Patches and Adam giggle as they run around on the beach looking for sticks that they could throw on the fire.

Emily sat curled up in her Uncle Tim's arms in front of the fire. After what happened today on the beach, she was still a little scared to wander too far from the 'adults'.

"Mmm MY, SA!!!" Patches shouts as he and Satchmo play tug of war over the same stick. "TI!!" (Mine, Satch)

"SATCHMOOO, BEHAVE!" Tim shouts.

The large dog turns loose of the stick allowing Patches to fall back on his butt on the soft sand.

Emily giggles at the silliness of her big bubba.

"You sure you don't want to go play with the boys?" Tim asks.

"No, I don't want to." She answers as she lays her head on Tim's chest. "Uncle Tim? I sowy that Aunt Jen..uh..Jenika hut you."

Tim looks down and meets her sad green eyes.

"It's okay, Baby Girl. I'm okay now." Tim says as he glances up at Chance. Emily looks around at Chance just in time to see him wink at Tim.

"Ohhhhh! I thaw dat Uncle Chance." Emily giggles.

"What?" Chance asks innocently with a smile.

"You know what." Emily smiles. "Don't twy to act innocent wid me."

"You're a smart little cookie, aren't you." Chance chuckles.

"Uh huh." Emily nods. "Daddy says I am."

"And your daddy is right." Tim says as he kisses her on the head.

As the girls prepare the food, Sami watches the threesome sitting near the bonfire.

"You know, Tim would have made a great dad." Sami says.

"He already is." Kirstie replies. "He's a dad to that blonde running wild on the beach and he's filled in several times when Patch ain't here."

"Jenika is a complete moron." Tori says and the girls nod in agreement.

"But, he's smiling again thanks to Chance." Kirstie smiles. "He's going to be just fine."

"What about Emily?" Tori asks. "Normally she would be playing with Patches and Adam."

"I know. That has me worried." Kirstie sighs as she looks up at her daughter snuggled in Tim's arms.

"She's been through a dramatic experience, Kirstie. It's going to take her some time to get past it." Olena says. "But she will."

"How do you think Patch will react when you tell him?" Sami asks.

"Oh God, I don't know. He probably won't let her out of his sight." Kirstie answers.

"Kit? Y'all hadn't tarted cooking yet?" Adam asks with a huff.

"Tar!" Patches says. (starving)

"Oh, you're not starving." Kirstie giggles.

Patches eyes a bag of marshmallows that had been laid out for S'mores. He snatches one and turns to run but trips over Mack and falls on the sand.

"Sit!" Patches says as he raises up into a sitting position and tries to wipe the sand off his stolen marshmallow.

"See, Mr. Patches? Crime doesn't pay." Kirstie smirks as she stoops down in front of him and takes the soiled treat.

"Huh?" Patches asks as he wrinkles his nose.

"You not thupposed to teal it. You thupposed to ath por it." Adam says.

"Huh?" Patches asks, once again wrinkling his nose.

"Like dis. Kit, can I peas hab a marthmeadow?" Adam asks politely.

"You most certainly can." Kirstie smiles as she hands him the treat.

"Thee? Dats how it work." Adam smiles as he takes a bite.

"Mmm mar? Peasssssss." Patches says. (marshmallow, please)

"That's better." Kirstie says as she hands him a fresh one. "And no more bad words."

Patches snatches the marshmallow and skips over to the fire.

"TIM, WATCH HIM" Kirstie shouts, not knowing what Little Bit was planning on doing.

"Whoa, there, Peanuts." Tim says as he grabs Patches by the wrist to keep him from sticking the marshmallow along with his hand into the fire. 

"Mar, Ti." Patches says as he holds up the treat for Tim to see.

"Yeah, I know. But I really don't think that's how it's done." Tim laughs.

"You suppose to use a stick, Bubba." Emily giggles.

"Mmm tick." Patches nods as he hands Chance the now sticky treat. He runs to the beach in search of a stick.

"Gee, thanks." Chance laughs as he looks at his hand.

"Aren't you gonna tell him dat we hab sticks?" Emily asks as she looks up at Tim.

"I'm just curious to see what he brings back." Tim says with a smirk.

"You mean, Uncle Tim." Emily giggles.

"I'm not mean just...curious." Tim chuckles.

"Okay, let's get this weenie roast started." Kevin announces as he brings the hotdogs to the fire.

"You, young lady, can come to me and give Uncle Tim a break." Kirstie smiles as she reaches for her daughter's hand.

"Okay." Emily says as she climbs down from Tim's lap.

"Where's Patches?" Kirstie asks.

"He's gone to find a stick for his marshmallow." Tim says as he puts a hotdog on the roasting rod for Adam.

"But we have these." Kevin says, holding up one of the rods.

"I know." Tim says with a smirk.

"Here. He'll be needing this." Chance chuckles as he places the sticky marshmallow into Kirstie's hand.

"Eweee." She laughs as she throws it into the fire. "We have plenty more where that came from."

"Mommy? Do you think daddy will be mad at me when he finds out about that bad man?" Emily asks.

Everyone stops talking and looks at the small girl.

"Of course not, Sweetheart. Why would he be mad at you?" Kirstie asks as she brushes back her daughter's long dark curls.

"Because I wasn't being careful." Emily says quietly.

"Honey, none of what happened was your fault. You were just playing with your brother and Adam like you've done a thousand times." Kirstie says as she hugs the little girl.

"Emily, we had no idea that guy was here. You heard what the cops said. He wasn't even from around here." Tim adds.

"That's right." Kevin nods. "You guys play on the beach all the time and have never had any problems."

"Sweetie, we've lived here for several years and nothing like that has ever happened before. It was just a freak incident that will probably never happen again." Olena says.

"Patches and me wathant gonna let dat man take you, Emiwy." Adam says. (wasn't)

"Plus, Satchmo and Mack are taught to protect you kids." Kevin adds. "Always have them with you. If at any time that you feel you are in danger, just yell for them."

"Is that bad man still here?" Emily asks. "In Flowida?"

"No, Honey, he's long gone. They were taking him back to Michigan. He'll go to prison for what he's done." Chance says.

"Mmm pi tick." Patches huffs as he drags a large piece of driftwood to the bonfire. (find stick)

"Like I said..." Tim says as he looks around at Emily. "I was just curious."

********

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