AN: Sorry, I was busy this morning and wasn't able to post the new snippet right away. I know there are quite a few of you waiting on Uncle Henry and even Evolution. I'm thinking about them. I just haven't formulated enough thoughts to write yet. I haven't forgotten them though. On the other hand, I woke up with an entire smut fic crafted, so you may see that in the next few days. There are also a couple of prompts I'm working on and two more picnics to finish.

This particular snippet idea came from mobazan27.

Visiting Mom and Dad

Henry rolled over and reached out to pull Elizabeth closer, but his arm fell on the cold sheets, the spot where she had been. He lazily opened his eyes wondering why she was up so early. He heard the thump of the front door closing and he rose to look out the window.

They'd made it a habit to come out to the farm every couple of months or so. It was February and Henry wondered what Elizabeth would be doing hiking up the hill in the opposite direction from the horse barn. He slipped his jeans on and headed downstairs, tugging his sweatshirt on as he went. Henry shoved his feet into his tennis shoes and tossed his coat over his shoulder and headed out the door to follow her.

The bitter cold wind hit Henry in the face and sucked the air from his lungs. His eyes stung and he quickly pulled his coat on, zipping it as he walked. Henry tried to figure out what Elizabeth would be doing this early in the morning as cold as it was. She had quite the head start on him and he hoped he could find her.

He topped the hill and his eyes scanned the ridge. He spotted her a couple hundred yards away sitting under a grove of trees. Henry was perplexed and walked in her direction. It was only when he got closer that he understood.

Elizabeth was sitting on a blanket in front of her parents' graves. He stopped, unsure if he had the right to be there. It seemed as though he was disturbing a special moment. He shifted his weight and the leaves crunched under his feet. She turned around. "Babe?" he asked. "Is it alright? I didn't know what you were doing. I-"

"It's fine," she said, cutting him off. She turned back and faced the gravestone. "I know I can talk to them from anywhere, but sometimes I feel like I just need to be here." Elizabeth seemed lost in thought for a moment and then she remembered Henry. "You can join me if you wish." Henry positioned himself so that he sat behind her, shielding her from the wind. "Muffin?" she offered. Henry was tempted to say no, but his stomach rumbled at the sight of it, so he went ahead and took it.

They sat together in silence for a long while, eating and thinking. Henry made a move to wrap his arms around Elizabeth in an attempt to keep her warm, but she suddenly twisted around and ended up curled against him, her face pressed into the crook of his neck. He felt her tears wet the collar of his coat and he held her close and kissed the top of her head.

"I miss them so much," she murmured. Henry hummed his acknowledgement, knowing there was nothing he could say to make it better. "I told them about you." She pulled back enough to see his face. "I told them how kind and caring you are. How you waited patiently until I let you into my heart." She swallowed the lump in her throat and pushed the words out. "How much I love you, and how I want to be with you forever."

Henry kissed the tip of her nose before tucking her back in close to him. "I hope they see how much I love you and how I want to take care of you forever."

"Me too," she whispered. Elizabeth turned back and let Henry wrap his arms around her. Suddenly, she squirmed under him and he released his hold on her arms. "Banana?" she asked, producing the fruit from her coat pocket.

Henry chuckled. "I'm fine. Go ahead." She removed a glove to peel it and then sat quietly and ate while staring across the valley.

Finally, she turned to Henry. "Thank you for coming to find me. I'm glad you were here."

"Are you ready to go?" he asked. She nodded, and pushed herself up, as did Henry. He picked up the blanket and shook the dead grass from it before spreading it across Elizabeth's shoulders.

They started walking back toward the house. "I'm freezing," she said, "and I need a nap."

"Let's go back to bed, babe. I'll warm you up and then you can sleep," he smirked.

Elizabeth grinned at him. "I'd like that."