Paige sat on her bed, legs tucked up underneath her. She leaned against the wall and closed her eyes, the warm familiarity of her old room wrapping around her. Familiar. Safe. Home.

Opening her eyes, she unfolded the letter again, and once again began to read.

((Dear Paige...

I don't know how to explain this to you, but I'll try. First off, I'm sorry I left like I did. I should have left a note or something, and I tried, but I couldn't find the words. They're not coming much easier now, but I owe this much to you, at least.

I care about you. A lot... and me leaving doesn't mean I don't. But Jubilee needed me, and I couldn't let her down. I hope and pray you understand this... but I know what she's going through. I know how much she needs someone. And if I won't be that someone, who will?

I know there's going to be people who'll think that I've run off with her to have my wicked way with her or something, but it isn't like that. She's my friend, and she needs me. That's it. Even if I was interested, which I'm not, I'm not bastard enough to take advantage of the state she's in now.

I have to watch her every minute, see... Even have to check on her when she's in the bathroom. I gotta be there for her twenty-four seven, or we'll lose her, Paige, and I could never live with myself if I let that happen.

She misses you. I miss you.

Emma told us about your mum. I wish I could be there for you, sunshine... maybe I should be... but I can't. You've got your brothers and sisters there to help you, and Jubilee's only got me.

When I was a kid, years ago... I found a baby bird that had fallen out of its nest. It was so small and fragile, and I could feel its heart beating against my hands when I picked it up. It wasn't hurt, as far as I could tell, but it wasn't quite strong enough to fly yet, and the nest was way up high in a tall tree.

I wanted to keep it ... it was old enough that it would have lived, if I'd taken good care of it. So I put it in my pocket, and I took it home with me. I had all these plans about how I'd tame it and everything.

But when I got home and showed it to my Nan, she wasn't too pleased with the idea. She said that I could keep it alive, and maybe tame it, if I was willing to put the time in, and that if that was what I wanted to do, then she wouldn't stop me. But if I did that, then it would never be able to get along by itself. It would need me for the rest of its life, because it wouldn't know how to be free.

I fell out of the tree and broke my leg in two places, but I got that bird back in the nest, and a few weeks later it was flying around with the other birds.

Point to the story? I could wrap Jubilee up in my coat and bring her back to the school, keep her alive, and maybe even convince her to go on, if I put the time in... but I won't. If it kills me, I'm going to get her back up that tree, and hope that she learns to fly on her own.

I don't know when I'm coming back. Or if Jubilee will be with me when I do. But I do know that I can't leave her until she's ready to fly.

Jono.))

Paige sighed, rubbing her eyes tiredly. It had been one of a series of very long days, and it wasn't over yet. There was still supper to make... she sighed again and smiled. Marrow was still more of a hinderance than a help, especially in the kitchen, but she was trying hard to learn. Paige was beginning to see what her brother saw in the prickly ex-Morlock. <<Should that be X-Morlock? Girl, that's just awful. We must be tireder than we thought.>> She stood up, stretching slowly, and walked over to the window, still holding the letter.

Downstairs, Maisie yapped loudly, then broke off with a startled whimper. "Bullseye!" Marrow crowed. "Right between its beady little eyes!" Paige sighed, dropping the letter on her desk.

"Good shot!" A male voice enthused.

Josh had never liked Maisie much, Paige reflected as she headed for the door. "Josh? Sarah? Y'all are supposed to be husking that corn, not throwing it! Leave the dog alone!"

"Yeah, yeah..." Josh chuckled. "Here's another rotten cob, Sar, let's see you hit that crow..."

"Don't make me come down there, Josh! Ah mean it!"

<squawk!>

"Sarah, you leave that bird be! It didn't do anything to you!" Paige yelled automatically. Sheer force of habit, ingrained by years of dealing with younger siblings, also propelled her down the stairs towards the back porch. "Ah better not catch either of you actin' up out there!"

"You won't!" the two chorused. When Paige barrelled through the porch door, the two of them were industriously husking corn, wearing identical angelic expressions.

Undeterred, she shook a warning finger at them. "Ah don't wanna hear one more animal getting' hit with a cob, do you understand? Not ONE, or Ah'll come back down here and give you both a good clip round the ear." Without bothering to remember that Sarah was a Morlock madwoman who could kill her without breaking a sweat, Paige gave them both a final glare before going back inside. She headed back to her room, ignoring the burst of sniggering behind her.

Once there, she picked up the letter again, and returned to the window. Outside, the sun was setting, crimson light pouring in through the window. It dyed her hair and her skin, tinting them with deep red gold as she gazed out at the flaming sky. <<It looks as if the whole world is burning... when Ah was little, Ah remember askin' momma if the sun would set fire to our fields, it looked so close...>> She looked down at the letter. The red light tinted the page, and the words seemed to hover over the paper.

((I don't know when I'm coming back. Or if Jubilee will be with me when I do. But I do know that I can't leave her until she's ready to fly.

Jono.

PS: I love you.))

<<PS Ah love you too, my hero...>> She rested her head against the window pane. <<And Ah'll miss you while you're on this quest of yours... but you're right. We both know this is something you have to do, just like Ah have to stay here and take care of my family. We both have responsibilities to people who need us and you better take good care of her, or Ah'll come after you myself.>> She smiled wistfully and laid the letter down on her desk. <<But think of me often...and come back to me soon.>> She blew a kiss to the setting sun, and turned to leave.

Outside, there was a startled yelp. "Who threw that?" Sam yelled.

Paige grinned, opening the window and leaning out. "Josh! Sarah!" She yelled, in her best impersonation of her mother. "Ah told you to leave them dumb animals alone!"