Note- All characters belong to Fox and the estate of R.A. Dick. This is to celebrate Kathy's birthday and Leap Day, 2008. Thanks to Mary for helping write and proof.
Leap Day
Amanda
Feb. 29, 1972
"Since today only happens once every four years, I think we should make good use of it," Carolyn Muir informed her family as they sat down to breakfast.
"Admirable sentiments, my dear lady," the resident ghost, Captain Gregg nodded. "I'm quite sure that if we put our minds to it, we could all come up with quite a list of items that needed to be tended to. For example…"
"Is today a holiday?" Jonathan asked hopefully. "Can we stay home from school? That'd be good use of the day."
"Sorry," Carolyn smiled. "You still have to go to school, but I was thinking, today could be a day to things we have always wished we could dare to do or that we've been putting off. And we can say we'll only do them on February 29, so it'll be a while before we have to or get to do again."
"Then, I better get an A on my geometry test, that's something that could only happen once a blue moon or on a twenty-ninth of February," Candy sighed.
"I hope it could come around a little more often than that, but I'll take it," her mother teased. "What about you, Jonathan?"
"Well, I'd like to show up Danny Shoemaker and do something better than he does it, but maybe I could just… come home and clean my room?"
"I suggest that you do that more than once every four years, too," Martha advised as she placed a bowl of oatmeal in front of the boy.
"Could I put chocolate milk on my oatmeal, then?" he suggested.
Candy made a face. "Only if you wait until I'm out of the room."
Jonathan thought about it and then nodded. "Yeah, it wouldn't be very good, would it? Okay, well, I'll think of something."
"What about you, Mom?" Candy asked.
Carolyn hesitated. On the negative, get it over with for four years side were things like calling Harriet and/or Hazel for a nice long chat, or doing that with her former in-laws. What she'd like to do and would have to get the nerve to do it, was be a traditional Sadie Hawkins and ask a certain handsome Captain for a romantic evening out, if not an outright proposal.
"I haven't quite decided," she demurred. "Captain? What would you choose?"
"Oh, I could possibly be persuaded to call Claymore 'nephew,' even though once every four years is still too often," the handsome man smirked. "However, I could think of more pleasing things to dare." For a moment, his gaze lingered on the young widow.
Flushing, she darted her eyes over to Martha. "Will you propose to Mr. Peavey today, Martha?"
"Oh, if I made a pie, it'd be no risk at all. I'm just not sure I'd want him around all the time, to be honest. Besides, I don't think Ed could handle a ghost in the family."
"Oh, I don't know..." Carolyn shook her head. "After what Captain Gregg did to him his first day here -- you know -- playing games with the paint brush, I think it was pretty brave of him to be willing to come back to finish the job!"
"A week later," Daniel smirked.
"And only after I happened to mention in town that I was going to do it," Martha added. "Ed overheard me, and got the guilts, I think."
"He well deserved them," the Captain nodded brusquely.
"We still need to decide how to mark the day," Carolyn cut in.
Candy pursed her lips. "You know, Mom, I've been trying to let my hair grow, a little, and you and Martha cut it great, but maybe I could get it cut at a real hair place? The beauty school in town is cheap, and it is getting sort of… ragamuffin."
Her mother had noticed that, but knowing her little girl was trying to not look so much like a boy, she'd kept her silence. "I think they can shape it up for you."
"And, it'd be cheap, I have enough saved up, but it's not something I'd do a LOT. Mostly, home is okay for that."
"You may well change your tune in time on that score, lass," the seaman smirked. He knew a thing or two about females.
"Nancy Reed is a student there, and she said she'd throw in doing my nails free if I ever wanted a trim."
"We'd all best hurry up," Martha chuckled. "Candy's made TWO decisions while we dither."
"I'm NOT getting my nails done," Jonathan declared. "How about… we have broccoli for dinner tonight? And I won't feed it to Scruffy."
"You'll also never get away with it again, but I really had the menu planned for tonight," Martha frowned. "I was going to make something special, but if you really want…"
"That's okay, Martha. I can think of SOMETHING else."
"I was thinking, Candy might want to keep her hair tidied up at the Beauty School more often than every four years, but maybe I could pick you both up from school and we could kill two birds with one stone. After her trim, we could stop at Sears in Holby Village and get a proper picture made of you both?"
"If it was all three of you, it'd be a three base hit," Martha suggested.
"I'll consider it," Carolyn wrinkled her nose.
"You need to be in on a family photo, Martha," Daniel said.
"So do you, but I don't think that'll be happening," she shot back. "I've made up my mind, but what I do is going to be between me and the gatepost. For now, anyway," Martha's tone was firm.
"That leaves me the most unspoken for, which will never do," the ghost said. "I know, I'll apologize to Claymore for the last… five times I've thrown him out on his… ear. You did say it will only be obligatory on the twenty-ninth of this month?"
"Absolutely, sir," Carolyn grinned.
"Excellent. More often and I would learn if ghosts can choke to death."
"We'd better get ready for school," Candy sighed, trying to be responsible and the big sister.
"Today ought to be a holiday," Jonathan insisted as he got up to do likewise.
XXX
After the Muirs had departed for the day, Martha asked, "Are you REALLY going to apologize to Claymore, Captain?"
The ghost shrugged. "I might as well. It might frighten him as much as a thunderbolt."
For a moment, she considered, then nodded, "You're right."
"You never did say what you plan to do, my good woman," Daniel reminded her. "I promise not to tell the family, if you prefer it."
"I couldn't put you in that kind of position, especially…"
"Especially?" he prompted.
"Never mind; say, can you eat? I'm making a German Chocolate pound cake today, it doesn't have that icing on it, it's just deep, dark chocolate, and I'd love it if you would share it."
"I can try, but what's special about that cake?" The ghost frowned, thinking about something he had seen the week before. Though he had not meant to spy, he had caught sight of Martha locking an elaborately wrapped package in an area of the supply room that she seldom used. It was what Mrs. Muir had referred to as "Santa's workshop," until the children outgrew that.
"Is today by any chance your birthday?" he asked so suddenly that Martha found herself replying before she could catch herself.
"How did you guess?"
"Martha, I have not haunted for a century and lived for three or so decades before that without learning how to read people, especially female people. Why have you said nothing about this?"
"It's no big deal, but I've been so… uptight about my birthday being classified, and really I don't know what day to celebrate it on in the non-leap years, so…" she shrugged.
"You most certainly should tell people. It is a very special day!"
"Even after all this time, you are sensitive about YOUR age."
"Not at all, but Martha, keep in mind you are only… what? Six years old? You only get older every four years." With a grin, he popped out before she could make him agree to the promise he had almost made before. There was no way the Muirs were not going to find out the news and put together a proper set of festivities for that stalwart soul!
Still, he heard her say in a huff, "I'm only FIVE, you old goat."
XXX
After four years, Daniel could focus on his family and always find them. So now, he did just that, arriving invisibly in Sears, moments later. Mrs. Muir was perusing a rack of dresses with a speculative look on her face.
"It has been at least five years since I had a new dress," she muttered. "Maybe that would be the right way to mark today."
"While you are mentally geared for such things, my dear, there are a few things you might wish to consider placing on your list," he whispered in her ear.
Carolyn jumped, and then hissed, "I do wish you would not do that!"
"Forgive me, Madam, but I do need to inform you of something prior to your return home."
She listened, and nodded. Making sure no one could hear, Carolyn whispered, "Thank you, Captain. I'll see to it."
XXX
Martha looked over her dinner preparations with approval. All her favorite things were there to share with her favorite people. The local TV station had even played the Adventures of Robin Hood with the love of her life, Errol, that afternoon. And, the set had worked!
Maybe it wasn't the best birthday, but she could be content, even though only she knew what the day was. Oh, if she had told the Muirs about it, they'd have fussed over her, but Martha never would have known if it was because they felt obligated or because they wanted to.
Lost in thought, she nearly jumped out of her skin when a voice called, "Martha? We're home."
"Oh! Mrs. Muir! I'm sorry I didn't hear you coming. How did the picture taking go?"
"Fine, Martha," her employer/friend replied. "But, we need you to come in here. I could use a hand."
"And of course, there's never a ghost around when you need one to help bring stuff in," Martha shook her head as she muttered. "He'd say it was too domestic to fetch and carry."
As she came into the parlor, Martha's thoughts fell silent. A group of brightly wrapped presents was stacked on the coffee table, along with a bouquet of fresh flowers, and three glasses of the Captain's special Madeira. For the kids, there was ginger ale blended with Kool-Aid.
"We would have taken you out to dinner, but I heard how hard you had worked on making tonight's meal, and from what I understand, it's all the things you like best, so we'll do that this weekend, unless Ed wants to stand in for me," Carolyn promised.
Martha turned to glare at the Captain. "Blabbermouth."
"I did not promise to keep it a secret; you did not ask that of me, though I did offer," he justified himself. "I would have been remiss if I had not allowed the entire family to share this joyous day, and it was most selfish of you to want to keep such a special day all to yourself, good lady."
"We're sorry the cards are a little shaky, we had to draw them on the ride home," Jonathan apologized.
"And, we were a little rushed buying your presents," Candy added. "Next year, once we know which day you like better, or maybe on February twenty–eighth and March first both, we'll do better."
"And, I would have had Ed over, but…" Carolyn began.
"The Captain wouldn't have been able to attend," Martha nodded. "I wouldn't miss him here for the world."
She didn't care what was in the boxes or if the cards could be deciphered. What both the gifts and the sheets of paper meant was written plainly on the faces of the dear people who were now embracing her in a shared, family hug.
THE
END