Chapter Twelve: The Picnic

"That one, Haru. Think you can reach it?" Lily asked hopefully. The bespectacled brunette looked up at the huge picnic basket that was resting on top of a cabinet in the kitchen. Biting her lip, she grabbed a chair from the table and set it directly in front of the cabinet. Carefully getting on it, she stood up tall and got to her tiptoes.

Her fingertips just barely brushed the solid handle of the wicker basket. Grimacing a bit, she angled her arm differently, digging her elbow into the painted wood of the cabinet door. Her longest finger just managed to curl around the edge, and drag the basket close enough to her to grab the body of the basket, and carefully bring it down.

"You're sure your father won't mind?" she asked worriedly, passing the wicker prize to Thomas.

"As long as we're careful with it, Father won't mind. I think." The tiger-like kitten immediately turned away so that he could dust off the basket and line it with a folded tablecloth.

"That sounds reassuring," his nanny said sarcastically while getting off the chair. After putting the seat away, she hovered protectively over Elly as she carefully cut cucumbers for sandwiches.

The von Gikkingen children were planning a surprise picnic for their father today, and he was firmly staying in his room until they were ready to go.

Another one of the restrictions was that the kittens insisted on making the picnic lunch themselves, but that didn't stop their nanny from dropping hints as needed.

"Just a little more paprika, Lily," Haru urged as Lily struggled to mix the potato salad, panting a bit.

"This isn't as easy as it looks. How come you never told me about that?"

Haru shrugged. "I used to chop wood every day, summer or winter. Making potato salad is a lot easier than that."

Lily nodded while shaking a bit more paprika into the salad, her sister making exquisite little sandwiches while her brother carefully sprinkled a few choice herbs into the boiling teapot, his eyes narrowed in concentration.

"This is going to be wonderful…" he whispered excitedly.

Haru laughed, pulling up a chair next to her brother, who was reading another botany book. "I bet it is. It's been a while since you three had some alone time with your father, hasn't it?"

"Six months," Elly reported, placing her edible works of art within individual tissues, then into a box. "Last Christmas. It's hard to get some family time in with Father's jobs; but he always takes Christmas off, no matter what. It's just… hard for him to get time with us at any other season."

Haru saddened, and reached over to ruffle her brother's hair. "I'm sure that Hashi and I can find some corner we haven't washed yet. Or maybe we could raid through the library," she mused.

Lily looked up from her struggle with the potato salad, completely shocked. "What? I thought you were coming with us!"

"I thought so too!" Elly protested as Thomas nearly dropped the teapot he was pouring into a large watertight pitcher.

"I was also under the impression that you two would be joining us," the tiger-like kitten said carefully.

Haru shook her head firmly. "Who knows when you'll get some alone time with your father again? Besides, we're… not really part of the family."

"Of course you are," Lily declared defensively, deciding that the potato salad had taken enough abuse. "I mean, you're as good as part of the family! We made enough food for both of you to come!"

Haru smiled a bit from behind her glasses. "I'm touched that you three consider us to be family, but I think we'll pass. This is supposed to be for you and your father to have some alone time. Right, Hashi?"

The boy snapped out of the book. "Huh? What were we talking about?" he asked incredulously.

His elder sister laughed and pushed him on the shoulder. "We're going to stay here and maybe raid through Baron's library while he's off on the picnic with the kittens, right?"

"What? I thought we were going with them!" he protested, making Haru groan in frustration.

"It looks like you've been outvoted, Haru," Lily said mischievously while transferring her salad into a bowl with a locking lid.

The slim brunette sighed, only able to think of one last defense. "How about this? If Baron wants us to come, we'll come. Deal?"

"Deal," Elly squealed, running from the kitchen to fetch her father.

"Don't pressure him into letting us come!" Haru called out after the white kitten, knowing which way she would try to swing the father's vote.

Hashi immediately sank back into his book with a knowing smirk.

Thomas laughed a bit, sealing up the tea jar before slipping it into the large basket. "He'll want you to come. He likes you."

"Because I'm a good nanny and housekeeper," the human girl reminded him, feeling a bit apprehensive about the business. "Besides, you three are with me all the time. You don't get to be with your father half as much, so why do you-"

"Because we like you!" Lily nearly shouted, slamming her salad bowl down so that she could run around the table and hug her beloved nanny around her slim waist. "Is there something wrong with liking you?!"

Haru stared at the tawny kitten clinging to her, more than a little surprised that she was getting so passionate over a mere picnic.

"We won't have as much fun if you don't come," she whispered, hugging her nanny a little tighter. "Please?"

Haru sighed, and wrapped her arms around the kitten child, squeezing her consolingly. "Only if your father says so."

A minute or so later, Elly bounced back into the kitchen, almost dragging her father behind her. But the look on his face said that he didn't mind his captivity in the least.

His eyes strayed to the full picnic basket. The green gaze warmed and saddened at the conflicting memories that were more than likely associated with the rarely used device. His inner battle was concluded with a strange sort of sigh that seemed to echo with innumerable emotions.

Elly coughed pointedly, pulling on her father's arm like it was a doorbell. Baron's gaze sparked back to life as his mind was firmly brought back to the present. He looked down at his smallest kitten, who looked very pointedly at the housekeepers.

Baron looked up at the human girl, and smiled warmly. "I agree with Elly, Haru. You and Hashi are part of the family now, and we'd be honored to have you accompany us."

The brunette smiled in defeat. "I guess it's a good thing I didn't put wagers on your decision." She poked her brother in the shoulder while standing up, one arm still around Lily. "Let's go, Hashi. Everything's ready."

The human boy rather reluctantly set his book down, and slid out of the seat, though scarcely taking the trouble to hide the triumphant smirk on his face.

ooOoo

Baron himself had insisted on carrying the basket. It was rather heavy, and his manners wouldn't allow him to let Haru carry it.

His father had trained him well.

They walked for quite a distance, always in the borderland. The kittens were in front, whispering and possibly arguing about where to picnic. Hashi was walking between the lord and his sister, his studious eyes carefully examining the sky in search of familiar clouds.

The basket handles were digging into the flesh of his arm! It was too heavy!

"Do you have any idea where we're going?" Baron finally asked Haru over Hashi, since the younger human was still pretty small, but she shook her head.

"Not a clue. They've been keeping things top secret."

"Here!" Lily announced, pointing at a lovely oak tree, bedecked in summer splendor. Haru whistled appreciatively at the ideal spot as Baron rushed forward, relieved to be released from his burden as he set it gently on the ground, between the huge roots of the even bigger tree.

The children each took out some of the food or utensils so that Haru could start unfolding the large blanket that had been cushioning them.

As the fabric became longer, Baron took the other side so that he could help the human maiden unfold the blanket, throwing the middle of it into the air so that it could settle flat across the grass. The wind was soft and cool, just enough to be refreshing, but not enough to disturb the blanket as the happy group began arranging themselves over it and patiently passing around the plates of food.

"This sandwiches are exquisite, Haru," Baron managed to say after a swallow.

The nanny smiled mischievously. "Thanks, but Elly did them."

"Really?"

The white kitten nodded proudly, taking a big sip of her brother's tea. "Haru watched, but we made the picnic."

Baron laughed happily, and raised his simple cup to the human girl in tribute. "My gratitude, Haru. Now if you could teach them your recipe for vegetarian lasagna, life would be perfect."

"I'll start on it tomorrow," she promised, a small bit of pride welling up for her cooking students' accomplishments.

After the food and tea was devoured, Elly gave a happy sigh, and laid her head in Haru's lap.

Hashi sharply looked over, a slight twinge of jealousy clear in his black-eyed gaze.

"Can you tell us a story, Haru?" the white kitten coaxed.

The nanny laughed and started scratching her charge's ear. "Well, what do you want to hear?"

"Cinderella," Lily responded immediately, making Thomas and Hashi groan.

"Yes, Cinderella," Elly said sleepily, making her brother growl.

"Come now, that story is so played-out, it doesn't even need to be told these days."

"I hate the stereotypes," Hashi muttered furiously. "The pretty girl's always good, the step-family's always bad, and the prince is a superficial fool. I don't understand why the tale is so popular."

Haru sharply looked over at her little brother, understanding his distaste. "Well, what if I switch it around?" she asked.

Baron's green gaze flicked to her, a little confused. "Beg pardon?"

"What if I switch the story around so that it's new," she continued. "That way, you won't know what comes next."

Baron smiled indulgently, and gave a subtle flick of the wrist. "Feel free, Haru. Tell us your version of Cinderella. I must admit that I grow tired of the same old story as well."