Yes, the walnuts were a reference to the Dick Van Dyke show episode "It May Look Like A Walnut". I couldn't resist the chance to throw that little reference in and I've been rathered surprised that none of the fans of the musical have called me out for what I named Jerry's brother! Low mascara warning for this chapter as well, but I will warn you that there's at least one or two more tear jerkers ahead.

(London, 1923)

"Did Adam really do that with the walnuts?" Matthew asked incredulously as the others laughed. Michael nodded, laughing himself and unable to speak for a moment.

"Their father was understandably upset and according to what Bert told me later, walnuts are still not allowed in the Sims household to this day!"

"Can't say as I blame him!" Davey snorted. "That would have been a right mess to clean up!"

"My sister and I always reminded our parents about that story after Bert told it to us. That way, if we got in trouble, we could always tell them at least it wasn't walnuts!"

"Did he and Mary get their wires sorted out?" Matthew said as Michael took another drink.

"They did...in a fashion. It still took a little longer than everybody wanted. Robby and Olivia were getting tired of listening to Bert go on about how there was no way that Mary would be able to care about him. They took matters into their own hands and set Bert up so that he would tell Mary how he felt...without knowing that he was doing so."

(London, April 3rd, 1917)

Bert trudged toward the park reluctantly. Robby and Olivia were waiting for him and he already knew what they were going to say. They had been trying to get him to admit to Mary how he felt, but couldn't they see it was no good? He'd screamed the house down last month with a particularly violent nightmare and she left the room as soon as she could. There was no way she would ever feel the same way about him so why even bother?

They were already there and seated, along with Adam, on a blanket under a large tree. Nodding to them and trying to muster some cheer, Bert sank down slowly onto the blanket with them. Adam quickly headed off to a more distant spot with a book and he looked at his two friends.

Robby looked almost...too cheerful and Olivia's face was carefully blank. He didn't like the look of this and narrowed his eyes. He smelled something rotten in the state of Denmark, so to speak.

"I've come to let you two say your piece." he sighed, brushing his left hand over the grass and letting it tickle his palm. He had to get outside more. Perhaps once he was done with this set of drawings.

"Bertie Boy, you haven't even tried!" Robby replied, his normal grin replaced with a look of consternation. "It's one thing to let go when you've done everything you can but to give up before you've even given it a fair shake?"

"A fair shake is exactly why I'm giving it up, Robby." Bert replied tersely. Usually he tried to be more polite, but they had been over this time and time again. It was just time to put the matter to bed and let it lie. "I'm not going to ask her to devote the rest of her life to a cripple. Even if I do love her more than my own life. It wouldn't be fair to her. She needs someone who can give her everything. And I can't."

Bert's voice broke a little on the last word and Olivia rested a hand on his shoulder, but he shrugged it off. He just wanted to go home, maybe wallow a little bit.

"Bert, maybe you should focus on what you can give her." Olivia insisted gently.

"And what would that be?" he said bitterly. "A man who doesn't even know who he is anymore? No, Olivia, my mind is made up. I'm not going to burden her with that."

A voice from behind him made him stop cold. "How dare you, Herbert Alfred!"

Turning quickly, he saw Mary Poppins, umbrella in hand and flowered hat on her head. Her blue eyes were spitting fire and he swung his gaze to Olivia and Robby.

"You knew she was going to be here." he said flatly. They nodded, cowering a bit under the force of his glare.

"I TRUSTED you two!" he cried, popping himself up to his good foot, crutch quickly tucked under his arm. Ignoring Robby and Olivia's pleas, he stumped away as quickly as he could go. Some friends they had turned out to be.

Mary watched him go, but only for a second. She was so furious with him she wanted to scream, but she also knew that she couldn't let him leave that way. Robby and Olivia had been trying to help them both and now that she knew his true feelings, they would talk. Even if she had to haul him away kicking and screaming.

What on earth had possessed him to assume that he knew how she felt without even talking to her about it first? They had shared everything with each other once upon a time and she had believed that he would come around and talk to her as he once had.

Something Robby had told her during one of their many coversations came to mind as she bustled after him. He has no faith in himself anymore, Robby had said. He thinks that everybody is looking at his leg instead of him.

Surprised at how quickly he was able to move, she doubled her steps. He squared his shoulders, gaze focused straight ahead instead of turning to look at her when she drew up beside him. "Let me be, Mary." he growled.

"I most certainly will not, Herbert James Alfred Jr. You may as well stop trying to run away and face me like a man." she snapped.

He stopped, swinging an equally furious gaze to her. "What is there to talk about? I'm a cripple." He spat the word, jaw clenched tightly.

"There is plenty to talk about and you will not refer to yourself that way in my presence again or I shall hit you over the head with my umbrella!" she retorted. "Your leg is gone. So what? There is still more to you than that. Robby sees it. Olivia sees it. I see it."

His face suddenly contorted with an inner pain and he turned his face away. She wasn't going to let him off the hook so easily though. She walked around directly in front of him, planting herself in his path. "Look at me, Bert." she commanded, her tone a bit softer. Now that she had his attention, perhaps she could reach him a little more easily.

"No." he replied quietly, eyes still averted. The misery in his voice was more than she could stand and she rested a gentle hand on his arm.

"Please?" she asked. Finally, he allowed himself to look her in the eye. "You used to talk to me, Bert. Confide in me. But you barely tell me anything these days. I realize that this is embarrassing for you. You don't like having to lean on people or ask for help. But...I care for you. And I want to help you."

"I don't need a nurse, Mary." Bert said, his face still twisted with pain. "I want someone to share my life with, a wife to come home to in the evenings. And you're the only one that I want, that I have wanted. For years I've waited for even just a hint from you that you loved me in return. Then you went away. Four years went by and then I was drafted. I thought I would never see you again. And then you came back. But as soon as I saw you, I knew that I was too different now."

Her brows pulled into a frown. Couldn't he see that she didn't care? "Herbert Alfred, for an intelligent man, you talk quite a bit of pure and utter nonsense."

Now he was the puzzled one. "What do you mean?"

A half sob, half chuckle escaped her lips. "Why do you think I was always so glad to return to London? It was because this is where you are, you daft man. But I couldn't promise you anything, not when I had to go away so often."

"Are you still going to go away?" he asked. The fear in his voice tugged at her heart and she heaved a heavy sigh.

"I don't know." she answered honestly, her grip tightening on her umbrella. "This is the longest I have ever stayed anywhere without a whisper from the wind."

"Then I guess there's just one last thing to done." he sighed. "And I apologize in advance." he said before he suddenly pressed his lips against hers in a kiss that had her seeing stars behind her eyes.

She was overwhelmed with feelings. Nothing, none of her etiquette classes or training had prepared her for the sudden and intense emotions that swept over her. She stiffened immediately, not knowing what to do or even how to react. No man had ever kissed her before this and she was caught off guard.

Bert pulled back, regret in his eyes. "Mary...I...I'm sorry." he whispered brokenly. He stumped away, leaving her standing on the sidewalk with a dazed look on her face. She didn't even see which direction he went. All she could think about was how unprepared she was for this.

And for the first time, she wondered if perhaps Bert might not be right.