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Keeta carefully stepped off the bus, before helping the two toddlers down and onto the sidewalk. Tightly gripping a smaller hand in each of hers, she started down the street a little ways towards the superstore just around the corner. Glancing down at the two smaller figures, she hoped it wouldn't be too far for them. This was far from the ideal trip.

Keeta had been putting it off for days. She had been making do with some of Joel's clothes for Camille, but it just didn't look right, plus she was running out of diapers and other necesseties. She kept hoping she could find a sitter, but no one from work was able to help out, Rhine had been really busy with the restaurant, Ceres had her own plate full, and she didn't really feel like she knew the rest of the island family well enough to ask them. Besides, she needed to learn how to make trips like this with small children. Right? Right...

Sighing, she helped the two quiet youngsters make their way. She hadn't bothered to bring the stroller as it couldn't fit both of them and she knew the store had a few carts that had seats for two children. Keeta just hoped that at least one of them was available. But a two seated stroller was definitely on her shopping list.

As they reached the front of the store Keeta was sucessful in locating one of the two-seated carts. Gratefully strapping in Joel and Camille, she headed into the store and was similarly sidlined by the Easter candy display. But not because her were just looking, but because Joel saw something that he couldn't live without. Straining out of the side of the cart, Joel reached towards a stuffed rabbit that was almost as big as he was.

"Mama! Bunny!" he squealed excitedly, and none too quietly. It looked like the silent period of the day was over.

"No, Joel, not today," Keeta sighed and shook her head, having already bought Joel an Easter present several weeks ealier, that was sitting at home. She made a mental note to pick up something for Camille while they were here, however.

Joel frowned. But he wanted it!

"Bunny," he said, much of the excitement gone, the word bordering on whining, his chubby finger pointing at the stuffed creature. Again Keeta shook her head and her eyes traveled to Camille, who was reacting to the tension in the air by sitting quitely and staring at Joel with her eyes wide, and a look of wanting to run and hide. Why couldn't Joel just look at it like the other two small children nearby?

Joel normally wasn't very pleased to interact with other children if he could help it, but right now his grownup wasn't cooperating and the other boy seemed to want to give him the toy. Grinning at Sid, he reached out and again repeated the word, the tone no longer as whiney.

"Bunny."

Keeta clenched her jaw momentarilly in frustration. Was this other child going to give Joel what he wanted, after she had already said no? She was trying to teach him that he couldn't always have what he wanted. True the boy who had spoken was probably just trying to help, but it certainly wouldn't be helping her.

"No, Joel. No bunny," she repeated to her son.

Her lips were pressed into a thin line as she glanced at the nearby adult who seemed to be attached to the child. He had seemed to verbally warn him, but that was it. If he chose not to intervene should Sid continue, Keeta knew she would stand by helplessly and watch it happen. She would never interfere with someone else's children and she hadn't the confidence to stand up for herself against this other man. Welll... she would wait and see what happened. Keeta's attention was so focused on what was happening with Joel that she missed the younger child waving at Camille.

When Camille noticed Liam, she offered him a shy smile and waved back, his greeting a distraction from her brother's almost-tantrum. Normally she probably would have reacted to this friendly gesture by withdrawing further, but in her child-like intuition, something told her that she and the boy with the many arms had something in common. If asked, however, she would not be able to articulate the feeling.

Well, at least the older child had listened to the warning in the man's voice. Keeta felt a wave of relief as the boy put the toy away. She would not have to confront the man.

As Sid returned the rabbit to the shelf, Joel reached for the toy in vain, kicking his legs and making frustrated noises at having been foiled a second time. His center eye remained locked on the toy as he turned to Keeta giving her a sad face.

Keeta rolled her eyes. Barely a toddler and her son was already trying to manipulate her. Well she wasn't going to give in. She glanced straight at him and firmly repeated the word.

"No." Shaking her head, she was about to move the cart forward, when she noticed Camille was looking at the other child, even interacting with him.

Camille looked from Liam to Lex and then lowered her eyes and made herself smaller. For some reason she didn't mind saying hi to the boy, but his father was another matter and her shyness took over.

Keeta stood to the side of the cart to allow the children to interact more freely. She also wanted to avoid placing herself physically between the child and his parent. Even though she wasn't dealing with bears here, it didn't make sense to put oneself between an adult and it's "cub" in any situation. She nodded to Lex in greeting. There was no point in ignoring him now.

Camille looked past Liam uncertainly at the boy's reassurance as to the nature of his family. She frowned slightly as if she was thinking, If you say so... After a moment her gaze returned to the boy standing in front of her, and she appeared to relax slightly.

"Me Camille," she said in her small toddler voice. "Who you?"