This story is dedicated to Erikstrulove. She gave me the idea though she may not realize it. I orgionally wanted to put this in Genesis but Jarod, Morgan and Sam were too when the movie came out for me to do what I wanted to do with them.
IDLE HANDS
"Alex are you sure this will work?" Jeremiah asked his cousin.
"Of course it will Jer." Alex replied dismissively. Jeremiah cast a glance towards Aaron, and Andros, Greg and Melissa. The looks on their faces confirmed Jeremiah's belief that Alex had clearly lost her mind.
For the past week the Black Files had been working on their project. It had started the day after Jeremiah, Melissa, and Greg returned from visiting Lyle. Alex wanted to find a way to take her cousins' minds off of their troubles and had proposed the project.
"Hey we're back," Jake yelled entering the clearing in the woods. Behind him came Rachel, Marc, Cassie, Terra, Tobias, Mike and Maddie. Each of them tugged along hand built wagons that were three feet deep. Each of the wagons were laden with metal beams, plywood, two by fours, newspaper, glue, paint, mesh wire and an assortment of tools.
"My God this stuff is so heavy," Marc groaned as he pulled the wagon.
"Please Marc, you just have news papers. I have a wagon full of fifteen gallon grey paint buckets." Maddie replied.
"Aww is the paint to heavy for little Maddox?" Greg asked grinning.
"Shove it Greg," Maddie shot back.
"Chill out you two," Alley said entering the clearing she and Will caring quite a few pairs of saw horses.
"Why are we helping them again?" Chris asked as he lugged a chop saw in his arms.
"Because Mom would kill us if they ended up hurting themselves," Will grunted as he and Ally placed the sawhorses on the ground.
"Really I thought it was because it was summer vacation and we have nothing better to do," Debbie said.
"Did you get it Deb?" Aaron asked the older girl.
"No Air I'm just carrying these bag around for my health," Debbie said indicating the bags in her hand.
"Gesh Deb don't get yourself into a snit," Andros said.
"You'd be in a snit to if you had to hunt all over town for these damn hats and jackets." Debbie told the boy.
"Look lets get to work. With the eighteen of us working together we should get most of the frame work on the front covered today." Will said putting an end to the pending argument. The children then set themselves to their task unloading the wagons and them making all of the proper measurements. Close to a dozen more trips were made to the local hardware store for more lumber to build the children's creation.
Inside the house Jaord, Ethan and Morgan sat in the den with Zane and Gabe escaping the heat. Julia, Lex and Jen were at the clinic. And Emily and Nick had finally moved out of the mansion after their daughter Kat had been born. Charles and Margaret had also taken up residence closer to town. Sydney and Michelle were upstairs taking a nap. Jon had found a well paying tech job in town and was currently at work.
"The kids have been pretty quite as of late," Jarod said to his wife as he played on the floor with his two youngest sons.
"Yeah if you don't factor in the noise coming form the woods," Morgan said wryly.
"Do we even want to know what their building?" Jaord asked.
"If we're lucky it's just another tree house," Sam said entering the den with his youngest daughter Amy in his arms.
"Yeah I don't think it's another tree house unless their building a tree house subdivision. This is Chris's ninth run to Lowes and once again he's returned with a truck load of lumber." Ethan said looking out the window.
"Oh God," Morgan groaned.
"What?" Jarod asked.
"What movie did the kids watch last week?" Morgan asked her husband.
"A bunch of them," Jarod told her not understanding where the conversation was going.
"Yes and one of them was Return of the Jedi. You know the Star Wars movie that has a colony of little fuzzy aliens living in trees." Morgan said.
"You don't really think that they'd build a replica of the Star Wars set do you?" Ethan asked his sister. Morgan was about to reply when she heard the giggling of two little boys.
"Okay you two spill it," Sam said to Adam and Peter who were hiding on the steps.
"Spill what Uncle Sam?" Peter asked.
"What are your brothers and sisters up to Tiger?" Jarod asked his son.
"Honestly Daddy I don't know?" Peter replied.
"And you Ad, do you know what they other kids are building?" Ethan asked his son knowing that you had to question each of the children to learn all of the facts about anything.
"Nope. They haven't told me nothing," Adam said.
"That sentence is a double negative Adam so does that mean that you do know something?" Morgan asked her nephew. Morgan knew that all of the children at the house were quite clever and it wasn't out of the norm for them to manipulate words to make it seam as if they were saying something completely different.
"No, Aunt Morgan I told you I don't know what the others are doing," Adam said exasperated.
"Well what if we sent you two out as spies to find out what the other kids are doing?" Sam said.
"What's in it for us?" Peter asked holding his right hand out and rubbing his fingers together.
"Depends on what you two find out." Sam replied.
"Give us a second," Peter replied and he dragged Adam off into the kitchen. They adults were unable to make out the boy's conversation but they figured that the boys wouldn't mind spying on the older children.
Adam and Peter returned a minute latter both grinning from ear to ear. "Okay we'll do it. But we want half of our pay up front." Adam said.
"How do we know you two will find anything of value?" Morgan asked the boys with and bemused expression on her face.
"You'll just have to trust us," Peter replied grinning. Morgan shook her head in amusement, biologically Peter wasn't her and Jarod's son but he still had managed to pull off Jarod's patented grin.
"And just how much is this fee you speak of?" Sam asked.
"Thirty," Adam said.
"I think not." Ethan said. "Let's make it five."
"Please Uncle Ethan that would give us two fifty a piece. A dollar twenty five up front. Me thinks not." Peter said with a look on his face that said "we may be kids but we're not dumb."
"How about twenty. Ten bucks each and either way you both still end up with five dollars." Jarod compromised.
"Deal," The boys replied. Jarod pulled out his wallet and gave both of the boys a five dollar bill.
"You know I hear it use to be that you didn't have to pay your kids to go outside and play," Sam said as he watched Adam and Peter go in search of the older children
"We have t' be quite," Peter whisper to his cousin.
"Duh," Adam whispered back. The boy quietly made their through the woods. Just outside of the clearing they stopped behind a tree that hid them from view.
"What is that?" Peter asked as he stared at a structure that had to be close to four stories tall.
"It looks like a big rock," Adam replied.
"No the thing next to it is a rock," Will said making Adam and Peter jump. "Actually a boulder to be precise except it has yet to be covered and painted." Will continued as he looked a the sphere sculpted out of chicken wire.
"Hiya, Will," Peter said nervously.
"Hello Peter. Hello Adam. And just what are you two doing out here?" Will asked the boys.
"We were taking a walk. Weren't we Pete" Adam said nudging Peter in the side.
"Yeah a walk," Peter said nodding his head vigorously.
"Really the two of you normally take your afternoon stroll by the lake with mom." Will said raising an eyebrow.
"Momma's tending to the twins and we decided on a change of scenery." Peter said.
"Uh huh a change of scenery." Adam said nodding his head. Will resisted an urge to laugh at the five and six year old boys.
"For pretenders you two are pretty bad liars." Will told the boys.
"Who said we were lying?" Adam asked.
"Uh, my empathic abilities." Will replied.
"Oh yeah forgot you had those," Peter said.
"Obviously. So how much are they paying you two?"
"Ten each," The boys said simultaneously.
"Five up front. Five when we come back with information" Adam continued.
"I'll give you fifty percent of what they're paying you if you keep quite." Will said.
"One hundred percent or no deal, and you tell us what your doing. But don't worry we wont tell them.
"Damn I shouldn't have taught you two the fine arts of extortion." Will muttered under his breath. "How 'bout this fifty percent, I don't tell you two what were building but I give you a story to tell the adults thus insuring your other five bucks."
"Give us a moment to consult with one another." Peter said the two boys walked away and Will brought his hand to his head, and he shook his head in disbelief. The younger kids truly did need to get a hobby other than extortion. While the two boys talk Will too had a conversation with his partner.
'Hey Alley we've been caught,' Will said telepathically to his twin.
Alley who had been nailing plywood to some framework stopped and looked off into the distance searching for her brother. She saw him just at the line of the clearing leaning up against a tree his arms crossed over his chest. 'Whatdya mean?' Alley called back to Will.
'Mom and Dad sent out spies,' Will said nodding his head towards to two forms a few yards behind him.
'Who?' Alley asked not truly able to make out who was behind Will but had a good idea.. Will sent Alley a mental image of the two boys confirming Alley's suspicions.
'They want hush money. I said I'd give um five each. The adults are giving them ten each to find out what were doing. They got five up front. They'll get the other five if they return with any valuable information. Plus five from me gives them fifteen. They want ten buck each from me. And they want to see what we're building. What do you think?' Will consulted his sister.
'Go ahead and give them ten each. They're our brother and cousin after all. Make up a story for them to tell Momma and the others. And we'll give them a little peak. They're pretty good with keeping secrets. Hell if they were big enough they'd be helping us anyway,'
'What ever works for you works for me,' Will replied. 'Just so you know though you owe me ten bucks. I'm not giving my whole allowance to a set of five year old con artist,'
"Whatever," Alley said and went back to her work. As Will and Alley concluded their conversation Peter and Adam walked over
"We stand firm on our original offer but with one change. Ten each, show us what your building, and we want a story to tell Momma. And we promise won't tell her what you all are up to. You know we can keep a secret" Peter said 'unless Mom pays us even more for the truth' Peter added silently.
"Fine," Will sighed tossing his hand sup in the air to make it seam as though the two boys had truly won. Peter and Adam traded a sly smile. Will pulled two tens out of his wallet and gave one each to the outstretched hands of Pete and Adam.
"All right here's your story. And believe my they will defiantly believe it since we watched Star Wars the other day. We're building a replica of Yoda's hut." Will said
"Alright now tell us what it really is," Peter said.
"Hold your horses Tiger," Will replied and pulled a red and blue bandana out of his back pocket. "Both of you turn around." Will commanded. The boys complied and Will tied a bandana over each of their eyes. "No peaking." Will said when Adam tugged at his red bandana.
"But Will what are these for we already know how t get here?" Adam asked.
"You to aren't going to see all of the outside and there's a bunch of other stuff lying around that will probably give away what were building.
"I though you were gonna tell us what you're building.
"You two are going to get a peak. If your smart enough you'll probably figure it out." Will said and took the boy's hand and lead them through the clearing and to the gigantic structure. Adam and Peter felt the sensation of walking up a slightly steep hill. When they came to a level surface will allowed the to peek out from under the bandanas. The boys shared a confused look and continued to look confused as Will lead them once again blind folded through the clearing.
"Alright you two better head back home. When this is done we'll let you two come and see it. Until then steer clear. Understood?" Will asked, eyebrow once again raised.
"Yes sir," the boys replied and returned to the house to leave Will and the other kids to their work.
"Did they figure it out?" Alex asked walking up to her eldest brother after Peter and Adam had left.
"Nah, they were with Dad and Uncle Ethan when we all watched the movie." Will told her.
"Well come on big brother we need your help lifting this piece of wood. Well actually Alley needs your help its too heavy for her to lift on her own telekinetically but we have a hunch that if you hold her hand while she attempts to lift it, you'll give her a power boost." Alex said.
"Why can't Jer, Greg and Lissa help Al out? They're the power mimics." Will asked.
"Because they're drained after all of the telekinesis they used earlier today, not to mention all the other stuff they'd been doing." Alex answered. The two then set off to help out Alley.
"So what did you to find out?" Morgan asked Pete and Adam.
"You were close," Peter began.
"But no cigar," Adam finished. "Yoda's hut, building they are," Adam said doing a decent mimic of Yoda.
"So where's our pay?" Pete asked. Ethan pulled two fives out of his wallet and handed them over to the boys. Excited the two boys ran up to their spider-man motif room and laid on Adam's bed counting their money. In less than and hour the two had made forty dollars between them.
"So how much dose this make?" Adam asked his cousin. Peter walked over the his dresser and pulled in from the wall. He then pried a loose floor board from where the dresser laid upon and pulled out a spider man lunch box. Adam returned to the bed and open the lunch box inside were rolls of ones, fives, tens, twenties, and fifties, along with a slip of paper.
"Well add the forty dollars we made today plus the last two weeks and everything else we've made so far, makes..." Pete paused as he mentally adding up all of the money. "Two hundred fifty seven dollars," Pete replied.
"What!" Adam yelled shocked
"Oh wait, sorry, sorry I forgot to add a zero. That's two thousand five hundred seventy dollars." Pete said grinning
"Sweet," Adam said grinning in return.
Two weeks later the older children were done with their project. Alex and Jeremiah volunteered for the test run.
Alex dressed in a brown felt fedora, leather jacket, a tan shirt and pants, is standing a few feet in front of Jeremiah who is wearing a similar out fit sans the fedora and a white light weight cotton jacket apposed to leather. In front of Alex is a pedestal. On the pedestal sits a beautiful carved statue. Alex carefully studies the carving and alter it lies upon. She then reaches into her jacket and pulls out a small canvas draw-string bag. The girl bends down and fills the bag with handfuls of dirt from around the pedestal. Alex then bounces the bag in her left hand testing the weight.
She reaches to switch the bag with the stone carving but stops. Alex takes a deep breath to still her nerves, and loosen her mussels. She then makes the switch, Jeremiah watching her. Alex studies her work and grins. Her smile falls though as the canvas bag drops five inches. Alex and Jeremiah exchange horrified looks. Suddenly a rumbling is then heard and grows louder. Alex's eyes grow wide and she begins a full out run. Jeremiah also begins to run, and races past Alex.
The walls and floors began to shake as Alex makes her way out of the sanctuary. As she crossed the threshold darts shoot out from the walls behind her. As Alex approaches the exit out of the cave she catches sight of Jeremiah who is swinging across a pit via a whip tied to a beam. As Jeremiah makes it across the pit the whip comes undone from the bean but he still has possession of it, leaving Alex unable to cross the chasm with out his help.
Jeremiah looks down at the whip in his hand and then at Alex who stands at the edge of the pit.
"No time to argue. Throw me the idol. I throw you the whip." Jeremiah tells her. Alex hesitates eyeing the rumbling walls. "You have no choice hurry," Jeremiah yells. Alex agrees and tosses the idol to the boy. Jeremiah stuffs the idol in the pocket of his jacket, and gives Alex a look. Jeremiah then droops the whip on the ground and runs off.
"Adios amigo," Jeremiah calls over his shoulder. Alex grimaces. She then looks around studying her surroundings. She then walks backwards and the runs trying to leap across the pit. She doesn't make it but her fingers grasp the edge of the pit. Alex manages to pull herself up. She the grabs the whip on the ground. As she does she hears a loud clang and a scream.
Alex continues her way out of the cave she reaches room with shaft of light extending within a foot of the wall. Alex hugs herself against the wall avoiding the shaft of light. She comes to the fallen body of Jeremiah and pulls the idol form out of his pocket. She then continues her way out of the shaking structure. As she makes her way towards the exit she looks behind her and see's the source of the rumbling. A gigantic boulder is making it's way to her. Alex dashes for the exit the boulder bearing down. Her hat flies off of her head and is crushed by the boulder. She dives out of the cave just as the boulder slams against the entrance.
Alex lies on the ground panting. Shadows fall across her and she looks up.
"Refuge," Will said, and the world around Alex dissolved. For the first time since coming out of the faux cave Alex noticed the sixteen other people around her they were all similarly dressed to her save the fact that Alex was wearing a whip. Jeremiah came from behind the gigantic structure, a grin on his face.
"How was it?" Andros asked the two.
"Lets just say this if we got to do sim's like that at the Centre there would be no way we would have ever wanted to leave." Alex answered.
"Well it's a good thing then Raines and Lyle never let us sim Indiana Jones then huh?"
She looked back and saw the gigantic faux cave the children constructed and the papier-
mache boulder at the mouth of the cave.
"What in the hell is that!" Came Morgan's voice. The children turned to look at Morgan and the rest of the adults, along with Peter and Adam both wearing guilty expressions.
"Ewoks my ass," Sam muttered. Studying the cave, as well as the children.
Jon looked at the kids unable to stop smiling. "This is way too cool," Jon said.
"You really like it Dad?" Marc asked.
"Oh yeah. It's every Indian Jones fan's dream." Jon told his son. Morgan muttered something along the lines of 'every dweebs wet dream', and Jarod elbowed her in the ribs. Jarod then went to study the children's contraption, Peter, Adam, Sam, Ethan, and Jon followed him.
"So?" Jarod asked grinning at the kids. "Can I go?" Morgan looked at her husband and the rest the group.
"I am surrounded by children," She muttered and then walked back to the house shaking her head.
Liked it? Hated it? Either way let me know what you thought.