Tesia lay in her bed again a few days later. She was home from school, as she'd been suspended for not knowing the answers to her math homework. She'd dug something out of its hiding place, and was staring at it sadly.

"J. where are you? What's takin' you so long to come an' gets me? Don'ts you loves me no more?"

She gave a grim smile to her beloved photo of the two of them.

"I know you're tryin' best you can. But I miss you lots. Teddy does too."

She glanced at her Teddy and gave him a genuine smile.

"Remember last time, Teddy? J. took us to the beach! An' we hads SO much fun! He thoughts we were silly for runnin' in an' outta the waves."

She giggled then. "An' 'member when he threw us in? I gots mad 'cause you gots all wet, but J. threw yah in the dryer, an' then you were all nice an' warn an' cuddly."

She hugged her Teddy Bear. "You likes to cuddle, don'ts you, Teddy?"

She listened to his response and giggled again.

"Don't worry, I likes cuddles too. 'Specially J. cuddles. They're the best!"

She listened to her Teddy again, and giggled even more.

"Yes, I loves Kevy cuddles too. They're GREAT!" She told him, doing her Tony the Tiger impression.

She went back to looking at her photo. "J.'s the greatest, ain't he, Teddy? Bet he loves us more 'en ANYbody! 'Cept maybe Kevy - Kevy loves us lots too. Hehe."

She sighed. "I best hide this soon, huh? Don't wants Mommy or Daddy to finds it - then we'd be in LOTS of trouble. An' we don't wants that."

She kissed the picture, gave her brother one last smile, then hid it once more.

"Some day, I'm nots gonna hafta hide that. I'ma puts it in a frame, an' show EVERYbody what a great brother I gots."

She lay her head upon her pillow, as she smiled at the thought.

"Those'll be good days Teddy. Those'll be the GREATEST days of our lives. An' know why?"

She listened for an answer, then spoke again.

"'Cause then we'll be safe, an' J.'ll scare the Boogie Man away. An' everything'll be okay, 'cause J.'ll be there to protect us."

Teddy and Tesia lay upon her bed, until Daddy came home and whooped her butt good for having had wet her bed in her sleep.