Disclaimer is in the Prologue.
Rini in Toyland
Chapter 3 - Serenity Bo-Peep's Dilemma
"Darien!" Serenity laughed as Darien finally set her on the rock candy road. At least, he looked like Darien. He had the same sleek black hair and deep, thoughtful blue eyes. He had the warm smile and the slender build. He was dressed like the other men in the square, in old-fashioned tight trousers, high boots, white shirt, and somewhat threadbare vest. He also had a sword by his side. "What are you doing here? I thought you got a job working in the Toy Factory!"
"I did," he insisted. "This is my day off. I wanted to see you again." He turned his eager grin to Rini. "And who is this young lady?"
"I'm Rini," she said. "I'm Serenity's new helper."
Darien gave Serenity a strange look. "Not exactly," Serenity explained quickly. "It's a long story. She's my helper for now, until we can see if Santa can take her home." Serenity grinned. "She doesn't think Santa Claus is real."
"Oh," Darien sighed, "she's one of those kids." He put a hand on Rini's shoulder. "Well, then, we'll get you to see Santa if takes until next Christmas! That ought to show you that Santa's very much real." He handed each of them a lovely flower. "I know they're not fancy roses or orchids, but they are a nice color, and they smell good. The finest wildflowers, courtesy of the fields near the Sugar Plum Orchards."
"What's your name, sir?" Rini asked as she sniffed the flower. It was the nicest smell she'd ever encountered. It smelled like Ilene-mama's kitchen when she baked spice cookies. "You remind me of a.a friend in Tokyo."
He let go of them and bowed. "My name is Darien Be Nimble, small lady. Now," he grinned, "how would the two loveliest girls in Toyland Town like some lunch? It's on me. The Toy Maker's been kind this year."
Serenity's eyes sparkled, and Rini thought she drooled. She looked just like Serena when she got hungry (which was every ten minutes). "Yum, pies."
"I guess that's a yes," laughed Darien. "What about you, Rini?"
Rini's tummy rumbled again. "My stomach sounds like a dump truck!"
Darien shrugged. "I don't know what a dump truck is, but I'm going to assume it means 'yes'." He led the two women across the busy circle to a large pie-shaped wooden stand. The stand only made Rini's stomach growl louder.
A young man with short blonde hair was putting the finishing touches on a cherry pie when the three arrived. He had large, gentle blue eyes and wore a big, juice-stained white apron over a blue-and-white striped shirt.
"Hello, Simon!" Darien grinned. "Still working for the pie man, I see."
"He went to the fair and never came back," sighed Simon. "That's fine by me! I like making pies. This one's almost done. It just has to be baked." Serenity and Rini gazed at the pie like it was their last meal. "May I help you?"
"We'll have three big slices of your best cherry pie, please," Darien insisted. The girls continued to stare at the pie, drooling as Simon placed three baked slices on plates, gathered some forks from under the stand, and put them in front of the trio.
Rini and Serenity dug right in. It was the second-best pie she'd ever tasted, after Ilene-mama's. "This is great, Simon!" she said between mouthfuls. "It's so light and flaky, it could fly away!"
Rini eyed a second piece, but thought better of it. She had no money to pay for it and didn't want to push Darien's generosity. Darien put his arm around Serenity. Rini could tell that they were very much in love. Even Simon looked at them with a knowing smile. They thanked Simon for the pie and walked around the circle. Darien and Serenity were hand in hand. Rini followed, watching them and the people around her.
Serenity looked up at the sun and yelped. "Oh, no! I'm very late! Mama's waiting for me! I told her I'd help her with the kids when they came home from school."
Darien sighed. "Late again, Meatball Head?"
Serenity glared and Rini started. Meatball Head? Daddy calls Mommy Meatball Head!
"If you must know, yes, I'm late. I didn't mean to be late. I ran into Rini, and then we had to chase the sheep, and then we ran into Mr. Barnaby."
Darien's eyes narrowed. "Did Barnaby try anything on you? I know he loves you, Serenity."
Serenity nodded. "He proposed to me."
"Did you accept?"
"Of course not!" Serenity put her arms around Darien. "There's only one man in Toyland Town for me."
They stopped before the largest boot Rini ever saw. It was as big as a house, which is what it was. There was a garden around the heel, and a roof over the leg opening. Laundry flapped in the backyard. Barnaby stood before a woman with long blue hair. She wore a plain gold and brown peasant dress and brown shoes. She held an old-fashioned broom, the kind witches ride, in her hand. Her voice was pleasant but firm.
"Look, Mr. Barnaby, we're doing all we can. We'll come up with the mortgage. Now, if you'll please excuse me, I have work to do inside."
Barnaby wouldn't let her through. "The mortgage is due tomorrow, Mrs. Bo- Peep. You can't possibly make enough money to pay by tomorrow." He smiled evilly when he noticed Serenity, Rini, and Darien approach. "Ah, the beautiful Serenity, and her pink-haired companion. And Darien Be-Nimble, what a surprise!"
"Why are you bothering Mama?" Serenity demanded. "She told you we'll come up with the money, and we will!"
Rini giggled. She couldn't help it. Mr. Barnaby turned his back to her, revealing a dirt smudge the shape of a child's snow boot on his rear. He gave her a look that would freeze the tropics. "What's so funny, little girl?"
"You've got a footprint on your behind!" She burst into laughter. Mr. Barnaby looked behind him and turned a shade of red that made the rest of him look even whiter. "Someone brush that off of me!" Darien, Serenity, and Mrs. Bo-Peep all tried to hide their smiles. No one moved to help him, so he began slapping at his rump.
"You did this, you little brat!" Mr. Barnaby snarled. He turned to Mrs. Bo- Peep. "I'll consider taking the mortgage off of this shoe," he gave Serenity another evil grin, "if your daughter Serenity consents to marry me."
Darien held Serenity close. Mrs. Bo-Peep shook her head. "I couldn't ask that of Serenity. She should be able to chose her own husband."
"I told you," Serenity insisted, "I don't love you. I'll never marry you! I love Darien!"
Darien gave Mr. Barnaby a very nasty look. "Why don't you go back to scaring dark chocolate bats at Nemesis Manor and let Serenity and her family be?"
"Yeah," added Rini, "before I show you what kind of footprints I leave when I'm really mad!"
He revealed an official-looking paper with a gold seal. "Your daughter's hand for the mortgage, Mrs. Bo-Peep. I'll give her until tomorrow to think my proposal over." He stormed off to his carriage, glaring at Rini and Darien the entire way. Rini stuck her tongue out at him.
Serenity burst into tears on Darien's shoulders. "Oh, Darien," she sobbed, "what am I going to do?"
Mrs. Bo-Peep also put her arms around her daughter. "We'll do what we can, dear. I don't want to see you marry that.that."
"Jerk?" Rini suggested.
They all laughed, Serenity dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief. "Yes," said Mrs. Bo-Peep, "that jerk."
Rini in Toyland
Chapter 3 - Serenity Bo-Peep's Dilemma
"Darien!" Serenity laughed as Darien finally set her on the rock candy road. At least, he looked like Darien. He had the same sleek black hair and deep, thoughtful blue eyes. He had the warm smile and the slender build. He was dressed like the other men in the square, in old-fashioned tight trousers, high boots, white shirt, and somewhat threadbare vest. He also had a sword by his side. "What are you doing here? I thought you got a job working in the Toy Factory!"
"I did," he insisted. "This is my day off. I wanted to see you again." He turned his eager grin to Rini. "And who is this young lady?"
"I'm Rini," she said. "I'm Serenity's new helper."
Darien gave Serenity a strange look. "Not exactly," Serenity explained quickly. "It's a long story. She's my helper for now, until we can see if Santa can take her home." Serenity grinned. "She doesn't think Santa Claus is real."
"Oh," Darien sighed, "she's one of those kids." He put a hand on Rini's shoulder. "Well, then, we'll get you to see Santa if takes until next Christmas! That ought to show you that Santa's very much real." He handed each of them a lovely flower. "I know they're not fancy roses or orchids, but they are a nice color, and they smell good. The finest wildflowers, courtesy of the fields near the Sugar Plum Orchards."
"What's your name, sir?" Rini asked as she sniffed the flower. It was the nicest smell she'd ever encountered. It smelled like Ilene-mama's kitchen when she baked spice cookies. "You remind me of a.a friend in Tokyo."
He let go of them and bowed. "My name is Darien Be Nimble, small lady. Now," he grinned, "how would the two loveliest girls in Toyland Town like some lunch? It's on me. The Toy Maker's been kind this year."
Serenity's eyes sparkled, and Rini thought she drooled. She looked just like Serena when she got hungry (which was every ten minutes). "Yum, pies."
"I guess that's a yes," laughed Darien. "What about you, Rini?"
Rini's tummy rumbled again. "My stomach sounds like a dump truck!"
Darien shrugged. "I don't know what a dump truck is, but I'm going to assume it means 'yes'." He led the two women across the busy circle to a large pie-shaped wooden stand. The stand only made Rini's stomach growl louder.
A young man with short blonde hair was putting the finishing touches on a cherry pie when the three arrived. He had large, gentle blue eyes and wore a big, juice-stained white apron over a blue-and-white striped shirt.
"Hello, Simon!" Darien grinned. "Still working for the pie man, I see."
"He went to the fair and never came back," sighed Simon. "That's fine by me! I like making pies. This one's almost done. It just has to be baked." Serenity and Rini gazed at the pie like it was their last meal. "May I help you?"
"We'll have three big slices of your best cherry pie, please," Darien insisted. The girls continued to stare at the pie, drooling as Simon placed three baked slices on plates, gathered some forks from under the stand, and put them in front of the trio.
Rini and Serenity dug right in. It was the second-best pie she'd ever tasted, after Ilene-mama's. "This is great, Simon!" she said between mouthfuls. "It's so light and flaky, it could fly away!"
Rini eyed a second piece, but thought better of it. She had no money to pay for it and didn't want to push Darien's generosity. Darien put his arm around Serenity. Rini could tell that they were very much in love. Even Simon looked at them with a knowing smile. They thanked Simon for the pie and walked around the circle. Darien and Serenity were hand in hand. Rini followed, watching them and the people around her.
Serenity looked up at the sun and yelped. "Oh, no! I'm very late! Mama's waiting for me! I told her I'd help her with the kids when they came home from school."
Darien sighed. "Late again, Meatball Head?"
Serenity glared and Rini started. Meatball Head? Daddy calls Mommy Meatball Head!
"If you must know, yes, I'm late. I didn't mean to be late. I ran into Rini, and then we had to chase the sheep, and then we ran into Mr. Barnaby."
Darien's eyes narrowed. "Did Barnaby try anything on you? I know he loves you, Serenity."
Serenity nodded. "He proposed to me."
"Did you accept?"
"Of course not!" Serenity put her arms around Darien. "There's only one man in Toyland Town for me."
They stopped before the largest boot Rini ever saw. It was as big as a house, which is what it was. There was a garden around the heel, and a roof over the leg opening. Laundry flapped in the backyard. Barnaby stood before a woman with long blue hair. She wore a plain gold and brown peasant dress and brown shoes. She held an old-fashioned broom, the kind witches ride, in her hand. Her voice was pleasant but firm.
"Look, Mr. Barnaby, we're doing all we can. We'll come up with the mortgage. Now, if you'll please excuse me, I have work to do inside."
Barnaby wouldn't let her through. "The mortgage is due tomorrow, Mrs. Bo- Peep. You can't possibly make enough money to pay by tomorrow." He smiled evilly when he noticed Serenity, Rini, and Darien approach. "Ah, the beautiful Serenity, and her pink-haired companion. And Darien Be-Nimble, what a surprise!"
"Why are you bothering Mama?" Serenity demanded. "She told you we'll come up with the money, and we will!"
Rini giggled. She couldn't help it. Mr. Barnaby turned his back to her, revealing a dirt smudge the shape of a child's snow boot on his rear. He gave her a look that would freeze the tropics. "What's so funny, little girl?"
"You've got a footprint on your behind!" She burst into laughter. Mr. Barnaby looked behind him and turned a shade of red that made the rest of him look even whiter. "Someone brush that off of me!" Darien, Serenity, and Mrs. Bo-Peep all tried to hide their smiles. No one moved to help him, so he began slapping at his rump.
"You did this, you little brat!" Mr. Barnaby snarled. He turned to Mrs. Bo- Peep. "I'll consider taking the mortgage off of this shoe," he gave Serenity another evil grin, "if your daughter Serenity consents to marry me."
Darien held Serenity close. Mrs. Bo-Peep shook her head. "I couldn't ask that of Serenity. She should be able to chose her own husband."
"I told you," Serenity insisted, "I don't love you. I'll never marry you! I love Darien!"
Darien gave Mr. Barnaby a very nasty look. "Why don't you go back to scaring dark chocolate bats at Nemesis Manor and let Serenity and her family be?"
"Yeah," added Rini, "before I show you what kind of footprints I leave when I'm really mad!"
He revealed an official-looking paper with a gold seal. "Your daughter's hand for the mortgage, Mrs. Bo-Peep. I'll give her until tomorrow to think my proposal over." He stormed off to his carriage, glaring at Rini and Darien the entire way. Rini stuck her tongue out at him.
Serenity burst into tears on Darien's shoulders. "Oh, Darien," she sobbed, "what am I going to do?"
Mrs. Bo-Peep also put her arms around her daughter. "We'll do what we can, dear. I don't want to see you marry that.that."
"Jerk?" Rini suggested.
They all laughed, Serenity dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief. "Yes," said Mrs. Bo-Peep, "that jerk."