Some Try, Brisbys Do

Jonathan Meets Elizabeth

Kristy watched worried as Elizabeth checked on Timmy. The poor boy had not improved at all over the night. He continued to burn with a fever and rasped when he breathed. Elizabeth was getting worried.

"Can you watch the children?" she asked.

"Where are you going?" Kristy asked.

"I'm going to see Mr. Ages. He's helped us before. He probably knows what's wrong with Timmy."

"Please be careful."

Elizabeth tucked Timmy in an extra blanket before heading out. She hugged and kissed the rest of the children before leaving. Kristy placed a cool damp rag on Timmy's forehead.

"Do you need anything?" she asked.

Timmy shook his head before closing his eyes. Kristy kissed the top of his head and left the room. She went to the fireplace and started a pot of broth. Timmy would need something when he woke up. Martin, Theresa and Cynthia sat around wondering what to do now.

"Will Mommy come back?" Cynthia asked.

"Of course she will", Kristy said. "She'll be back in a few hours."

"How come Mommy comes back and not Daddy?"

Kristy's ears flattened against her head. She had no answer to that. She expected Cynthia to know that Jonathan wouldn't be coming back because of Dragon.

"What are we going to do until Mom comes home?" Martin asked.

"Tell you what, kids", Kristy said. "Until your mother gets back, how would you like to hear a story?"

"What kind of story, Auntie Kristy?" Theresa asked.

"Well, let's see..."

Kristy picked up Cynthia and sat her on her lap as she took a seat by the fireplace. She tapped her chin thinking about what to tell the kids to keep them entertained until Elizabeth came back.

"How about the time when your father and I met your mother?" she suggested. "Would you kids like to hear that?"

"I guess", Martin said as he picked up a twig.

Theresa and Cynthia nodded.

"It happened four years ago when your father and I were in the middle of the fields on the farm."

Kristy began telling the story, leaving out NIMH of course.

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Kristy and Jonathan slept in the knothole of a tree. They had escaped from NIMH a few days ago and returned to the Fitzgibbons' farm. Kristy curled her body close to Jonathan. After what happened in NIMH, she never wanted to leave her brother's side. He would keep her safe.

Jonathan yawned and sat up. The sun had risen and knew Kristy would be hungry. He stuck his head out of the knothole and looked around the field to see if Dragon was nearby. He stopped as he looked by the creek. There sitting by the creek, drinking from it was another mouse. A young female mouse with dark, golden fur and blue eyes.

"Jonathan?"

Kristy looked at him as she stretched.

"What are you doing? I thought you were getting food?"

Jonathan ignored his sister as he watched the other mouse. He watched her gather water in her hands and washed her face with it. Kristy looked at him wondering what was so interesting and looked out the knothole. She saw the mouse and smiled at her brother.

"What are you doing?" she asked nudging him. "Go talk to her."

"Talk to her?" Jonathan repeated. "What would I say?"

"Just say hi and introduce yourself."

"I don't think I can."

"Wow", Kristy chuckled. "The almighty brave Jonathan Brisby afraid to talk to a girl. Just follow my lead."

She crawled out of the knothole and climbed down the tree with Jonathan behind her. The female mouse sat by the creek, wiping the water from her whiskers.

"Excuse me", Kristy said.

The female mouse gasped and jumped as she turned around. She looked at Kristy and Jonathan, her eyes landing on Jonathan.

"Hello. I'm Kristy, Kristy Brisby, and this is my brother, Jonathan Brisby."

"I'm Elizabeth", the female mouse stuttered.

"My brother couldn't help but admire how beautiful you look", Kristy said. "So I brought him over to say hello."

She pushed Jonathan toward Elizabeth and watched them hit it off.

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"Did Mother love Daddy as much as he loved her?" Theresa asked.

"Of course she did", Kristy said. "Your mother loved your father very much."