Moving In

*****
Miranda: Oof. Please tell me this is the last of it.

Devika: Yep, these are the last two pieces of furniture. Well, until the beds come. They said any day.

Devika: But for now, we're done! Thanks a lot, Miri. I couldn't have done this without you and Lon.

Miranda: I am beat. Hey, speaking of Lon. Where'd he go? He helped us move in the living room stuff and then vanished.

Devika: It's late, maybe he went to bed. He works construction you know. They get up very early.

Miranda: Oh really?

Devika: Well, Ariel hired him on to help keep up the house. You know, check on the electrical and if we have plumbing problems and stuff. Four girls could really wreak havoc on new construction, Lon says.

Miranda: Hu, "Lon Says" hu? But you don't mind, do ya? Maybe some romance going on between you and Lon there, Vee?

Devika: (nervous giggle) Oh, Miri. You're so silly. If there was anything romantic about it, he wouldn't have left without saying "goodbye" now would he? *sigh* No, he wouldn't. And well, I just don't have any time for a relationship or anything anyway, not with the refugees coming. I don't even think about such things. Silly.

Miranda: Yeah, so why is it every time you talk about him you sigh? Hu?

*knock on door*

Lon: Hello! Grocery delivery for Miss Vee!

Devika: Oh, Lon! You didn't have to do that!

Lon: Well, I knew it'd be late when we were all done and I didn't think you had anything to eat, and I couldn't sleep knowing you didn't have anything for breakfast, Miss Vee.


Miranda: Oh my...

Devika: Shush, Miri.

Lon: So, I didn't know for sure what you liked to eat, so I just kind of guessed and I got some oatmeal and some milk and some orange juice. And I was pretty sure you liked hot chocolate, so I got some of that, and some of those mint cookie, "grasshopper" I think I thought you said you liked. Uh... so. I hope there's something you like in here.

Devika: Oh, Lon. You are so thoughtful.

Miranda: Yes, very thoughtful. How about you have a seat and chat with us a bit, Lon.

Lon: Oh, no thank you. Wouldn't be proper and all. Besides, I really should get to bed. It's really late. I should get going.

Lon: Miss Vee, if you need anything at all just give me a call on my cell phone. I set up my mouse hole just around the corner, so I could get here in a flash if you needed me. Okay? Don't hesitate to call. New house, settling into a new location, lots of things could go wrong.

Devika: Thank you, Lon. I'm sure it'll be fine, but it's good to know you're so close by, just in case. Thank you.

Lon: Sweet dreams, Miss Vee. Welcome to your new home.

Devika: Sweet dreams to you too, Lon. Night night.

Devika: *dreamy sigh* Isn't he just the sweetest thing EVER?

Miranda: Ugh! He's got it as bad for you as you do for him!

Devika: Oh, Miri, you're so silly. And you're wrong. He's just a nice guy is all. *sigh*

Miranda: Yeah, whatever. So you want me to stay over?

Devika: You wouldn't mind? That would be so wonderful if you would, Miri. It's just it's an awful big house, and I'm not used to the house noises yet and... oh you really wouldn't mind?

Miranda: Nah, I wouldn't mind at all. Vee, you're my best friend in the whole world, and I wouldn't want your first night in this great big house to be all scary cause you were alone or nuthin'.

Miranda: And Lon DID say there were "grasshopper" cookies in here... mmmm, grasshoppers.

Tiny Dancer

******
(jingle, jingle)

(jingle, jingle, jingle, swish)

(jingle, jingle, quiet humming)

(footbeats in time with the jingling bells of the dress, slightly louder humming, swish)

Wendy: (far in the distance) Kaaaayaaaa.....

(soft singing in time with the jingle of the bells, and with each step, in a strange language)

Wendy: (little closer) Kaaaayaaaa...


(jingling, dancing, slightly louder singing)

(suddenly louder singing)

Wendy: KAYA!

(jingling stops)

Kaya: Hu? Oh... um....

Wendy: Just what do you think you're doing?

Kaya: Uh... I um....

Wendy: I thought I told you no more rain dances on the weekends! People have plans for picnics and stuff, you know!

Kaya: Um.... (giggle) Byeeee!!!!

(jingle jingle jingle, run, run, run)
*******************************************

The Treehouse would like to apologize to anyone whose Easter festivities get rained or snowed on. We are very sorry for any inconvenience Kaya's precipitation dance might have caused.

Sincerely,

Wendy

Agatha's Nightmare

(In a quiet hallway of the Treehouse, in the middle of the night...)


Solstice: Oh, hey Emi.

Emi: Hi, Solstice! You're up late, aren't you?

Solstice: I thought, since Wendy isn't home from dinner yet, I'd just poke my head in and see if the girls are sleeping okay. What with this wind and the snow and all.

Emi: Oh, how's that going? I mean, it's really great that you're helping Wendy out with them and all. They're kinda... different. But she was just telling me you've been a big help.

Solstice: Well, no one else would. Did you know Tegen has refused to teach them at all? The other children won't play with them, and I'm sure it's coming straight from their parents.

Emi: Yeah, I heard that.

Emi: But... well, people are saying they're going to replace us. That Wendy loves them more than us... a lot of the dolls are really concerned, Solstice.

Solstice: That's just plain silly. They can't replace us in Wendy's HEART. Nothing could. I can't believe anyone living in the Treehouse could even think that.

Emi: A lot of us are second hand dolls, Solstice. It isn't hard for us to think that we might be tossed aside again, replaced by something more interesting. People are afraid. It doesn't have to be rational to be scary.

Solstice: No, I guess it doesn't... and irrational fear leads to irrational actions. I worry about the girls, sometimes.

small voice (whispering): Miss Wendy? Is that you?

Solstice: Oh! Agatha! Excuse me, Emi.

Agatha: Hi, Miss Solstice. Is Miss Wendy home?

Solstice: No, honey. She's not home yet. You're up awfully late.

Agatha: I had a... a bad dream and I can't sleep.

Agatha: I really need to (sniffle) talk to Miss Wendy... I'm scared.

Solstice: Oh, honey! It's okay... here...

Emi: Uh, I'm going to go. Good luck. Talk to you tomorrow, okay?

Solstice: Okay, night night, Emi.

Solstice: Okay, now tell me about this bad dream. It's okay, sweetie. Whatever it was, it was just a dream.

Agatha: I'm not sure it was... I mean everyone hates us... and maybe if Miss Wendy knew, she would hate us too.

Solstice: Knew what, baby? There's nothing that would make her hate you.

Agatha: Kaya and Pippa said.... they said that me and Dakota, that we believe in the wrong God to live here, and that Miss Wendy would hate us if she found out that we believed in that God and his Son, so better not tell. But that they might tell unless we gave them stuff, and then I went to bed, and I dreamed that they told Miss Wendy and she made us go away. (sniffle)

Solstice: Oh, Agatha. Pippa and Kaya... those girls. They're wrong, Agatha. Miss Wendy wouldn't hate you or make you go away or anything.

Solstice: You're right, that that isn't HER God, but that doesn't mean he can't be yours and that we'll all love you just the same. We'll tell her tomorrow and see what we can do to make things easier for you and Dakota. And you don't have to keep anything secret, EVER. Okay? And let ME deal with Kaya and Pippa. All right?

Agatha: Okay, Miss Solstice. (smile) Thank you.

Solstice: Okay, now let's get you back to bed. It's late, but I'll tell you a story first. Sound okay?

Agatha: Okay!

Agatha: Will it be a story with a Princess in it?

Solstice: Of course! What good bedtime story doesn't have a Princess in it?