"Eva honey, get down off the ledge!"

The blond child gave a sigh before jumping down into her brother's arms, letting him lead her away from the river and over to the woman who had called to her from her spot on the hill. She quietly crawled into the brunette woman's lap and laid her head against her chest. "Sorry Mable."

Emily let out a sigh before rubbing her hand along Eva's back. "Sweetheart, that ledge above the river drops down at least ten feet. I don't want you falling, ok?"

"I said sorry!"

Emily looked down to the young girl in her lap and gave a glare. "Don't you yell at me, Eva. I know you said sorry, and all I'm saying is that you need to be careful. Alright?"

Eva nodded her head against the brunette's chest, looking up to her and wrapping her arms around her father's new 'friend'. "Kay Mable."

The older woman fought the urge to roll her eyes before she kissed the blond on her head, moving her off of her lap and giving her back her notebook. "Just get your homework done, ok? Your father will have my head if you're not ready for tomorrow's lesson."

Hadley tilted his head, his eyebrows scrunching in confusion as he looked to the woman on the picnic blanket. "I thought he took the heart."

Emily's head whipped around to face the young boy that stood beside her, and she quickly shook her head as she tried for a smile. "What do you mean, Hadley?"

"Well with the red haired lady and the woman with yellow hair never came back from going down into the cellar with Father. And when I saw tiny jars next ta' the bottles in the cellar, Father said that he took their hearts and put em' away for later."

Emily gave an audible gulp before she shook her head once again, beckoning the child over so he sat down next to her and his sisters. Once he was sitting before her, she ran her fingers through his tossled locks. "You know what? I don't think that you should go down to the cellar anymore. Especially not after your father has been down there. Alright?"

"Why, miss?"

The brunette raised an accusing eyebrows as she looked down to the boy, scowling slightly as Bailey cuddled into her side. "Just listen to what you're told. Do you understand me, Hadley?"

Hadley gave a sigh before nodding his head, laying on his stomach and beginning to read from his history text book.

Emily nibbled on her lip, picking Bailey up from her spot on the blanket and setting the young girl into her lap. "Do you want me to read you your book now, sweetie?"

Bailey smiled up to the brunette before giving a nod.

"Alright, which one?"

She snuggled into the older woman's chest before pointing over to a book that lay near her sister.

Emily picked up the book from a small basket that lay beside the blanket that they sat on, and smiled as she read the title. "Goldie Locks Has Chicken Pocks. Well this seems like a good one." She flipped open the front cover, letting Bailey's head rest against her breasts as she began to read. "Goldie Locks has chicken pocks; from head to toe were polka dots. 'Where did you get them?' Father said. But Goldie only shook her head."

Eva sat up from her spot, smiling over to the woman who held her sister in her lap. "Can I hear too, miss?"

Emily smiled over to the blond. "Of course." She let her fingers flip to another page as she continued to read. "Mrs. Locks phoned Mama Bear, apologizing for the chair. But Baby Bear did not have spots, for bears cannot get chicken pox. 'Can chickens get them?' Brother yelled, as Henny Penny rang the bell. 'The sky is falling!' Henny squawked. She had no time for chicken pox."

Hadley looked up from his textbook that his father had given him and sat up, sliding over to his younger sister so he could listen to the story that the brunette was reading.

"'Jack, be nimble! Jack, be quick! Come and see! My sister's sick!' But Father told them, 'Not today. When Goldie's better, you can play.' Goldie Locks had chicken pox. They started out as tiny spots; then rosy bumps began to form, and Goldie's temperature was warm. On her tummy were twenty-four. On her back, she found twelve more! All together: thirty-six small pink dots that itched and itched!" Emily ran her fingers through Bailey's short hair, smiling at all the children as she continued on, "'Please don't scratch them,' said her mother. 'Let's connect them!' shouted Brother. 'We might find a teddy bear, or secret message hidden there!'"

"How is everything out here?"

Emily turned her head around and laid her eyes on her captor that stood on the patio not ten feet away. His eyes were surprisingly soft as he looked her way, and Emily slowly gave a nod of the head. "We're just fine. I'm reading to the children."

Nathaniel nodded his head, making his way over to the group as he eyed the brunette woman. "May I listen along?"

The brunette felt a familiar feeling zip from her throat to her chest, feeling that tightening sensation near her heart as she gave the softest of nods. "Of course." She waited for the older man to sit next to her before she looked back to the children. "Should I keep going?"

"Yes!"

"'Leave them be,' agreed Bo Peep, who happened by in search of sheep. 'That's sound advice for chicken pox. It doesn't work for wayward flocks.' 'Goldie Locks has chicken pox, a type of virus,' said the doc. 'Give her sodas, ice cream too; a nice cool bath will see her through.' 'Yum!' said Brother. 'I want some!' The doctor smiled. 'Your time will come...' 'No fair!' cried Brother, with a pout. 'She gets it all, and I'm left out!'"

Eva's eyes lit up. "Ice cream!"

Nathaniel smiled over to his daughter, shaking his head before watching her wide smile deflate. "Not right now, darling." He looked back over to the woman by his side and nodded. "Continue."

Emily nodded. "Little Red came skipping by, her basket full of cake and pie. 'Can Goldie come to Gram's with me? I sure would like the company.' But Goldie Locks had chicken pox; upon her hands she wore her socks! 'Eek-a monster!' Brother teased, 'oozing polka dot disease!' 'An alien from outer space!' her brother laughed and scratched his face. 'I'm SUPER LOCKS. You can't get me! My powers are too strong, you see!'"

Bailey looked up to the woman and grinned. "I strong, too!"

Emily smiled down to the girl in her lap. "Oh I know you are, sweetheart." She kissed the young girl's forehead before looking back to the book in her hands. "'Make him stop!' cried Goldie Locks. 'I can handle chicken pox! But how am I suppose to rest when my brother's such a pest?' Mother warned him, 'That will do!' And then they saw them, then they knew... Her brother's face showed all the signs, in rosy polka dot designs." She closed the book before setting it aside, looking over to the chilren on the blanket. "So? Have any of you had the chicken pox?"

Hadley shook his head, pointing over to his father. "Nu uh. Father got us medicine."

Nathaniel nodded, smiling over to his son. "I got you all your vaccinations, thats right." He looked over to Emily, running his eyes over the tense features she held on her face. "So they've studied, and you've read to them. I think it's time to go upstairs for our talk."

Emily closed her eyes, her heart beginning to race when she felt the older man's eyes harden as they trailed down her neck. It took all the strength she had to give a nod back, and begin to pack up the books. "Yes, I guess it's time."