTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!" boomed the voice of Miss Peregrine.

The room fell more silent than a graveyard. Enoch dropped a fork on his plate and Hugh accidently released a bee, its buzzing faint but noticeable.

All eyes fell to Miss Peregrine.

She stood in the doorway, nose high, pipe in hand. Miss Avocet was standing behind her, a stern look on her face.

All the children began to grin at the sight of their headmistress, but none of them dared speak a word.

"Now, children," Miss Peregrine began, crossing into the room and standing before her place at the head of the table, "I understand that you are all thrilled to see me- and trust me, it warms my heart to see you, as well- but that does not give you the right to act unruly," she said the word with a bit of deepness to place emphasis on how disappointed she was in them for being so noisy. She lowered herself gracefully into her chair. "I understand that these past couple weeks have been... unique without my immediate presence, but I can assure you that you were left in good hands." She smiled at me for a mere moment.

"Miss Stonington performed wonderfully, if I may say so myself, Alma," Miss Avocet chimed in.

"Minette was awfully good to us," said Fiona.

"Yeah, Miss P, she always made sure that we were taken care of," said Enoch.

Miss Peregrine nodded approvingly. "Oh, my children," she sighed happily, "it is so good to be back amongst you all."

"We missed you heavily, Miss Peregrine," said Emma. She could not hide the tears of joy that lingered in her eyes.

"And I you," she replied.

I was beginning to become emotional. I slowly made my way to Miss Peregrine's side and all eyes were put on me.

"Children," I said, "I would just like to thank you for behaving so well for me, while Miss Peregrine was in recovery. You are the prefect family that I have always wanted," I admitted. "The group of you has shown me love and care that I've never been shown before. What I'm trying to say, I suppose, is that I honestly don't know how to properly thank you."

Bronwyn's face lit up. "How about staying... FOREVER?" she asked excitedly.

"Yes, we love you, Minette," giggled Olive.

A universal approval went up. I beamed for a moment. Then, I softened again, I couldn't help it.

I felt Miss Peregrine take hold of my hand from her seat, and I looked down at her. As if her grin wasn't enough, her bright green eyes were begging me to stay. "As I have said before, Miss Stonington, you make quite the addition to the family."

An overwhelming feeling dropped over me. I told them that I had some thinking to do. I then sat down and breakfast began.