Sofia2017 planning asked about this classic John Denver song, so enjoy your request! I thought it would be fun if, following their day at the fair in chapter 25 theblindwriter95's Sibling Team, Nell and Bobby Lee took the girls to the fair so they could have fun too. Unfortunately, their plans are halted by the rain, but that doesn't mean that they can't have fun in the castle with Amber, James, and Sofia! Thanks to theblindwriter95 for helping with this story. John Denver's music is not mine.
James was feeling much better when he woke up the morning after his day out with Bobby Lee and Amber. He'd been terrified when he rescued Gabby from an inexperienced winged horse at Amber's party, and Bobby Lee and Amber had taken him out for a special day to calm him down, just like how Roland would help him when he and Amber had been scared by something.
He looked around when he heard a new voice. "You feel better, James?"
James looked up when he saw his new friend, a camouflage colored cat-like creature, tucked in next to him. "I must still be dreaming. Did you say something?"
Madeline giggled beside him. "No, but I did!"
"Maddie," James grinned. "What are you doing here?"
"I thought I'd wake you up," Madeline smiled. "I tried waking up Elena and Gabby, but Elena bit me."
"Well, Elena knows sweet things when she sees them," James smirked, repeating what Bobby Lee said to Nell when Elena or Gabby put her hands in their mouths.
"Speaking of Elena, she, Gabby, Nell, and Bobby Lee went to the fair today," Madeline continued. "Bobby Lee said he'd make sure Gabby stayed away from the horses, but he'd stay with her if Elena wanted to ride them."
James nodded. He hadn't meant to get so upset about the horses when he saw them again, but the memory of how he had rescued Gabby when she was on a winged horse that flew away with her had terrified him. He had managed to get on a horse again, and he had been fine.
Madeline saw the look on his face and squeezed his hand.
"You got him up?" Sabrina asked, coming into the room.
"I didn't want James to sleep the day away," Madeline smirked.
"That's right; you stopped me before I could beat Bianca in a word game," James smiled.
"Or she could beat you!" Madeline giggled.
"Someone can beat James in a word game? This I want to see!" Amber grinned as she came in.
"Me too!" Sofia smiled. "And we can bring your new friend to cheer you on too, James!" She picked up the animal that James had won at one of the games. "What's his name again?"
James grinned as he held his new friend up. "Cammo Kitty! I won him during one of the first games we played. He met Prince Blizzard, Little Rex, and Sir Blaze-a-Lot when I gave Gabby the doll I won for her, and he was welcomed into our writing group with open paws!"
Madeline and Sabrina giggled at the news of James' 'helpers' accepting a new member.
"At least get yourself dressed first James," Amber smirked.
"You mean I can't go beat Bianca like this?" James smirked, gesturing toward his pajamas.
"No! We like a casual game around here now and then, but not this casual!" Amber grinned.
"Well played, Amber; I see all this time playing word games with me has paid off," James smirked as he found an outfit for the day.
When James was ready, they all went downstairs. "So, should we eat first, or meet Miss Bianca for the game we were going to start, or eat while we play?" he suggested.
"Why don't you eat first, Prince James?" Bianca suggested, "I know you know how to multi-task, but eating comes before playing!"
"Now we see where Nell gets it from," Madeline grinned. "She was just telling Elena that this morning before they left."
"Well, you know how Elena Lydia can be," Bianca smiled. "To her, it's play with Kitty first, then eat."
"And don't worry, James; the word games and everything Miss Bianca has planned will still be there after breakfast," Sabrina smiled.
"Helen Genevieve and I have taught you well, Sabrina Marie," Bianca smirked, then she turned to James. "But I am curious, Prince James, what else did you do at the fair? I know you remembered what happened to Gabby Anna when the girls rode the horses, and that brought back the memories for you, but Robert Lee was there to help you. He even said that you rode one with him later on and you did very well."
James smiled a little. He remembered how much fun he and Bobby Lee had on the horse, then before he and Nell left for the fair with the girls, Bobby Lee had taken him to the stables. They took care of the horses together, then Bobby Lee had James take a solo ride on his winged horse Echo, and he had done very well. It got him out of the reminder of the incident, but not by much. Yet James smiled, holding back his excitement.
"Wasn't there something about a booth that let you make CDs of yourself singing?" Amber hinted.
"That's right!" Madeline giggled. "Sofia, Miss Bianca, you should have seen it! James gave the man in charge of the booth a lot of coins, and when he tried to give him change, James said, 'Don't bother with change; I'm going to be here for a while!'" Bianca laughed with her, and Madeline continued, "James made about three or four CDs for himself, but one was made up of kitty songs for Elena! Then when he was starting another song, a line started forming behind him!"
"Then after we were coming back from riding the horses, Bobby Lee asked James if he'd like to do a song with him," Amber agreed. "The man in charge called to the line, 'He's back!' But Bobby Lee said, 'Don't worry; this time he's with me, and I'll keep him under control!'"
Even Bianca was laughing at the story. "Well, we certainly can't fault him for that! Prince James loves singing, and he's doing it with his door open again! But it was nice of him to make a CD for Elena Lydia with her favorite kitty songs!"
"It helped her fall asleep last night," Sabrina smiled. "She didn't fuss even once."
"She didn't?" James joked.
"You always say that music makes everything better," Madeline smiled.
"I've sometimes heard you sing to Elena Lydia to help her when she has a meltdown, and you help sing Gabby Anna to sleep after her physical therapy sessions," Bianca agreed.
"That's right!" Sabrina smiled. "And while you play with Miss Bianca, can we play one of the CDs you made?"
"Sure," James smiled. "Which one do you want?"
"This one!" Amber grinned. "This is the one you sang with Bobby Lee before we left."
"I like that one!" Madeline giggled. "We were singing along too, and everyone in the line was even dancing with us!"
"And who knows? Nell, Bobby Lee, Elena and Gabby will be back before we know it," Sofia smiled.
"That's right; it's their time to have fun at the fair now, and we can have our own fun here," Bianca agreed.
"And maybe the next day, we can take Sof to the fair," James suggested. "She was helping watch Elena yesterday, and she's here now. I think she'd like looking around and having some fun."
"She would," Amber agreed. "Elena wore her out yesterday and before I went to see you, James, I saw Sofia fast asleep in her bed."
"Elena does have a lot of energy!" Sabrina giggled. "But she got sad that Sofia was sleeping because of her."
"Elena understood that Sofia needed a break, so she sat with her and read her a story," Madeline remembered. "Or rather, she made up a story. She also sang her a kitty song."
"Kitty song!" they heard Elena's voice.
"You guys are back early," James noted, seeing Nell, Bobby Lee, Elena, and Gabby coming in.
"Small rain delay," Nell smirked, gesturing toward her rain-soaked dress. "Since the carnival's still going on tomorrow, that's when we're going back. And we agreed that we'll take Sofia with us, since she didn't get the chance to go with you last time."
"Great minds think alike!" Amber grinned. "We were talking about that too!"
"She'll love that," Bianca smiled. "Now, why don't you all get into dry clothes, and we'll listen to one of the CDs Prince James said he and Robert Lee made?"
"Do we have to?" Elena pouted.
"Do you want to get sick?" Sofia asked.
"No!" Gabby gasped, hiding behind Nell.
"And when you get back, we'll play that CD we were talking about," James added.
"Kitty songs?" Elena asked.
"We might play that one second, but I really want to hear the one that Bobby Lee and James did," Madeline said as everyone nodded in agreement.
"As long as you sing it with us, Maddie!" Bobby Lee grinned as he and Nell went to get the girls and themselves in dry clothes.
"I will!" Madeline giggled as Sofia followed them so she could help too.
"Poor Elena must've been so disappointed with the rain," Sabrina frowned.
"I'm sure Helen Genevieve cheered her up," Bianca assured her with a smile.
"She did," Sofia smiled when she came back. "She said she'd take her to the stables to play with her kitty Snow White when it stopped raining, and you know how well she responded to the idea of listening to James' CD of kitty songs. She even played a little of it as they were coming home."
Soon, Nell, Bobby Lee, Elena, and Gabby were back in the sitting room. "Now, what CD are we going to hear first?" Nell asked.
"This one!" James grinned, holding one up.
"I love that one!" Bobby Lee grinned. "Mother said Father always sang that one to me! That's even one that the guards like! And James, I remember when we were younger and I came with Mother, you and I would always dance to it!"
"We dance too?" Elena asked.
"That's the plan!" Bobby Lee said as James picked her up.
"And don't forget to shout the occasional 'yee hah!'" James grinned as he started the music and began to sing.
Well life on the farm is kinda laid back
Ain't much an old country boy like me can't hack
It's early to rise, early in the sack
Thank God I'm a country boy
"Silly James! You no horsie!" Elena giggled, flapping her hands.
"Horsie?" Gabby whimpered, hiding behind Bianca.
"It's all right, Gabby Anna, there are no horses here," Bianca smiled, taking her in her arms. "And you did learn a valuable lesson about not going near one when you're not supposed to, right?"
"I won't go near horsies no more!" Gabby promised.
"That's all we ask, Gab-Gab," Bobby Lee grinned, taking her in his arms as he danced her around the room and took the next verse.
Well a simple kinda life never did me no harm
A raisin' me a family and workin' on a farm
My days are all filled with an easy country charm
Thank God I'm a country boy
Gabby and Elena giggled as they were danced around the room with Bobby Lee and James.
And to Elena, it kept her mind busy from thinking about the rain.
James grinned as he and Bobby Lee sang together, Well I got me a fine wife I got me a fiddle
When the sun's comin' up I got cakes on the griddle
Life ain't nothin' but a funny funny riddle
Thank God I'm a country boy
Amber smiled as she listened to the little shrieks from the girls as they were danced around. She watched as Nell took Elena from James, and he grabbed her hands and danced around the room with her. "James!" she squealed.
"Just like old times, right, Amber?" James grinned, recalling how Roland and Melinda used to dance him and Amber around like that when they were Elena and Gabby's age, and they'd love it as much as the girls were loving it now.
As he danced with her, he started the next verse, When the work's all done and the sun's settin' low
I pull out my fiddle and I rosin up the bow
The kids are asleep so I keep it kinda low
Thank God I'm a country boy
"Right. Old times," Amber smiled a little, recalling how much fun she always had.
"You love this!" James teased.
"You're right, I do," Amber nodded, her smile growing wider.
Bobby Lee nodded as he joined in, I'd play "Sally Goodin" all day if I could
But the Lord and my wife wouldn't take it very good
So I fiddle when I can, work when I should
And thank God I'm a country boy
"Music does tend to make everything better," James grinned as he switched partners and danced with Sofia.
"Very true," Bianca smiled. "I always enjoy hearing you sing to Elena Lydia and Gabby Anna."
"That's me; the royal juke box," James smirked as he switched partners again and danced with Gabby. "I always have a song ready for anyone who needs it."
He and Bobby Lee sang together, Well I got me a fine wife I got me old fiddle
When the sun's comin' up I got cakes on the griddle
Life ain't nothin' but a funny funny riddle
Thank God I'm a country boy, woo hoo!
"Yay James!" Elena giggled. "Kitty song next?"
"Which one?" James smiled, mussing her hair.
"You made a few songs for Elena, but she can pick her favorite one," Bobby Lee smiled, "I wrote down the songs on each of the CDs as you finished each one. Each CD had two or three songs each."
He took Nell in his arms for a dance as he took the next verse, Well I wouldn't trade my life for diamonds or jewels
I never was one of them money hungry fools
Rather have my fiddle and my farmin' tools
Thank God I'm a country boy
"And even though he thought you were hogging the booth, the guy in charge thought it was really nice of you to make the kitty-themed CD for her," Sabrina smiled as she watched Nell dance with Bobby Lee and heard her giggling as they spun around. "He said he's sung those same songs to his daughter!"
"Everyone does like a kitty song now and then, right, Elena?" James asked as he intercepted her for a dance.
"Yeah!" Elena cheered, flapping her hands. "Kitty songs good!"
"Kitty songs are good," Nell agreed. "But this song's good too!"
James tossed Elena up as he sang to her, Yeah, city folk drivin' in a black limousine
A lotta sad people thinkin' that's a-mighty keen
Son, let me tell ya now exactly what I mean
Thank God I'm a country boy
"You can thank James and Bobby Lee for that," Amber smiled as he caught her.
"Kitty song now?" Elena asked.
"In a minute; let's finish this song first," Nell smiled. "Don't you like hearing James and Daddy sing on the CD?"
"Yeah! James and Daddy sing kitty song too!" Elena giggled, flapping her hands.
As they found different partners, James and Bobby Lee sang together, Well I got me a fine wife I got me old fiddle
When the sun's comin' up I got cakes on the griddle
Life ain't nothin' but a funny funny riddle
Thank God I'm a country boy, yes sir!
"I left the kitty songs to James...and of course he had to sing that one too!" Bobby Lee pretended to pout as he recalled one of Elena's favorite kitty songs that he had to sing once, which was one he always got stuck in his head.
"You loved it!" James smirked.
"Note to self: Get James when he's alone later!" Bobby Lee murmured.
"We get James too?" Elena asked, Gabby nodding beside her.
"Good idea, girls," Bobby Lee smirked.
"Yay!" Gabby cheered.
"But not now!" Elena pouted. "Daddy and James finish singing!"
James danced with Madeline as he took the next part of the verse, Well, my fiddle was my daddy's till the day he died
And he took me by the hand, held me close to his side
Said, "Live a good life, play the fiddle with pride
and thank God you're a country boy"
"I thought you wanted a kitty song," Sofia smiled.
"James and Daddy can finish their song," Elena smiled, reaching for Kitty and dancing with her.
"That's right, Elena Lydia, one game at a time," Bianca smiled.
Bobby Lee joined in again as he danced with Sabrina, Well my daddy taught me young how to hunt and how to whittle
Taught me how to work and play a tune on the fiddle
Taught me how to love and how to give just a little-
And thank God I'm a country boy
"Good girl, sweetheart," Nell agreed.
Over the shrieks and giggles of the girls, James and Bobby Lee finished the song together, Well I got me a fine wife I got me old fiddle
When the sun's comin' up I got cakes on the griddle
Life ain't nothin' but a funny funny riddle
Whoo! Thank God I'm a country boy, yeah!
Over the applause, Gabby yawned, resting against Elena before Bobby Lee took her in his arms.
"Shall we take you up to bed, Gab-Gab?" he smiled. "Or we'll put you on the couch so you can hear James and Bianca play their word game."
"Okay," Gabby smiled. "Dolly?"
"You want the dolly James won for you?" Nell asked. "Okay. She and Cammo Kitty can keep you company, if it's all right with James that you can borrow him."
"Of course it is," James smiled as he let Gabby take Cammo Kitty.
"Why you say his name Camel Kitty?" Elena asked.
"It's not Camel, Elena; it's Cammo, which is short for Camouflage," James explained. "He blends in with his surroundings."
"Like Princess Rapunzel's chameleon," Amber added, seeing Elena confused.
"Oh," Elena smiled. "Camel Kitty like Pascal!"
"Well, they're both green, and like I said, they blend in with their surroundings so they can't be seen by their enemies," James admitted.
"We'll get some picture books from the library and show you how it works," Nell agreed.
Elena smiled, putting a blanket over Gabby before turning to James. "Gabby nap-nap. We be quiet," she muttered.
"Not even for a kitty song?" James grinned.
"Maybe you could play one to help put her to sleep," Nell smirked. "Kitty songs do work very well as lullabies for both Elena and Gabby."
"Okay, but is it okay if I finish this crossword puzzle with Miss Bianca first?" James asked.
"Of course," Nell smiled. "You wanted to start it yesterday, but Sofia said it was time for you to go to sleep too!"
"I help with puzzle?" Elena asked.
"No, dear. But you can watch," Bianca smiled.
"King say James write when he was baby!" Elena frowned.
"I don't know about that, but Prince James is quite good with words and writing," Bianca agreed, "But for now, you can watch us spell the words. It will be good reading and spelling practice for you so you're ready for your next visit to your speech therapist."
"Okay! I read and spell as good as James!" Elena giggled.
"And for your first word, Elena, how about this?" James grinned as he set up some blocks with letters on them.
Elena smiled when she saw the letters. "K-I-T-T-Y! That spells Kitty!" she cheered, flapping her hands.