"I'm leaving." Monica informed her coworkers as she left the hospital. Recently she has been staying late to catch up on work, and assist her fellow coworkers. 

Today though she had this sudden urge to head out a little earlier and visit Courtney. By the time she reached the school most of the students were already gone for the day. She didn't bother to look for Teri, because she knew she was safe with Elliotes.

Courtney let out a happy squeal when Monica walked in.

"Why are we screaming?" Monica laughed as Courtney ran to hug her.

"Girl. I have been so stressed with these stupid dances."

"Dances?"

Courtney pulled out a chair for Monica by her desk. "It's like a curse fell over the school. The morale of the student has dropped sufficiently. We expect that for the older kids, but not the babies. Parents have been stressed and the school board wants results."

"Okay okay. Tell me what you need." Monica offered. "I'm here so let me help."

Monica helped Courtney clean the entire kindergarten class. Courtney tells her how they are doing a father-daughter dance for the girls, and a sports day with mommy for the boys. It wasn't her choice, but since the school board is calling the shots she is forced to listen.

Monica just laughed as she listened to Courtney vent about gender roles. It's not that she disagreed with them, but she knows Teri would love that dance. The issue is Teri doesn't have a dad.

"I am just saying, I have more boys that like to dance in the dance circle than I do that want to play soccer on the field." Courtney ranted. "And am I going to break their hearts? Hell no. I will turn my classroom into a Kindergarten Clubhouse. By the way, I need you to take off to DJ."

"Do you really want my type of music around these kids?"

"Okay no drug-selling songs, WAP is banned. While we are at it every song that has a Tik Tok dance to it, banned." Courtney ranted. "If it has the A word, B word, C word, D word-"

"I got it. The ghetto alphabet is out of the question." Monica said annoyed. She did not come to have her taste in music roasted by a kindergarten teacher.

Monica went over to Elsa's cage to clean in that area. When Monica looked over at Elsa, the hamster was standing on her hind legs waving at her. Monica rubbed her eyes in disbelief. When she opened her eyes again Elsa was waving both her eyes jumping up and down.

"Uh Courtney, did you teach the hamster tricks?"

"I am a teacher, not a miracle worker," Courtney said not looking over at her.

Monica just stared at the hamster who began to point at the shrine. The shrine had a few hamster's dropping on the steps and had this colorful splatter on the side. It was clear to Monica that someone fed the hamster jelly beans, and that someone without a doubt was Teri.

The hamster then reached his paw on the outside and unlocked the cage to open the door. Most people would be surprised by this event, but the only thing Monica could wonder was how terrified this hamster has to be to willingly lock herself into this cage.

Monica reached inside and gently pulled out the shrine. She observed how it let out a dim glow. It really does look like a tiny house.

"What are you doing? Elsa is going to run out." Courtney said, closing the hamster's cage. Courtney looked up and caught the overly annoyed look on Monica's face. Courtney observed the shrine and saw how dirty it was. "Is that thing important?"

"Yes, it's important," Monica said as she began to clean the shrine with baby wipes.

"Why?"

"I stole it from a museum." Both Monica and Courtney started laughing, for two very different reasons. Courtney assumed that this was a joke, and Monica stole from a museum and believed that she deleted all the evidence. "Elliotes gave it to Teri, who gave it to the class. They are too little to really take care of it though."

"I'm sorry Mon."

The more Monica cleaned it the brighter the glow became. Did it glow before?

She didn't know why this little toy house was important, but it was important to Elliotes. He takes such good care of the things important to her, so the least she can do is clean up his shrine. Even now he is out there protecting Teri. She knows watching Teri is difficult.

I hope he can handle her. He is going to need all the energy he can get. Monica thought as she finished cleaning the shrine.

Blessings work in mysterious ways. Sometimes you never see them coming. It could be as subtle as a hamster standing on its hind legs.

See, Monica had no knowledge of what was currently happening. She had no idea that Elliotes was laying on the ground at the park as her daughter was being carried off by an unknown man.

"You have to protect your home El." Overia spoke within Elliotes, as he laid on the ground.

"I know that now."

"I answered your prayers. You now have the strength to move. What you do with this moment is up to you."

Elliotes nodded as he reached into his pocket and pulled out his jelly bean.

"That girl loves you, you know." Overia teased. "She is currently daydreaming about you."

"I know," Elliotes said as he ate the jelly bean. "She gives me these offerings daily."

Elliotes was able to rise to his feet. He quickly scanned the area. There were so many people and yet no one helped him. No one helped Teri.

Elliotes opened his wings in their full expansion and flew high up in the air to get a better view.

"Those are pretty." Overia teased.

"Is this fun for you?" Elliotes asked.

"I will grant you my power on one condition." Overia said.

"That is?"

"I want to talk to Teri."

"Will you hurt her?"

"She is currently being kidnapped and you are worried about me."

Overia had some good points. Against his better judgment, Elliotes agreed to the terms. A golden path appeared before him and the path was drastically getting longer by the second.

"The rest is up to you, brother."