A/N: Huh, you look kinda familiar. What? We met two months ago? Oh...
Sorry about not updating! I do really want to finish this story, it's just hard finding the time and effort and blah blah blah
Anyway, thanks to all the reviewers! You guys make my day and extra thanks to the people who gave me ideas for presents! I will take them into consideration.
Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Jeanne Birdsall. This is a creative disclaimer.
Without further ado, here is the latest installment in The Best Christmas Ever!
Day 5- Tommy's Recruit
Thick, puffy flakes swirled down from the steel gray sky. Martin Penderwick joined his youngest daughter at the living room window and looked worriedly up at the sky.
"I hope Claire gets here all right," Batty heard him murmur as he turned back to the kitchen with an affectionate ruffle of her curly chocolate hair.
Batty hoped so too. The Penderwick sister's aunt was due to arrive today, but the heavy snow descending upon Cameron might make it hard for Aunt Claire's banged-up station wagon to maneuver the roads.
She turned back to the cold window and pressed her little face against it, breathing hot puffs against the glass to make it foggy. Batty liked to watch the snow come down. There was something magical about the way it floated down in feathery bunches. Once, one had landed on her nose and Batty had gone cross-eyed trying to make out the fine details before it melted.
A sudden hot wetness on her toes caused Batty to turn around. Hound stood there licking his young mistress's toes. Batty giggled and slid off the sofa.
"What is it, Hound? Do you want to see the snow?"
Hound wagged eagerly. But, try as she might, Batty couldn't pull him onto the sofa. She put her hands on her hips and contemplated the still wildly wagging Hound.
"It's okay, Hound, we'll see the snow another way." Batty quietly padded through the hall past the kitchen, where the sound of chatter and the clink of cutlery against plates was still emanation from, and to the back door.
"Be patient, Hound," she whispered, tugging on her snow boots and a padded winter jacket. Even though it was just for a couple minutes, Rosalind would be very mad if Batty didn't wear her jacket or boots.
Finally, she reached up and slid the back door open with a gentle snick, ushering Hound out before following him and closing the door behind her.
The backyard was beautiful! Batty had never fully appreciated before the pristine evenness of fresh snow. She rotated slowly on the doorstep, breathing in the cold air and wishing she'd thought to bring a hat, as the flakes were falling so fast and thick.
Suddenly, Hound decided it would be a great time to ruin the perfect snow. He lunged off the doorstep, landing almost up to his shoulders.
"NO, Hound!" Batty launched herself after him. "We mustn't ruin the perfect snow!"
Hound, being a dog, thought that his mistress merely wanted to play his favorite game, Chase-the-Hound, and bounded away across the yard, leaving Batty to struggle in his wake.
By the time Batty had caught a thoroughly pleased Hound, there were footprints, human and animal, all over the yard.
"Bad Hound!" Batty frowned at the big black dog. He grinned up at her in the only way dogs can. Batty sighed and sank into the now-unperfect snow beside him and scratched his ears. "That's okay, Hound, it wouldn't stay perfect forever anyway." She looked wistfully around the yard, but it was beyond repair. Oh, well. At least they could make the best of it.
"Let's play polar bears, Hound! Here's our den," Batty wriggled underneath a rhododendron bush and dug out some snow from beneath. "Come on!" They romped around the backyard, fishing and chasin seals. Batty was curled up in the "den" eating "fish" when she noticed Hound wasn't there.
"Hound?" Batty scrambled out from under the bush and crawled around the side of the house.
There was Hound, wagging and sniffing…..Tommy?
Batty got to her feet and ran towards the pair.
"Hi, Tommy!"
Tommy, who had been trying to convince Hound to stop licking him, stumbled back, surprised. It was then Batty realized he had been standing on an old gardening pot by the side of the house near a window.
"Oh, hey, Battykins!"
Batty bounded over to him and tried to look in the window curiously, but was too short.
"Whatcha doing?"
Tommy turned as red as a cherry.
"Me? Doing? Uh, nothing really. I was just coming over to, uh...um, hang out with Cag-I mean, anyone else, really." This was all said very fast; Batty could barely understand it.
"Oh, is Rosalind in there?" she pointed to the window. "Is that why you were peeking?" Tommy turned flame red. Oblivious, Batty continued.
"You can hang out with me and Hound, if you want," she finished hopefully.
"Oh, really? Sure."
Batty beamed. "Cool! We're being polar bears." She took Tommy's hand and led him back into the yard. Tommy shot a glance toward the window.
"Er, Batty? Do you think Cagney or Rosalind would want to play too?"
"And here's the fishing hole- what? Mm, I don't think so, right now. Cagney's giving Rosy a history lesson, you see." Batty mused absent-mindedly, petting Hound.
Tommy's head snapped around.
"A what? She doesn't like history."
"Oh, well, she said she likes the Civil War, and Cagney knows ALL about the Civil War." Batty stretched her arms wide to demonstrate the breadth of Cagney's knowledge. Tommy scowled. "So, do you wanna play polar bears or not, Tommy?"
Tommy cast a glance over his shoulder at the window, then sighed.
"Yes, I suppose I'll play polar bears."
"So then the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect?"
"Yes, in 1863."
Mr. Penderwick poked his head into the kitchen as Rosalind wrote down a note.
"Rosy, Cagney? As I can't go to work in this weather, I'll be in the basement. Please tell the others to not disturb."
"Alright, Daddy- but why are you so keen on work? It's vacation, and you've gone in the past few days." Rosalind frowned slightly.
Mr. Penderwick smiled mysteriously and winked. "All in good time, Rosy. Omnia tempus in bonum."
Rosalind smiled fondly at her father as he disappeared into the basement and jotted down another note. She had never thought history could be so interesting. Teachers in school made it sound dull, reading right off the black and white pages. But when Cagney talked about the War, the black and white became vivid colors. His whole countenance lit up and he talked with his hands as well as his mouth. Cagney's enthusiasm was contagious.
"Rosalind?"
"Hmm? Oh, yes, it was Fort Henry."
"Yep, in- what's that?" Cagney tilted his head. Beyond the walls of the kitchen, a sort of growling/barking could be heard. Rosalind's brows furrowed.
"That sounds like Hound," she murmured, getting up from her chair. Cagney following, Rosalind went to the back door and looked out into the yard.
Hound was galloping around the snowy lawn, barking to egg on the other two people in the yard. Batty was practically shrieking with glee as she ran, her heels kicking up small puffs of snow. And there was Rosalind's boyfriend in the thick of it all, chasing her little sister on all fours and (?) growling.
Cagney joined her at the door, looking amused. "My, they look like they're having fun."
Rosalind agreed. It seemed like they were imitating some kind of bear. As she watched, Tommy caught up with Batty, lifted her off her feet and roared. Rosalind cringed. What would Cagney think of her choosing a guy only mature enough to play Batty's made up games?
Batty squealed and wriggled out of Tommy's grip, landing face-down in the snow.
"Oh my gosh!" Rosalind flung open the door and rushed out. "Batty, are you alright?"
Batty's curly brown hair poked up, framing a snow-covered face. "Hi, Rosalind! Tommy and Hound and me were playing polar bears!"
"Yes, I see that." Rosalind shot Tommy a look. He held his hands up as if to say what? "Where are your snowpants, Batty? You'll catch a cold."
Her sister clambered out of the snow pile. "I don't know, I couldn't find them." Rosalind sighed in exasperation and was about to ask if Batty even looked in the first place when Tommy interrupted.
"You can make sure she won't catch a cold if you play with us." He shot her a hopeful smile.
"Well, I'm actually in the middle of a Civil War lesson right now, so no, I can't. But I'm sure Batty would like to keep playing." said Rosalind, already turning to go back to the house. It was then that Tommy noticed Cagney lounging in the doorway and his heart tightened.
"What if Batty catches a cold?" he asked desperately, wanting to give her a reason to stay.
"I'm sorry, Tommy, but Cagney was just telling me about the USS Monitor. And anyway"- she gave him a scolding glance -"she won't catch cold if you don't throw her into snow piles."
Tommy sullenly watched his girlfriend walk up the steps, usher Cagney back in, and close the door. He felt a small warm moist hand slip into his. Tommy sighed and looked down at Batty.
"What's the matter Tommy?" Her deer-like brown eyes gazed at him, troubled. "Is it Rosalind?"
Tommy hesitated. Batty was still young, she might accidentally let something slip by mistake. On the other hand, she was also good at being quiet and observing. The littlest Penderwick might prove the most handy.
Feeling a bit like he was in the guidance counselor's office, Tommy sat down in the snow across from Batty.
"Yes, it is Rosalind. I haven't seen much of her, and whenever I get a chance to, that Cagney always gets there first." Tommy glowered at nothing in particular.
Batty was listening solemnly to him. Even Hound had stopped his rampages and appeared to be listening.
"I- I have a plan to get her back. It's kind of dumb, but it's the only thing I can think of. And you- yes, you, Batty, you can help me."
"Okay." Batty leaned in and cupped her hand around her ear for Tommy to whisper into. "What is the plan?"
Tommy whispered it and smiled slightly as Batty bounced with excitement.
"It'll be just like secret agents!" she exclaimed. Tommy nodded and put a warning finger to his lips. Batty grew serious and mimicked him.
"But, remember, Batty, you've got to keep all this quiet. No one can know but you and me."
"And Hound?"
"And Hound."
A/N: R&R!
