Authors Note:

Here's the new chapter!

The song Talia sings is L'il Red Riding Hood by Amanda Seyfried. (Yes, I know the song wasn't out then, but this is fanfiction, and I thought it would be a good song for her to sing because I couldn't think of any others.)

The Hale House

Beacon Hills

July 24th, 1997

"Alex, sit still!" Derek grumbled, trying to give his sister her cold medicine.

"No!" a three year old Alex yelled back stubbornly before closing her mouth firmly and turning her head away as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Alex, you have to take it—it'll make you feel better."

"It's icky," she argued immediately, turning her nose up at the medicine in the spoon Derek held. Her brother growled and called out for their mom when Alex continued to refuse the medicine.

"What are you two arguing about now?" Talia sighed in exasperation as she entered the room.

"She's refusing to take her medicine, despite the fact that I've told her it'll make her better," Derek griped, glowering right back at Alex. "I don't know why you can't just be like Cora—she does as she's told without a fuss and takes her medicine when she should."

Alex glanced over at her twin just in time to see Cora stick her tongue out smugly at her. Alex glared back at her fiercely. "Cora stinks!" Alex snapped before adding, "And she's a giant kiss ass."

"Alexandria Hale," her mom growled in shock and Alex ducked her head sheepishly. "Where did you hear those words?"

"Unca Peter," she mumbled quietly. "I wasn't supposed to tell you he said it in front of me."

"Uncle Peter and I will be having words later," Talia promised darkly, mentally picturing herself strangling her brother. She then turned to Derek and said, "Get the sugar jar from the kitchen."

Derek frowned curiously at the command but was soon off to do as he was told after handing the medicine spoon to his mom. He reappeared moments later carrying the large, blue ceramic jar that held the sugar.

Talia carefully took a pinch of sugar from the jar and sprinkled it onto the medicine before turning back to her daughter. "Right, Alex. I put sugar on the medicine, just like you like it, so open up."

Alex immediately opened her mouth and took the medicine, swallowing it without a fuss as she smacked her lips together at the now-sweet taste. Derek watched on, eyes wide and his lips parted in disbelief.

"How did you do that?" Derek demanded once he'd gotten over his shock.

"She's got a sweet tooth, you know that—she'll only take the medicine if you put sugar on it."

"I'm gonna have to remember that from now on," he sighed, rolling his eyes. Talia smiled fondly at him, stroking his messy hair as he sat beside her.

"Don't worry. It took your father and I ages to figure out how to get her to take her medicine without making a scene… it was actually Peter who figured it out—he promised her toffee if she complied without a fuss and she did. I couldn't actually believe it, I was that surprised he'd managed to convince her to do as she was told that I had to sit down from fear that I would fall down," Talia said the last part with a wide, teasing grin on her face and Derek returned it in amusement.

"Mama!" Alex yelled out suddenly. Talia immediately stood up and walked over to her second youngest child, briefly setting a hand against her forehead to check her temperature.

"What is it, little Lexi?"

"Can you sing for us?" Alex asked, using the full force of her puppy-dog eyes. Cora nodded eagerly in agreement, though she kept silent due to her sore throat.

"What would you like me to sing?" Their mom asked, gently brushing Cora's hair from her face—she did the same to Alex's hair with her free hand.

"L'il Red Riding Hood!" Alex chirped and Derek rolled his eyes at the request—his little sister always chose that song when it came to their mini singing sessions. Talia nodded and pulled the twins closer to her as Derek settled at her feet with his head on her knees and their mom was soon singing the song that Alex had been obsessed with since they'd heard it on the radio a month ago.

"Hey there little red riding hood

You sure are looking good

You're everything a big bad wolf could want."

"Little red riding hood

I don't think little big girls should

Go walking in these spooky old woods alone."

"What big eyes you have

The kind of eyes that drive wolves mad

Just to see that you don't get chased

I think I oughta walk with you for a ways."

Talia had barely gotten through the first part of the song when she glanced down to find the twins fast asleep with their heads pressed against her sides and Derek still listening to her singing with a sleepy look on his face and in his eyes.

She smiled softly and continued on singing until her son had also fallen asleep.