Doris stood in front of her back door, still unsteady on her feet. She'd been there since Olivia had dropped her off. Nearly the whole night. She could feel the morning sun coming up on the back of her neck. She just wasn't sure if she wanted to go in or not. Or more specifically she wasn't sure if she wanted Casey to be there or not.

She felt a drop of rain on her back and finally turned the key in the lock, pushing into her empty house. She put down her things in the kitchen and went into the living room. "Oh..."

"Rafe, what're you doin'?"

Emma crawled up onto the couch, yawned and pushed her head under his arm. He had his laptop on his lap and Firefox open. "This is called Fantasy Baseball."

Emma studied the screen for a moment, then looked up at Rafe, "You have all Cubs players Rafe."

"I do..."

Emma frowned, "Are you winning?"

He hit the link for the homepage of the league. "I'm..."

"RR's Cubbies? You're in last place Rafe."

Rafe shrugged, "Have been for a bit, yep."

"Can I help?"

Rafe ruffled Emma's hair, "You probably can Em, but this season's almost done. How 'bout next year?"

Emma nodded.

The phone rang and Rafe managed to get to it before it rang again. Unlike the plan, Olivia and Natalia had spent the night at the farmhouse, not the Beacon's penthouse. "Hello. Oh, hey Frank... no way, are you sure?" Rafe frowned, "No, no, I'm just stunned, I never thought sh... I'm stunned. Yeah, yeah, I'll see you tomorrow. Thanks man."

Emma frowned at Rafe, "Rafe, what's wrong?"

Rafe tickled at Emma, throwing her into a fit of giggles. "You are just too smart for your own good, you know that kid?" Emma shrugged, "Nothin's wrong. Now, have you decided what you want me to teach you. No calculus 'kay?"

Emma laughed behind her hand then she stood. "Baseball. Throwin' and stuff."

Rafe frowned, "No one's ever taught you that? Not Olivia, or your Dad, or Ma?"

"Natalia?" Emma looked confused.

Rafe smiled, "Who do ya think taught me?"

"Oh... will you teach me?"

Rafe glanced around the room. He reached into one of the skinny paper recycling bins his Ma and Olivia had scattered around the house and balled up the front page of one of Springfield's newspapers. "Catch."

Emma stuck her hands up and caught it with only a little bobble.

"Okay, now throw it back."

"With which hand?"

Rafe thought for a moment then nodded to himself, "Hold it in both hands and close your eyes. Now, throw it."

Emma spoke as she kept her eyes squeezed shut, "What if I break something?"

"You won't, I promise, and if you do... you can always blame it on your older brother."

Emma laughed and then her face went serious again. "Just throw. What if I do it with the wrong hand?"

"You won't. Don't think, just throw."

She did, the ball of paper flying from her left hand and fluttering into Rafe's hands. She opened her eyes to a frowning Rafe. And she got a panicky look on her face. "Did I do it wrong?"

"No, no... no."

It was Natalia who spoke from the stairway. "My son is simply surprised that you can throw lefty Emma. You write with your right hand." She stared down at Rafe. "And is about to be in trouble unless he stops throwing things in the house."

Rafe smirked and flipped the newspaper ball at Natalia, who caught it with ease. He laughed and ducked to the side as Natalia whipped it back at him. It hit the brick facade of the fireplace and bounced back into the recycling bin. Emma laughed.

Rafe smirked, "So, does the Beacon have a softball team?"

Olivia spoke from behind Natalia on the stairs, "We're going to now. We could totally kick the SFPD's a... butts."

Rafe raised an eyebrow and took a hold of Emma's hand. "Want to help me make our Mom's some breakfast."

"Cookies?"

Rafe chuckled, "Probably not short stuff. Eggs maybe."

Natalia and Olivia finished descending the stairs. "You still think she'll be a politician?"

Natalia laughed, "Starting first baseman for the Cubs?" Olivia smiled, "As long as I get to see who she becomes at your side, I couldn't care less what she winds up doing."

Olivia leaned her cheek against Natalia's. "I think that can be arranged."

There was a plant in her living room. And leaning against it was a piece of paper folded in half with Doris' name on it. She took a breath and opened it.

'Doris,

I don't' know if you're a green or black thumb, one of the many questionsI never asked. This is a Night-Blooming Cereus. It's one of the few unique plants that barely ever bloom, but when it does, it is astoundingly beautiful. I know know what we are or were, or what you want or wanted us to be, but I will be back before this blooms. That much I promise. I'm like the Bamboo that once you plant, you just can't get rid of.

Love,

Casey Jones'

Doris sank to the floor, the letter still gripped in her hand. After a moment she looked back up at the plant, "Damn I hope I don't kill it before then."

Fin ~ June 12th, 2009