A/N: I can't help it. I have to switch so I can get in on Jack's
relationship with ??? (Though it is obvious by now…) I assure you peoples
though, that it's going to stay between Jack, Cliff, Karen, and Ann. Now
onto the story!
I yawned, lazily, and reached one gloved hand up to scratch the back of my head. I had fallen asleep under a shady tree. I had actually quite enjoyed my little nap.
Cain flew above, screeching cheerfully. He must be enjoying his freedom too. I felt slightly anxious now that I knew Karen was here. I wanted to see and speak to her badly. We were the greatest of friends when we were younger. In my opinion, we hadn't spoken in far too long, though it hadn't occurred on purpose.
Over time, we had just lost track of each other's whereabouts somehow. But it'd be an interesting time if we ran into each other.
I thought a moment. Karen had always loved to drink. And there was a bar here. Besides the fact that she worked at a vineyard, he could think of no more logical place to look for her. Maybe if I was lucky I'd run into her.
Even running into Jack or Ann would be nice, because not only would it give me something to do, someone to, they could help be get in contact with my cousin. Even if I came out empty handed, it'd still be better than sitting here, getting stiff.
Standing up, I briefly stretched, and wondered off in Flowerbud Village's direction. Walking through town, I pad across the cobblestone, and approach the bar, which is rightfully an inn. Inside, I was greeted with that familiar low chatter.
Sidling up the counter, I ordered a beer from the bartender, Duke. After paying him I found myself a comfortable little table in the corner, and began to drink in peaceful solitude.
In about a 15 minutes, when I was about ready to go up and get a refill, the door swung open, and I saw a laughing Ann, and…Karen?!
I grin to myself as Ann notices me. "Cliff!" she calls out excitedly. She and Karen walk over, and sit down.
Karen flashes me a warm smile. "Long time, no see, eh?" she kept smiling.
I nod, and grin back. "What brings you to town?" she questioned me.
"Just wandering through," I tell her. "This place is much different from anywhere else I've been though. I might even finally settle down,"
Karen grinned widely. "That'd be great!"
Ann smiled, but didn't say anything.
"I got to get to work," Karen told me. "But I'll still be able to chat," she added, as she walked up to the counter, and grabbed a pad of paper, and a pencil. Sticking it behind her ear, she immediately walked back over. "What do you two want?"
Ann shrugs. "I guess I'll just have wine," she told Karen.
"Another beer is fine," I said.
Jotting down our orders, and the table we were at, she moved swiftly down the row, doing likewise to the other tables.
She served everyone else first, before grabbing mine and Ann's two drinks, and one for herself, and bringing them back to our table.
She sat on the empty side of the table, and handed the drinks out before taking a long sip from her own mug. She grinned brightly.
"What's been going on with you?" I asked her, for a change of pace.
Her face scrunched. "Lots o' stuff," she said, and took another sip. "But our vineyard's dying," she sighed.
It was my face's turn to scrunch. Grandma Eve's vineyard…dying? That was awful! "Anything I can do to help?" I asked, almost frantically.
Karen stifled a laugh. "Work a miracle," she said dryly.
When I looked at her questionably, she sighed. "Dad's drinking problem's getting worse, and he's getting lazier. Maybe if he'd get off his fat ass once in awhile," she said the ending part bitterly, and with malice and spite. "Maybe then the vineyard wouldn't be in such trouble!"
I looked thoughtful. "Who actually does the work, then?" I asked.
"Kai," she told me, and finished her drink. "I help when I can; namely when I'm not helping out here, and when my father's not around. My mother can only help when it's harvesting time,"
"I can help out," I told her. "It'd give me an opportunity to earn some money, and who knows, maybe if me, and Kai really buckle down, we can make a start on restoring it,"
"I doubt it," Karen sighed heavily. "But it can't hurt…who knows, maybe it'll inspire dad or something," she said. Then she snorted. "Fat chance…but still worth a try,"
I smiled gently, trying to get some hope to come to her. "I'll help…when I can…" Ann spoke up.
"That'd be great!" I exclaimed. "I know you have to work hard on the Ranch already, but whatever you can do…that'd be…thanks," I finally finished, with a goofy grin on my face.
Karen smiled, slightly, and I was happy we were cheering her up, even if it was just a little. "Maybe Jack will help too," I suggested.
Ann and Karen stared at me like I was a little green man in a disco suit. "Uhh…just a suggestion," I said, meekly.
Ann and Karen traded smirks, and laughed a little. I sighed in relief. At least I wasn't going to have Ann start hitting me, or something.
We talked for the rest of the night, pretty much. Coming up with ideas to save the vineyard, and just plain chatting. When the time came for the bar to close, we walked out to the fork in the road. Ann, as I found out, was spending the night with Karen.
I bade them goodbye, and started to turn to walk away, and Karen said, "Cliff!"
I turned around, and looked at her. "What?" I asked.
"Where you going?" she smirked.
"To the caves," I said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Oh no you don't! Even if I have to drag you by your ear," Karen grinned, and ran up to me. Grabbing my arm, she dragged me back to the vineyard with her and Ann.
Inside the house, Karen talked to Sasha, her mom, my Aunt. It turned out Aunt Sasha was pleased to have me, and told me from now on I'd be staying in the spare room with Kai. There was a total of 3 beds in that room, I found out.
So in the hall, Karen, Ann, and I parted ways. When I went into my new room, I found Kai was already there, lying on his stomach on the bed, reading a magazine.
He looked up, surprised. "Whatcha doing in here?" he asked.
"I'm going to be staying here from now on, helping out on the vineyard. Aunt Sasha told me I'd stay in here,"
"Oh," he said. "Hmm, Mrs. Sasha really your Aunt?"
I nodded. "That makes Karen your…cousin, huh?"
I nod again, what was this dude, stupid? He looked thoughtful for a moment. "Think you could talk to her for me?"
I was confused. "About what?"
Kai sort of blushed. "Well, I like her a lot. I need you to find out for me what she thinks of me, without you letting on I sent you…"
I roll my eyes to myself. Oh boy, here we go. "Sure," is what I say outside, however.
Kai smiles at me briefly, and goes back to reading the magazine. "Thanks,"
I shrug, and plop down on the last bed in the row. Laying back, and resting my head on the soft pillow, I fall asleep almost immediately.
I yawned, lazily, and reached one gloved hand up to scratch the back of my head. I had fallen asleep under a shady tree. I had actually quite enjoyed my little nap.
Cain flew above, screeching cheerfully. He must be enjoying his freedom too. I felt slightly anxious now that I knew Karen was here. I wanted to see and speak to her badly. We were the greatest of friends when we were younger. In my opinion, we hadn't spoken in far too long, though it hadn't occurred on purpose.
Over time, we had just lost track of each other's whereabouts somehow. But it'd be an interesting time if we ran into each other.
I thought a moment. Karen had always loved to drink. And there was a bar here. Besides the fact that she worked at a vineyard, he could think of no more logical place to look for her. Maybe if I was lucky I'd run into her.
Even running into Jack or Ann would be nice, because not only would it give me something to do, someone to, they could help be get in contact with my cousin. Even if I came out empty handed, it'd still be better than sitting here, getting stiff.
Standing up, I briefly stretched, and wondered off in Flowerbud Village's direction. Walking through town, I pad across the cobblestone, and approach the bar, which is rightfully an inn. Inside, I was greeted with that familiar low chatter.
Sidling up the counter, I ordered a beer from the bartender, Duke. After paying him I found myself a comfortable little table in the corner, and began to drink in peaceful solitude.
In about a 15 minutes, when I was about ready to go up and get a refill, the door swung open, and I saw a laughing Ann, and…Karen?!
I grin to myself as Ann notices me. "Cliff!" she calls out excitedly. She and Karen walk over, and sit down.
Karen flashes me a warm smile. "Long time, no see, eh?" she kept smiling.
I nod, and grin back. "What brings you to town?" she questioned me.
"Just wandering through," I tell her. "This place is much different from anywhere else I've been though. I might even finally settle down,"
Karen grinned widely. "That'd be great!"
Ann smiled, but didn't say anything.
"I got to get to work," Karen told me. "But I'll still be able to chat," she added, as she walked up to the counter, and grabbed a pad of paper, and a pencil. Sticking it behind her ear, she immediately walked back over. "What do you two want?"
Ann shrugs. "I guess I'll just have wine," she told Karen.
"Another beer is fine," I said.
Jotting down our orders, and the table we were at, she moved swiftly down the row, doing likewise to the other tables.
She served everyone else first, before grabbing mine and Ann's two drinks, and one for herself, and bringing them back to our table.
She sat on the empty side of the table, and handed the drinks out before taking a long sip from her own mug. She grinned brightly.
"What's been going on with you?" I asked her, for a change of pace.
Her face scrunched. "Lots o' stuff," she said, and took another sip. "But our vineyard's dying," she sighed.
It was my face's turn to scrunch. Grandma Eve's vineyard…dying? That was awful! "Anything I can do to help?" I asked, almost frantically.
Karen stifled a laugh. "Work a miracle," she said dryly.
When I looked at her questionably, she sighed. "Dad's drinking problem's getting worse, and he's getting lazier. Maybe if he'd get off his fat ass once in awhile," she said the ending part bitterly, and with malice and spite. "Maybe then the vineyard wouldn't be in such trouble!"
I looked thoughtful. "Who actually does the work, then?" I asked.
"Kai," she told me, and finished her drink. "I help when I can; namely when I'm not helping out here, and when my father's not around. My mother can only help when it's harvesting time,"
"I can help out," I told her. "It'd give me an opportunity to earn some money, and who knows, maybe if me, and Kai really buckle down, we can make a start on restoring it,"
"I doubt it," Karen sighed heavily. "But it can't hurt…who knows, maybe it'll inspire dad or something," she said. Then she snorted. "Fat chance…but still worth a try,"
I smiled gently, trying to get some hope to come to her. "I'll help…when I can…" Ann spoke up.
"That'd be great!" I exclaimed. "I know you have to work hard on the Ranch already, but whatever you can do…that'd be…thanks," I finally finished, with a goofy grin on my face.
Karen smiled, slightly, and I was happy we were cheering her up, even if it was just a little. "Maybe Jack will help too," I suggested.
Ann and Karen stared at me like I was a little green man in a disco suit. "Uhh…just a suggestion," I said, meekly.
Ann and Karen traded smirks, and laughed a little. I sighed in relief. At least I wasn't going to have Ann start hitting me, or something.
We talked for the rest of the night, pretty much. Coming up with ideas to save the vineyard, and just plain chatting. When the time came for the bar to close, we walked out to the fork in the road. Ann, as I found out, was spending the night with Karen.
I bade them goodbye, and started to turn to walk away, and Karen said, "Cliff!"
I turned around, and looked at her. "What?" I asked.
"Where you going?" she smirked.
"To the caves," I said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Oh no you don't! Even if I have to drag you by your ear," Karen grinned, and ran up to me. Grabbing my arm, she dragged me back to the vineyard with her and Ann.
Inside the house, Karen talked to Sasha, her mom, my Aunt. It turned out Aunt Sasha was pleased to have me, and told me from now on I'd be staying in the spare room with Kai. There was a total of 3 beds in that room, I found out.
So in the hall, Karen, Ann, and I parted ways. When I went into my new room, I found Kai was already there, lying on his stomach on the bed, reading a magazine.
He looked up, surprised. "Whatcha doing in here?" he asked.
"I'm going to be staying here from now on, helping out on the vineyard. Aunt Sasha told me I'd stay in here,"
"Oh," he said. "Hmm, Mrs. Sasha really your Aunt?"
I nodded. "That makes Karen your…cousin, huh?"
I nod again, what was this dude, stupid? He looked thoughtful for a moment. "Think you could talk to her for me?"
I was confused. "About what?"
Kai sort of blushed. "Well, I like her a lot. I need you to find out for me what she thinks of me, without you letting on I sent you…"
I roll my eyes to myself. Oh boy, here we go. "Sure," is what I say outside, however.
Kai smiles at me briefly, and goes back to reading the magazine. "Thanks,"
I shrug, and plop down on the last bed in the row. Laying back, and resting my head on the soft pillow, I fall asleep almost immediately.