The Prodigal Sister
This story and all ideas, themes and original characters are the sole ownership and copyright of J.L. Scott. Any unauthorized use is actionable in a court of law.
To borrow a phrase: Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman and all characters and settings no mine, no permission, no money, no sue...please?
"What did you catch, Sully?" Brianna called to her brother as he and Brian walked up toward the house. Sully held up a triage of rabbits.
"Why do you call him Sully?" Colleen asked, pinning another skirt over the line.
"Why do you call him Sully?" Brianna returned, handing her another clothespin. Colleen shrugged.
"I guess because that's what he prefers" she answered.
"Well, there you go" Brianna said, "Actually, everyone has always called him Sully. Ever since I can remember anyway. Father was the only one that ever called him Byron. Ma might've. I don't remember." Brianna remembered hardly anything about her mother, Colleen had discovered. And she was just as closed mouth about it as Sully was, unwilling to discuss it.
"How's that dress comin'?" she asked, giving Colleen another shirt to hang up.
"Good. Dr. Mike bought some ribbon to put around the waist" Colleen answered, excited about the prospect. They had gone with the red. Brianna watched every night as they worked on it. Colleen was hoping it would be ready in time for her birthday, which was only a couple of weeks away.
"Where's Ma?" Brian asked, jogging over from the barn where Sully was probably skinning the rabbits he had caught.
"She's still in town" Colleen answered.
"Who's going to make dinner then?" Brian asked. Brianna set down the basket of newly washed clothing.
"Well, I suppose I'll just have to" she said and headed toward the house.
"You're going to cook?" she heard Sully say from the barn door, "We'll all starve!" Brianna turned her head and stuck her tounge out at him. Colleen stared and Brian laughed, but Brianna didn't stop, she just kept on going into the house.
"You just bring me that rabbit when you're done!" she told him and closed the door behind her.
"Here, Brian" Colleen handed him the laundry.
"I'm not hanging up laundry!" he told her with a face.
"You better. I better go help Aunt Bri or who knows what she'll do!" Colleen told him and ran in to help her Aunt.
When Michaela got home she found dinner all ready and the table set, everybody just waiting for her.
"Well, this is a surprise!" she exclaimed, "Colleen, did you make dinner?"
"No, Aunt Bri did" Colleen answered, taking a seat at the table. Michaela looked at her sister-in-law.
"You made dinner?" she asked. Brianna shrugged and passed her the hot loaf of bread.
"You learn to do a thing or two" she answered. She had made rabbit stew, with a thick gravy and vegetables. Michaela took a bite.
"Why, Brianna, this is wonderful!" she exclaimed. Brianna chuckled.
"You won't be saying that later when your treatin' us all for stomach pains!" Sully said but he didn't really mean it. Just then they heard a racket outside. They could hear the horses neighing and Wolf lifted his head. Sully got up to see what it was. He parted the curtains and took a look out into the front.
"Hey, Bri" he said slowly, "Your cat found you" Brianna's face lit up. She leapt up from the table and threw the front door open. The rest of the family crowded around behind her. Right out there in their lawn was a mountain lion, resting on his haunches and looking at the house.
"Oh my God!" Michaela exclaimed and tried to push Brian and Colleen behind her. But Brianna just walked right down the steps and over to the huge cat. She rubbed its head behind the ears.
"You're a long way from home, aren't you?" she said, giving it a good pat.
"You have a mountain lion for a pet?" Brian asked excitedly. And he'd thought the idea of having a wolf for a pet was grand!
"He's not really a pet" Brianna said, "He just..follows me around" She looked back down at the big, wild and probably dangerous cat.
"Well, I know you're here now, go on, take off! You're scarin' the horses" she told him. He cocked his head at her for a second and then bounded off into the woods. Michaela leaned a little out the door to watch him disappear.
"I hope he doesn't attack any local pets" she said worriedly.
"Never has before" Brianna told her with a shrug as they all retreated back into the house.
This story and all ideas, themes and original characters are the sole ownership and copyright of J.L. Scott. Any unauthorized use is actionable in a court of law.
To borrow a phrase: Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman and all characters and settings no mine, no permission, no money, no sue...please?
"What did you catch, Sully?" Brianna called to her brother as he and Brian walked up toward the house. Sully held up a triage of rabbits.
"Why do you call him Sully?" Colleen asked, pinning another skirt over the line.
"Why do you call him Sully?" Brianna returned, handing her another clothespin. Colleen shrugged.
"I guess because that's what he prefers" she answered.
"Well, there you go" Brianna said, "Actually, everyone has always called him Sully. Ever since I can remember anyway. Father was the only one that ever called him Byron. Ma might've. I don't remember." Brianna remembered hardly anything about her mother, Colleen had discovered. And she was just as closed mouth about it as Sully was, unwilling to discuss it.
"How's that dress comin'?" she asked, giving Colleen another shirt to hang up.
"Good. Dr. Mike bought some ribbon to put around the waist" Colleen answered, excited about the prospect. They had gone with the red. Brianna watched every night as they worked on it. Colleen was hoping it would be ready in time for her birthday, which was only a couple of weeks away.
"Where's Ma?" Brian asked, jogging over from the barn where Sully was probably skinning the rabbits he had caught.
"She's still in town" Colleen answered.
"Who's going to make dinner then?" Brian asked. Brianna set down the basket of newly washed clothing.
"Well, I suppose I'll just have to" she said and headed toward the house.
"You're going to cook?" she heard Sully say from the barn door, "We'll all starve!" Brianna turned her head and stuck her tounge out at him. Colleen stared and Brian laughed, but Brianna didn't stop, she just kept on going into the house.
"You just bring me that rabbit when you're done!" she told him and closed the door behind her.
"Here, Brian" Colleen handed him the laundry.
"I'm not hanging up laundry!" he told her with a face.
"You better. I better go help Aunt Bri or who knows what she'll do!" Colleen told him and ran in to help her Aunt.
When Michaela got home she found dinner all ready and the table set, everybody just waiting for her.
"Well, this is a surprise!" she exclaimed, "Colleen, did you make dinner?"
"No, Aunt Bri did" Colleen answered, taking a seat at the table. Michaela looked at her sister-in-law.
"You made dinner?" she asked. Brianna shrugged and passed her the hot loaf of bread.
"You learn to do a thing or two" she answered. She had made rabbit stew, with a thick gravy and vegetables. Michaela took a bite.
"Why, Brianna, this is wonderful!" she exclaimed. Brianna chuckled.
"You won't be saying that later when your treatin' us all for stomach pains!" Sully said but he didn't really mean it. Just then they heard a racket outside. They could hear the horses neighing and Wolf lifted his head. Sully got up to see what it was. He parted the curtains and took a look out into the front.
"Hey, Bri" he said slowly, "Your cat found you" Brianna's face lit up. She leapt up from the table and threw the front door open. The rest of the family crowded around behind her. Right out there in their lawn was a mountain lion, resting on his haunches and looking at the house.
"Oh my God!" Michaela exclaimed and tried to push Brian and Colleen behind her. But Brianna just walked right down the steps and over to the huge cat. She rubbed its head behind the ears.
"You're a long way from home, aren't you?" she said, giving it a good pat.
"You have a mountain lion for a pet?" Brian asked excitedly. And he'd thought the idea of having a wolf for a pet was grand!
"He's not really a pet" Brianna said, "He just..follows me around" She looked back down at the big, wild and probably dangerous cat.
"Well, I know you're here now, go on, take off! You're scarin' the horses" she told him. He cocked his head at her for a second and then bounded off into the woods. Michaela leaned a little out the door to watch him disappear.
"I hope he doesn't attack any local pets" she said worriedly.
"Never has before" Brianna told her with a shrug as they all retreated back into the house.