Charlie had wanted to talk with Johnny that afternoon or evening. About the idea that had been forming in her mind. The idea that she'd told

Monte about. A way to keep Monte safe, and also to help the baby foxes to survive. She knew that Johnny was at the very least, put out with

her, how she had disobeyed him. More than likely rather than being put out, he was just plain angry.

Still-Charlie thought that if she took whatever punishment he meted out without any complaints, then maybe, just maybe, she could talk

to Johnny about her idea. The problem being that she wanted to talk with him sooner rather than later, but Johnny wasn't home for

supper that night. Just where he was, Charlie wasn't certain.

Hoping for a chance to talk to Johnny before bedtime, Charlie ate her supper, and helped do up the dishes. Then she did her small

amount of homework, and sat in the library with Murdoch and Scott and Teresa for a bit. Charlie was quieter than was normal, though

everyone acted as usual, and no one brought up the animal traps, or the fox, or what Charlie had done.

By the time her bedtime came around, and Charlie was sent upstairs, Johnny still hadn't arrived home.

Scott read that night, from the book 'From Nowhere to the North Pole', about the adventures of a boy named Frank, who falls asleep after eating

plum cake.

Charlie sat next to him on her bed, already in her nightgown, listening to the comforting warmth of his voice as he read. She found herself

smiling slightly at some of the amusing parts, though she didn't show her smile to Scott.

When Scott had finished a chapter, which was longer than he usually read, he put in a bookmark, and closed the book.

Instead of telling her to settle down under the quilt, Scott was quiet, and they just sat for a few moments, neither talking.

"I'm sorry for what i did," Charlie said, very low, finding the courage to speak.

Even though she was looking down, at her hands, and not at him, Charlie could feel Scott turn his gaze to her.

"I know," he said.

Charlie sighed heavily. Still looking at her hands, she said, "Everything is all ruined now."

Scott leaned forward just slightly to look at her face. "I don't understand. What is it that's ruined?"

"Just-" Charlie stumbled over her words. "It feels that way."

"I don't think Monte will hold anything against you," Scott said, misunderstanding Charlie's meaning.

"No," Charlie said. "He won't. He said not. I don't mean Monte-"

"What, then?"

"You and me," Charlie said, and swallowed hard.

"Here, now," Scott said, turning her slightly so she was facing him. "What about you and me?"

Charlie tried her very best to meet his eyes. "You haven't had a kid before," she began.

Scott crinkled his forehead just slightly, and seemed amused a bit. "No. I sure have not," he said.

Still totally serious, Charlie went on, "And I never had a whole family before. And I'm not like Rebecca. It's harder for me to be good."

Scott studied her, not amused any longer, but perplexed. Looking concerned.

"Charlie-" he began, and then paused. "Come here," he said, tugging her over and pulling her to sit on his knee.

"You're not supposed to be like Rebecca, or anyone else. That's not the way it works," he said. "I've never had

a kid before. And, you've never had a family before," Scott went on. "It means that we have to learn as we go along. It

means that we're going to make mistakes."

"Like the mistake that I made?" Charlie said, woefully.

"You made a mistake, yes. I make mistakes, too, Charlie."

"I didn't think grown ups ever say they make mistakes," Charlie said, surprised. She knew for certain that Katherine would never have said such.

"Well, if they don't admit to it now and then, then they should," Scott said. "Nothing is ruined with you and I."

For a few minutes they were quiet, and Charlie laid her head on his shoulder, feeling herself relax.

"Let's try to get to sleep, alright?" Scott said.

"Yes," Charlie agreed, and hugged his neck. Scott hugged her back and tucked her in. Charlie liked the way that Scott did that. He pulled

the quilt tight on all sides of her, making her feel like she was bundled and safe. Scott called it tucking up instead of tucking in.

Scott turned down the lamp, and then went to the doorway, his silhouette lit by the hallway light.

"Sweet dreams, kiddo. I love you."

"I love you, too," Charlie said, already feeling sleepy. She thought how much better she felt tonight than she had last night at this time.

Maybe things were going to be alright after all.

L

Johnny was at breakfast the next morning, but to Charlie, it seemed as though he was still a bit stern and not so approachable.

She decided to wait another day to talk to him about her plan. Charlie determined to make Monte promise not to go to the Old Coot's

place until she had talked to Johnny.

She set out for school with Scott giving her, as he had yesterday, a warning to come home right after school was dismissed. Charlie

said she would, wondering how long it would be until Scott trusted her again, to play after school without doing something she hadn't ought to do.

Monte wasn't waiting at the livery for her, as he usually was, when she left Gurth there.

She walked on to school, seeing some of the other kids, but not Monte or John. Once at the school building Charlie waited outside until

the last possible moment, looking for Monte to appear. He didn't, though John came running up, nearly late, and breathless.

"Where's Monte?" Charlie asked him, as the teacher came out to ring the tardy bell.

"Not comin' today," John said, just as the teacher told both Charlie and John to hurry inside and take their seats.

There was no time or opportunity to talk to John for the rest of the morning. Charlie considered scrawling a note to pass to John across

the aisle, but then thought of Scott, and how he didn't seem angry with her any longer. He would not be pleased if she got caught at school

passing notes to and fro. Charlie found she wasn't anxious to raise his ire again. Not so soon, anyway.

So she fretted about Monte's whereabouts, amongst doing her school work and recitations. Where was Monte? Why hadn't he come to school? Charlie's stomach

began to hurt. What if Monte's father had gone beyond spanking him, and actually hurt him badly? Charlie had heard enough stories from

the other kids. Some fathers didn't use their hands to spank. They used switches or straps or paddles. If Monte was hurt badly,

it would be her fault, wouldn't it? But-how could she have kept from telling Scott the truth, with him catching her on the road the way that he did?

She had every intention to question John at the first recess, but John and two other boys were kept in for recess to finish

copying their spelling. Charlie shared all with Rebecca, and admitted that Scott had punished her for her part in going around the traps.

Rebecca looked shocked. "I can't believe that you did that, Charlie!" she breathed. "It's so dangerous-"

"I know better now," Charlie said. "I just got caught up in the excitement, and trying to help the animals."

"My Pa has told us kids all our lives about those traps. They can permanently cripple a person," Rebecca said.

Charlie didn't want Rebecca to think badly of her, so she said, again, "I wouldn't do it now."

"What did Scott do to punish you?"

Charlie hesitated, and then said, "He spanked me. Harder than anything."

"Did he use his belt?"

"No! Just his hand," Charlie said.

"My Pa would have strapped me," Rebecca said, matter-of-factly.

Charlie's eyes grew wide in horror. "He would?"

"For something like that, yes, of course."

"I hope Scott never does that," Charlie said, feeling her stomach pain her again. To herself, she resolved to never, ever, do anything

that would cause Scott to do that to her.

"I don't think he would," Rebecca said. "Scott seems-different, somehow."

"What do you mean?" Charlie asked, curious about how Rebecca saw Scott.

Rebecca looked out over the playground at the other kids that were playing, thinking about what she wanted to say.

"He just seems-so kind. Like he's not the kind of father who will think he has to strap you, or holler all the time," Rebecca said.

"He is kind," Charlie said, in agreement. "It just bothered me cause he spanked so hard-"

Rebecca blew out her breath, and said, sounding peeved, "Charlie, you don't even know what it could be like! I only wish my

Pa was like Scott!"

For a long few moments, Charlie was shocked into silence. Rebecca was always so quiet, and so rarely showed irritation.

After another moment, Rebecca sighed. "Sorry for hollering at you. It's just that my Pa never hardly says anything nice to me

and Jason at all. And Scott's always saying nice things to you. Telling you he's proud when you do something good, or such. I got 100 in spelling

two weeks in a row, and my Pa only said that's what I should be doing."

Charlie felt humbled. "I'm sorry, Rebecca," she said, sincerely.

Rebecca sighed again. "It's alright. I just wish my Pa was more-kind, sometimes."

After that, the girls talked about other things, until time to go back into the school building.

L

At lunch Charlie left her lunch pail on a bench, and went to talk to John. John was already involved in a game of kickball with other boys, and complained

when Charlie insisted he stop and talk to her.

"What do ya want?" he demanded.

"Why isn't Monte here at school?" Charlie asked, just as demanding.

"He went with my Pa somewhere."

"Where did they go?" Charlie asked, frowning.

John gave her a look as though she was crazy. "I dunno," he said. "How come you wanna know so bad?"

There was no other way to it than just to ask it outright. "Did Monte get in trouble with your Pa last night?"

"He sure did," John said, with a grin.

That grin made Charlie's temper rise so fast that she had her hand out to slap his face, only just stopping herself in time.

"Don't you know that he was taking all the blame?" she said, raising her voice to him. "He wasn't gonna tell your father

that you were there, too! So you wouldn't get into trouble!"

John shrugged. "That's on Monte. I didn't ask him to."

Charlie hand was itching to slap him again. She had to hold her hands to her sides to keep from it.

"You are a despicable little toad," Charlie hissed, and settled for punching John's shoulder as she turned away.

L