Westward Bound

Ivy and Freckle waved at Ethan and Riley as the train lurched forward. Several cars back, they couldn't quite hear the locomotive but they could feel the movement of the coach as the train left the station. Leaving the terminal behind, Freckle watched as the city went by at forty clicks. He leaned back into the chair while Ivy rested on his shoulder, the two of them watching the city turn into suburbs and then into the countryside. The tracks followed the Missouri for a way but then began climbing up into the farm country that stretched across the prairie.

"You think they'll be okay?" Freckle asked Ivy.

"Who? Ethan and Riley?"

"Yeah, but also Rocky and Joseph."

"I'm sure they'll be fine, Calvin." Ivy said, but still sensed some nervousness from her boyfriend.

"What's really got you worried?" She asked. "Is it meeting my family?"

"I suppose… But this is also the first time I've been outside the St. Louis area." He said, thinking back to a long childhood of being in St. Charles and the resulting adventures in St. Louis and Defiance.

"Oh my God, you're right!" Ivy said, sitting up in her seat. "This is the first real cross-country adventure for you, isn't it?"

"Yeah. Rocky had all kinds of adventures. If you read his letters, you wouldn't believe half of them. But I've just been in St. Charles working on the house, fixing other people's homes—"

"Well, Calvin Allen McMurray, you get an adventure of your own now!" Ivy said with glee before curling up next to Freckle. Freckle, for his part, laid his coat over his lady and kissed her on the cheek before snuggling next to her while she reminisced.

"I used to take the train with Dad to St. Louis all the time." She said, getting comfortable next to her boyfriend. "It was nice just being with him for a while."

"I'm sure he'll be happy to see you again after his visit out here while I was recovering." Freckle said.

"Yeah… there's a couple of things you should know about my Dad before you meet him though."

"What?"

"Well, for one thing, he's got all kinds of connections."

"Connections?"

"Yeah, you know. A car guy, a gun guy, a booze guy…" Ivy whispered in Freckle's ear. "That's how he's always made his money since I could remember."

"You're just telling me this now?" Freckle said, getting more anxious than usual. Ivy patted his arm. "He wouldn't hurt a fly, I promise."

"Whew…"

"Though I guess he does have a guy to do his dirty work too…"

Freckle looked at Ivy, giving up. "You aren't being very helpful."

"I know!" She said wit ha smile. "I like to see you squirm."

"Seriously though, do I need to be careful?" Freckle asked. Ivy just laid her head back on his shoulder.

"If you managed to get Viktor's approval then my father will be a piece of cake."

"Did I get his approval?"

"Well, he didn't skin you alive, right? I'd say that counts as approval."

"You still aren't being that helpful…"

"Just sit back and enjoy the train ride, silly." Ivy said. Freckle did listen to that at least. He watched farms roll by across the open grasslands. They must have been going eighty miles per hour now, yet it was like the locomotive was coasting most of the time. It barely made a sound.

"You said you had a brother and sister, right?" Freckle asked.

"Yeah. Their names are Lily and Oliver" Ivy said. "Lily is sixteen, Oliver is eleven." She added, thinking to recall their current ages.

"Woah, your brother is young."

"Yeah, he's our baby!" She said, remembering all the times she'd be watching him, dressing him, playing with him, getting into trouble with him. "They're both great, but it's also nice to live far enough away where I can go be myself."

"I should have gotten them gifts."

"Oh, I got it all taken care of." Ivy said, not even bothering to open her eyes. "Lily is easy enough to win over but Oliver is a bit possessive."

"Possessive?"

"Yeah, he's always had a problem with every boy I've dated. Maybe he's grown out of it, but if he gives you the cold shoulder don't take it personally."

"Will your Dad think less of me if Oliver does?"

"What? No, he's aware… I think. Between work and caring for our mother we got left to our own devices a lot."

"I see… We'll see your mother, right?"

"I'm pretty sure she's out of the hospital now."

"She was injured?!" Freckle asked, concerned about Ivy's home life.

"Injured…? Oh, no! Sorry. It's a different kind of hospital. There's something wrong with her mind."

"Ivy… I'm starting to think there's a lot you haven't told me about your family."

"Well, I told you the important stuff!" She shot back.

"Your mother being in and out of a mental hospital wasn't important?" Freckle replied. "I told you everything you needed to know about my mother."

"Well… your family is a little simpler, isn't it?" Ivy said. "Let's see… there's your cousin who I already knew and your mother who turns out to just be a religious and well-meaning woman."

Freckle sensed defensiveness. "Hey, Ivy, it's okay. I'm not upset or anything, it just would be nice to know who I'm meeting."

"Sorry, Calvin. In the past when boys would find out who my father is and what my family is like they've ran to the hills. Now I got someone who's iced criminals before."

"You didn't tell them I'm some killer, did you?"

"Not exactly… though I might have mentioned it to Lily."

Meet Up

"Dad, Ivy is still dating that killer, right?" Lily asked as she rode up front with him while Oliver watched the houses roll by.

"Killer? No, honey, he's a very nice man… apparently." Rueben said as he drove his little family to the Kansas City station.

Oliver grumbled. "Why can't she just date someone from around here?"

"Because, son, Ivy is a grown woman and can choose where she wants to study. At least so long as she gets her grades back up. What's she going to do, champ? Date someone three hundred miles away?"

"She could move back…"

"I know you miss her, but this is good for you both. Ivy gets to see some of the world and you get to learn a little independence." Ruby said before turning onto the main road.

Oliver pouted, unable to argue back. His dad was right, of course, but Ruby was simplifying things and the truth was his own feelings were a lot more mixed up than his young mind could comprehend.

Lily continued with explaining what she had heard through mutual friends. "Well, Dad, I heard he killed three people down in that old speakeasy you used to work for."

"The speakeasy I used to work with, Lily. I was Atlas May's connection to everything out here. And I'm sure your sister was just exaggerating things."

"Why is it such a stretch to believe?" She rebutted. "It's a speakeasy, Dad. Everyone there is in a gang, right?"

"I'll admit that there are a couple of characters in the Lackadaisy who are indeed killers, but from what Ivy has told me this young man is nothing but peaceful and polite. At least I hope so. Calvin's cousin has me a bit worried still."

Father and daughter immediately realized the problem and Ruby continued. "That being said, Ivy is not exactly—"

"Truthful? Honest?"

"Yeah… she can play me like a fiddle." Ruby admitted. "Still, I trust she'd have enough sense to bring home a proper boy and not someone's attack dog."

"What does he look like?" Oliver asked from the back seat.

"Well… I guess I haven't actually met him face to face yet."

"I'll bet he's some tall, handsome jock." Lily guessed. "That's what the first three boys looked like."

"Your sister does have a type, doesn't she? Too bad all three of them had unfortunate accidents. Football must be getting brutal."

"You think he's Italian?"

"Well, I did hear he was Catholic. We'll just have to see for ourselves, sweetie."

Ruby pulled the car up to the front of the Kansas City union terminal and parked. "Alright, Lily why don't you go in and find them. Train should have arrived on platform twelve about ten minutes ago."

"Alright, dad." She said, getting out of the car and bundling herself up.

"And no talking to strangers!" He said from the driver's seat.

"I'm sixteen, dad, I'll be fine."

"Right, right. Force of habit."

Alone with his son, Ruby looked in the back seat from the mirror. "What's got you down, sport?"

"Is mom going to be there when we get home?" Oliver said, staring blankly out the window at the falling snow and Christmas lights decorating the building.

"Yes, a nurse will be bringing her around just before dinner."

"Can I be excused from dinner?"

"Excused? What? No, of course not. We're having Christmas together like one big happy family."

"Aw man… Can I at least sit next to Ivy?"

"Fine, as long as you behave yourself and don't give Ivy's boyfriend any grief." Ruby said. "I know you don't want to be around your mother, but it's important that she gets to see how her children are doing. It helps her in the hospital."

"I don't want to be alone with her." Oliver said, leaning back into the seat and staring at the floor while recalling what happened last time. He was the reason she needed so much help.

"Hey, it's been two years now since any kind of incident. If the doctors thought she was dangerous then they wouldn't let us have her over for Christmas." Ruby explained. "Besides, you've got me and two big sisters to look after you. All your mother has to do is remain calm and enjoy herself."

"Hurry up, Calvin! My dad is never late!" Ivy said as she held one bag. Meanwhile, Freckle and a porter struggled to move the two trunks full of things Ivy packed at the last minute. Freckle looked at the porter with pity. "I'm sorry about all this…"

"Don't be…" The porter panted. "It's what I'm paid… to do!"

"Well, you're earning a lot more than a quarter for this one." Freckle said as he helped the porter navigate the terminal.

"Ivy! Over here!" Lily said, waving her hand. The two sisters saw each other and quickly closed the distance. Ivy lifted up Lily and twirled her around before setting her back down.

"Lily, I love what you did with your hair!" Ivy complemented her sister while they walked out of the terminal hand-in-hand.

"Thanks! How was the train?"

"Like Dad says, they get faster every year. Smooth running this time too I might add."

"Say, where's your boyfriend?" Lily asked, looking around them.

"Oh, he's just back there with the porter. Come on Calvin!"

"Sweet Jesus, if this is going to work out long term Ivy needs to learn how to pack lighter." Freckle said to the porter under his breath.

"Don't let her catch you saying that now. Lost one fine woman the same way!" He replied.

Ruby looked out the window and saw his girls crest over the steps. "There she is!" He said, getting out of the car and hugging Ivy.

"Hi Dad, Merry Christmas!" Ivy said, kissing Ruby on the cheek.

"I'm glad you made it here safe, and I know someone who is extra excited to have you back…" Ruby said, gesturing to the car.

Ivy's eyes lit up. "Oliver!" She said, opening the door. A blur of brown fur flew into her arms. "How's my little brother?" She asked.

"Great now that you're here, sis!" He said.

"Steady, now…" Freckle said as he and the porter carried the first trunk down the stairs and to the back of the car. Ruby, beaming, put an arm around both of his youngest childrens' shoulders. "And this dashing young fellow must be Calvin." Ruby guessed.

Ivy beamed with pride as she pulled Freckle out from behind the car by the elbow. "You bet! Here is Calvin McMurray in the flesh!" She said, smiling wide. Freckle stood there awkwardly, noting the faces on Ivy's family. Ruby smiled warmly as did Lily, but Oliver wasn't so impressed.

"Uh… hi!" Freckle said timidly.

Ivy continued, pointing out each family member. "Calvin, that's my dad, Rueben, my sister, Lily, and my little brother, Oliver." She said.

Lily noted that Calvin was a significant departure from Ivy's previous flings. He wasn't exactly tall or barrel-chested and he was more cute than handsome. In fact, he wasn't much bigger than Ivy. Not that it mattered, Calvin would at least fit in with the Pepper clan. Nobody was particularly large.

"Aw, don't be shy kid. You're amongst family now!" Ruby said. "I'll help the porter with the second trunk, you kids get loaded up."

Freckle turned around and slipped the porter a dollar in change for his efforts. The man smiled wide. "Thank you!"

Ivy climbed into the backseat while Lily took the front. Before Calvin could join Ivy, Oliver slipped in and was determined to sit in the middle where he could have his sister all to himself. Ivy hugged the boy and kissed him on the forehead. "Did you miss me?"

"Yeah, a lot!" He said, resting his head under her arm. Calvin climbed in just as Ruby and the porter loaded the second trunk and closed up the back of the car. Ruby climbed back in the car and fired it up while the porter waved at the family.

"Ya'll have a merry Christmas!" The man said as the car pulled away with everyone returning the gesture.

Christmas Eve

"And this is the guest room." Ruby said, opening the door at the end of the hall for Freckle. Ivy was only a couple of doors down. "I hope it's up to standard."

"Sir, I'm grateful for the hospitality." Freckle said, having gotten more comfortable talking to Ivy's family on the car ride over.

"Excellent. Well, I'll leave you to get settled in. I'll call around when dinner is ready." Ruby said, letting Freckle go inside the room. He closed the door while Ruby walked down the hallway.

Lily peaked around the corner and grabbed her dad by the sleeve. "So much for tall, dark, and handsome…"

"Hey, he's Ivy's boyfriend, not yours, little miss." Ruby said. "I for one am quite relieved that he's more bookish than mafia hitman."

"Ugh… but that sounds so boring…"

"Believe me, sweetie, boring is a good trait. A killer will get you killed. Seen it a dozen times at least! Calvin's cousin is called Rocky and that character… well, let's just say that even if that guy isn't a killer he is more than capable of getting others killed.

"Ivy said that Rocky's calmed down since he adopted that orphan they found after the tornado."

"Yeah well, how great that turns out remains to be seen. In any case, let's give Calvin a chance, shall we?

Ivy heard them as they walked down the hallway. Her ears and tail twitched in annoyance. Talking about her boyfriend as if he was just some thing she picked up on the way over? As soon as the hallway was clear, she sneaked out of her room and into Calvin's. Calvin had just removed his shirt and was laying out his clothes to pick out something for dinner.

"You know, we should really expand your wardrobe." Ivy said, leaning on his shoulder.

"What? A man only needs two or three shirts."

"Whoever said that didn't have a sense of fashion."

"Well… I guess one or two wouldn't hurt." He said, lifting up one shirt and looking it over for wrinkles. He held it up to his chest and looked down to see how well it matched his pants. "What do you think? Good enough? Too much?"

"Personally…" Ivy said, leaning in close to Freckle's face. "I prefer it when you're bare chested."

Freckle's cheeks glowed red from blushing which caused Ivy to giggle uncontrollably. "Hehe, you still can't help yourself, can you?"

"Well I…"

"Just put it on, Calvin. We'll save the undressing for later when everyone else is asl—" The two of them heard a door creak and Ivy whipped around just in time to see her brother's tail dart out of view.

"It's not a problem if we're in the same room, right?" Calvin asked, concerned about leaving a bad impression.

"Trust me, Dad won't be too upset, but I better go give my little brother some attention. Lily says he gets lonely when I'm not here."

Ivy left Freckle to prepare for dinner and then walked quietly down the hallway until she got to her brother's door. She opened it and found him hiding behind the bed.

"You know, you're getting a little big to use that place for a hiding spot." She said, climbing over the bed.

"Don't be mad! I wasn't snooping, I promise!"

"Mad? Oliver, I'm so happy to be back here to see you. Come on out, let's sit."

Oliver did as requested and laid down next to his sister while she sat on his bed, feet dangling above the floor. "You really shouldn't intrude though. One day you might see something you'll regret."

Oliver looked at her in confusion. "Something I'll regret seei- oh… ew! Ivy, I don't want to think about that!"

"Serves you right." She said with a smile and a wink before laying down next to Oliver and pulling him in close. "So, anything interesting happen since I was here last time?"

Oliver shook his head. "No, but I miss you being here."

"And I miss you too." Ivy said, kissing Oliver on the forehead again. "You don't seem that approving of Calvin…"

"He's alright… I guess." He said, trying not to sound angry.

"I think you'll end up liking him more than you want to admit right now." She said while holding him. "And I'm sorry I've been gone so much. St. Louis has been a little… crazy lately."

"Yeah, didn't you get in a shootout?"

"No… well, kind of. I wasn't the one doing the shooting."

"I want to know what happened!"

"So does Dad, which is why you aren't going to bring it up just yet, got it?" Ivy said, looking at him. Oliver could tell she was serious.

"I'll be good." He said.

"I know you will be. And one day I'll tell you all about my adventures in St. Louis." Ivy said, sitting up. "Now go get ready for dinner. I'm going to do the same. You can sit between Calvin and me. It would be a good chance for you to get to know him a bit."

"Why?" Oliver asked, sitting up. Ivy turned around and gave him a sly smile.

"I have a feeling you'll be seeing more of him."

Oliver wasn't exactly pleased to hear this, but two words came from downstairs that filled him with dread.

Dinner

"Mom's here!" Rueben called from the bottom of the steps as he helped Effie into the dining room alongside the nurse.

"Thank you so much for helping to make this happen on Christmas." Ruby said to the nurse as she laid out the three different medications they were trying on Effie.

"It's not a problem, Mr. Pepper. Just make sure she takes insulin before bed and these other two pills twice a day."

"Isn't that a heavy dose?" Ruby asked, concerned.

"Yes, but it's kept her from having any episodes in recent months. Oh yes and call the hospital immediately if you see her losing control." The nurse said before walking toward the door.

"Have a Merry Christmas!" She said.

"You as well!" Ruby replied before turning his attention to his wife.

"How are you feeling, honey?" He asked.

Effie looked at him with eyes that suggested she wasn't quite all there. "Oh… hello Rueben! Did you come to visit?"

"Uh… no. You're back home. It's Christmas and the doctors said it would be good to have you here until tomorrow."

"Oh… where are the children?"

"They should be down any minute."

Ivy and Lily walked down the stairs together, nervously approaching their mother. "Hi mom!" They both said.

"Girls… you look lovely."

"Um, thanks mom." Lily said, noting how spaced out the woman was.

Ivy noticed the items on the side table and whispered to Ruby, "Dad, they're giving her all that stuff?"

"I guess it works. She hasn't had a fit of crying or started screaming bloody murder yet." Ruby explained. He was starting to think of how less comfortable this evening was going to be. "Why don't you go get Calvin and your brother. We'll eat dinner and see how things go."

Freckle was just putting his hair back in place when Ivy came into the room after softly knocking.

"Dinner's ready, Calvin. Mom is here too but I don't think she's all there."

"She's okay though, right?" Calvin asked, looking concerned.

"Oh, I'm sure the doctors know what they are doing. Now come on, I need to get Oliver too."

Ivy opened Oliver's door and saw him staring out at the black night beyond the window.

"Come on, Oliver! Dinner is ready and mom—"

"I know she's here, Ivy. I don't want to go."

Ivy looked at Calvin. "Go ahead, it'll just be a minute." She then slipped inside Oliver's room and sat down next to her little brother, putting an arm around him.

"I know she still scares you after what happened, but the doctors gave her some really strong medication."

"I'd rather go hungry."

Ivy inhaled deeply, trying not to let her temper flare. "My little brother isn't going hungry over this. Now come on. I thought you wanted to hang out with me?"

He looked at her with pleading eyes. "I do! But—"

"Well, I'm not just going to sit in your room half the week. The action is downstairs."

"You promise its safe?"

"Yes, I'd never let anything bad happen to you." She said, reassuringly. Standing up, Ivy held out her hand and Oliver took it and joined her, cautiously making his way downstairs.

"You know, Ethan's sister is about your age. You should come out to St. Louis as soon as we get enough room for everyone." Ivy suggested.

"Come to St. Louis?!" Oliver's eyes lit up. Ivy told him all about the city, the rivers, the gangs and speakeasies. When it came from dad it was a lot more business-oriented and emotionally detached.

"Ah, here he is!" Ruby said. "Dear, this is Ivy's boyfriend. He's come here to spend the holiday with us. Isn't that great?!"

Effie looked at Calvin before smiling wide. "Oh, Chad, Ivy told me about you."

"Uh… Chad?" Freckle asked, confused.

"No, mom, that's Calvin." Lily corrected.

"Sorry we're late!" Ivy said, coming into the dining room. Oliver tried to hide behind his sister and go unnoticed, but Effie saw a glimpse of her son. While dinner didn't have any issues, Freckle noted how Effie wasn't exactly happy that Oliver was there. It was very faint, but he detected hints of resentment toward the boy. It was both foreign and odd to feel such a thing from a mother. His own was strict, sure, but there was never a doubt in his mind that she loved him. That was especially true now that they had patched things up.

Oliver wasn't exactly happy to be there either, and Freckle noted how the boy wouldn't even make eye contact with him. That was also a strange departure from what he was used to. Rocky was always so personable and bold while Riley was excited to see new things in the city. Even joseph, despite going through such a horrible thing as a tornado, had been more open and forthcoming. Freckle also noticed that Ruby was working extra hard to keep the tension to a minimum with jokes, stories, and a dozen other distractions. Whatever was going on here, it wasn't the typical happy family dinner at Christmas.

After dessert, everyone moved to the parlor where the Christmas tree was set up and decorated.

"Isn't the tree this year a beauty?" Ruby said, admiring the one he and Lily picked out together.

"It is beautiful, dad." Ivy said, laying her head against Freckle's shoulder. "You should see the one the boys put up at the new farm!" She added.

"What did they do?" Ruby asked.

"Freckle, why don't you tell him?" Ivy requested.

"Uh, sure. Okay. Well, we had this big spruce and Rocky had the idea to decorating it in the front yard."

"It must have been pretty big!" Lily said, trying to imagine it.

"It was gigantic!" Freckle said. "I wish I had a photo with me. Well, Rocky accidentally burnt that one down, but Bobby—"

"Bobby Bastion? How's the old brit doing?" Ruby asked as he sat down and rubbed his wife's thigh.

"He's doing well."

"I'll bet the funeral business is doing great with you boys in the area!" Ruby teased which precisely no one found funny.

"Yeah… well anyway, Bobby and his friend from Germany found us a new tree. Wasn't quite as big but everyone lent a hand in decorating it."

"We should come out there next Christmas. What do you think, kids?" Ruby asked. Lily and Oliver both nodded in excitement.

Ruby stretched and yawned. "Well, normally we would have a lot of friends over and dance around for half the night, but tonight I'm bushed." Ruby said. "And I'm sure you two had a long trip."

Ivy looked at Calvin. "Yeah, it's been a busy few days."

"Let's save the gifts for tomorrow then, shall we?" He said before standing up and helping Effie up. She had been silent the rest of the night, but Calvin still noted how there was a difference in her facial expressions between when she was looking at her son and her other children. There was a… coldness to how she looked at him.

One Creature was Stirring

Freckle got ready for bed. It was early and he had time to read. Laying back in bed, he wondered how his cousin and his chosen brother, Ethan, were doing? Was his mom pulling her hair out with Rocky and Joseph there? Was Ethan overwhelmed by the big Spanish family Bella had? He'd just have to wait and find out when he got back home. Opening the book, he picked up where he had left off. He was reading one of his favorites by Missouri's own Mark Twain. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. He felt kind of silly for reading the same book over and over again, but he found something new to chew on in each reread. As he was just getting settled in, Ivy slipped in through the door with a mind on different things.

"Well, someone's got some energy left over." She said, sliding onto the bed. Freckle smiled and made room for Ivy to cuddle up next to him. "So, what do you think of the family?"

"Your father and siblings seem likable enough, though Oliver is about how you described."

"Yeah, I got to figure out what's going on with that kid." She said while thinking about how Oliver was never happy with whatever boy she brought home. "Just remember, it's him, not you. I don't think it's personal, either."

"I gotta say, too, he seems a bit…"

Ivy looked at Freckle, almost anticipating what he was going to say.

"…clingy."

"Ugh, why does everybody think that? I mean, sure, he's growing up and could stand to do things himself more often but he's still my baby brother. What am I supposed to do? Kick him in the chin and tell him to man up?"

"No, of course not! I think its really sweet how much you care about him. But it's almost like you're his mom or something."

Ivy was quickly growing tired of the conversation. "Would you tell Ethan it's weird that he acts more like Riley's father than brother?"

"That's a little different though, don't you think? You know, considering both of their parents aren't around anymore. Plus he was basically an adult when she was born. Ethan was changing diapers and—"

"I did the same thing with Oliver. Personally, I don't see the difference…"

"Alright, alright. I know when I'm barking up the wrong tree." Freckle said. "What I'm really afraid to ask is what happened to your mother?"

A sudden knock on the door drew both of their attentions. Ivy immediately rebuttoned her shirt but stayed silent, motioning for Freckle to call out.

"Oh, yeah. Um… who is it?" Freckle asked.

A young voice on the other side of the door replied. "I know my sister is in there." Oliver said.

Ivy rolled her eyes. "Not a moment of privacy in this house, I swear." She said as she got up, checking to make sure she wasn't too underdressed. She opened the door and saw him standing there, ready for bed.

"You should be getting sleep. It's going to be a long day tomorrow." She said, closing the door behind her.

"I can't sleep with mom here."

"Oh yeah…" She said. Ivy crouched down and looked her brother in the eyes, remembering Freckle's comments from a minute earlier.

"You know, you're getting a little old to be sleeping with your big sister."

"I don't want her to come in when I sleep." He said, clearly frightened.

Ivy knew all too well that his fears weren't exactly unfounded. "Well, if you stay up then Santa won't stop by—"

"Ivy, Lily and Dad already told me this year that Santa isn't real. Please, I don't want to be a sitting duck!"

Ivy thought about it. On one hand, she'd never want Oliver to feel like she was abandoning him. On the other, she desperately wanted some alone time with Freckle after spending the last several weeks trapped on campus. Then an idea sprang into her head.

"Alright, if you're old enough to know Santa isn't real then you're old enough to know that Lily and I occasionally want to spend some time with their boyfriends…"

"Aw man…" Oliver said, disappointed. "But mom—"

"I know. And I said I'd never let something bad happen to you. So here…"

Ivy reached in behind her top and pulled out her door key and handed it to Oliver, who held it with two fingers in slight disgust, realizing where she kept the key hidden. Ivy rolled her eyes before continuing.

"Why don't you go sleep in my room tonight? Lock yourself in."

"What about you—oh!" Oliver understood.

"Exactly. Don't tell dad." She said, kissing Oliver on the forehead. "If mom has one of her episodes, you'll be perfectly fine."

"What if she figures it out, though?"

"I'm two doors down and can be there in a jiff if you yell. Good enough compromise?"

"Yeah!" He said, hugging Ivy tight. She held him, rubbing his back reassuringly.

"I love you, squirt. Now go to bed." She said before standing up. She waited until he was safely in her room and she heard the lock engage before going back in to be with Freckle.

"What did he want?" Freckle asked.

"Oh… you know what, let's save the questions for tomorrow. Now, what are you reading?"

"Huckleberry Finn." Freckle said, letting Ivy slide back into her usual spot next to him. "But if you'd rather…"

"Nah… I think I'm too tired. Could you read to me, though?" She asked.

"Gladly." Freckle said, pulling the covers over both of them.