Almanzo's Revenge

Note: This takes place during the seventh season.

Almanzo came home from his day at the mill. The floorboards sounded with drops of water as they trickled off his clothes.

"Oh Manly," said Laura, "you're soaked! Come in quickly!"

"I guess I should have listened to you, Beth" he said.

"I told you it would rain today didn't I?" said Laura. But in spite of herself she smiled at him. "Come on, let's go upstairs."

A trail of water followed Laura and Almanzo all the way to their bedroom.

…

Almanzo sneezed as he changed out of his wet clothes.

"I better go make you some soup," Laura said.

Throughout supper that night, Almanzo continued to sneeze and cough periodically. Laura looked up from her bowl.

"I guess you might have to stay home tomorrow," she said. "If you get much worse I might have to stay home, too. I don't know who will teach."

"Mrs. Oleson?" said Almanzo, a smile dancing on his lips.

"Manly don't you even dare!" Laura said trying to look as stern as possible.

…

The next morning Almanzo woke up first for a change, he inhaled through his nose deeply.

"What do you know?" he said quietly to himself. "All better."

He turned to Laura, who was sleeping nosily in the bed. He shook her gently

"Beth come on, it's time to get up."

"Hmm?" she stirred softly before sitting up. "Ah choo!" she cried. The force of her sneeze almost knocked her back on her pillow.

"It looks like we're both sick," she said in a stuffy voice.

"Actually I'm all better," said Almanzo. "So I'll be taking care of you," he flashed his dimples at her.

"Oh my head," Laura moaned. "Manly I'm really not feeling well."

"Should I go get Doc Baker?"

"That might be a good idea," Laura replied. "I'll be all right for awhile."

…

"The good news is that it's no more than a nasty cold," said Dr. Baker. "But you should stay home for a few days Laura."

"Yeah I wouldn't want any of the children to get sick," she replied. A look came over her face then. "Who's teaching school?"

"Mrs. Oleson," said Almanzo. Laura looked alarmed. "But she's following your lesson plan," he reassured Laura.

"Well I better be going," said Dr. Baker. "Take it easy Laura. Almanzo," he nodded before he left.

"Manly," said Laura. "Would you get me some of the leftover soup?"

"Sure," he said.

…

Almanzo stood in the kitchen ladling soup for Laura. He felt bad for getting her sick, especially since the cold had passed right through him. He decided to plan a nice dinner for her.

Almanzo wasn't exactly a good cook so he decided to seek out some advice.

…

"… so I wanna make Beth this nice supper," said Almanzo.

"You want to cook?" said Caroline doubtfully.

"Yes," said Almanzo nodding his head.

"You could get her some flowers," Percival suggested.

Almanzo looked at both of them exasperated. "Look I feel bad for getting Beth sick and I want to do this for her."

"I'm staying out of this," said Percival holding his hands up.

Nellie came into the restaurant kitchen then holding her very pregnant belly. "What's going on?" she said.

"Almanzo wants to cook for Laura," said Caroline.

"I thought you wanted her to feel better," said Nellie her blue eyes widening.

"Come on!" Almanzo cried. "I know Charles and I messed up dinner that one time but I really think I can do this."

"All right," Caroline said. "I'll help you."

…

Almanzo was on his way home with some recipes and ingredients to cook supper for Laura. When he got home he fed the livestock and patted Barnum on the head. "I'm gonna make Beth a nice supper to make up for gettin' her sick."

Barnum looked at Almanzo and shook his head whinnying disapprovingly.

"You too?" said Almanzo. "Nobody's on my side."

When Almanzo was done in the barn he took the recipes out of his pocket and looked them over on his way to the house. Just before he stepped up on the porch he tripped and the paper with the recipes fell into a puddle.

"Darn it!" he said as the paper absorbed the water. He picked it up and peered at it. "I think I can still make it out."

…

Almanzo worked in the kitchen following the recipes exactly as Caroline had written them and employing the techniques she had shown him. Two hours later, supper was done.

Upstairs Laura was sitting in the bed reading Civil Disobedience when Almanzo knocked on the door.

"Come in," she said. Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw him carrying a tray of food.

"Hey Beth," he said setting down the tray.

"That was nice of Ma to cook supper for me," said Laura.

"You're Ma didn't cook it," said Almanzo.

"Nellie?" said Laura. "She shouldn't have gone to the trouble in her condition-"

"It wasn't Nellie either," said Almanzo.

"Then Percival must have-"

"If you would just be quiet for a minute I could tell you it was me," said Almanzo.

"You… cooked it?" said Laura slowly.

"Yes," he said nodding. "I felt bad for getting you sick so I decided to make it up to you by fixin' some supper."

"Oh Manly," said Laura. "You didn't have to do that."

"I wanted to," he replied.

"You went to a lot of trouble to do this didn't you?" said Laura.

"Oh well-" he began bashfully.

"All right," said Laura. "I'll eat it." She couldn't get the image of Charles and Almanzo burning supper after they had both lost the bet to make it to Sleepy Eye by noon out of her head. "Here it goes," said Laura.

She said a blessing and bit into a piece of chicken and chewed it slowly. To her surprise it was good. She tried some of the rice next and enjoyed that as well. Finally she nibbled on the vegetables.

Almanzo watched Laura eat her entire meal and smiled in satisfaction. "See that wasn't so bad," he said.

"I have to admit, I had my doubts," said Laura. "But that was really good. Ma taught you well."

"But I did the work."

"Yes you did," said Laura and they shared a quick kiss.

"I'm sick," said Laura.

"I don't care," said Almanzo. "And now it's time for dessert."

Laura's left eyebrow raised. "Dessert?" she said.

"Chef Wilder only cooks complete meals," said Almanzo.

"Oh Manly I better not," said Laura patting her stomach.

"Oh please," said Almanzo. "Just one bite."

"All right," she said.

He went downstairs and brought up a slice of apple pie.

"Apple pie!" Laura cried. "Ma makes the best apple pie," she looked at Almanzo. "I mean you learned from her after all."

Almanzo smiled and forked some pie. "Here you go."

Laura grinned as Almanzo put the fork into her mouth. She smiled as she chewed on the bite of pie. Very quickly however her eyes grew wide.

"Water!" she cried. "I need something to drink!"

"Uh…" said Almanzo quickly. He grabbed the glass of milk on the tray and practically threw it as Laura. "Here!"

She drank it quickly. "Do you still need water?" he asked.

"No," she said quietly. "What was it that pie?"

"Nothin'!" he cried. "I followed your Ma's recipes exactly!"

"Let me see the pie recipe," said Laura. Almanzo ran to the kitchen and got the recipe and Laura flipped the paper over.

"What happened to it?" she said looking at the wrinkled paper.

"It fell in a puddle on my way in the house," said Almanzo.

"Well it's a little hard to read now but the recipe looks all right. Are you sure you followed it exactly?"

"Yeah, see" he said pointing at the ingredients. "Flour, salt, sugar…"

"Wait a minute Manly," said Laura holding up a hand. She sneezed. "The second ingredient is sugar and the third ingredient is salt."

Almanzo took the paper from Laura and read it over. "My gosh you're right Beth. It was hard to read after it got wet and I saw the letter 's' and thought of salt."

"Why wouldn't you think of sugar first?" said Laura.

"I don't know," said Almanzo.

"Apple pie is sweet," said Laura. "Didn't you think it was a little odd that you'd use two tablespoons of salt and only one-fourth a tablespoon of sugar?"

"Well your Ma said to be sure it wasn't too sweet," said Almanzo.

Laura sighed. "Well at least you tried. Besides I really enjoyed everything before the dessert."

"So what did the pie taste like?" said Almanzo impishly.

"It was just really salty, I needed some fluid to wash it down."

"Well just think of the pie as my revenge for the cinnamon chicken."

Laura's eyes danced as she laughed. "Well I guess I deserved that," she said. "But I didn't deserve this cold!"

She hit him with a pillow. Almanzo took the bed tray off the bed, took the pillow from Laura and hit her back. Then she hit him again and he fell on the bed and they laughed together.