Hello everybody! Woo it's school holidays *does a happy dance* *stops for a moment* *happy dances again* anyway here is the next chapter…
"What's he doing?" Temperance said aloud as she gazed out her bedroom window to see Seeley in the backyard. He was standing completely still, not moving an inch, holding Max's old hunting rifle. Suddenly she heard a gunshot. Seeley had the gun up to his face, smoke coming out of the barrel. He walked into the bushes and fished out a rabbit.
Target practice thought Temperance boy he's good.
Seeley placed the gun and the rabbit on the ground. He reached behind his back and pulled off the white t-shirt he was wearing.
"Oh wow" Temperance's eyes widened. Her stomach dropped to the ground along with her jaw. She couldn't help but stare at him. In her lifetime, she'd seen a few men with their shirts off during summer, but none of them compared to Seeley. She crossed her legs and smiled, admiring his muscles. He was very well defined, as if he had spent hours upon hours working out.
Seeley lay down on the ground and started doing push-ups.
5-6-7
Temperance counted.
23-24-25.
She lost count at around 50. He was doing the exercise so easily, it was as if it was second nature.
"What are you doing Tempe?"
"Uh-um-uh nothing Mum." Temperance stuttered. She hadn't even noticed that Christine had been standing in the doorway.
"Were you watching Seeley?" Christine asked. She walked into Temperance's bedroom and sat on her bed.
"No" she lied.
"I know when you're lying Tempe. What's going on in that brain of yours?" Christine smiled knowingly.
"I- I don't really know what's going on in my brain. I don't know what I'm feeling." Temperance sighed and shrugged her shoulders.
"Do you remember Andrew? The boy who used to live down the street?"
"Yes, I used to always play with him."
"Do you remember when you were 8 and you told me that you wanted to marry him?"
"No, I definitely don't remember that." Temperance laughed and blushed.
"You told me that you really loved him, the same way that Daddy loves Mummy." Christine said "then the next day you said that you really loved a boy in your class and you wanted to marry him instead."
"Mum, I was 8 when that happened. How is this relevant to what's going on now?" She asked, completely befuddled.
"You had feelings for those boys."
"So?"
Christine looked out the window and at Seeley, who had moved on to doing some sit ups.
"What? You think I have feelings for Seeley? No." Temperance shook her head "no, I don't."
"Don't worry Tempe. Everyone feels scared when they first recognise the feeling." Christine explained.
"But, there is no feeling Mum! He's just my friend. I don't have any feelings for him, I can't have any feelings for him."
"What do you mean you can't?"
"He's…he's" Temperance gestured angrily out the window "he's Seeley!"
"I'm fully aware of that Tempe" her mum laughed.
"Ok, I admit that I do enjoy his company" she stood up and began pacing "I admit that he is very handsome. But that does not mean I have feelings for him!"
"No it doesn't."
"Just because I like spending time with him, and that he is constantly on my mind does not mean that I have feelings for him!"
Christine grinned "no it doesn't."
"Just- just because his mere presence makes my heart rate increase does not mean I have feelings for him" Temperance rambled.
"Of course it doesn't" Christine stood up and walked to the door "dinner will be ready in about 30 minutes. You better get washed up."
Temperance watched her mother walk out the door. She turned to look out the window again. Seeley was chin ups on a tree branch. She felt her stomach drop and her heart rate increase.
It doesn't mean I have feelings for him. It doesn't mean I have feelings for him. It doesn't mean I have feelings for him.
Who was she kidding?
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"What are you doing?" Temperance asked as she walked across the yard.
"Just making sure I'm in shape" Seeley answered as he continued to do chin ups.
"You've been 'making sure' for quite a while now. Are you sure you aren't just working out? Or maybe you're trying to impress somebody?" She teased as she watched his muscles ripple with every movement.
"That depends" he jumped down and walked towards her "are you impressed?"
"Maybe" Temperance replied as she let her gaze sweep over his bare chest.
"I take it by your staring that you are impressed, and you just don't want to admit it." Seeley whispered smugly.
"I admit that I did assume that you would be extremely well built due to your work being in the army, but I never thought that you would be so well defined." Temperance admitted.
"Well, I do work out quite a lot. And I play sport quite often, specifically rugby and cricket. I also have a black belt in karate."
"Really?" She crossed her arms over her chest and tilted her head "teach me."
"Me" Seeley pointed to his chest "teach you?"
"Yes" Temperance nodded "just teach me how to punch, then I could defend myself if something happened. You wouldn't want me to get injured now would you?"
"You've made a very good point there, I would never want you to get hurt." He nodded "I can teach you how to punch, that's simple enough."
Seeley walked up behind Temperance and held onto her hands.
"Bring your hands down to your sides" he grasped her hands and pulled them so they were sitting by her side. "Move your feet so they're a shoulder's width apart." Seeley explained, he pushed a knee between her legs, encouraging her to move. "Now you have to keep your arms relaxed, but firm at the same time, otherwise you could injure yourself." He whispered huskily in her ear.
"Ok" Temperance managed to answer. Her eyes had long since drifted closed.
"Grasp your hands, but keep you thumbs on the outside across your fingers." He curled her fingers so he was holding her balled fist in his hands. "Now pull your right fist up next to you waist, keeping it turned upwards." He pulled her arm so her elbow was sitting between his arm and her body. "Keep your elbow back."
"Mhhm" Temperance nodded slowly concentrate, concentrate, concentrate.
"Extend you left arm at stomach level, keeping your fist turned down. Lock your elbow."
"Like this?" Temperance asked as she punched the air.
"Yes, like that. Now pull your left arm back, rotating your fist so it's upright, and bring it to your side. While you're doing that, extend you right arm and rotate your wrist to punch again." Seeley explained.
Temperance repeated the movement over and over again, until she didn't need his help anymore. Despite this, he kept his hands covering hers. Why did it feel like teaching her how to punch, seemed like such an intimate moment?
"I think I got it" she said.
"So do I. You're a natural" Seeley answered. He spun her around so they were facing each other. He smiled gently at her and squeezed her hands. Temperance felt her heart rate increase, and found it hard to take in a deep breath. She gazed up at him with shy eyes and stepped closer to him. She took her hands out of his and placed them on his upper arms.
"I don't know what to think…I don't know what I'm feeling." Temperance whispered her admission.
"Then let me help you, try to tell me what you're feeling." Seeley wrapped his arms around her waist and brought her against his chest. "Show me what you're feeling." He dipped his head slightly, giving her the decision to meet him half way.
"I-"
"DINNER'S READY!"
Seeley and Temperance jumped apart at the sound of Max's voice. For a moment they both stared at each other, trying to decipher what had just happened.
"I'm – I'm sorry" Temperance bowed her head in embarrassment "I don't know what came over me."
"No, no that was my fault. I put you in an uncomfortable position and it was wrong of me to do that" Seeley apologized.
"Just, let's just forget it ever happened, ok?" she said, praying that he would agree with her.
"Ok, sure." Seeley agreed. He ran his hand over the back of his neck and grinned "c'mon, we've got to go inside."
"You're always thinking of your stomach" she shook her head and laughed before she made her way across the backyard.
Seeley sighed and followed her.
(Insert line break here)
Everybody at the table were silent, especially Seeley and Temperance, who were avoiding each other like the plague.
"So Seeley" Max said "did you do anything today?"
"Oh you know, I just helped some people around town" he answered "and I found – this" he pulled a flyer from the pocket in his jacket. "They have them all around, stuck onto buildings, poles, everything." He handed it over to Max who looked at it thoughtfully.
"If the invader comes, what to do and how to do it" he read out. Temperance looked up from her plate, and along with Christine and Jared, sat in complete and utter silence, waiting for Max to continue. "Ummm" he scanned through the writing "the first rule is 'if the Germans come by parachute, aeroplane or ship, you must remain where you are. The order is 'stay put'. Rule two 'do not believe rumours and do not spread them. When you receive and order, make quite sure that it is a true order and not a faked order. Most of you know your policemen and your A.R.P wardens by sight, you can trust them. If you keep your heads, you can also tell whether a military officer is really British or only pretending to be so. If in doubt ask the policeman or the A.R.P warden. Use your common sense'."
"Do they really think that they will be able to infiltrate our police force and army?" Temperance asked.
"It is possible" Max answered before he continued "rule three, 'keep watch, if you see anything suspicious, note it carefully and go at once to the nearest police officer or station, or to the nearest military officer. Do not rush about spreading vague rumours. Go quickly to the nearest authority and give him the facts.' Rule four 'don't give any German anything. Do not tell him anything. Hide your food and your bicycles. Hide your maps. See that the enemy gets no petrol. If you have a car or motor bicycle, put it out of action when not in use. It is not enough to remove the ignition key; you must make it useless to anyone except yourself."
"Dad, where will we put our bicycle?" Temperance asked "we can't really hide it in the shelter, that would be a waste of space."
"Maybe we could bring it inside" Christine put in.
"Rule five" he continued "'be ready to help the military in any way. But do not block roads until ordered to do so by the military or L.D.V authorities.' Rule six doesn't apply to us, but the last rule's a kicker" Max paused "rule seven 'think before you act. But think always of your country before you think of yourself.'"
(Insert line break here)
Temperance helped clear the table of the dinner dishes, then wash them. Seeley stood right next to her and dried them. She grinned as he dried each plate, knife and fork with precision.
"When do you need to go back?" She asked.
After a moment's hesitation he answered "about a month."
"Really? That's a lot of time off."
"I know, but they need to find some more men for the Bomb Disposal Unit that I've been put in." Seeley said "I could be called up any day."
"This will sound very selfish, but I'm glad that your house was bombed." Temperance whispered.
"Why?" He turned to her and looked at her quizzically.
"If it hadn't have been bombed, I would never have met you. For that, I am grateful."
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So pleeeeeease baby, baby please open your eyeesssssssss catch my diseaaasssseeee. Lol, I re-fell in love with that song today.
OK, I had the strangest conversation at the dinner table last night.
Mum- So you're saying, that you don't need permission to open up another stall inside your shop.
Dad- No I don't see why you would need permission if you own the place.
Mum- So say for instance, if instead of opening a little coffee stall, the butcher's wife decided to sell sex toys. Would you need permission then?
Dad- Well, it depends what they're selling.
Mum- Ok, they're selling sexy lingerie, dildos and vibrators.
Dad- Then they would need permission…especially for the dildos.
Mum- Why? You were just saying that it didn't matter, they could open up anything the wanted to because they owned the shop.
Dad- Yeah but…they're dildos.
Mum- So it's ok to sell lingerie and vibrators…but not dildos?
Dad- Yes
Mum- Why? There's nothing wrong with dildos, they're just plastic dicks.
I was sitting there the whole time going "omg omg omg omg omg this is so awkward."
Anyway, enough of my life, I will now allow you to leave a review.
And BTW, the thing that Max was reading out, is actually the exact wording from the warning 'If the Invader Comes'. And I know that is name was Matthew when he was a Brennan, but he's always been Max to me, and I just can't write him as Matthew.
Ok, now you can review.