Another chapter for all of my fans. I love you guys--you're my inspiration. Thanks! Especially to CeliaLover25 because s/he's awesome. Hee hee hee!

CHAPTER EIGHT: The Sun Begins to Shine

When sunlight finally decided to grace the valley with it's presence, the same young woman who had moved into the house next to Hugh was already quickstepping it to Calendula Farm. Her mousy hair was perfectly arranged, her royal blue tie was unwrinkled and her face was very set as she entered the farm. In her hand was a buzzing instrument awash with blinking lights. She held it up and did a quick sweep of the lands, making mental notes of the rising and falling numbers displayed on the backlit screen. After poking the machine into the empty doghouse, Kate nodded to herself, walked over to the farmhouse and knocked on the door.

It seems to be Jack's lot in life to have females knocking on his door early in the morning. He pulled himself out of bed and grumped over to the window. Who in the world is that? She looks like some kind of teenaged lawyer. Begrudgingly he opened the door and yawned. "Hi. Who are you and why are you at my house at 5:53 in the morning?"

Kate smiled tolerantly. "My name is Kate Simons-Brandy and I am thirteen years old. I am most certainly not a lawyer, although I have attended two years of college for that particular major and found it to be most repetitive."

Jack blinked. "How did you know that I thought you were a lawyer?" The girl tapped her instrument proudly. "You mean that thing can read my mind?!" He exclaimed.

"Yes, actually. I borrowed it from that wonderful man Daryl earlier this morning. It can read minds within a ten-foot radius--not bad, but I have seen one with a twelve-foot radius," She clicked the machine off. "Is that your wife?" She pointed to the girl that had appeared from behind Jack. The farmer spun around and gasped.

"Nami? NAMI!" It was difficult to tell who was more pleased when he threw his arms around her and twirled her in the air. "It's great to see you! What are you doing in my house?" He asked, his hands still on her waist.

Nami grinned and shrugged. "I blew into town last night and knew that the Inn closes at twelve. There was nowhere else to go and I remembered that you leave your door unlocked. How has--"

Kate interrupted. "Excuse me, sorry to break this little dream up, but I have a video conference with a Sultan who owes me money at eight o'clock. The reason I came down here in the first place was to be shown around your animals. Can we hurry and begin the tour?"

"I don't remember ever saying that I would show you around my farm. You might have to come back later." The boy informed her coldly.

"Jack, Jack, Jack. I will do no such thing." Kate replied.

"How do you know my name?" He queried wearily.

Kate leered nastily. "Number one, your name is monogrammed on the boxers that you are so beautifully modeling for us. Number two, my machine told me so." The little instrument was on and humming again. "It also says that you call yourself The Jackinator, The Jackster and…need I go on? If you won't give me a tour, I will have sufficient time to hack into your personal feelings file. Your folder on a certain valley female is rather extensive--it would be my pleasure to read it aloud starting with your thoughts on her bu--"

Jack quickly cut her off. "Yes. Well. Let's start…in the…barn, shall we?" Still leering, Kate allowed the farmer to put some pants on before leading her to the barn. Nami trailed behind, snickering at and questioning the conversation that had just occurred.

Rock was shaken from sleep when Nami kicked him graciously. "WHERE'S THE PEPPER?" He yelled stupidly before finding his senses--or what was left of his senses. "Oh, Jack, it's you! Nami! Where have you been? Who's that creepy girl?" Jack explained the teenager's purpose to him and proceeded to introduce Bessie, who hoofed his stomach sleepily.

The reason that Rock was still sleeping in the barn was because Jack had finally caved and offered to give him ten G a day for milking Bessie and collecting the eggs every morning. After working his new job for an hour, Rock had decided that it was far too hard on his delicate skin, so he told Hugh that he would pay him seven G a day to take over his jobs. That only left Rock three G a day, but at least he didn't have to work for it! What luck! Hugh was thoroughly thrilled and did his work joyfully. It was a good agreement for both parties.

"That thing can read minds?" Rock yelled. "Ooh! Ooh! Read my mind!"

Kate nodded curtly and lifted her instrument in front of him. After a few moments, she frowned and adjusted a dial. Finally she dropped it to her side disbelievingly. "I couldn't get a clear signal. His mind was too congested with pitiful vanity--then when I did finally hack in…it was completely file-free. I've never seen that before."

Rock grinned. "Does that mean I'm smart?"

"Sure it does, Rock." Nami sighed. "Sure it does."

"I knew it!" The blonde boy smiled beatifically and ran his fingers through his hair Kate glared at him and walked up to Bessie. Surprisingly, the cow became meek and gentle, nudging the girl's hands lovingly. Jack raised his eyebrow and backed up a bit.

"You don't know how weird that is…she's never nice to anyone." He then approached the cow slowly and put his hand out. Bessie instantly tensed up and stepped on his foot heavily. "OUCH!" He yelped. Kate just smiled at him and left the barn, heading towards the chicken coop.

After holding two chickens upside down for thirty seconds each, Kate tucked her machine into a knapsack and shook Jack's hand dutifully. "Brilliant. Your animals are brilliant. In fact, most of them are smarter than the blonde boy." She motioned to Rock who was picking his nose. "I'm sure you won't mind if I return, will you? I need to ask the youngest chicken a few questions about the Coop Egg Scandal…I'm considering writing a book on the subject."

"So now you can talk to chickens? I guess I won't mind…you can come anytime you'd like…just don't spy on me or anything…" Jack was contemplating having a stiff drink or two at the Blue Bar.

The teenager flashed him a youthfully flirtatious smile. "Spy? On you?" She studied her shoes for a second, finally meeting his eyes again, her face straight but her piercing red eyes giggling like the little girl shackled inside. "Sir, I never spy." She then turned on her heel and escorted herself out of his property, her hair glinting in the early morning sun. The others were left to ponder the meaning of her emphasis.

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Sometimes I wish I could turn into a bird and fly far away from this boring valley. I would be a dove…or maybe a bluebird. What's the name of that pink bird? Oh, right, a flamingo. Yeah, that's it! I would be a flamingo and I would fly to the movie studio and become famous so everyone would know my name and Griffin would be so proud. That's exactly what I'll do! Muffy became so caught up in her fantasy that she rushed outside and began pumping her arms up and down rapidly, pretending she was flying. Marlin was delivering a case of oranges to the Inn and stopped to watch her. After two minutes of flapping, he cleared his throat loudly, breaking her dream. "Excuse me, but what exactly are you doing?" He asked politely.

Muffy squawked and ceased her flapping. "Marlin," she said, breathing hard and patting her hair. "I…was flying to a movie studio to become famous. Er…what were you doing?"

"Do you want me to call Celia?" The concerned Marlin asked.

"No!" Muffy suddenly became angry. "I can handle myself without Celia, thank you! Oh…" She began to cry and ran inside the Bar. Six minutes later, Celia entered the Blue Bar and walked over to the counter and the sobbing waitress.

"Marlin told me that you were having another breakdown. What's the matter?" She put a comforting hand on one of the shaking shoulders.

Muffy gradually quieted and dabbed her streaked face with a Kleenex. "I'm so tired of just being Muffy…just plain old Muffy. I want someone to think I'm special!" She admitted guiltily

"I think you're special." Celia said soothingly. (To be quite honest, Celia thought that Muffy was 'special' in both senses of the word.)

Muffy waved her friend's statement away. "Oh, pah! You're my only friend."

"Rock thinks you're special, doesn't he?"

"Rock? Rock!" The blonde's curls were shaking indignantly. "I'm so tired of waiting for Rock to quit fooling around and grow up. He'll never see me as more than an opportunity to flirt his heart out to. I need…something." Celia had never heard Muffy speak so honestly and solidly.

"I…don't know what to tell you. I know! Why don't you ask Chris? Isn't she psychic?"

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Nami had left Calendula Farm after eating breakfast with Jack, who couldn't cook very well--but he had outdone himself this morning, out of sheer thankfulness that she had come back to him. Well, she hadn't actually come back just for him…but he was definitely a playing force in her reasoning. Upon leaving his property, she set a course for Lumina's former home. She didn't know yet that Lumina was gone.

Meanwhile, Chris was visiting the new housewife, Kate's mother, named Samantha. She knocked on her door and presented a plate of steamed veggies when invited inside. "I just dropped by to say 'welcome to Forget-Me-Not Valley!' I've seen your daughter--she's a beauty."

Samantha smiled tiredly. "Thank you so much for your hospitality. I'm very grateful. Oh, Kate technically isn't my daughter--she was adopted. You've probably noticed that she doesn't look much like Grant or I…"

"I haven't met your husband yet. Where does he work?"

"He's a computer technician, actually. Are you employed?"

Chris nodded and took a bite of her own steamed carrots. "Yes, I am a secretary up at Michelma Corporation. My husband, Wally, is a athletic trainer. That's what my son is aspiring to become as well. So, about Kate, where did you adopt her from, if you don't mind me asking?"

Samantha shook her head. "No, no, it's fine. I adopted her from another town…I don't remember the name exactly. Mint or Mineral or Merrel Town--something like that. She was a mistake, to put it delicately. She inherited her red eyes from her mother. The woman already had two children of her own…I wondered why she didn't get her mother's hair color, it was an interesting shade of red. Kate's sister had the same light red hair, but her brother did not. Apparently Kate and her two stepsiblings had different fathers. Something had happened with the woman's husband…he was traveling or missing or something. It was all very hush-hush and kept quiet in the town. No one ever knew that I had been there or that Kate had been born. I never told Kate much about it, but I've seen her looking at directories of the different towns. Poor thing."

"That's quite a tale," Chris said. "but she seems to have gone to a good home."

"She stays to herself most of the time." Samantha continued. "I wonder what she does…?"

Chris laughed. "Oh, you know children! She's probably just playing house in the woods!"

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Kate was in fact stalking around the Sprite's Tree near the Goddess Pond. She was carrying another blinking machine and a whip. While digging in the soil, she heard voices coming from the pond.

"Did you say that she's been asking about me?" It was a man's voice speaking. Kate peeked around the tree trunk. The man had Elvis-style black hair, a white shirt covered in dirt and muddy blue jeans. He was talking to a woman sitting on top of the water. She had green hair and ethereal blue clothes. Ah! The mythical Harvest Goddess! Kate tightened her grip on her whip.

"Yes, in a way." The Goddess replied. "You're doing a fine job. You see, I'm a good help if you ask for it!"

The black haired man seemed to be overloaded with joy. "Fantastic! I'm…wow….thank you. I should get back to Vesta now. I'll see you tomorrow. Thank you."

Kate smiled inwardly. Ah, village love…so sweet and such a waste of time. The man could be more use in helping her find the entrance to the Sprite's home so she could harness their powers and use them to help her enslave the Goddess! Brilliant. And her mother thought she was playing in the woods. What a laughable concept--playing.

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I'm just so excited about continuing this story. Can anyone guess who is Kate's real mother and siblings? Even better, can you guess who is her real father? I'll give kudos to anyone who can answer that. Squee!