#bergen_county

"Cotton Candy too.."

Jack nods

"Ooooh." Connor sits up. "Hey, Jack? You know plants, right?"

"Do you think that that mean McGilly-giant was always up there, or did planting a beanstalk make her show up?"

He frowns a little. "Was it our fault she stole them toys?"

"Sure wasn't" Jack says firmly "I asked around. Kids had been losing toys for years, and getting in trouble!"

"Somewhere up there," Lane assures "There's probably a witch that hoards left socks"

"JUST the left ones" Jack nods

"Maybe the beanstalks just go where they need us to be." Thinking, "Maybe we didn't find ALL the beans. THere were LOTS. Think we'll see new stalks next year?"

"MAYBE... " then he whispes "if we do, we better hide the next stalk from Hearth Kerri. I think she's got a fear of heights. Why else would she worry about us going up one?"

"We didn't even CLIMB it." He nods though. "It can't bother her if it's not in HER garden. Maybe we can plant one out in the woods!"

"Nah, my mom's garden next time " He suggests

He nods thoughtfully. "What if your mom is afraid of heights too?"

"Darn, you're right. She makes dad reach things onnn the ttop shelf. Okay, the forest it is"

"Do you... maybe... want to meet my dad sometime?"

"SURE" Jack ssays "only fair. You know mine rightt?"

He looks really surprised by Jack's enthusiasm. Most folk around HERE make a face when he's mentioned.

"Is your dad nice?" Lanne asks

He tilts his head to one side, considering. "Miss Nadeen thinks so."

"I don't really know?"

"course he's nice" Jack assures "he just got confused is all" Oddly supportive

"Dagmar says he was mean to her horse. And Dagmar would never lie." He is CERTAIN about that. "But Miz Lavender said he has lots of horses and he really likes them, and who would be mean to a horse? I mean, maybe you can be MAD at one, like if they step on your foot by accident, or when Spark ate a hole in my favorite shirt. He said it was one of the Nanny Goats but there was a FEATHER by it..."

"Well, maybe your dad was confused? Or havingg a real bad day and that's when Dagmar me him?"

Lane asks

"I think he had a lot of really bad days." Connor admits.

"Oh" Lane says looking at jack a bit worried.

Jack scoffs "Connor wants us to see his dad. we see his dad. Shadowhoof stand together!"

He beams at his friends. Except... looking around. "We can't forget Lilly though. She almost got in bad trouble last time. Where has she been? I miss her."

"I think she say somethinng about tea on a holiday but ..." A shrug from Jack

"She went to Earth Runes for a diner date" Lane says

"A date? Are you sure it wasn't just a fig?"

"If it was, I don't give one" Jack laughs "Get it?"

He tilts his head to one side, puzzled.

"If I did have a fig, Snow would probably steal it."

"Fruit?" A voice calls out

Lane yells back "No fruit!"

"Ah.. Snow forgives" goes the voice

Connor giggles!

"She's got good ears" Lane admits

"I have to get permission to go, though. It's far away, and I went once on my own and Chief got fussy."

Certainly a lie in understatement there.

"But you're a SQUIRE now" Lane says "A very important person"

He POUTS. "That means I have Responsibilities. It's all Terrible, terrible luck."

"Can Gerd give you permission? She could escort you.. poof"

that from Jack

"She could ask Dagmar. She's the Boss. She's my Knight, and she's Chieftain's knight, but I'm hers and she's Hers, so it's like... you have to get in line?"

The two kids nod and make the obligatoy 'oooo' sounds

"Then you should ask Dagmar if she'll take us" Lane nnnods

"Yeah. I can do that! We won't all fit in the sidecar though."

"Maybe she cann borrow her dad's truck? Or something?" Jack ponders

"I... " He looks unsure. "Maybe. I'll ask. Maybe we can just go to the Roller Coasters instead! Those sounded fun, except the barfing?"