Anything for You [Jane Banks/Jack the Lamplighter]

Chapter 4

"As I live and breath..." The girl next to Winnie said.

Winnie looked up in awe. Who was this magical person coming out of the sky? 

When she finally landed, Winnie jumped towards her and bombarded her with questions but she was quickly shushed. 

"My goodness, Winnifred, you should really be more careful with the things you buy." The magical woman said as she handed the balloon back to Winnie. 

Winnie looked at her in shock as her brother and sister came running into the scene. 

"Ah there you are. You- ... Katherine you look like you've been dragged through the garden by a dog. And Albert... you ought to brush your hair in the morning." She tutted at the children. 

"Are you Mary Poppins?" Albert spit out.

"Albert!" Katie scolded him, but the woman had heard. 

"Am I Mary Poppins? Am I-.. Such rudeness! Didn't your parents teach you any manners young man?" Mary Poppins scolded.

Albert immediately fell silent. 

"How do you know our names?" Winnie asked quietly. 

"Mary Poppins knows everything, 'course." The girl who saved Winnie said with a grin. 

Mary Poppins turned to face her.

"Good to see you, Jill." She said with a fond smile on her face.

"Always good to see you too, Mary Poppins." Jill smiled.

"Jill? Is that your name?" Katie asked.

"Yep. Well, it's actually Jillian but all my friends call me Jill." She said.

"So you're friends with Mary Poppins then?" Albert asked.

"Friends? Hmpf." Mary Poppins remarked with her chin up.

"I met Mary Poppins when I was just your age. I was working for a lampligh'er back then."  Jill said with a grin. 

Right at that moment Jane and Jack finally reached the balloon, but they didn't find anything they were expecting. 

"Mary Poppins?" Jane gasped.

"You're back?" Jack laughed. 

"Yes can't you see me?" Mary Poppins asked slightly ironic but with a stern face, walking towards the pair. 

"Yes, we can! And it's so lovely to see you again!"Jane beamed.

"Yes, I agree. Now you really ought to keep a closer eye on your children." Mary Poppins said giving the children a severe look. 

The pair was still panting from their marathon of running through the park. 

"Glory me, you sound like two seals with asthma. It's time for us all to go home and discuss the matter of my employment. Spit spot." Mary Poppins said and immediately strutted off towards 17 Cherry Tree Lane. 

"She knows we don't live at Cherry Tree Lane, right?" Jack whispered under his breath to Jane. She shot him a serious look, letting him know their not ok just yet. After that she walked after Mary Poppins, motioning for her children to follow her. 

Jack looked at Jill with a confused look on his face.

"Go on, Jack. You're the one who always told me how much adventure awaits you if you follow Mary Poppins, so I'd go if I were you." She said with a grin.

Jack shook his head at her with a chuckle and quickly tipped his hat as a good bye. Then he ran after the group of people heading towards Cherry Tree Lane. 

-

As soon as they reached the house, Winnie stormed through the door. 

"Uncle Micheal! Georgie!" She called and soon they came running down the stairs. 

"What's happened Winnie?" Micheal asked concerned, but at that moment Mary Poppins walked in through the door. 

They stood there gasping at her. 

"Micheal how many times do I have to tell you, we are not a codfish!" Mary Poppins scolded. He shut his mouth immediately. 

"Georgie Banks. You've grown too tall. " Mary Poppins said, walking past him in a swift motion. This is something family members would always say to Georgie as a compliment, but not Mary Poppins, no. Mary Poppins actually meant it to scold him. 

The rest of the group filled into the house. 

"You're back. How lovely to see you." Micheal said with a smile.

"Yes it appears I'm very much needed, so I'll stay." She said simply, looking at herself in the mirror.

"Uh... If you wish to be the nanny to our children, you should know we have our own house. You could stay there 'course." Jack said, rather hesitantly. 

"No I think I'd rather stay here. And so will the children." Mary Poppins decided, checking the bookshelves for dust. 

"But we live somewhere else, we-.." Jack started, but Jane cut him off.

"Of course, Mary Poppins. We'll all move in here, if that's alright with you Micheal?" 

"Perfectly fine. Since Annabel and John left, the house has been quite empty anyway, so the more the merrier!" Micheal beamed and the children all cheered. Mary Poppins shooed them upstairs and continued talking with Micheal about arrangements. 

Jack stood perplexed. Didn't they have enough on their plate already?

He dragged Jane into the parlor by her arm.

"Are you mad? We have one argument and suddenly you want to move?" Jack asked.

"This is not about the argument Jack, this is because it's what's best for us as a family. And besides we won't be moving apart so I don't get why you're being so dramatic." Jane said under her breath.

Micheal had gone into the kitchen and Mary Poppins stood in the hallway, subtly listening in on Jane and Jack's conversation. 

"We've just got so much going on Jane, and with my job..." Jack sighed.

"Deal with it. We're moving here, and you can either come with us or stay at our house, alone. Your choice." Jane said, crossing her arms in front of her chest. 

After a moment Jack chuckled and sighed. 

"God. I can't ever say no to you, can I?" He grinned and wrapped her up in his arms. Jane felt a little uneasy, but tried to enjoy their embrace and her victory. Something still wasn't right with him...

In their embrace, the pair didn't notice Mary Poppins sliding up the bannister, her carpetbag and umbrella floating in the air next to her. Winnie witnessed all this and gasped in shock.

"How did you do that?" She gasped.

"Do what?" Mary Poppins asked simply and walked into the nursery as if nothing had happened.

-

-

Yes! I know this whole chapter is one big parallel to MPR, but that was my intention! Believe me, I'm not going to be doing any of the same adventures so it won't be a MPR 2.0.

Two chapters in one day to catch up with the week I missed, sorry about that again!

Thanks for reading guys! Hope to see you next week!

-Z