As the months passed, I settled into my new role well. I began to feel less and less like some kind of weird babysitter, and more like a mommy.

Alisia was maturing more everyday, progress I was thrilled to see her make. It was also kind of bittersweet. She was the sweetest, most adorable little thing and I loved her to the moon and back. I couldn't believe she was getting so big!

Nod was making progress as well. He was really advancing as a Leafman, he'd been promoted to a Lieutenant. I am so proud of him. He comes to see Alisia and I almost every day. His sweet smiles were getting impossible to resist.

My relationship with my dad was a lot better too. He comes to see us almost as much as Nod. Dad spent a lot of time at Nim Galuu's, eager to delve into the past of this world. He shares a lot of what he learns with me. Sometimes we go to Nim's together.

However, the person I'd made the most progress with, and this probably surprised me the most, was Ronin. I made his lunch for him sometimes and brought it to work for him. We ate supper together probably two nights a week, usually with Dad and Nod along too. He'd become a suddenly irreplaceable part of my life. And he adored Alisia. Watching him with her was fascinating. If Alisia had needed a godfather, Ronin would be it.

One Saturday about noon, I heard a knock at the door, and Nod's voice outside.

"MK! Come here, I have something to show you!" he sounded excited.

I grinned in anticipation and scooped up Alisia, who had been playing with some toys Dad had gotten for her on the floor. "Nod's here!" I told her, kissing the side of her face.

She babbled and cooed as I opened the door, and my face lit up in delight when I saw what Nod had for me. He was standing next to his bird, he'd gotten a hummingbird, his poor old sparrow just needed retired. He was grinning at me, showcasing his invention.

On the back of Nod's saddle, was a carseat.

"Nod!" I said in shock. He crossed over to me and took Alisia from my arms, and she planted her palm on his lips.

"Hey kiddo," he said around her hand. I walked up to Zeeba, his bird, and inspected the carseat. It was detatchable but firmly locked into place. There were restraints to keep her in the seat. At about two months, Lissy had gotten over her fear of flying.

"Nod, this is amazing!" I said, turning back to him.

He smiled with a small blush on his face. "Yeah, well, I figured we should have one," he said, bouncing gently with Alisia. "It's safer this way."

I walked up to Nod and hugged him around Alisia, and he held me tight with his free arm. "Thank you," I smiled gratifyingly.

Nod laughed, "I was glad to." He looks up at the position of the sun and asks, "Wanna try it out? We could go get some lunch."

"Sure," I agreed, taking Alisia back from Nod. "Hey baby, let's go get something to eat," I cooed at her, smiling and delighting in her smiles back. "Nod got you a baby seat!" I said as I strapped her in.

Nod climbed onto Zeeba and took the reins, and I slid in behind him, wrapping my arms around his waist. I missed that.

"Enjoying yourself, huh?" Nod teased me, with an exuberant grin on his face.

My face blushed bright red. "Eyes on the sky, hotrod!" I teased back. I couldn't describe the way Nod made me feel. Like my heart was flying, like I was walking on the clouds. "Where do you want to go?" I asked him.

Nod's lips turned up into a mischievous smirk. "Oh, I've got a place in mind," he said.

I was very curious, but I was also excited. I turned around to check on Alisia.. and smiled at her as she sat securely in her carseat. Her wisps of curly blonde hair were flying around her happy face.

I started to look down, to see where we were headed, but underneath looked to be all houses. When Nod landed in front of a sweet, though a bit worn looking cottage, I started to get an idea.

Nod dismounted Zeeba and turned to smile at me, looking a little nervous. He offered me his hand, and I took it and dismounted too, a wondering smile growing on my face. Nod unfastened Alisia from her car seat and placed her on his hip. When Nod and I were together I practically had to rip Alisia out of his arms to get some time with her. I didn't mind at all though. I loved that Nod loved Alisia so much.

Nod gestured with his free hand. "MK, this is my home. I live here with my mom, and—" the apples of his cheeks got a little pink, "I've brought you here to meet her."

Nod had brought me home to meet his mother! "Finally!" I exclaimed. Honestly, I had been so curious about Nod's mother. The woman who gave me clothes when I first got here, who sent cookies with Nod on Wednesday afternoons, the woman Nod had been telling me about for months. I took Nod's hand to calm his nerves and smiled sweetly into his eyes. "I can't wait to see her," I said softly. I meant it so much. My heart was in its happy place. It was obvious the way Nod and I felt about each other. We still hadn't kissed though—not since my first day in the Leafkingdom.

Nod reciprocated my grin. "Let's go, she's probably waiting for us," he said, and we walked up to Nod's house. Nod let go of my hand to open the door for me, and I cautiously stepped into Nod's home. Nod stepped in behind me, cradling Alisia still on his hip.

"Go on just ahead, the kitchen's right there," Nod said. He put his hand on the small of my back, guiding me. I was the nervous one now. What if she didn't like me? Nod's touch was sending strikes of electricity down my entire body. When I reached the doorway to the kitchen, I saw an old woman sitting at the table. She had grey hair that was put in a bun, wrinkled tan skin, and when she looked up at me to smile, her eyes were an ocean blue. She stood quickly and put her arms out.

"You must be Mary Katherine!" she said excitedly, and rushed forward to wrap her arms around me om a hug. "I'm Violet, Nod's mother, he's told me so much about you," Violet explained, grasping my hands in hers.

I smiled widely, blushing a little and looking back at Nod. "Nod talks about you a lot as well!" I laughed.

Nod wrapped his arm around my waist again and said, "Mom, this is MK, and this is the Queen, Alisia."

Violet tilted her head to the side and dipped just a bit in a small curtsy. I didn't mind, Alisia was just a baby. She didn't know what curtsying was. She had no idea what kind of position she was in, or would be. Her powers hadn't quite grown in. Nim say they wouldn't really make an appearance until she was about three. But the forest around her, wherever she went, looked beautiful and vibrant.

Violet stared at Alisia, taking in her light peach skin, wisps of blonde hair, and deep as the night sky blue eyes.

Alisia stared back at her, curiously exploring Violet's new face with her eyes.

"Well hello, sweet thing," Violet cooed. Then she moved back and said, "Let's sit down and eat."

There were three chairs around the round little table, and a high chair, so Nod put Alisia in the high chair and sat across from me, with Violet at the head of the table. I'd brought some of Alisia's baby food with me, so I started to feed her. She'd been on solids for about a month now.

Violet watched Alisia and I with a contented look on her face. "She's such a cute little thing.. reminds me a little of Nod when he was a baby," she said in a reminiscing tone of voice.

"Mom.." Nod started.

"He was such an easy baby," Violet complimented. "His eyes were blue too until they turned brown when he was a year old. He has his father's eyes."

I smiled encouragingly at Violet, a pang of sympathy in my heart. "Easy baby? He seems to be a bit of a wild child," I teased Nod from across the table.

"Oh well, you'll learn how the terrible twos will effect Alisia too. They get everyone!" Violet laughed.

We had a great lunch together. I was so happy to have finally met Nod's mom, and she seemed to really like me, and I really liked her.

Nod stood at the end of a long conversation and stretched. "Well Mom, I have to get back to work soon, and take MK and Ace home."

We all stood then. Alisia had been passed around until she made it to Violet's arms, and had been playing contentedly with a long wooden necklace hanging around Violet's neck.

Nod and his mother hugged, then he removed Alisia from Violet's arms and said, "I'll be with Zeeba," as he walked outside.

My heart turned soft as Violet gave me a tight hug. "My son loves you," she said surely.

My eyebrows rose and I gave a short laugh. I wasn't expecting that bombshell!

"No, it's true! I have never in my life seen my boy so happy. He was a troubled child, after the death of his father. And he was a troubled teenager, with his newfound responsibilities and his carefree attitude. I was worried he was spiraling downhill. But you, Mary Katherine. You've molded my son into an entirely new person. Look at the way he is with Alisia. He loves her like his own daughter," Violet laughed, tears shining in her eyes. She hugged me tightly one more time, and I wrapped my arms around her as well, tears shining in my own eyes. I hadn't been held by someone like this since my mother died. "Thank you so much Mary Katherine," Violet whispered.

I laughed and wiped the few tears out of eyes after we let go before I whispered a bombshell of my own. "I love him too."

Violet hooted a laugh. "Well what's stopping you two!? I'm not going to live forever, you know!"

I giggled and said goodbye, finally, and walked out to Zeeba. Nod was leaning against her, his hand in Alisia's carseat, and she was playing with his fingers.

"What took you so long?" he asked curiously.

"We were just talking," I answered with a mischievous grin.

Nod took a closer look at me. "MK, you were crying," he said seriously, and put his arms at my elbows. "What happened?" he implored.

I smiled and put my hands on his shoulders. "Nod, it's nothing. Your mom is a wonderful person. We just had a heart to heart," I comforted him.

"Oh. Well, okay then," he reasoned, consoled but still curious. He mounted Zeeba and I slid behind him again.

When we touched down in front of my house I was a little sad, because that meant Nod had to go back to work and we wouldn't be together anymore.

I took Alisia out of her 'car'seat and placed her on my hip, waiting to say goodbye to Nod.

"Ronin and I get off early tonight, we'll come over. Okay?" Nod proposed, smiling.

"Alright, see you then," I accepted, watching Zeeba rise into the air, the love of my life on her back. The love of my life and I was too scared to tell him.

"Bye guys!" Nod said with a grin, and retreated into the sky, back towards Moonhaven and the Leafman camp. Training and recruits had increased phenomenally since Tara's death. Even though Dagda was dead and Mandrake was presumed dead, Ronin had been immovable on the point that the army needed expanded. More protection. Especially since the new Queen was defenseless herself. Ronin had asked that I receive training. I was a little hesitant, simply because I am not athletic. At all. I'm basically graceless. Ronin tells me that I have four hidden guards wherever I go, but I never see them. Thus the hidden part of their title.

I carried Alisia into the house and we had a bit of a lazy afternoon. Anticipation was building in my stomach to seeing Nod again. I'd tell him tonight. I had to.

Sorry about this chapter guys, I feel like it's not my best work. I'm trying to speed things up, and I've had a rough couple of days. My dog nearly died the day before yesterday, and yesterday we took him to the vet.. Buddy is 13, and severely arthritic. The vet said most dogs his breed don't live to be that old. So if I'm a bit lax in updating, I ask that you please be understanding, because if Buddy doesn't make it it's going to be very hard on me. But anyway. Thank you guys so much for all the love on this fic! Please continue to review, many reviews make for happy authors make for faster chapters. & if you guys have something relevant that maybe you'd like to see in the upcoming chapters, I'd love to hear it!

Xoxo

Erin!