Title: Weekend Plans
Author: Forever Fan
Rating: T
Spoilers: All episodes
Category: Romance
Disclaimer: This property belongs to David Gerber Productions and Fox Television. I make no profit and intend no infringement
Summary: Dinner, dancing and only adults in the house
Feedback: Yes, please
"Nothing is going to ruin this weekend"
The cuckoo clock cuckooed four times. Nanny went through her list again: tent, lanterns, cooking gear, extra fuel, matches, flashlights, waterproof ponchos, food…
"I think we have everything," Hal said running through his own list. Camping gear, sorted into two piles, was scattered on the living room rug ready for packing. It was a mess, but an organized mess.
"Butch!" Hall called, again exasperated at his brother's ability to be absent whenever the real work was ready to be done. "Get in here and start packing or we won't be ready in time."
Butch sauntered into the living room with a handful of chips and Waldo trailing behind him, the dog intent on eating any stray chips that might land on the floor. "What's the rush? We don't leave until tomorrow."
"The rush," Hal explained, "is the bus will pick us up at five-thirty in the morning and if you're not packed the way Scoutmaster Wagner wants us packed, he won't care about leaving you behind, and neither will I."
"Thanks a lot." Butch said, finishing his chips and wiping the leftover crumbs off on his jeans. "If Scoutmaster Wagner was leaving you behind, I'd help you."
"But he isn't leaving you behind, Butch," Nanny told him, "not yet. And if you get all of your gear packed neatly, correctly and on time, you won't have to fear missing the trip."
"Hey, yeah," Butch said enthusiastically. He began to tackle his packing task. "Even if it rains again this year, we're all staying. The scoutmaster said braving a cold is all part of being a man – and a good scout."
"Well," Nanny said, folding her list and slipping it into her apron pocket, "I'm not sure if that's true, but braving the elements is all part of good scouting – if you are well prepared."
"And we're prepared this time, Nanny," Hal said. "The new tent doesn't leak and we have everything waterproofed. Nothing is going to ruin this weekend."
"Maybe we should bring inflatable life rafts," Butch said worriedly. "The last time we camped at Black Hawk Wilderness the lake nearly flooded. Remember, Nanny?"
"There's little chance of that happening this time, Butch," Nanny replied smiling as she remembered the entire family squashed into the leaky old tent in the pouring rain and how lovely that outing had been. "All of you boys are experienced scouts and are prepared for any eventuality."
"What do the tree frogs say, Nanny?" Hal asked grinning. She knew he didn't believe she actually received weather information from the animals, but he couldn't resist teasing her. In this way, Hal was becoming very much like his father.
"Rain or shine," Nanny said, "I predict you are both going to have a marvelous weekend! But you won't be off to a very good start if you don't finish your packing soon." With that remark, she turned towards the kitchen with the intention of completing dinner. Then she stopped, changed direction and opened the front door. She stood face-to-face with a startled Professor Everett.
"Good afternoon, Professor," Nanny said brightly, "just in time for tea this afternoon."
The Professor suppressed a sigh. He was finally getting used to Nanny's unusual ability for predicting things, because although he did not believe in precognition, he couldn't deny the fact that she did, in fact, predict things accurately.
"That sounds great, Nanny," he told her. Then he spied the clutter in the living room and his two industrious sons. "What's this?" he asked the boys. "You guys preparing to run away from home?"
"No, Dad," Butch stopped his packing activities for a moment. "This weekend our scout troop is going camping. We'll be gone two whole nights and have to be ready for any eventuality. Right, Nanny?"
"Right," she agreed. "There's a strong possibility of rain, Professor," she told him. "That's the reason for all of the extra precautions."
"Tree frogs again, Nanny?" he asked as he picked up his mail from the hall table. Then he paused in the sorting of his letters to raise a questioning eyebrow at her.
"Oh no," she answered. "The weatherman on channel three predicts showers on and off all weekend including the Black Hawk Wilderness area."
"Hmmm," the Professor's reply was non-committal.
"Daddy?" Prudence was coming slowly down the stairs dragging a suitcase behind her in one hand and clutching a doll in her other. "Since the boys get to go camping, can I stay at Amy's house this weekend?"
"All weekend, Sweetheart?" the Professor asked her, kissing her 'hello' on her cheek. "Don't you think Daddy will be lonesome?"
"Nanny will be here," Prudence told him. "She can keep you company."
"There's a birthday party sleepover at Amy's house on Saturday night, Professor," Nanny told him. "Prudence has been looking forward to it all week. I reminded you earlier and you said she could go…"
"Of course," he set his daughter down on her feet. "But if that's not until Saturday night
why are you already packed, Prudence?"
"I don't want to leave it to do until the last minute the way the boys do," Prudence said in a matter-of-fact manner. Then she headed for the kitchen, Nanny trailing after her.
The Professor shook his head at his practical-minded daughter's actions, and then stopped Nanny before she disappeared with Prudence into the kitchen.
"Nanny," he called. She turned back towards him. "Since all three kids will be out of the house on Saturday night, if you'd like the evening off…"
She smiled. "Thank you, Professor, but there isn't anything special I would like to do. I'll just fix dinner and enjoy a relaxing evening at home." Nanny started back for the kitchen when the Professor stopped her again.
"Nanny," he began, and then hesitated. "You never seem to take any time off for yourself. Everyday you're taking care of this house, this family. Everyday you are cooking." He paused again, thinking for a moment, and then rushed on. "Would you…would you like to go out for the evening? For dinner? With me?" When he was met with her surprised silence, he went on. "I…I don't mean a date…exactly…just a relaxing evening out for a change. You deserve it. And the opportunity of having all three kids out of the house at the same time doesn't happen very often. We might not get the chance to have a quiet evening out – together – for a long time. So I thought if you wanted to…"
The Professor trailed off awkwardly and was almost embarrassed by his comments. Inwardly he was cringing, he hadn't mangled asking a woman out so badly since the junior homecoming dance when he was fifteen. And the girl had said no.
Nanny considered his question for what seemed like a long time. Her blue eyes looked steadily into his for a lengthily moment, then she smiled and dropped her gaze.
"That would be lovely," she said very softly, then met his eyes once more. He was smiling and she smiled back both of them unsure of what to say next.
"There is a condition," Nanny said finally and she watched as his eyes turned wary. "Tomorrow night you have a late faculty function. I can give Prudence her dinner early, and wait dinner for you. I've never prepared your favorite dinner for you as the children don't like coq au vin. I'd like to make it for you to thank you for your generosity."
The Professor tried to hide his obvious pleasure at her proposal. Having dinner together, alone, two nights in a row definitely had its appeal.
"Sort of like a 'dry run' for Saturday night, huh?" he tried to make light of the situation even as his quick mind was already running through possible scenarios two such evenings could bring.
Nanny suddenly looked shy and dropped her gaze to the floor again.
"Well," the Professor said breezily, heading towards his office door, "The Marquis has excellent food and a roomy dance floor. Perhaps we'll need to practice dancing before heading out to dinner too?"
Nanny looked up sharply and the Professor congratulated himself for startling her. He smiled broadly at her again before disappearing into his office.
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