A/N: Okay so riding in a car for 30 hours does get the creative juices flowing. Here's the next chapter, the wake up call. Have fun reading and don't forget to review. Love all around

Michelle Beaufont woke with a start. Her heart was racing and it took a few moments to realize she was not in the midst of a bad dream. Or rather she wasn't in the midst of the bad dream she had been having just moments before, though she would qualify the past twelve hours as a bad dream come to life. She had come out to get away from her problems, but it seemed that while her original problem hadn't followed her, she had stepped into one fine pile of horse shit.

A cackling noise outside the window made her start again. But it soon turned into clucking, it was only chickens, and possibly a rooster. Michelle looked around the room, in the pre-dawn light she could just make out the beds nearest to her, and their occupants were still sleeping soundly. She slipped from her bed as quietly as possible and got dressed; she had laid out a pair of coveralls and her old man's shirt the night before. The floor was cold under her feet and she hurried to tiptoe out of the room and get into the kitchen that had to be warmer.

As she entered the kitchen she was surprised to see her hostesses cooking up a storm. They had also been talking quietly, which they stopped as she entered the room. "Good morning Michelle. You sleep well?" Calyx asked as she turned back to what ever she was beating in the bowl.

Michelle nodded, "Just fine thanks. But I did wake up a lot earlier than I intended."

Pip nodded in sympathy, "That rooster's timing is the worst. I usually try to turn back over and sleep a few winks more."

"I don't think I could fall back to sleep, it's much to quiet around here." Michelle observed. "But if you like catching more sleep why are you already up so early."

"The guys are in the pokey, so someone had to do the chores." Hazel answered as she breezed into the house.

"You better have stomped your feet good, I just cleaned that floor two days ago, I don't want barn yard junk tramped in." Calyx cautioned as she began pouring batter onto the griddle.

"I did stomp them, outside the door. I even scrapped them off." Hazel sassed back, "I didn't milk the cow though. I do hope that one of the other girls knows how. Or that Jersey will be in a wagon load of pain when you two get back from town."

"You are going to town?" Michelle was suddenly wide-awake.

"Yep, Sam is going to be here any minute. Then Calyx and I are going to wake those poor little boys up." Pip said evilly.

"What's your plan?" Hazel sat down next to Michelle at the table.

"We were going to just douse them with water, but Pip had a better idea" Calyx explained their plan in great detail as she and Pip finished up breakfast. A knock on the door sent Pip running to grab her shoes while Calyx got the door and gave Hazel last minute instructions.

"Don't forget to put that food on the warmer. Make sure to feed Mr. Sullivan and I want that food in the slop bucket when we get back, we aren't going to feed those boys until lunch at the earliest. There is some bread dough rising in the pantry, you don't mind finishing it up do you? There's butter in the churn put it in the cellar and if you get more milk from the cow maybe one of the girls can strain out the cream and we can have buttermilk and bread for lunch." Calyx grabbed a broom and handed a pan and spoon to Pip. "See you ladies later."

Sam looked at Pip and Calyx nervously, "What in heaven's name are you going to do in my jail house?"

Pip looked at Sam in wide-eyed innocence, "We aren't going to do anything to your jail."

Sam's eyes narrowed, "What are you going to do to the occupants of my jail."

"We're going to wake them up in style" Calyx said simply.

Sam still seemed skeptical as he allowed the girls to get ahead of him on the road. As he walked his horse he watched the two of them talk and giggle amongst themselves. A word here and there floated back to him, but it wasn't near enough to satisfy his curiosity about their plans. He kept glancing around wondering what anyone would say if he were to jump onto his gelding and run to wake the guys in his jail up before the ladies arrived. But he could hear his mother's voice in the back of his head. "Samuel Jefferson Davis, a true gentleman never leaves ladies on their own, especially not walking into a town." This meant he had to keep his promise to the girls or risk feeling guilty about it all day.

A part of him did feel sorry for the guys at the jail, but his mother's voice was reminding him that they had not acted like gentlemen and they deserved what ever it was that these girls were going to do to them. The pity he had was certainly directed for their unexpected wake up call, but an even bigger wellspring of pity was for when they reached their farm this afternoon.

He knew what his sister was like when he had done something to upset her. Something told him that these girls would be just as vindictive and inventive. So he was just going to sit back and enjoy the show. Just as long as they didn't break any laws that was, he didn't have to do anything to stop them. And lord only knows that this town did need to be shaken up a bit. Life had been awful quiet since the death of Widow Williams and her will leaving the "Yankee boys" her farm.d

As the trio reached town the girls slowed down to allow Sam to catch up, their plans were obviously finished. "Sam do you mind if Mrs. Colon and I go in first? Just two minutes that is all we need." Pip asked sweetly.

Sam pushed his hat up and scratched his head, "I guess it can't hurt anything. You ain't gonna use water now, are you?"

Pip grinned, "No better."

Sam shrugged and pulled his hat down over his eyes. He unlocked the door and motioned for the girls to enter. He stood in the doorway as the scene unfolded. It was even better than he had expected.

The girls had entered together with a banging of the pot. They took turns shouting, "Alright you lazy bums time to rise and shine. Papes are waiting to be sold here. Get out of those beds, presses are rolling. Come on don't just roll over Conlon. Carry the banner. Skits move your butt. Kelly I know you're awake, you got two whisks of my broom before it hits your behind. Come on boys CARRY THE BANNER." Pip screamed loudly as Calyx ran the broom handle up and down the cell bars.

The boys seemed to wake as one jumping up grumpily. Race reached for a cigar and hit Mush in the face. Skittery kicked both Blink and Spot trying to stumble for the washroom. But the moment that both Pip and Calyx were waiting for took a few more seconds to occur.

Spot woke up cursing both the sun light and the noise that the other boys were making, "When did boirds start waking us up?" He asked, then seeing both Calyx and Pip through the jail bars cursed some more, "Aw shit we're in jail." He flopped back into his corner narrowly missing Blink's good eye.

"Deputy what sort of jail you running here? Where's our breakfast?" Jack called out in frustration.

"No breakfast today boys, these ladies made bail. You're their problem." Sam was amused by how quickly all seven of the young men had woken up. He reminded himself to keep the wake up in mind the next time they graced his jail. Pip and Calyx followed him to the cell and entered it after he unlocked the door and opened it. Most of the guys filed out, stretching as they left the cell.

Spot and Blink still sat in their corner, not moving. Pip went over to him and pulled on Spot's arm, "Come on brother dear you have a cow to milk."

"Oh let me sleep, the sun's too bright." Spot whined.

Calyx rolled her eyes at her husband's behavior before slamming his hat down over his eyes, "Here that will block the sun. I've got chores at home to do, I don't need to stand here listening to you whine."

Spot just groaned, but he did get up. Blink had been smart, keeping quiet as he pulled his hat low over his eyes and joined the other guys on the other side of the jail bars. After getting Spot on his feet Calyx ushered the guys out, Pip was the last one to leave, "Deputy thanks for keeping them here overnight. I can only imagine what last night would have been like with them there."

"Well Miss Conlon it was no problem." Pip gave him a look, "Well I got a good laugh anyway. Don't hesitate to find me if they cause you too much trouble." Sam said holding out his hand.

"I don't think they'll be too much trouble now." Pip said shaking hands.

Sam grinned, "You're problem right, have a good morning."

"Thank you Deputy, bye." Pip grinned before hurrying after her gaggle of guys.

None of the guys spoke as they walked Pip and Calyx were whispering back and forth which caused the boys to be quite nervous. Maybe the girls weren't done with their plans of revenge. Except for throwing the boys out into the barn and this morning's wake up call they had really lived in peace. But with the arrival of more girls, life could get a lot worse before it got better. This made more than one of the guys shake in their shoes and dread the farm at the end of their journey.