"Mae-mae, will you tell me a naptime story?" Molly gave her puppy-dog eyes. She was the family baby and only three years old.

Maeve furrowed her eyebrows. "Whenever Cai offers to tell you a bedtime story, you beg him not to."

Molly pulled her blanket up past her nose. "Cai-cai only tells me scary stories. I don't like having scary dreams."

Maeve couldn't blame her. Molly only had so many words to talk about the things that scared her. Maeve at least had her old memories to help her do that.

"Is there any particular story you'd like to hear?"

Molly sat up and grinned. "Where did you live before Mommy and Daddy found you?"

Maeve plastered a smile on her face, but she could feel sweat bead on her forehead. She had been stuck with slave traders before she escaped, but she wasn't heartless. She would never tell a three-year-old that.

At least she could talk about her old life. Only a three-year-old would believe her. Anyone else would accuse her of lying.

"I used to live in a place far, far away called Earth. I got to live there long enough to become a grown-up."

"Like Mommy and Daddy?"

"Yeah." Maeve had to force her smile to stay on her face. "I even had a mommy and daddy of my own."

Her mouth made an o-shape. "Were they nice?"

They were the best mom and dad a girl could ask for.

Maeve nodded. "They used to take me on lots and lots of trips."

"Trips?"

"We used to go to new places and eat food we had never had before."

Molly giggled. "Sounds yummy."

"It was." Most of the time.

Maeve sighed.

"What's wrong?"

"I miss Mom and Dad."

Molly put her head on Mae's lap. She hugged the older girl and closed her eyes.

Mae smiled. Was she trying to make her feel better? What a sweet kid. Hard to believe she was related to Cai.

"I'm back!" Cai yelled.

She jumped. "Cai, quiet. Molly is sleeping," Maeve whispered.

Cai sighed. "Here. Let me take her to her room. You can start preparing the food you were going to make."

Maeve picked up Molly carefully and nodded. "Okay, but please be gentle."

"I do happen to have a heart, you know."

Maeve prepared the fruits first, so she could leave the flopping fish in their bucket. She had no issue eating fish that were already dead, but this was a different story.

She threw a fire stone in the drawer under the stove.

Maeve flinched as she beheaded each fish. At least they couldn't scream.

She poured the milk into the pot before she put the headless fish in. She was careful to leave Cai one of the coconut-like fruits.

Mae smiled once the dish was finished.

"What's that scent? It seems delicious," Mom said as she entered the room.

"Oh, hey, Mom! Did you finish with the customers already?"

"Yeah. I managed to sell some of my wares. So, what have you been up to?"

"I got some fruit and then I came home and told Molly a story."

"That sounds like a good day." Mom looked toward the hallway. "I should get your siblings. I'll be right back."

Hopefully Mom won't have to drag Cai out of the room.

Maeve set the table since she had to wait for her family to come to the table, anyway.

Molly rubbed her eyes. "Food ready?"

"Yep!"

Mom said, "Thank you for cooking, Mae."

"Of course, Mommy."

Cai glowered as he came into the kitchen.

"Cai, glaring at your homework won't make it easier."

"What do you have to do?" Maeve asked.

Cai sighed as he sat down at the table. "I have to write a paper about the different types of magic."

"Types of magic? What are they?"

"You idiot. How can you not know the magic types? Even one without a tutor should know them."

Maeve crossed her arms. She was just trying to help. There were kids in her old world that had to ramble before they could do anything. Cai could be one of them.

Mom bit into her fish. "Thank you, Mae. This is delicious."

Maeve would never get tired of hearing those words. What even was the last thing she made for her real mom and dad? She couldn't remember anymore.

Cai smiled as he ate his fish. He seemed to like it, but he would probably be a tsun if she asked what he thought. He basically sucked his fruit like a hungry vampire before he got up from the table. He then ran into their room.

Maeve opened the door a crack, so she could peer into their room. Cai hunched over his desk as he scribbled on this world's version of paper. She would be impressed if his tutor could read them.

Cai lifted his paper into the air. "Done!"

Maeve gasped. "That was fast!" How long did his paper even have to be?

"It was all thanks to y- I mean to my genius!" Cai cackled.

Maeve threw the nearest pillow at him. "Big head!"

Cai knocked it away. "No need to be jealous!"

Maeve stuck her tongue out.

"Mom, can I go swimming?" Cai shouted.

"Just be careful!"

"Can I come?" Mae asked.

Cai put his hands on his hips. "Do you know how to swim?"

"Sort of."

"Then sure, but if you start to drown, don't expect me to save you."

"Okay..."

When they stepped out of the house, Wilhelm and three others came out of the neighbor's house.

Molly ran and grabbed a little boy's hand. "Come play!"

"What are you guys going to do?" the older boy asked.

"We're going swimming," Cai replied. "Wanna come, Kaleb?"

The little girl grabbed the handles on Wilhelm's chair. "Let's go!"

"Cerena!" Kaleb groaned as he ran after them. "You're going to get Willie hurt!"

The pair eventually came to a stop.

"Cerena," Wilhelm growled. "I told you not to touch my chair."

Her lip quivered. "I was just trying to help."

Wilhelm sighed. "I can't stay mad at you."

Cerena hugged him before stepping back.

"Would you like to come swimming with me?" Kaleb asked.

"But I can't swim."

"I'm going to hold you the whole time. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I let you drown."

Wilhelm gulped. "I wanna look at the river."

Kaleb smiled as he pushed Wilhelm closer to the water. "Sure thing, Willie."

Cerena tried to take off the belt on Wilhelm's chair. "Don't be a scaredy-cat!"

"I don't wanna drown!"

Kaleb slapped her little hand. "That could have been dangerous."

"Will you go if I go first?" Maeve asked.

Wilhelm averted his gaze. "Maybe..."

"Okay, I'll do it!" Mae took off her shirt and jumped into the water. She gasped as the she began to go downstream.

Cai shouted, "Hey, paddle!"

"Can't you see that I am?" The current was stronger than she thought.

"Harder!"

"I'm already paddling as hard as I can!"

Cai sighed and jumped in.

When Maeve looked over at Wilhelm, he looked like a sheet.

"Didn't you ever go swimming in the city?" Cerena asked.

"In a pool! With grown-ups!"

Cerena put her hands on her hips. "Did the grown-ups just carry you around the pool?"

"In and out! I can at least hold on to the walls!"

"In and out?" Cai asked as he guided Maeve out.

Kaleb took a breath. "Willie needs someone to put him in the pool, but once he's in it, he can move himself around the edge." He lifted Wilhelm out of his chair. "Don't worry, Willie. I'm going to hold you like Cai did for his sister."

"If you say so..."

Kaleb was careful as he waded into the water.

Cai sighed. "Think they got it. Letting go of you now."

"H-hey!" Mae yelled.

"Open your eyes, dummy."

Maeve blinked. Oh. Cai brought her to the edge of the river.

"You wanna get out?" Cai asked.

Maeve splashed him.

"Brat!"

Wilhelm frowned as he watched them.

Kaleb put Wilhelm on his stomach. "Try to move your arms. See if you can do a couple strokes."

"Can people really swim like this?"

"At least you can pretend," Maeve said.

If only she'd met someone like Wilhelm on Earth. Then she could have given them hints.

Cerena giggled as she splashed the boys.

Kaleb glared. "Are you trying to give Willie and me heart attacks?"

"I was just playing..."

He motioned toward the wheelchair with his eyes. "Time out. Now."

Cerena had tears in her eyes as she complied.

Wilhelm got himself into a position as if he were standing. "KB, that might have been a little too mean."

"Maybe, it was..." Kaleb sighed. "I didn't want you to get hurt. You have to trust me in a way I don't need to trust you, so I wanted to respect that."

Claude approached them with a towel in his arms. "Are you guys having a good time?"

Kaleb narrowed his eyes. "Who are you?"

Claude smiled. "Claudius Von Hagen."

"Clawed Bun Bacon?" Cerena asked.

"Claudius Von Hagen."

Kaleb furrowed his eyebrows. "Von Hagen? Isn't that the house of the royal family?"

Claude's eyes widened as they drifted to the side. "Wilhelm, isn't that your wheelchair?"

The color drained from Wilhelm's face.

Splash!