Hello everyone, this chapter may be shorter than usual but I wanted to get it out there for you because I liked it so much. Thank you again to anyone who reviewed, followed, or favorited, you make me smile :). I hope I haven't lost any of you. To all of you who love this story and are faithful readers, I cherish your support. Hope you enjoy.

Saturday December 4th 1982

Maura had gotten better and was back to school that following Tuesday. Her mother picked her up from school that Wednesday because Gia had fallen ill, catching the bug from Maura. Maura was upset that she was not able to take care of Gia the way Gia had taken care of her. She wanted to go to Gia's apartment, bring her ginger ale and crackers but she didn't know the address and couldn't find it when snooping in her mother's schedule book.

Gia was gone for three days, the longest time that they had spent apart since Gia started, and one day longer than she was sick. Maura wondered if she was keeping an eye on the cut on her finger, and knowing Gia's carefree nature she probably wasn't, what if it got infected?

When Gia returned the on Saturday, Maura was relieved to see her. She didn't look off color and from what she could tell the lymph nodes in her neck did not appear to be swollen. This alleviated some of her concerns but she still wanted to see the cut to make sure. She looked out the window as she watched her mother talking to Gia before leaving for the studio. She saw that the bandage on Gia's finger was multicolored and knew that she hadn't looked at it. She quickly ran to her room and grabbed her first aide kit, and then went to the kitchen.

"Aloha, Peanut," Gia said putting her arms around the little girl, who was sitting at the kitchen table reading the book that came with her first aide kit, particularly the chapter on wound infection.

Maura's eyes fell on the bandage on Gia's finger and she sighed.

Gia looked around nervously smiling out of confusion. "Is something wrong?"

Maura grabbed Gia's left wrist and pointed to the bandage with her free hand. "I told you that this cut was deep, I told you that it was serious. Do you know the risk of infection? Do you know what could happen if it got infected?"

Gia could see that Maura was upset. "I'm sure it's fine, Doc, seriously."

"I'll be the judge of that, sit down," Maura said firmly.

Gia seeing how concerned she was, did as little girl asked, if only to appease her.

As Maura unravelled the bandage her mind raced, it's not that she didn't think Gia could take care of herself, it was more that she felt that no one else looked after her. After seeing the movie Annie and thinking about how Gia was an orphan, she felt bad that Gia didn't have a family and was determined to make sure that she knew that someone cared. When Maura finally saw the cut she was relieved that it seemed to be healing better than she thought.

"See Doc, it's fine." Gia stated.

"Sorry, I over reacted." Maura responded.

"It's nice that you care so much Peanut, but I'm almost twenty-three, you don't have to worry about me like this." Gia said in attempt to help the little girl stop stressing so much.

Maura smiled at Gia. "Well at least let me teach you about proper wound care, watch closely." She cleaned the cut with an alcohol pad and put more antibacterial ointment on the cut before wrapping Gia's finger in gauze and medical tape.

"Alright Doc, I think I got it." Gia winked at Maura.

"Oh crap" Gia grabbed Maura's wrist and looked at her watch. "We've got to get you to ballet my dear."

Maura ran upstairs and changed quickly and the two got into Gia's car to go to Maura ballet class.

"Can you stay and watch me today?" Maura asked.

Gia thought for a moment. "Your mom asked me to do some shopping for her." Gia frowned slightly.

"For my Christmas presents, I know, but it's ok, I know there is no Santa Claus and, I promise I'll close my eyes when you pick up my presents in the store. I also need to go to the mall, I have a shopping list too. The mall will still be open when my lesson is over, so please come and watch me today." Maura spoke very quickly.

"I'd be delighted." Gia responded, she was a little let down that someone so young didn't believe in Santa Claus, but knowing how logical Maura was she guessed that she probably had come to that conclusion two years ago. "But you need to pinky promise me you won't peek, your mom wants you to be surprised."

"I promise," Maura said as she stuck out her pinky.

Gia locked her pinky with Maura's before the two walked into the ballet studio.

Gia watched the little girl join her class and as she sat amongst a group of women who she could only assume were the mothers of the other little girls.

"Look, the little weirdo joined the group, you know, my Jennifer said she saw her pick up a dead squirrel, what an absurd child." She heard one of the women say.

Gia tried her best to ignore the woman because if she opened her mouth she would have made a scene, Maura wasn't hearing this so she wasn't getting hurt. The woman was clearly ignorant and Gia figured she shouldn't waste her breath if she didn't have to.

Another woman joined in. "Yes well that's nothing compared to this, my daughter Hannah said that the little freak told her that she should get this mole on her back checked out because it might be cancerous, scared my little one for days, she is so morbid."

Gia really started to get upset, but took a deep breath and exhaled, knowing that saying something would only draw more attention to Maura who was clearly viewed as outcast in this environment. Gia wondered if Maura knew, and figured on some level that she must have. Gia admired the bravery that Maura had, having to endure this every Saturday.

A third woman also joined in. "Well no wonder why she was given up for adoption her real mother probably took one look at her and realized she was messed up. I feel sorry for the woman who adopted her she clearly didn't know what she was in for." The rest of the women nodded in agreement.

The last woman's words hit Gia like a punch to the jaw, and now it was clearly time to strike back. She could feel the anger bubbling up inside her as she slowly but deliberately stood and faced these women.

She spoke in a low but intimidating voice. "All of you are shallow, petty and insignificant little trolls. So insecure from your husbands cheating on you and your children disrespecting you that you feel the need to take out your verbal aggression on a little girl who has more class in her pinky nail than the seven of you combined. I would be more upset if I didn't feel so sorry for you, none of you will never ever know true happiness with such hatred in your hearts. Although I pity you, I'm also warning you. If any of you say or do anything to make that "little weirdo" or "little freak" even so much as grimace, I will come down on you so hard you won't know what hit you."

Most of the women had started to cry when Gia talked about cheating husbands and disrespectful children. This surprised Gia because her mention of this was a total shot in the dark.

One woman, the last one who insulted Maura spoke up. "That sounds like a threat."

"Oh did it? Because I didn't mean to have it come out that way. It is most definitely a promise." Gia snapped back.

The woman was speechless.

As Gia walked away to change her seat as far as she could from the women, she turned to the second one that insulted Maura. "I would really get that mole on your daughters back checked out, she tends to be right about those kind of things."

Gia was thankful that the class had not noticed her addressing the group as the students backs were to their audience and the instructor was clearly focused on her students. She was almost positive they couldn't hear her because they were behind glass and music was playing.

Gia watched the class take their places at the ballet bar. Maura waved at her furiously during the transition and Gia smiled and waved back. Gia glared at the group of women and narrowed her eyes, no one would mess with her little Peanut ever again.

I plan on picking up with the mall trip.

Reviews welcome as always. Be well and have a splendid day. :)