The Competition
By Clare Quinn
Disclaimer I do not own the characters in this story. I wish the people who did would use them and create new series.
A/n This was a picture challenge with three pictures. Cloud Dancing on the third base playing baseball. Brian and Colleen with Michaela looking through a magazine. Lastly Sully's and Mikes hands clasped when he did up her blouse. There are also 3 quote which you will see with * near them
Cloud Dancing was standing to the side scrutinizing the competitors thinking *"Not by my watch"*, He was observing the try outs for the tomahawk competition. This man had all the wrong moves and with that sidewards action... If he threw one it could end up hurtling into the crowd. Brian had insisted this and the bow and arrow be included in the events calendar.
They were holding a tournament in honour of Doctor Mike's birthday and it was a secret so these events were being practiced secretly all over the meadow. Brian had come up with the idea of the tomahawk throw after seeing Sully and Cloud Dancing having a friendly competition against the barn door.
That evening the children sat at the kitchen table watching their Ma flip through the latest magazine sent to her from Boston by her mother. Occasionally she would sigh when she obviously saw something she liked. Colleen and Brian stood and came behind her and looked intently at the page she was most interested in.
Colleen said,. *"Ma, we don't have a present for you yet."*
The children could easily admit that, since they knew all was well prepared. They were secretly pleased that the competition had been so well received. The whole idea was to be a celebration of what Doctor Mike meant to the town of Colorado Springs.
The shop owners had contributed prizes and ideas. Mr Bray offered a two percent discount on the spear throwing competition winner. Hank a bottle of whisky to the best costume for the day he was to be the judge. Everyone felt a bit judicious about this idea. Although admitting it was better than his idea of a skolling competition, the whole town knew the doctor's views of excessive alcohol abuse, so that one had been canned by the event's committee.
Hank had grinned and said, "Only kiddin," as he knew he had little chance for that to pass as fifty per cent of the panel were women.
"Hank, you know there will be children there," Dorothy had scolded.
Robert E nodded in agreement.
Horace had offered a stamp anywhere in the country for the egg and spoon race, smiling with immense satisfaction.
Jake also wanted to contribute a free hair cut and shave for the winner of the chariot race. Grace reminded him, to the snorts of the men that not all women shaved. Jake pointed out only men were strong enough to pull a chariot, Loren agreed in his usual manner of nodding his head and sniggering loudly.
Olive pointed out that only children would be light enough to be in the chariots, adding they didn't shave either, staring down her brother.
Finally the day arrived and Doctor Mike was surprised and pleased with the event and the picnic lunch with the whole town. A large birthday cake was the desert.
The most popular event was the water dunking as it drew a big crowd. The contestant was dunked in a large barrel of water if someone hit the target. After a lot of cajoling Michaela had agreed to be a contestant and sat in the board over the water, nobody had hit the bull's eye so far. The children had brought in a change of clothes for her so she could put on dry things after she had been dunked into the water to the delighted cheers of the crowd. Sully had been the first who had managed to plop anyone in the water, of cause it was Doctor Mike.
As she was changing in the church the door opened and in walked Sully. She was having trouble undoing the wet buttons on her blouse.
Gently he took her hands and commenced the task. Looking into her eyes her face was crimson because she knew he would have been spotted by many as he entered the church.
He quietly said, *"Where one path ends, another begins."*
Looking at their clasped hands and seeing her wedding ring she understood he was referring to their wedding that had occurred only a few months before.
Smiling she nodded her head in agreement.
Slowly he leaned forward and kissed her on the lips before he recommenced his mission.
The End.