"Sorry I'm late everyone," Beatrice announced as she walked through the door. Her family sat around the dining table, a rather bountiful meal in the center of it, steaming and ready to be served. "I do have a reason this time though. Wirt's back. You know, the one who helped solve the bluebird situation," she explained, pushing the door open wider to reveal the boy standing behind her.

Her mother was the first to speak. "Wirt, it's wonderful to see you again," she said, beckoning for the two to come in.

"You too," Wirt said politely, gently closing the door behind him.

"I think the last time we spoke, I offered you dirt," she said with a warm smile. "Why don't you join us for dinner, and I'll give you something a little better."

Wirt felt a prodding upon his side and looked down to see Beatrice's elbow. He turned his eyes up to hers as she glared. "Thank you for the offer. I'd love to," he announced, turning back to her family. There was another jab to his side, this time hasher than the previous.

"You need to ask," Beatrice whispered starkly when he turned to her once more. Wirt gulped and nodded his head.

"Ahem!" he coughed, clearing his throat. "…Uh, Mr. and Mrs…. Beatrice?" he muttered, his face growing red as he thought of how idiotic he sounded. "As I'm sure you know, I'm not from around here."

"He's visiting," Beatrice added.

"Yeah," Wirt said with a nod, "and I, well, I need a place to stay. I would greatly appreciate it if you allowed me to stay here."

"Of course we will," Beatrice's father said with a nod and smile. "There's no need to be so formal."

"And how long will you be staying, dear?" her mother asked.

"I'm… not really sure," he muttered, scratching the back of his head. The two parents turned to one another for a moment, a curious look upon both of their faces. They then turned back, nodding in unison.

"That'll be fine," her father said. "Now, it's time to eat." Both Beatrice's mother and father rose to their feet. Her mother began dishing food out upon everyone's plates, while her farther headed into the kitchen, returning with an extra plate and silverware along with a chair for their guest.

Wirt took his place, squeezed in between Beatrice and one of her younger brothers as a delicious looking and rather mountainous meal was set before him. With an eager smile upon his face, he grasped a fork and knife in his hands, barely able to remember his manners. He paused to scan the table, assuring himself that every member of the family had received their plate and where ready to dine.

"Even though it's been a while, Beatrice still talks about her adventure with you and your brother as if it just happened yesterday," Beatrice's mother commented as they began their meal.

"She does?" Wirt asked, glancing at the girl in question before shoving a large bite of mashed potatoes into his mouth. The dark brown liquid upon them was much too sweet to be gravy. "Potatoes and molasses?" he muttered after swallowing.

"Yep, it's become a pretty popular dish around here, not really sure why. It's good though... and I'd say she still mentions it about once every week." Wirt once again returned his gaze to Beatrice, her cheeks growing red in embarrassment. He knew this was a fact which she would have never told him herself due to its rather surprising nature. Throughout their time together, that is, up until its end, Beatrice seemed rather indifferent about him and their journey. It was both shocking and nice to know what an impression it truly made on her.

"Oh, and Wirt," her mother added.

"Yes?" he asked, returning his gaze to the lady across from him.

"I'm sorry, but you'll have to sleep on the couch in our living room for now. We would have an extra bedroom for guests, but I'm afraid each one has already been taken up by the children."

"That's fine, I'm just glad I found a place to stay. I'm tired enough that I think I could fall asleep almost anywhere, and a couch isn't bad at all," he said, yawning at the thought of giving his weary body a rest. "These last couple of days have been rough."

"Wait, how long have you been here?" Beatrice asked, raising a curious eyebrow and coaxing out an immediate sigh from Wirt's mouth.

"Close to a day, I got here last night. I had no idea where I was. I've just been wandering around the forest ever since."

"So this is the first meal you've had since then?" she asked, her brow furrowing with concern.

"…Yeah," he responded weakly, giving a nod of his head.

"No wonder you're eating like a pig," Beatrice teased, a playful smirk upon her face. Wirt froze, suddenly realizing the way he had been stuffing food into his mouth and quickly swallowing it down in between his sentences. There was also the sudden feeling that he had something a bit extra around his lips. "Yeah, you might need this," she said with a laugh, handing him her napkin. He grasped it awkwardly and quickly wiped away the crumbs which hung around his mouth.

"Oh, stop teasing the boy and let him eat, Beatrice," her father said with a laugh.

"I was just making an observation, dad," Beatrice assured him before turning her sights back upon the thin boy beside her. "A whole day without eating, do you do that often? I guess that's why you're so skinny."

"No," Wirt sighed out, "it was just this once. You're pretty thin yourself," he added, turning his eyes from her face to her body. "You were more… puffy as a bird."

"I am not that skinny," Beatrice said with a huff, rolling her eyes. Anyways, I'm just glad that we ran into each other, even if it was literally. I don't think wandering around the woods for another night would've been too good for you."

"When did you get so caring, Beatrice?" Wirt asked smugly, having noticed the subtle change in her attitude towards him since he had arrived.

"Oh, you know me, I don't really care much about anything," Beatrice responded with a nervous chuckle. "I guess I only care about those who are important to me… er…" her sentence trailed off into a mumble, realizing she was digging herself deeper into a hole rather than crawling out of it. Her cheeks glowing pink, she took in a breath of air before continuing. "Never mind… yeah, I guess I do have a soft side, alright?" Both of her parents chuckled at the statement, causing her blush to spread further outward across her face.

It only took Wirt a few quick bites to finish his meal, and he did not have to wait long until the others finished as well. Besides Beatrice, her father, and her mother, the rest of the family had been rather quiet. He wondered if perhaps it was because he was there. Only a few conversations of rather simple subjects were struck up around him once he and Beatrice had grown silent.

Wirt watched rather passively as Beatrice's mother rose to her feet, grabbing a few plates in her hands. Another nudge to his side from Beatrice's elbow corrected him. "Don't be a bum and take this for granted, Wirt," she whispered as she too rose to her feet. "Offer your help. It's the least you can do." Wirt nodded his head as he too stood.

"Do you need any help?"

"I'd like that. Why don't you help Beatrice clean up the table?"

"Sure," he said with a nod and then smiled.

As they traveled back and forth from the table to the kitchen, Wirt had to catch himself on many occasions as his eyes wandered over to the girl beside him. He was still attempting to process her appearance as a human rather than a bird, and a rather beautiful human at that. Guiltily, he was not only looking at her to aid such a mental process, but to admire the girl as well. His eyes would dart away as casually as he could manage each time they met with hers. He hoped that she would not notice the persistent glances, but in reality, he knew she most likely already had.

"Okay, what's with all of the staring, Wirt?" she finally asked as she retrieved the last of the plates from the table. Although Wirt was expecting the question to arise, he was still caught off guard by the words.

"I…well," he muttered, "I guess I'm still not used to you like this."

"Like what? A human?"

Wirt nodded his head. "Yeah, that."

She shrugged, a small stack of plates in her hands. "Well, you better get used to it. I don't think I'll be changing back into a bird anytime soon, not that I ever want to again." She paused, letting out a sympathetic sigh. "I understand where you're coming from though. You have only known me as a bird until now."

"The first time you told me that you were a human, I had a hard time picturing it. Now that I'm seeing it, well, it's almost unbelievable to be honest," Wirt commented, his bangs gliding to and fro across his forehead as he shook it.

"Is it… weird or something?" she asked curiously, giving him a rather serious gaze.

"No, not at all, it's just a bit distracting. Yeah… actually, it is a bit weird."

"Don't tell me you liked me better as a bird?"

"No, that doesn't change anything. You're still the same. You just don't… look the same. It's a nice feeling though, that you're more like me now. It'll take some getting used to though."

"Well, from what it sounds like, you'll have some time to do that," Beatrice said with a smile.

"Beatrice, could you help me with the dishes after you're finished cleaning up the table?" her mother called from the kitchen.

"I can handle the rest of these," Beatrice said, nodding for Wirt to stack the last couple of plates upon her pile. "Why don't you go get familiar with your new sleeping quarters? I don't think it'll be too long until I finish."

Wirt walked into the living room as Beatrice's father was leaving. "Off to bed already?" he asked, coming to a stop before passing Wirt by. "It sounds like you do need to catch up on your sleep. I got out a pillow and blanket for you," he said, nodding his head to the couch, a folded quilt blanket and down pillow setting in its center.

"Thanks," Wirt said with a nod as he left. Memories rushed into his head as his eyes traveled around the room. He remembered the first time he had laid upon the couch and the poetry which rolled off of his tongue as Greg stared at him. The room itself seemed much more welcoming in its present state, even though little of it had changed. Even the glow of the fire seemed to be brighter.

His eyes returned to the couch, and the thought of sleep seemed rather intriguing. Although it was early, he wanted nothing more than to lie down. He rested the pillow upon the arm of the sofa, then sat down and pulled his shoes from his feet. With a swift swing of his lower half, his body rested upon the soft cushioning beneath it. He turned over on his side, admiring the roar of the controlled flames close by. The waving and flicking of the fire, accompanied by the crackling of the wood which fueled it was the perfect herald for the sleep which soon overcame him.

Sharp, needle-like claws pinched at his shoulder but were clasped gently enough so that they did not hurt him. "Wirt… Wirt," Beatrice said softly. He turned his head to see the beady black eyes of a bluebird along with a smiling beak. "Wirt," she said once more. His eyes blinked open, looking up at the girl in her nightgown as she shook him. "Sorry to wake you. Well, actually, I'm really not because you need to tell me the truth."

"The truth?" he asked, rubbing fisted hands against his eyes as he sat up.

"Yes, why are you really here? You seemed more than happy to return home the last time I saw you, so why come back?" Wirt let out a combination of a sigh and yawn in response as he motioned for her to take a seat beside him.

"When I first got here, yeah, all I wanted was to get back home. This place is so different than where I'm from. That's what makes it special though. Being stuck here, I sort of developed a connection to the place… and to the people here. It's a strange place, but I guess that's why I fit in."

"Wirt, you're really not that strange," Beatrice asserted.

"That's my point, no one here thinks I am."

Beatrice rolled her eyes. "I guess there are a few things here and there like the poetry, but I'm sure almost anyone would consider you normal, even where you're from."

"Well, it's not just that," Wirt added, shaking his head softly. "I feel like a different person here. I guess you could say that here, I can be who I've always wanted to be. We helped so many people when I was trying to get home and had so many adventures."

"So what you're saying is that you actually feel less normal here, your life isn't as drab as it is back home?"

"…I, I guess you could say that. In the end, I was having doubts about actually heading home. I made the decision because of Greg. I wanted him to be safe and happy. Yeah, I was happy to be back home when we first got there, but it wasn't that long before I started missing this place… missing you, missing all of it."

"From what it sounds like, you're going to be here for a while. You said you were content with being home, so something must have happened that made you decide to come here for more than just a visit. Don't tell me it was what happened between you and that girl."

"No, what we had ended a long time ago. I… it's just that, well, I never really found where I lived to be all that special. After coming here, it sort of confirmed those thoughts. I like it better here."

"So how long are you staying here?" Beatrice asked softly, a look of concern upon her face.

"I… a while," he muttered, turning his eyes away from her own.

"What about your parents? What about Greg? They're your family and you left them behind just like that? Won't they worry? Were they actually okay with you leaving?"

"Greg knows how much happier I'll be here and why I wanted to come back. I… I told him goodbye before I left, that I loved him," Wirt said weakly, tears forming in his eyes. Beatrice clasped her hands around Wirt's slender biceps, forcing him to look her in the eyes as tears trickled down his face.

"I don't think you tell Greg that you love him that often. This goodbye must have been a pretty serious one. You're planning to stay for good, or at least for quite some time, I can tell. Anyways," she whispered, moving her hands to his waist and pulling him into a comforting hug. "I'll let you sleep." She rested her head upon his shoulder as she continued embrace him for a few moments longer, stroking her hand gently up and down his back. "I know you're still not being completely straight with me, but I don't want to push you too far," she said sweetly before a stern look came over her face. "Don't think you're getting off easy though. I will ask again," she said firmly and then glared him down before she rose to her feet. "Goodnight, Wirt."

"Goodnight, Beatrice," he muttered in response as he laid back down and adjusted his blanket. "…My parents didn't know I was leaving."

Beatrice came to an immediate stop and twirled around upon her sockless feet to face the boy once more. "You ran away from home?" she asked softly.

"I guess you could say that. They should know by now though."

"I'm sure they do. I had a feeling something was going on. Thanks for being honest... I'll think of something fun for us to do tomorrow, or at least to pass the time. So sleep well and don't worry too much about it."

Wirt nodded his head before she turned to quietly make her way back up the shadowed stairs. Although worries of both home and family filled his mind, the lull of the warm fire along with thoughts of his friend, Beatrice and the time they would spend together the next day aided in pushing them back.