Three's A Crowd
Jenny had moved in to Abbie's apartment about three weeks ago. Abbie was just starting to adjust to sharing her life with her sister which, although rough at times, was actually going a lot better than she'd anticipated.
They had built a strong team, however unlikely; Abbie, Jenny, Icabod, and Captain Irving. They had all come out of their latest brush with the forces of evil largely unscathed, but the same could not be said for Corbin's old cabin by the lake.
Hessian sleeper-cell soldiers had firebombed the cabin and Abbie and Icabod barely escaped with their lives. The Hessians responsible were eventually rounded up, but not before the rustic cabin had burnt to the ground.
Fortunately most of the historical artifacts that Jenny collected for Corbin over the years were kept elsewhere, but the few personal effects, pictures and letters, that Jenny had managed to hold on to were lost. She hid it well, but it was a hard blow. Abbie felt that the cabin had been her one last connection to her mentor, and now it was gone. For Icabod it was less personal, but he had lost a place of refuge, somewhere he felt some measure of solace amid this chaotic new century.
The destruction of the cabin had brought the three closer together and not only emotionally. After the battle Abbie had decided that Icabod should stay with her as well. Until she could figure out something better, Abbie wanted to keep him close.
That had been only two days ago and now the already small apartment was starting to feel very cramped indeed. They were three very independent minded people trying to make the most of an unfamiliar situation.
Icabod's dark blue overcoat hung on the rack by the door and his boots sat beside the little table where Abbie left her keys. Jenny stored her revolver in the drawer.
It was a bright new morning and Icabod hoped to get an early start on their supernatural research in the Archives. He'd already stowed the fold-out sofa, courteously folded the blankets, and now sat primly at the square kitchen table with a bowl of rice crispies and a mug of hot coffee.
Presently some muffled sounds and shuffling about was heard from the direction of the single bedroom. 'They should be waking up soon,' Icabod thought idly and went back to examining the curious puzzles on the back of the Rice Crispies box.
The bedroom door opened and Abbie walked out, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.
Even though Abbie explained the concept of "pajamas" to him, Icabod could not hide his shock at the Leftenant's impropriety, brazenly walking about clothed only in a loose "Tee shirt" and horrifyingly short "shorts" and in front of an unrelated male, no less.
Abbie had informed him in no uncertain terms that "this is my home and I am going to wear whatever I want in it."
The outfit was undeniably flattering on her but so highly inappropriate! As usual, Icabod found that he had no choice but to accept that customs had changed significantly in the past centuries and he must find some way to deal with it. Mostly, he figured, it was best to simply avert his eyes and focus instead on the strangely captivating picture matching games on the cereal box. He had already found seven red balloons but there had to be more. Nope, that one was a redbird.
"You were hogging the comforter the whole time," Jenny accused her sister.
"I was not," Abbie retorted.
'Right on time,' Icabod though wryly, 'the bickering has begun.'
"You were too, just like when we were little. Always pulling on the blanket," Jenny pressed her point, following her sister over to the kitchen.
"At least I don't sleep sprawled out all over the place," Abbie accused her right back.
"What are you talking about?" Jenny denied.
"You kept kicking me and flopping your arm on my face!" Abbie said.
"Well, maybe you would be more comfortable sharing the bed with Prince William over here," Jenny said suggestively, tilting her head in Icabod's direction.
Abbie rolled her eyes. "Jenny, can't you save the crazy talk at least until after I've had my coffee?"
Jenny grinned, seemingly oblivious to Icabod choking on a mouthful of rice crispies, his spoon clattering to the floor.
"Now look what you've done!" Abbie pointed at Icabod, whose face had turned an alarming shade of red.
He struggled to regain his breath and his composure. Abbie hesitantly patted him on the back, concerned. "Are you okay?"
"That wasn't a no…" Jenny's eyes still had her trademark mischief.
"Jenny! Would you please Stop Talking?!" Abbie demanded. Why did her sister have to be so annoying?
"Whatever," Jenny said, opening the fridge.
Abbie poured herself a mug of coffee as Jenny continued to rummage through the fridge.
"Hey, where's the orange juice?"
"I bought more yesterday. Did you drink it already?"
"No. There was half left when I put it back. What is this world coming to?"
"Calm down and pass me the frozen waffles, would you?"
Icabod finally recovered. He took a large gulp of coffee to clear his throat and bent to pick up his errant spoon. He opened his mouth to assure Miss Jenny that he held no untoward intentions on her sister and that her scandalous comments were quite uncalled for.
He looked from Jenny to Abbie and back again. The Mills sisters were bickering again as they attempted to prepare some breakfast, Jenny's comment apparently forgotten. He closed his mouth again. Maybe it was best not to say anything after all.
Icabod stared into his bowl of slowly crackling cereal. For a brief moment the image of himself and a sleepy Abbie sharing a large blanket flitted unbidden through his mind.
'No. Absolutely no,' Icabod instructed his subconscious, 'just one more thing I mustn't think about.'
He took a bite of his cereal. It was starting to get soggy. The list of things to avoid thinking about was growing longer every day. This cramped living situation simply could not continue indefinitely. Perhaps if there was a room to let within walking distance…
"Crane! Don't use that!" Abbie grabbed his spoon right out of his hand.
"I beg your pardon?" he looked at her, alarmed.
Abbie said simply, "Here, I'll get you a clean one."
The End.