Disclaimer: I'm honestly not sure what to put here, so... Apart from Bailey/Broken Arrow, I do not own the characters. Um... other legal stuff... If anyone has a better way to phrase this part, please let me know so I can update it.

Bailey leapt out of her bed and raced down the stairs. She was almost out the door when Father stopped her. “You stay in here,” he said, “It’s safer.”

“But I want to help!” Bailey said, a little bit of a whine in her voice.

“I can take care of it,” he said before running into the rain.

“How about you help me get blankets?” Mother asked, guiding her towards the closet.

“Okay,” Bailey replied, slightly disappointed.

A minute later, Father burst through the door with Heather and Picket. Bailey and Mother handed them blankets. “What a fright you’ve had,” Mother said, cooing at Baby Jacks to stop his crying. Once Heather and Picket had their blankets, Father went over and quickly built a fire. He came back and picked up Baby Jacks, who stopped crying when Father started rocking him.

“You’re soaked!” Mother said, chiding Father, “And you’re getting little Jacket wet now too.”

“We’re all in this together,” he replied, shaking his head to get her wet. She laughed and put a kettle over the fire to heat up.

“Now, both of you come sit by the fire, and I’ll bring you some dry clothes,” Mother said. Heather smiled. She and Picket came over towards the fire, stepping around Father, who was currently trying to get his glasses back from Baby Jacks.

“All right, Jacket, son, please… not my spectacles,” he said as Jacks was giggling.

“Spectacles,” Picket said, laughing and taking Jacks, “Why do you call them ‘spectacles’?”

“That’s how most of them talk, in the east, where your fancy father is from,” Mother explained. “They sound awfully sophisticated and clever out that way. Not like us perfectly ordinary people raised in Nick Hollow.”

Picket laughed and tickled Jacks. Bailey also laughed. Mother liked to tease Father gently about his fancy words. Picket sat with his back to the fire and Jacks in his lap. Heather poked at the fire and it brightened. Jacks scrunched his shoulders because of the heat from the fire. Bailey sat down in one of the chairs opposite the fire.

Heather looked at her brothers. “Why won’t Jacks sit with me or Bailey like that?” she asked.

“We have a brotherly bond,” Picket replied, “based on mutual promises of protection. I will always be there for Jacks, and he will always be there for me. Right, Jacks?” Jacks smiled at Picket. He was always the most relaxed with Picket.

Heather frowned. “Where was Jacks today when that burning limb was falling on you and you were out cold?” Heather teased. She meant to be funny, but Picket looked down and then into the fire.

“Wait, what!?!” Bailey exclaimed, surprise on her face.

“I’m sorry Picket,” she said, ignoring Bailey. “I was teasing. I didn’t mean anything by it.”

“I can’t believe I fainted,” Picket said.

“What!” Bailey exclaimed, still confused. Father said something to console Picket, but Bailey didn’t really notice. “Can someone explain what happened?” Bailey asked again.

“Our star got caught in the old maple and when Picket went to grab it, it was hit by lightning,” Heather explained, shuddering slightly.

“Ohh,” Bailey replied, her curiosity satisfied, for now anyway.

Soon, tea and raisin cakes were passed out and Father sat down to tell them a story.

“‘Goofhack the Blabber and the Tattler’s Dungeon’?” Picket suggested. “Jacks and I vote for Goofhack.”

“Oh, yeah,” Bailey agreed, “That one’s good!”

Heather frowned. “Perhaps something a little more grown-up for my adventurous children,” Father said, cocking an eyebrow at Heather. She smiled for a second, then her eyes went wide. “Heather? Would you like to tell us a little tale?”

Heather looked at the ground, blushed, coughed, and stammered. “Well, I don’t know,” she said, “Maybe next time?”

Father looked at Heather, slightly disappointed. He looked like he was about to say something, but then just stared at the fire. After a couple minutes, he said, “Heather, I think you are very brave. What you did took…” Bailey kind of tuned him out staring into the fire and watching how the flames moved. It was mesmerizing.

“What is it, Father?” Picket asked, concern in his voice. Mother took Jacks from him. Bailey looked up at Father and saw the sadness on his face.

“It’s only that,” Father started, “when you’re older, you hand out wisdom to your children like you know everything, but it is sometimes hard to follow your own advice.”

“I don’t think you’re afraid of anything,” Picket said, “You wouldn’t ever faint.”

“Well,” Father said, looking at the ground, “I’m sorry to say that’s not true. I’m not proud of everything I’ve done, son.” Bailey cocked an eyebrow, confused. She felt like there were a lot of things that she was missing that night.

“What about that story, Father?” Heather said, trying to change the subject. “A story about bravery?”

“A story to make us brave,” Father repeated, nodding. Bailey sat up a little more excited. Father rubbed his eyes, glanced at Mother, and then stared at the fire. Heather, Bailey, and Picket exchanged glances. This was different than the normal fireside stories their Father told.

“How about if I tell you a true story?” Father asked, still staring at the fire. Mother stood next to Father, who looked up at her. She nodded, smiling sadly. Then she sat down in a rocking chair and began to sing a sad melody.

“All right, my dears,” Father started. “I will tell you of ‘The Rise and Fall of King Jupiter the Great.”

Hope you like that! I will post chapter 3 either tonight or tomorrow morning. As always, any feedback would be great!