Hey guys! Thanks to PrincessSerene15 for Beta Reading this chapter.

This chapter is fairly short, but it's because it has importance, but not much is happening. It's more introducing a new character.

Expect the next chapter to be a bit bigger.

Again, thanks for all the comments! I appreciate them, and I hope to hear more feedback!

Chapter Four

A shrill bell sounded and children raced towards Serena in droves.

"Okay kids," Serena's sweet voice said to them as they lined up in front of her. She placed her finger on her lips in a sign to calm down. The small children's whispered voices halted as they watched their beautiful teacher. Today she had opted for a straight khaki pencil skirt, a casual white tank covered with a slightly unbuttoned, chocolate colored cardigan, and camel-colored Birkenstock-like slip-on clogs. Her long blonde hair was in a half pony, and the rest of it curled around her shoulders shining yellow in the glare of the sun. The children were in love with their teacher, and she smiled proudly at her little ones; as they finished their line she said, "let's go in for snack time."

Shouts of happiness could be heard at the prospect of a healthy treat in the works for them. When their voices started to again go out of control, she whipped around, stopped and again put her finger to her mouth. The kids again quieted, but their energy continued to buzz around them as they walked down the halls. The older children were too filing into their rooms, faces flushed from the activities they had just partaken in out on the pavement.

Once in the classroom, the children all sat in their assigned circles and Serena sat on the small wooden chair in between two of her students. She pulled out a small Tupperware and opened it up to reveal the contents of their snack.

"All right," she said holding up a piece of celery, "how many of you like celery?" Two chubby hands went up, while others grimaced at the idea of a nasty vegetable. She laughed at the reactions and continued, "okay. So how many of you like peanut butter?" With that question the kids shot their hands up in excitement, and she asked, "well what about raisins?" Some of their hands went down, but a few hands enthusiastically waved at her.

"Okay, well," she began pulling out all the food to demonstrate, "this snack is called ants on a log. It is a fun one, and has healthy food in a fun way." She picked up her piece of celery and showed them as she told them what to do.

"This here is your log. The raisins are your ants, and depending whether or not you like them, you can put on as many or as little as you want." Inside the Tupperware was a small container of peanut butter and a plastic butter knife. Serena pulled them out and took some of the peanut butter onto the knife and began to spread it into the crevice of the piece of celery, "so to make your ants stay on their log, you take the peanut butter and spread it inside. Once you have the peanut butter inside and spread around, you take ants and push them into it," she placed the raisins in a line on her celery, "and here comes the best part." Taking the celery she brought it to her mouth and bit down to eat the snack, "it's yummy."

"Now," she said, standing up and setting down her ant log, "there are supplies that I set up at your assigned tables. You may have as many logs as you want, while supplies last. Have fun, and if you need any help, you know I am here."

The kids scattered to their tables and got to work on their creations. She walked around the room, a small grin on her face as she happily observed her students.

"Miss Carlisle! Miss Carlisle!" one of the little boys began shouting, and she started walking over to him, "look what they can do!"

"What can they do Timmy?" she asked, her complete attention drawn to the boy as he looked at her with imaginative eyes.

He took his two logs that he made and crashed them into each other, his eyes beamed up at her in accomplishment and said, "isn't that cool? They can fight just like anything else."

She laughed at the mess the little boy was in. His nose was covered in peanut butter and a raisin was stuck to his cheek over more of the gooey adhesive. Smiling at him with pride, she said, "that is so awesome buddy, but maybe you should eat them after you let them collide into each other. It makes them so much cooler."

He looked skeptically at her, but did as she told and shoved one of the sticks into his mouth and chewed. His eyes lit up, and he said in shock, "wow Miss Carlisle, they are good!"

"I know," she said patting him on the shoulder and as she began walking to see how the other students she said, "would I ever lie to you?"

The little boy shook his head and she chuckled watching the kids as they played, devoured and became even more in a mess than before the activity. Once the supplies were gone she went back to the front of the room and raised her hands over her head.

"Okay kids," she said in a loud voice, "snack time is over. I would like you clean up and throw everything away that was used in the snack creation. After cleanup is done I want you to get into two lines to wash your hands. After that, you all know what time it is," a few of the students groaned as she paused. As they began cleaning up their messes, she said, "nap time."

A half an hour later, Serena sat at her desk smiling blissfully at the kids fast asleep on her classroom floor. Looking at them, she realized working with them made her even more vulnerable to wanting one. The students loved her just as much as she loved being their teacher. Sleeping now, she could only long for one of her own to come home to. She absentmindedly pat her belly, and looked down at it, remembering what she had to do today.

"Hey Amy," the petite blonde said as she walked towards her friend sitting on a bench outside watching the kids run around on their final recess break. She sat down and the dark haired woman smiled at her in welcome. Serena looked at the girl's black hair in awe, "ya know Amy, in the light your hair almost looks blue."

The short-haired girl blushed and replied, "yeah, I know. I get people staring at me sometimes for it. I guess I wasn't lucky enough to normal tint to my hair like my brother does. His ex-wife had extremely black hair too, and it always looked purple. We were a pair when we spent time together," Amy looked off in reverie.

"Purple?" Serena looked at the girl in shock.

"Yeah," Amy replied squinting in the sun, hiding her aqua eyes, "but it was black. Light makes things look funny, I guess."

"Wow," Serena scanned over her cute friend and coworker. Her short choppy hair was mussed around and her outfit was casual. On her torso was a short sleeved blue polo that brought out the blue in her eyes and hair even more. She had long boot-cut khakis on her legs and wore brown docs. Her outfit was plain, but Serena could not help thinking this woman was absolutely adorable. Serena continued talking, her head shaking in amazement, "I guess I am just not used to seeing blue or purple hair for that matter."

"I get it," Amy shrugged, "but at least I don't look like I am trying to have wacko hair. Out of the sunlight it looks like normal black hair," she laughed at their conversation and said, "look at us. Aren't we a fun bunch? Sitting here talking about the different colors our hair looks in the sun."

"Oh yes we are," Serena watched the kids busy playing and chasing one another around the playground. Watching them reminded her of what she needed to tell Amy. She gulped nervously, and said, "Amy, on a more serious note, I need to talk to you about moving in with you."

Amy's eyes flickered with joy and she said, "I can't wait! My apartment is awfully lonely without someone there. My brother has been really busy at work, so he hasn't been able to visit. Are you still planning on moving in this weekend?"

"Well," she began saying, hesitant about telling the truth, "I really want to move in with you, but there may be a slight problem. I don't even know if it is yet, but I want to be prepared."

"Oh," Amy said, disappointment lacing her voice, "I suppose I can try and find another roommate," she trailed off.
"If you don't have to, I don't want you to," Serena said, trying to boost her spirit, "it's just that I may have this big problem."

Amy looked up at her, and said softly, "Serena, I know we haven't been friends very long, but do you mind me asking what your problem is? I'm not trying to pry, but I only have my brother here, and I am in need of friends. So if you can trust me, I am all ears."

"I trust you Amy," Serena said, "so here's the thing." Serena laid out all of the previous week's happenings, and let the girl take it in.

Amy breathed in a deep breath, and thought long and hard about what Serena had just told her. She beamed at Serena and said, "Serena, that sounds like an awful predicament you have there, but I don't care. I still want you to move in with me. You said so yourself, you don't even know if you are pregnant yet."

Serena, shocked, gaped at Amy before she said, "but what if I am?"

"We will cross that road once we get there, right?" Amy said to her in determination, "I mean, it does take nine months for a baby to come anyways. Who knows whether either of us will want to live there. Me especially, if Greg decides to get off his rear and move down here."

All Serena could do was gawk at her friend in happiness, "oh Amy! You rock, you know that?"

Amy just smiled and shrugged, "I know."

Serena grinned mischievously and said, "now this Greg guy, who is he?"

Amy blushed, "oh he's just this guy I am in love with."

"In love with?"

Amy could not bring herself to look at Serena when she said, "yeah. He couldn't move here with me though. His work couldn't allow it."

"Couldn't?" Serena asked, "or he wouldn't?"

"I think a little of both," Amy replied sadly, "he wasn't ready to settle down and leave everything to move here like I was."

Serena looked puzzled at her and asked, "why was it exactly you moved here? I know you told me your brother lives here, but why did you decide to move down here with him?"

"His wife left him for another man," Amy replied, looking out towards the children still running around on the pavement, "he didn't say it when I called, but I could tell he needed someone here with him. With our parents gone, and his wife leaving him, I am really the only thing he has. Greg understood, but right now, he just didn't want to make that kind of commitment with me."

"I get it, but I bet it still hurts."

Amy nodded, shielding her eyes from Serena, "it does, but I know I needed to be there for family."

Serena smiled and nodded in agreement, "yeah, I get that. As much as she drives me crazy with her partying lifestyle, I couldn't imagine not having my sister around. Being twins really connects us in that way, I guess."

"Yeah, family connection is important."

"I definitely agree."

"So, since we have everything cleared up, when do you plan on moving in?" Amy asked as the two women stood up in anticipation of the school bell.

Serena stretched her arms over her head as the bell rang around them, allowing the kids to start their race in lining up, "this weekend was my plan. That is if you don't mind."

Amy began walking over to her class's line as she called out, "I would be more than thrilled if you moved in then! Can't wait."

Serena hurried to her kindergarteners knowing more than likely they were already getting themselves into trouble.