About a month had passed since the attempted murder by Smith. Alfred had fully healed, except for the few fresh scars, including the one that cut across his face diagonally. Looking in the old mirror in his wash room, he could tell that he was close to having his right eye damaged. He ran his finger along it, as he had done so many times these past few weeks.

"Alfred! Are you done? We're going to be late!" Amelia called from down the stairs.

"Hold your horses!" Alfred called back, backing away from the mirror to grab his nice jacket that he had worn every Sunday since—His church coat.

Alfred hurried downstairs to a well-dressed Amelia. She had her hair pulled back in a tight bun with pieces of hair falling forward to frame her face. She wore a modest dress, and was tapping her foot. "Are you done?" She huffed.

Alfred nodded. "Yeah. I'm done." He walked on by, and Amelia looped her arm through Alfred's. She pressed against him, and pushed him forward, hurrying him. "What's your hurry?" He asked.

"I, for once, want to not be late going to church."

Alfred rolled his eyes. "Though last time, it was pretty funny to watch you fight with old Mrs. Vanderkamp for a couple seats." He chuckled.

He got a small smile out of Amelia, who was clearly trying to be stern. "Old lady had what was coming to her. Come on Al!" She hurried him down the path, towards the stable.

Ivan was waiting outside the stable with Wildfire. He had all the riding equipment, and no carriage. "Carriage broke axel last night. Is getting fixed. Would you like second horse?" He asked.

"A second horse, Ivan." Alfred corrected with a smile.

Amelia thought, and looked down at her dress. "No. I think one will be fine." She looked over to Alfred. "Besides, if we're late, maybe Alfred can make a better entrance on horseback?"

Alfred grinned at that. "Are you giving me permission?"

Amelia grinned back. "Maybe, but don't try to be late."

Alfred rolled his eyes as Ivan brought over the riding horse and climbed up onto it.

"How's your back?" Amelia asked Ivan as Alfred adjusted himself on the back of the horse.

"As said before, Mrs. Jones, just fine. Thank you for concern." He smiled at Amelia. The woman smiled a bit back. "Does not hurt no more."

Amelia took a second, and then giggled. "It doesn't hurt anymore, Ivan." She corrected him. Most of the time they were correcting his Russian-English troubles. Though sometimes the slave's English seeped into Ivan's speech, making him sound awkward and silly.

Ivan gave a sheepish smile as Alfred said, "Hey! That's my wife you're flirting with, Ivan!" Though it was a playful tone… Alfred actually minded. Strange. He normally didn't mind this much.

Ivan nodded. He then went to Amelia, and picked the woman up, and setting her on the horse, side saddle.

"Thanks!" She said happily, and wrapped her arms around Alfred's waist.

Alfred waited a moment, and tipped his hat to Ivan. "Have a good morning off. All of you." Since there was no driver anymore, no-one was really forced to work while Alfred and Amelia were gone these Sundays. Alfred didn't try to convince himself that they did.

Ivan nodded, and wished Alfred a good time at church. He snapped the reigns and off Alfred went, Amelia holding on as they made their way to town.

Ivan watched as the master and his wife headed off down the road to church. He sighed, and headed back to the slaves' quarters. There was someone reading from the bible out loud in front of the back entrance. He was very exuberant, and many ears were on him. Ivan moved his way passed the crowd back to his room. It almost always seemed to be empty when he entered. He got on his hands and knees and pulled out a cross from under the bed. He stood it up on the windowsill, and closed his eyes. He started to pray. First, praise to the Lord, and the fortune that had been placed upon him. He thanked him that even though he was a slave that he had gotten a kind master.

He thanked the Lord for his traveling, that he was able to leave his old country.

He thanked the Lord for the kind people in his new home. Yes, it was his home.

Then he asked God of many things.

He asked God to let him know how things were after he left.

He asked God to help the ones he had left.

He asked God to remove the ever growing confusion that was here.

During his prayers, two raccoons had slipped in. The two children were watching Ivan as he spoke in his native tongue. Ivan was well aware that they were there.

Once he was done, he unclasped his hands and turned to the two kids. "Good morning you two. Sleep well?" He asked them with a smile.

Jackie nodded. "Yes sir Mr. Ivan sir." He said with a bit of over-done formality.

Sasha elbowed her brother in the stomach. "You said sir twice!" She huffed.

Ivan chuckled. "What is this about children?"

Sasha and Jackie looked at one another. "We was wondering…" Sasha started.

"If yous be nice enough to come see mama with us."

Ivan blinked. "Your mother." He said. He heard Big Mama mention her…

Sasha gave Ivan a smile and nodded, taking his hand. "Yeah! We visit her e'ery Sunday!"

Ivan nodded. "I will come with you." He decided.

In his other hand he took Jackie's.

The two badgered each other as they walked out of the slave's quarters. The one with the bible was preaching more. Ivan wondered if he actually was able to read for a second. Not that he could tell what the bible said in English, it was difficult to read. He was brought back to the twins when Jackie demanded that Ivan chose which one of them was right. "Eh? What was this about?" He asked.

The twins gave him a look. "You weren't listening." Sasha stated.

"You know them old folks. Never listen to what we kids know." Jackie latched on.

Ivan felt like he was being ganged up on. He huffed. "I was! Just had mind wander for bit."

The twins looked at each other, and then at Ivan. "I don't believe you!" Jackie declared.

Sasha, however, latched onto Ivan's side. "I believe Mr. Ivan!" She declared. She looked up at Ivan and smiled. "That makes me better."

Ivan chuckled and patted her head.

"No it doesn't!" Jackie huffed, and took Ivan's shirt in his hands. "Does it, Mr. Ivan?"

Ivan was amused by this. "No, now children. I do not think one is better than other."

"There are two of us," Sasha declared, "So one has to be better!"

"Which would be the boy!" Jackie huffed.

Ivan rolled his eyes and smiled as the two bickered. He was lead to a sight near the grove. There was a stone he had never noticed before, dug deep into the ground. On the stone was carved in broken up letters, Georgia Wilkins.

The twins held onto Ivan's hands. "See? This is where mom's at." Jackie was a lot more somber sounding now. "She stopped moving a year ago. A few others they took her here and gave her a comfy bed underground."

Sasha nodded. " , the one that was yelling, said that Mama was in a better place. Is underground really that good?" She looked up to Ivan.

Ivan had suspected that their mother was gone… He just didn't realize she had passed away. He opened his mouth, and closed it. He shook his head. "Is not underground he means, Sasha."

"What is it then?" Jackie asked, tearing his eyes off the grave and looking up to Ivan.

Ivan pressed his lips together, swiping his tongue on them as he tried to figure out the words. "What he means is she is in not so dark place, one we can't see. But she can see you, and watching over two of you."

Sasha and Jackie looked confused. "So… Mama's not here." She pointed to the rock. "But somewhere else?"

Ivan nodded.

"Do you know where she is ? Is there a way to see her?" Jackie pleaded.

Ivan shook his head. "No, is no way. Not for very, very long time." He told them. Both kids looked crescent-fallen. He knelt down. "But as said, she can still see you. Looking out for you two." He reached over and patted their heads. "She is around, and wishing to see her two children happy. Like I am wishing to see you happy."

Sasha looked up at Ivan. She fiddled with her fingers. " sir?" Jackie asked. When Ivan turned his eyes to him, the little boy asked, "Is coming here to see mama a waste of time?"

Ivan shook his head. "No. She is happy you come, even if cannot see her."

"How do you know?" Sasha sniffled. She was starting to tear up.

Ivan asked, "What makes you come here every week?"

"Because Mama's here." She mumbled. "Mama loved us very much." She admitted. "She told us every day."

Jackie nodded. "An' we come here and tell her too."

Ivan smiled. "She is happy. Two children who love her much come to visit her. Now go, tell your mother what you have come to say."

The kids went to the stone, and told it in cute voices how much they loved and missed their mother. Ivan listened to them, and felt his heart break a little bit from their words to their dead mom.

Once they were done, Ivan took their hands and walked back. He had become curious and asked the twins, "Do you also have father?"

Sasha answered first. "Nooooo. Mama said there's no papa. Mama said she had enough for two!" Sasha spread her arms wide, as if emphasizing the large amount of love their mother had for them.

"It don't matter much though, . We gots plenty of people here that look out for us." Though for a little kid, that sounded strained.

Ivan patted the boy's head.

Sasha was staring up at Ivan's face, and after Ivan asked her what, she tightened her grip and said, "I'm sayin' you're my pap."

Ivan blinked. "Pap?"

"Dad," Jackie translated, though he also latched on. He and Sasha spoke in hushed whispers that Ivan clearly overheard, and felt a bit of excitement as Jackie looked up to him and asked, " sir, will you be our papa?"

Ivan's face broke out into a grin, and scooped up the kids, kissing their cheeks. "If you do not mind, yes, I will be your papa."

The two kids squealed in happiness, and Sasha wrapped her arms around Ivan's neck, giving it a firm hug.

Ivan headed back to the slaves' quarters, his two new children in hand.

Alfred arrived back with Amelia in the early afternoon. The two were arguing about an old man feeling up Amelia in church, and Alfred was telling her that he was still a customer, and a good one, of their farm.

Nadeen cleared her throat and handed Alfred a letter. "To you, Mister Jones. It arrived late last night."

Alfred blinked and took the letter. He opened it, and read through the contense. "It says that Mr. Francis Bonnefoy of the Bonnefoy trading company is coming to America in a few months. He would like to see if we would like to meet with him for the possibilities of investing in the farm!"

Amelia's eyes were growing wide. "Write him back right away!" She declared. "We'll get his money AND his trade if we do this right!" Amelia became excited.

Alfred nodded. It would certainly make the plantation more stable money wise. One bad year, and they were gone. "Go get a candle and the letter supplies ready." He called after her. He folded up the letter and headed up to their room to write their response.

Hey. I'm still sick, but I must keep writing. That, and I got this cut on my finger from sawing metal. x.x Hurts.

This is a chapter that's a bridge for what happened in the RP that wasn't touched on. We never really touched on the fact that Alfred and Ivan were probably religious, and Sasha and Jackie suddenly switching to call Ivan Papa. Their mom was dead in the RP, but not much else was really explained.

I will say that depending on how people grow up, their personalities change and so do their quirks. Ivan's humble because of the yet-to-be-explained background. Alfred is calm due to if he gets too excited, he'll die.

Anyway

Sit back, relax, and enjoy~