"Mummy! Mummy, look! I did it!" Chise's arms opened wide to catch her before she even realized, as Thistle, white-blonde hair a dandelion pouf about her shining green eyes, threw herself bodily into her arms. "I did it, Mummy!" she said, laughing in delight. "Look! I did it!"

"You did!" Chise laughed, finally finding her voice. "You really did! Elias! She did it!" She turned to her husband, to find him sitting frozen beside her, jaws agape, eyes dim and still. "Elias! Thistle, go to Daddy!" She helped her daughter back onto her pink little feet, little fists tight about her fingers for balance, and steered her, stumbling, across the blanket to throw herself at her father, as well, as Ruth excitedly bounced around the clearing.

With a start, Elias roused himself from his shock, hands carefully enclosing her torso as he bent his head to meet her eyes. "You did," he breathed. "You did it! Well done!"

"I look like Mummy," Thistle laughed. "Look! Mummy toes!" She thrust her foot into his face, wiggling them under his snout.

"Mummy toes, indeed!" Elias agreed with a laugh, nuzzling at them.

Chise barely registered Titania's approach until she spoke. "Well, that was a success, I think? Well done, Granddaughter!"

"Thank you, Nana!" Thistle said, throwing herself backwards to look up at her, trusting her father's hold as he managed, with a small, frantic juggle, to maintain his grip long enough to gently lower her to the blanket.

"Silly girl," Titania said fondly, bending down to ruffle her hair as Ruth took the opportunity to jump in and lavish her face with licks.

"Well done, Thistle!" Ruth cheered, ignoring her cheerfully-outraged squeals as she fruitlessly tried to push him away.

"Thank you, your Majesty" Chise blurted out, clambering to her feet to offer a hasty but heartfelt bow of gratitude. "Thank you so much!"

"Your aid has been invaluable, and is much appreciated," Elias agreed solemnly, looking up at her. "Thank you.

"You are very welcome," Titania smiled, stroking a fond hand over his forehead, and Chise's. "Well. It is time for me to go, I think. There is no need of a lesson on the morrow. Farewell, my dear children!"

"Nana! Wait!" Thistle shoved Ruth off, trying to scrub her face dry with her arm as she unsteadily scrambled to her feet, then threw herself at the faerie queen's legs. "Don't go, Nana!" she pleaded.

"I will see you again, dear one," Titania reassured her, lifting her into her arms. "But for right now, I have other duties to attend to, and other lessons to teach. You must practise what I have taught you, and show your parents all you have learned! I will expect a full update when next we meet."

"No," Thistle murmured, the corners of her mouth drooping, and as her thumb edged into her mouth and she snuggled into Titania, her form shimmered and drifted for a moment, before steadying again into her usual, fluffy form.

"There's a good girl," Titania said, passing her to Chise with a last pat, and a gentle kiss. "I will see you all again. Goodbye, my dears!" And with that, she, too, shimmered—and was gone.

"Wan' Nana," Thistle muttered forlornly around her thumb.

"We'll see her again soon, love," Chise said, giving her a comforting squeeze.

"Indeed we shall," Elias chimed in, scooping wife and child both into his arms. "Ruth, would you be so kind as to pack up the basket?"

Ruth huffed, but morphed as well, hurriedly stuffing the thermos and other odds and ends back into the basket, before shoving the hastily-bundled blanket on top and grabbing the handle in his once-again-doggy mouth, trotting after his family as Chise said, "Silky will have our tea waiting for us, Thistle. Shall we show her what a clever girl you are?"

After their tea, which Thistle could hardly hold still for (nor Chise, if she were being honest), once the cups and plates and crumbs had been tidied away, Elias cleared his throat, catching Silky's eye.

"Silver Lady, my daughter has something she wishes to show you," he proudly announced.

Silky regarded Thistle with curiosity, eyes wide, and stepped back as Thistle clambered off her father's lap, proudly marching to the centre of the kitchen. Tensing with concentration, her eyes grew dim and she cocked her head, nosing the air for a moment almost as though she were trying to locate a faint scent or stray thought. Then she shivered, the slight ripples flowing over her body, before with a full-body shake, her form wavered, distorted, and reshaped into that of the proudly-grinning, little white-blonde girl.

Silky's hands flew to her mouth as she all but squealed aloud, hopping in excitement. Then she whirled and vanished down the hallway.

"Where's she off to?" Ruth asked.

But before anyone could reply, Silky ran back in with an armload of fabrics, and all but threw it at Thistle, who sat down with a thump and a huff as she jolted back to normal. Barely breaking stride, though, Silky scooped them up, cloth and child together, and, barely pausing to impatiently beckon the rest to follow, dashed off to the sitting room.

Bemused, but catching her excitement, Chise and Ruth followed, with Elias trailing behind, just in time to see Silky dump the armload out onto the sofa.

Thistle crawled out from the pile, shaking loose a tiny shirt that had caught on the nubbins of her horns, and tucked herself into the corner of the sofa, watching Silky with great interest.

Silky, meanwhile, completely ignored her. She was digging through what they could now see was a collection of clothes—rapidly examining and discarding tiny vests, dresses, onesies, shorts; generating a virtual whirlwind of pinks, blues, reds, whites as she carelessly tossed rejected bits over her shoulders.

Finally, with a small satisfied hum, she stopped, put something down, and scooped Thistle up. Carefully depositing her in the centre of the hearthrug, she stepped back and gestured. Go ahead.

Thistle cocked her head and complied, concentrating, seeking, shivering; dissolving into the little human girl.

Silky squealed and clapped, whirling to catch her prize up from the sofa, and turned back, presenting the folded white cloth with an air of ceremony.

Thistle stood up and reached for it, stumbling slightly, still unused to balancing on only two legs, and Silky knelt in a cloud of pink skirts to help her as Chise, Elias, and Ruth circled closer.

As Chise and Elias joined them on the floor (Ruth merely moving to stand closer to Thistle, presenting her a steadying, furry body to clutch onto if needed), Silky took back the clothing, gesturing to Thistle to raise her arms.

Thistle, confused, lifted her hands to about shoulder height. Silky huffed, reaching to raise an arm higher.

"Over your head, Thistle," Chise chimed in, demonstrating, and Thistle, still confused but obedient, lifted her hands high.

With one smooth gesture, Silky shook out and settled over Thistle's head what turned out to be a lovely little cotton shift dress. The sleeveless bodice was gathered slightly at the high waist with a pink ribbon, tied into a little bow in front, while the knee-length hem was dotted about with tiny pink embroidered flowers and eyelets. Thistle leant over, pulling fistfuls of the skirt forward for a better look, and promptly lost her balance, bouncing off Silky's steadying hands to land with a bump against Ruth, and collapsing onto her tail with a huff.

Chise laughed; but Silky gave her a rather dry look before reaching to try and lift Thistle back to her dress didn't fit very well on this form, though, catching under her back paws and pulling tight at the arm holes. Silky made a small sound of frustration and tried to pull the skirts straight.

"I don't think it's going to sit right on this shape," Elias gently pointed out to Thistle. "Why don't you shift again, but look at it while you're sitting down?"

Thistle nodded, tugging herself free of Silky's fiddling hands, and concentrated again. If nothing else, Chise mused, she was certainly getting her practice in!

A moment later the little girl sat there again, hair even more mussed than before, little pink legs sticking straight out before her. Silky sat back with a satisfied air as Thistle picked up the front of the skirt, turning her head this way and that as she looked it over. Finally, she declared, "Pretty!" Looking up, she added, "Look, Mummy! Pretty!"

"Yes, it is!" Chise smiled, as Elias quietly murmured beside her, "You are!"

"Thank you so much, Silky!" Chise added, embracing the brownie with a smile. "It's lovely! You've been so busy! Have you been making these all along?"

Silky nodded eagerly, and hopped to her feet, pulling Chise over to the sofa. Sitting on either side of the pile of clothes, the two began to dig through it, Silky showing off her handiwork as they separated out the pieces that were now too small.

After watching them for a moment, Elias turned back to Thistle, who was engrossed in exploring how much of her finger she could fit into an eyelet. "You probably shouldn't do that, Azami," he quietly advised; "It'll stretch it, which will ruin it—which will make Silky upset."

Thistle instantly jerked her finger out, hiding her hand behind her back as she shot the brownie a guilty look (weirdly plain on her human face, thought Elias, wondering if his own expressions were as easy to read on his glamour); but Silky only glanced their way for a moment, hearing her name, before continuing with her Show and Tell for Chise.

"I think they're finding more clothes for you," Elias added. "Shall we practise standing? It will make it easier to show off your pretty new outfits. Silky will be very pleased."

Thistle looked thoughtful for a moment, then nodded eagerly, and clambered to all fours. With Elias's assistance, she managed to lever herself to her feet, weaving uncertainly.

"You use your toes to balance," Elias instructed. "And holding your arms out can help, too. —No, to the sides. That's right. See? How's that?"

Ruth watched them for a moment, and settled down for a nap, forgotten. He had a feeling dinner would be late.

"And where's Thistle?" Angelica asked as she settled onto the sofa beside Chise. "Afternoon nap?"

"No, she's just out in the garden with Elias. They should just be finishing up their practise; they ought to be joining us any minute now."

As if summoned by her words, they heard the door to the conservatory slam closed and the patter of bare feet rushing down the hall. "Thistle!" Elias called, entering the house more quietly behind her, "Wash your hands first!"

"But Daddy—"

"Hands."

The pitter-patter became a sullen drag back to the bathroom, where the splashing of water was punctuated by indistinct voices. But even as Silky was bringing in the tea tray, the footsteps trotted up again behind her, and a little tousled white-blonde head peeped shyly around the corner. "Auntie Angie?"

"Thistle?" Angelica's eyes widened. "Look at you! Come here! Let me look at you! What a pretty dress!"

Thistle eased herself out from behind the doorway, grabbing Elias's hand as he walked by and pressing tight against his leg. "Pretty," she agreed, as Elias slowed, and veered towards their guest. "See?" She spread her skirts wide with her free hand.

"Oh, yes, that's lovely," Angelica agreed. "Did Silky make this for you?" At Thistle's enthusiastic nod she added, "She's very good at it, isn't she?"

The brownie smiled, pleased, as she finished pouring the tea.

"Ah, thank you, Silky," Elias said, accepting a teacup. "—Thistle, would you let go so Daddy can sit, please?"

Angelica held out her arms. "Come and sit with me, Thistle! I haven't seen you in ages! What have you been up to?"

Thistle let go; but as Elias quickly withdrew to his chair, she instead carefully climbed onto the sofa between Angie and her mother, straightening her dress as she sat, clasping her hands in her lap. "Thank you, Silky," she said, accepting a small plate with a pastry.

"Aren't you the little lady!" Angie smiled. Thistle blushed and scooched a little closer to Chise.

"She seems to get a bit shy when she's first showing off her new form," Chise explained at Angelica's slightly hurt look. "She wouldn't even come out at all for Simon."

Ruth made himself comfortable on the rug on the other side of the table, and reached for a pastry of his own. "Took her longer to come out for Alice, too."

"Aww, Alice has seen her already? Man, I miss everything."

"Yes, it's been a while since you last visited us, hasn't it?" Elias said. "Extra busy?"

"Well, you know what it's like at this time of year, with all the new students and things…"

Thistle sat politely as she carefully had her tea, with Angelica sneaking peeks at her from the corner of her eye.

"What I can't get over," she said suddenly, "Is how big she's gotten! She's only what, about seven months? But she's a toddler now!"

"Well, faeries experience childhood differently from humans," Chise said, pouring herself another cup. "And that's without factoring in Elias's genetics…"

"Which are?" Angelica asked curiously.

"Unknown," Elias responded shortly. He didn't much care for discussing himself at the best of times. "But her younger childhood is likely to be more accelerated than one would expect for a human."

"Shannon's not concerned, though," Chise interjected. "And so far as we can tell, she's been hitting the appropriate developmental milestones for her apparent age."

"Or exceeding them, I should say!" Angie looked her over again. "I don't remember Althea being able to sit so nicely for this long when she was a toddler! Thistle, do you know your numbers?" she asked. "How high can you count?"

Thistle held up her hand, raising fingers more or less in sync with her counting. "One, two, san, neljä… ten!" She held both hands up to Angie proudly, fingers spread.

"All the way to ten?! Very clever," Angelica laughed. "And what languages were those? English—and Japanese, I'd be guessing?"

"And Finnish," Elias said.

"Ah, for Lindel." Angelica nodded knowingly.

"Yes," said Chise. "If she keeps growing up at this rate, we might take her for a visit next year."

"Dragons!" Thistle shouted, excitedly bouncing.

Silky tsked under her breath as she hastened back to the kitchen for a cloth for the spilled tea.

A/N: Hopefully I'll be able to get the next chapter done fairly soon (did already start it), but I have to warn you, we got a VR headset Friday so, yeah. XD Might be distracted for a bit!

Also, I think we're only one or two more chapters from the end now, not three! That's gotta deserve some kind of recognition, ha ha! Man, "three chapters to go" lasted for what, ten chapters at least? XD

Stay safe, guys! Take care! :D