A/N: Happy Halloween girls and boys, though I am pretty sure most of my readers are girls as is the nature of the beast. Here is another chapter that has probably been a bit long in coming. I'll admit this little section is probably the hardest I have had to write, mostly because, I am afraid to admit it, I have a hard time writing Jack as a sympathetic character. I'm sorry I know it isn't what you expect but I just can't do it...see my Epic story as my proof. So there is going to be a bit of a wait between chapters just because I don't want my bias leaking in. I hope you enjoy this chapter and I am off to great Tricker Treaters as a "street rat". Have a safe and happy Halloween, and don't forget to leave me reviews as those are my treats.

There was that damn bell again. Michelle looked over her shoulder from the stove where she was cooking dinner. It had been almost two weeks since Race had fallen from the roof and now she was sure he was just faking it. There was no way he could still be hurt. The doctor had been out twice in the last week and each time Race had a new hurt. The doctor had just patted him on the arm and given him another week of rest. "Is anyone out there? I could really use a drink of water." Race yelled out.

Michelle threw down her spoon and grabbed a mug from the sink and filled it with water from the well bucket. Race made the mistake of ringing the bell one last time as she entered into the front room. Michelle walked right up to him, and poured the entire mug down on his head. She then snatched the bell from his surprised hand and took it with her as she left the room. Race stared after her. This was the second time that the bell had been taken from him and this time he had a feeling that he wasn't going to be getting it back.

"I guess that was my cue to leave." Race said out loud as he began to sit up. After the room stopped spinning he swung his legs to the front of the couch. He was just getting ready to stand up when there was a knock on the door. As the door opened; Race leaned back on the back of the couch to rest.

"Anyone around?" Jack stuck his head around the door.

"Just me, Michelle was here but she left I think." Race said his voice barely above a whisper.

"Race? The doctor said you were supposed to rest. That ain't resting." Jack observed as he came into the house.

"You aren't supposed to be in the house." Race pointed out, "Anyway as soon as I get the room to stop spinning I'm going to head out to the barn."

"If the room's spinning you ain't gonna be in the barn. How did you get wet?" Jack asked just noticing Race's wet hair.

"Michelle, I think I ticked her off when I asked for some water." Race explained.

"How in the world did you tick her off asking for water?" Jack looked at him surprised.

"It might have been the bell." Race tried to look innocent.

"They gave you a bell? That was a mistake." Jack commented.

"That we knew the first day." Michelle said as she came into the room and handed Race a new mug of water. "What are you doing here?" She looked pointedly at Jack.

"I just wanted to check in on Race, you know he is planning to move to the barn?" Jack asked trying to change the subject.

"Good it's about time. He's been here much too long as it is." Michelle said as she put the mug on the table.

"The room is still spinning he can't leave." Jack protested.

"Of course he could and he is going to be out that door as soon as you help him out." Michelle said as she went to leave the room.

Jack turned to where Race was trying to stand up and gently pushed him to sit back down. "Race lay back down and keep resting. I am going to talk some sense into that girl if it's the last thing I do."

Michelle stood in the kitchen her arms crossed over her chest. When Jack came into the kitchen she spun on her foot to face him. "What do you think you are doing?"

"Convincing you that it is a bad idea to make Race go back to the barn. The guy can barely stand with out the room spinning on him."

"He's been flat on his back for the past two weeks. Sitting up is going to make the room spin for anyone."

"Prove it." Jack said crossing his arms.

"I caught influenza last winter. I was stuck in bed for almost a month. The room wouldn't stop spinning for the first few minutes, but it stopped and I was fine." Michelle explained with a foot tapping.

Pip entered the room, "What's going on? Why is Race attempting to leave? The doctor says he ain't supposed to be up and around until next week."

"He and Michelle had a disagreement and now he's got it in his head that he needs to move to the barn or she'll have his head on a platter." Jack said mimicking Michelle's stance.

Michelle glared at Jack and uncrossed her arms. "Race is fine, I don't see why everyone is babying him. The doctor said he could start moving around now. Why should he not just move out to the barn? He'll have to move out anyway so why not just let him go now?"

"Because he isn't healthy enough. Lets give him another week and then he can move out." Pip reasoned.

Michelle threw up her hands, "He has pulled the wool over your eyes. He is going to be just fine. He rings that bell every time he gets the least bit bored. But if you want to leave him in this house and risk something happening to one of us fine." She seemed to get a hold of herself then and sighed. "I'm going out for a walk."

She left as quickly as she could. She headed in the direction of town. She fumed as she walked; it had been over two months since she had arrived in the little town. Skittery had been the one to write her, but the guy hadn't spoken two words to her face since all of the girls had moved in. The last few weeks he had been making eyes at Helen and Helen didn't seem to mind at all.

Guys were always saying that girls were fickle changing their minds about who they were interested from moment to moment. Michelle knew that was just their way of ignoring their own fickleness. She had come out here, ready to make a go of it with a guy she didn't know. That had taken a lot of courage, and now that she had been here for a couple of months she knew she was lucky that none of the guys seemed to be like her father.

At least they didn't seem to be. None of them had come in drunk, not since the night Spot had come into the house drunk thinking he could sleep with Calyx. She had taken a knitting needle to his arm, he was lucky the puncture wounds didn't become infected. But all the two of them did was fight constantly. Why they didn't just get the marriage annulled was beyond the comprehension of all of the girls.

As Michelle approached town she found herself nearing the train depot. She had given this mail order bride thing a go. Skittery wasn't going to be interested in her any time soon. Maybe she should just head back to New York City. There were jobs available there if she was willing to work in a factory. And she had been gone long enough for her father to stop looking for her. She could melt into the background just as well there as she had been here. She made up her mind with a quick nod she was going back to the East Side nothing was going to change her mind.

A/N2: Before I get any flames trust me this isn't the end of Michelle's tale I won't say where it is going but she still has at least two more chapters coming.