Warning! This chapter is super-long! And insane! So if you have to pee, pee now! Don't say I didn't warn you!
Chapter Ten
"Katalin, this will wash off yes?" Tom asked worriedly as Katalin swiped more bright blue powder called eye shadow on his face.
"Yep. I used to do this to Livia all the time." She replied. "Till she got a rash on her face and now I'm not allowed to play beauty shop with her no more." Katalin added as an after thought.
Tom raised an eyebrow and looked at the little girl unenthusiastically. "Now you tell me?"
Katalin, however, did not seem to notice his reserve, "Can I do your hair?"
"Do my hair?" Tom sighed, well he already had bright pink fingernails, blue eyelids, red lips, and powder on his cheeks, and sparkles, well everywhere, there was not much else she could do. "Very well. Just make sure whatever you do is not permanent."
"I won't!" Katalin scurried off and got a bag of bright ties and plastic pins shaped like flowers. "Besides, if I did anything mean to you Livia would be mad at me and tell Mommy." She began to brush his hair, humming to herself. She then grinned mischievously. "You know what?"
"What?" Tom replied, distracted by her pulling his head back.
"Livia must really like you. I heard Mommy tell Daddy that she said she did. And Mommy wants us to tell her all about you 'cause Livia makes bad life choices." Katalin flipped his hair over his face, speaking casually as she revealed her mother's plans.
"Does she now?" Tom asked interestedly. "What do you mean?"
"Don't know." Katalin shrugged. "That's just what Mommy says. She helps people with problems. That's what she does. Daddy too. Though Daddy helps kids and Mommy works with grown-ups. They're psybologists."
"Psybologist?" Tom raised an eyebrow, having never heard the like. He wondered if she had the word right for it sounded unusually silly and he chuckled.
"Uh huh." She cheerfully began piling half of his hair on the very top of his head. "Mommy makes more money than Daddy, but Daddy likes working with kids. He works with kids who get sent to live with other people because their mommies and daddies are extra mean to them and do bad things. Kind of like Livia when she was little, but probably way worse." She said all this so casually Tom was sure she did not understand the gravity of what was being implied.
Tom froze, now there was something new he didn't know before. He wondered what Katalin meant and his brow furrowed as he pondered this new information. "What was that about Olivia, Katalin?" He asked, wondering how much information he could get out of this chattering little girl.
Katalin shrugged her shoulders slightly, biting her lip and concentrating on his hair. "Don't know. Mommy and Daddy won't tell us. But Livia had to live with strangers till Mommy got her when she was little. She lived with Mommy when she was my age and Mommy was going to psybology school. I seen pictures. She didn't look very happy, but Mommy let her have a kitty and she won't let me and Maria get one! That's not fair is it?" Katalin tightened a pigtail on the top of Tom's head.
Tom decided it was best not to answer that question, and wanted to know what else Katalin knew about Olivia. "Why didn't she live with her parents, Katalin? Do you know?" He asked.
"It was only for like… two years, then Livia went back to her Mommy's." Katalin shrugged again. "Mommy tells us she was just helping Aunt Ilona out. But Maria and me like to play detectives and listen in on Mommy and Daddy and we've heard them talk about an incident and Livia and how she still doesn't sleep so good sometimes." She looked at him very seriously coming around in front of him and sitting in the floor. "You got to keep this quiet though or Maria and me will get in big trouble, okay?"
"All right Katalin, my lips are sealed." Tom assured the girl. "They're also bright red." He teased, referring to the lipstick.
Katalin giggled and went back to his hair. "Maria thinks its because Livia's Daddy left when she was little. That must have made her sad, because she's sad in all those pictures Mommy has from when she was in school. I think it was mean of Livia's daddy to leave her and Danny don't you?"
"Yes…" Tom frowned slightly.Everyday it seemed Olivia became more distant and mysterious rather than closer and more familiar. Oh sure he was learning more about her daily habits, but her past became more of a mystery at every turn. He wondered if she would ever let him in on this great secret she guarded so closely. Would it always be like this? Would Olivia always keep him out no matter how hard he tried to gain her trust?
"There! Done!" He was pulled from his thoughts by Katalin's declaration. She handed him a small mirror, giggling like mad.
Tom glanced at his reflection in horror. He looked utterly ridiculous, hair pulled into pigtails at the top of his head filled with plastic pink barrettes, and his face coated in make-up and glitter. His appearance caused him to blush in embarrassment, making him look even worse. "Oh… my… I look… shiny…"
Tom's flustered words only made Katalin laugh more and she hopped into his lap. "You're the most fun of all Livia's boyfriends." She declared.
"Am I now?" Tom could not help but laugh. "Because I let you put heaven knows what on my face?"
Katalin nodded, grinning. "And you talk funny."
"I talk funny?" He raised an amused eyebrow. "I think you, Miss Katalin, are the one that talks funny."
"I do not!" She protested.
"Hey! GUYS!" Suddenly Maria burst in. The older cousin took one look at Tom and burst into hysterical laughter, flopping onto the futon. "You let her play beauty shop?" She exclaimed. "That was stupid!"
"Was not!" Katalin protested, pouting at her sister.
"Don't be a baby Katalin." Maria rolled her eyes and went to the closet, digging within in search of something. "Let's play pirates!"
"No!" Katalin whined. "I don't wanna be a pirate! I'm a princess!" Katalin hopped up and went to collect her "princess" dress, pulling it on over her clothes once more, waving the sleeves around like wings.
"Don't be stupid. You can't be a princess." Maria told her still digging. "Hey! Look what I found!" Maria pulled out Jack's hat, which had been stored in that particular closet along with the rest of their uniforms and the Doctor's clothing. "Whoa cool! A pirate hat!"
Tom bit his lip, trying not to laugh as Maria put the Captain's hat on her much smaller head. It flopped over her eyes slightly, and she pushed it back, tucking her hair behind her ears excitedly.
"I'm still a princess." Katalin declared, crossing her arms and looking stubborn.
"You can't be a princess!" Maria glared at her sister. "You're messing up the game!"
Katalin pouted, "Tom! SHE WON'T LET ME BE A PRINCESS!" She cried out, near tears.
Maria rolled her eyes unaffected by her sister's tears. "What's a princess doing on a pirate ship stupid?" She asked her, poking her arm.
"Perhaps she was captured." Tom intervened before a fight broke out between the two sisters.
Maria raised an interested eyebrow, "Captured?" She asked curiously.
"Captured by the pirates… for ransom… from her father the King." Tom said slowly, making up a fantastical storyline as he went along. A far toned down version of pirate tales for the little girls.
Maria considered this idea with caution. "Okay… I guess. But I was going to bury some treasure." Her eyes suddenly lit up with an idea. "Can I bury her instead?"
Tom paused, stalling for time. "You could…"
"Hey!" Katalin protested, glaring daggers at Tom.
"Or…" He continued, ignoring the tug Katalin was giving his arm. "You could bury stolen money from the King and keep the Princess alive for ransom."
"Okay… I guess." Maria regarded Tom with interest. "You know a lot about this stuff." She observed.
"Yes…" Tom looked at the girl, seeing that she was expecting more of an explanation. "I read many books on pirates as a boy." He improvised. It was not completely a lie, when he was a lad he had made up many games about fighting pirates before he was old enough to go to sea.
"Oh okay. Wanna play too?" Maria offered.
"You can rescue me!" Katalin grabbed his hand and swung it back and forth.
"No stink breath! He'll be a pirate too!" Maria rolled her eyes at her sister.
The other girl pouted, looking as pitiful as possible. "But every time we play this you always end up being mean to me and I don't never get to have any fun. Someone's gotta rescue me this time Maria."
Maria rolled her eyes, shoving her sister slightly. "Who would want to rescue YOU?" She said disdainfully.
Katalin's eyes filled with tears and she opened and closed her mouth, her little face turning red as lower lip trembled. "But that's not…. That's no…. NO FAIR!" She shrieked, lunging at her sister.
Tom watched the tumbling ball of little girls in shock for a moment having absolutely no idea what to do. They were pulling hair and yowling like fighting cats and he had no idea how to stop it. He could not shout at them as he would if they were lads because they were little girls and they might becoming overly frightened and he did not want to explain to Olivia why her cousins were trembling in the corner. He also did not want to explain to her why her cousins were covered in bruises and missed chunks of hair, and so he did the only thing he could think of. He reached down and pried Katalin off her sister, still swinging and kicking as he lifted her up in an attempt to get her away from her sister.
"LET ME AT HER!" Maria jumped up and rushed at Tom with the intentions of getting to her sister.
Tom tucked the squirming Katalin under one arm and with the other warded off Maria by putting a hand on her forehead to keep her at arms length. Oddly enough the girl continued to attempted to swing at her sister creating a rather comical scene.
Finally he had enough, and in the sternest voice, the one reserved for the crew when they were drunk and rowdy, he barked at them, "GIRLS! THAT IS ENOUGH!"
They both froze, Katalin going limp in his arm and Maria stopping her forward charge and staring at him. Katalin sniffled a little, silent and still, while Maria simply stared at him in shock.
He sighed, he had not meant to yell at them so but they had pushed him to his last nerve. He never imagined little girls to be quite this much of a handful, and began to wonder what time Olivia was returning. "I am sorry, Katalin, Maria, but you should not fight so. Surely you can settle this in a civilized manner?"
Maria shrugged, "I guess so."
Katalin squirmed out of his arms and down to the floor, he was realized to see a little smile returning to her face. "You yell louder than even Livia!" She stated.
Tom chuckled, suddenly remember the way Olivia once lit into the Captain back on the ship when he accused her of being a spy. "Yes, your cousin can be quite loud can't she?" He said fondly.
Katalin nodded, "Please will you rescue me from Maria, Tom? Please?"
"That's not fair. I'll lose if we play it THAT way." Maria pouted, crossing her arms in protest.
"Why is that?" Tom raised an eyebrow.
"DUH! You're way bigger than me." Maria rolled her eyes as if it were the most obvious thing on earth and plopping down on the floor.
"Well…" Tom thought a moment, desperate to remedy the problem. "Why don't you see if Jack will come be a pirate with you? Then you can both fight me."
Maria's face seemed to light up. "That's a GREAT idea! Because he's bigger than YOU!" She then jumped and ran off to find the unsuspecting Jack Aubrey. "JAAAAACCCKKK!"
Tom cringed, "Perhaps I shouldn't have said that." He muttered to himself.
Katalin eyed him warily. "We're going to lose aren't we?"
He turned and looked at the little girl, "Of course not Princess Katalin. Though I really ought to wash my face first."
"Why?" Katalin stared at him, looking slightly hurt at the idea he wanted to remove her handy work.
"Well… because… well…" He stuttered a moment, wanting to think of a way to say he looked ridiculous without hurting the girl's feelings. "Well, I don't look very intimidating now do I? We want to scare off the pirates Maria and Jack."
Katalin pondered on this for a while and then grinned widely. "I know what!"
"What?" Tom asked, dreading the answer.
"War paint!" The little girl then took off, returning with a tube of lipstick that he knew belonged to Olivia, though he never saw her wear it. A rather loud red color that she had loaned to Kate once. "Now sit still…"
Tom sighed, but did as he was told. He was quite sure he would never hear the end of this once the others caught sight of him.
Jack Aubrey was engrossed in a strange conflict between humans and people with odd looking bumps on their heads when a screaming fast moving blonde little girl flew in the room and jumped on his lap.
"Oof!" He exclaimed, catching the child. "Good heavens Maria. Why are you wearing my hat?" He raised an eyebrow at the little girl who was determined to climb all over him.
"Because I'm a pirate!" She answered as if it were the most logical answer in the world. "Wanna play?"
Jack managed to move the little girl off his lap and onto the floor where she continued to hop, unable to stay still. "What are you playing?"
"Pirates silly! Katalin wants to be a Princess so I'm gonna capture her and Tom's gonna try to rescue her but he's bigger than me and that's not really fair. So he said I should get you to play and you're bigger than Tom so we'll win. So will you play?" Maria somehow managed to get all this out in nearly one breath, and looked as sweetly as she could at him. "Puuuuulllllllleeeeeeeeeeaaaaaassssse?"
Jack could not help but chuckle and he exchanged an amused look with Blakeney who was still watching TV, laughing at the excited little girl in the Captain's hat. "Of course, we'll beat Tom now won't we?" Then with a mischievous gleam in his eyes he scowled in his best "pirate" impression, "Arggh!"
Maria giggled, "Yay!" She cheered. "I'd ask you to play too, Will, but then Tom and Katalin would be outnumbered and that wouldn't be fair."
"I think I'll go outside anyway, thank you Maria." Will said, standing up, still amused at the little girl who was so determined to have Jack play this game with her. "Perhaps when the doctor returns the sides will be even?"
"Okay!" Maria beamed, "You can be on my team Will."
"Er…" Will wasn't entirely sure whether that was a good thing or not, so he smiled kindly and made his excuses, ducking out of the apartment quite certain something in there was going to be broken and he did not want to face Miss Corin's wrath when she got home.
"Okay! Let's plan!" Maria scrambled up on the sofa.
"But I don't have a hat. Can I be a pirate without a hat?" Jack teased, tapping his hat on her little head.
"Hm….." Maria considered that for a moment. "Wait here!" She scampered off, rummaging in the hall closet, to reappear with a ridiculously large straw hat, It was round with pink and purple embroidery and purplish sparkles all over. "Here! A sombrero!"
Jack raised an eyebrow but put the hat on his head without protest. It could be far worse. "All right Captain Maria. We need swords do we not?"
Maria sighed, "Mommy made me leave my swords at home."
Jack blinked, wondering who in their right mind would allow a child like this to have a sword. "Perhaps a stick?" He suggested.
"Okay!" She giggled. "Mommy never let's me use anything pointy like that. She says I may poke an eye out or something silly."
"Hm… perhaps not a stick." Jack said as in afterthought, pondering for an idea that would not lead to injury.
Maria ran off to the closet once more, rummaging more, carelessly throwing unusable items into the hallway. "What about these wrapping paper rolls?" She asked, holding up the prized brown tubes.
"Those will do nicely." He said, smiling, taking one.
"Okay." Maria paced back and forth, hands on her hips, attempting to look very captainish. "I know this princess. She's loud and sneaky."
"Loud and sneaky, aye-aye." Jack said, giving her a little salute, enjoying every moment of this game.
"And she'll try to get away. Normally I tie her up with a jump rope but I don't have one here." She shrugged.
"What about normal rope then?" Jack suggested.
"Um… does Livia have normal rope?" Maria asked. "Wait! I know she does! In her bedroom closet! 'Cause Mommy saw it and told Grandmama that she probably uses it for kinky things!"
"Kinky things?" Jack shook his head, best not expand on that one. "Well, you can get it after we capture the Princess."
"Hey! I thought I was the Captain." Maria pouted slightly.
"Oh, yes. Apologies Cap'm. " He gave her another bobbing salute, highly amused. "What should we do?"
"We should get the rope after we kidnap Princess Katalin." She declared. "Now! Let's go get her!"
"Wait! We need a plan! That Tom Pullings is a good fighter. He won't be easy to get around, Cap'm." Jack told the girl, not wanting to lose this game to his first lieutenant.
"Oh…" She thought a minute. "Well, we could catch some worms and bugs and stuff and throw them at them!" She suggested, grinning quite evilly.
"Hm… somehow I don't think your cousin would approve." Jack replied, trying not to laugh at the thought of explaining how insects got loose in the apartment to Miss Corin.
Maria rolled her eyes, "Fine. You have any ideas then?"
"Well… I could distract Tom while you capture the Princess and take her back to our ship." Jack paused a moment, playing this simple idea out in his head. "Where is our ship by the way?"
"Livia's room." She answered. "Since their in the other room."
"All right." Jack secretly slipped another sword from the closet to give to Tom in the interest of fair play.
"Can we go now?" Maria asked, hopping with excitement.
Jack laughed, "Do you always go straight at 'em like this Maria?"
Maria shrugged, "No point in dilly-dallying."
"Well said." Jack was very entertained by this girl. "At your order Cap'm." He said, giving her a salute again, "sword" at the ready.
"NOW!" She took off down the hall, Jack following her.
As soon as he burst into the room behind Maria he could not help but let out a howl of laughter at the appearance of his poor first officer, face painted like a cross between a painted whore and an over done stage performer.
If Tom was turning red under all that make-up one certainly couldn't tell, but he played his role, jumping to his feet. "Oh no! It's pirate Jack!" He exclaimed.
Meanwhile, Maria was sneaking behind him, as he very well knew but choose to let the game play out. Jack, beaming like a boy tossed Tom a "sword". "I'll protect you Princess!" He exclaimed, lunging at his Captain, also enjoying the game, despite the make-up on his face.
"I think not, Tom Pullings, I have come to pillage and plunder!" Jack declared, countering his blows. Soon a full out "fight" had broken out between the enthusiastic men, who were both quite happy to have a somewhat familiar exercise, even if they were playing a game of pretend with two little girls.
Meanwhile, Maria had quite determinedly pulled her protesting sister along, wrapping her head in a blanket from Tom's futon bed. She paused a moment to watch the "fighting" with interest. "Wow they're good." She declared.
"Let me see! Maria! I can't see!" Katalin whined.
"That's the point stupid!" With that she drug her little sister out of the room and down the hall.
"OW! I STUBBED MY TOE! MARIA! NO FAIR! I'M TEEEEELLLLLINNNGGG!" They heard Katalin's cries echoing as she was forced into Olivia's room.
Tom and Jack both ceased their fight, both grinning like energetic young boys.
"Well, that was interesting." Jack said, swinging his sword a bit.
"Indeed." Tom replied, beaming. "And I do believe another moment and I would have had you, sir." He commented jestingly.
"Only because I am so very distracted by your face, Mr. Pullings." Jack countered, snickering. "May I ask-?"
"It's best left unexplained I think." Tom sighed. "Just know that if Katalin asks to play beauty shop, say no and quickly retreat without looking at the poor girl's sweet little face." Tom said, rolling his eyes at his own weakness.
Jack shrugged a little, "Well, I best make sure they don't break Miss Corin's bed." He said, hearing a crash in the other room and cringing a little.
Tom nodded, "I'll wait a bit. Good luck with them."
Jack grinned, picked up his sombrero and went down to Olivia's room to see what
the little duo was up to. He arrived to see them both jumping on the bed, giggling. Katalin was crying out like a damsel in distress but one could hardly tell it was distress through her fits of laughter.
"Cap'm!" Jack exclaimed, trying to look as piratey as possible. "Tom got away! He'll try to rescue the Princess."
"Oh." Maria stopped jumping on the bed and look at him quite seriously. "You didn't poke his eyes out?"
He managed not to laugh out loud, covering it with a cough. "I couldn't. Not with this sword."
"Okay." She hopped off the bed and got some rope out of the closet. "Jack! Tie up the prisoner!" She ordered, handing it to him.
"Hey! You're not allowed to do that anymore! Not since you left me out in the woods!" Katalin protested, crossing her arms.
"I know that, stupid. That's why I'm having Jack do it." Maria replied, tossing her head.
Jack shrugged, he did not see the harm in it, so he picked up little Katalin and plopped her into a chair. "Hold still." He instructed, securing her to the chair. "There. Now you can't escape."
Maria scrambled up on the bed and started jumping again chanting, "We got the Princess! We got the Princess! We got the Princess!"
"Oh stop gloating. They let you." Katalin pouted.
"Shut up lizard breath!"
"I'm a PRINCESS." Katalin declared, tossing her head with all the defiance a little girl could muster.
"Stupid one." Maria shot back.
Katalin looked positively scandalized. "I've been insulted!" She gasped.
Jack held back a laugh, she made a good little Princess, no doubts there. "Of course! We be pirates!" He scowled again. "Arrgh!"
"Arrgh!" Maria cried jumping excitably. Suddenly the bed gave way with a frightful crash, collapsing to the floor. Maria's eyes went wide and she stopped jumping. "Uh oh…" She muttered.
"Uh… perhaps you ought to get off the bed." Jack suggested mildly.
Maria nodded, her eyes filling with tears, and she slowly slid down to the floor.
"Awww… you're in trouble!" Katalin exclaimed with glee.
"Our ship appears to have run aground." Jack told the little girl, smiling kindly and wiping her tears.
"Livia's not gonna be mad is she?" Maria asked, sniffling slightly.
"Well…" Jack truthfully had no idea. "It was an accident of sorts."
Maria wiped her eyes and nodded, "Let's keep playing!"
"We need a new ship, cap'm! This one's badly damaged." Jack said, nodding to the bed.
"Hm…" Maria scampered around the room grabbing books and laying them in random piles. "There!" She declared.
Katalin was not convinced, "Why are they in random piles?"
"They're masts stupid." Maria rolled her eyes. The sass was back.
"Hm… well in that case…" Jack considered the books a moment then puttered around, fixing them to a more correct location in his head.
Maria raised an eyebrow, "Are you rearranging my ship?"
"I'm making it faster." Jack replied, "So Tom won't catch us."
"Oh that's good then." Maria grinned, very pleased.
However, apparently their faster ship was not enough, for at that moment Tom jumped in the door, "sword" held high. "Let the Princess go!" He declared with a dramatic swing of the sword.
Jack filled his role well, rushing to meet Tom. "Never!"
"No!" Maria cried out, sitting on her sister, apparently to guard her.
"Ow!" Katalin protested. "Get off me!"
Tom and Jack both paused, looking at the two girls with amusement as Maria seemed to think sitting on her sister was the best way to guard her, before returning to their own play. "Let the Princess go!"
"Never! ARRRGHH!" Jack bellowed.
"Fine, I'll just have to fight you for her!" Tom declared, lunging at his Captain. They were very convincing in their roles, Tom the hero and Jack the pirate, and the fight swirled around the room, both men jumping over the "masts" and onto the broken "ship" then off again.
"Argh! You can't beat us Tom Pullings!" Jack cried out, lunging at his opponent.
"Ha! I can to pirate Jack!" Tom replied, pushing him backwards against the bed so that Jack would stumble a bit. "Ha ha! I've got you now!"
Adding his own bit of drama to the act he made one last lunge, leaving himself open for the "blow" to his stomach. "Ohhh! I've been STABBED!" Jack cried out, collapsing to the floor with a thud.
"Let the Princess go!" Tom demanded again, stepping over the groaning, "suffering" Jack.
Maria jumped up, "But I'm still alive! So you can't have her!" She declared, crossing her arms.
"Then I'll fight you!" Tom tossed her fallen Jack's sword, grinning ear to ear.
"Okay." Maria picked up the sword looking up at him. "But you'll have to get on your knees because you're way too tall."
Tom did so, becoming more eye level with Maria. "Better?" He asked.
Maria nodded, "Much!" She declared, swinging her weapon at his head quite wildly leaving Tom just barely enough time to block her blows. With extra embellished swings he made it appear as though they were having a convincing fight, while Maria was really just swinging wildly.
"She's ticklish Tom!" Katalin called out from her seat, giggling like mad.
"TRAITOR!" Maria cried out, glaring at her sister.
"Aha! A weakness!" Tom laughed, reaching out to grab the girl.
"Not if I'm still alive!" Jack suddenly reached out and tackled the unsuspecting Pullings to the ground away from his "Cap'm".
"Oof!" Pullings hit the ground hard, not expecting the blow from behind. "I thought you were dead, sir!"
"Not yet. Last breath, you see." Jack grinned, and flopped back over to being wounded and dying on the floor.
Maria took advantage of the winded Pullings and leapt on him, giggling. "Now I got you!" She declared, attacking Tom with all her might.
However courageous Maria was she was still a very small girl and Tom easily got a hold of her, "Ha ha! I've got you now it seems!" He then proceeded to tickle the squirming girl, causing her to shriek with giggles.
"No fair!" Maria squirmed harder, but was laughing to hard to make any real effort of escape.
At that moment, Stephen and Will, having heard all the noise reappeared. Stephen stepped in looking at the broken bed, books scattered everywhere stepped upon, and Jack Aubrey laying in the floor groaning as if he were dying. "What's all this?" He asked curiously.
Jack grinned up at his friend and the young midshipman. "Tom's trying to rescue the Princess," He nodded towards Katalin, "From us pirates."
"I see…" He and Blakeney exchanged an amused look, and Blakeney, not wanting to be associated with the mess in the rather particular Miss Corin's room excused himself to the computer for a game of minesweeper. He was at the age where associating with such games made him feel rather silly, and he found the energetic little girls rather tiresome to tell the truth. He would much rather not be involved in the game.
"Tickling me isn't very hero-like!" Maria protested, still attempting to get away from Tom.
"Sure it is!" Tom laughed, continuing to restrain the girl.
Maria then thought quickly and looked to the door. "Oh. Hi Livia!" She called out in a sing-song voice so convincing they all turned to look.
Tom loosened his grip on the girl just enough so that as soon as he saw Olivia was no there she had gathered up her sword. "Ha ha!" She gave him a swept whop on the head and leapt away, giggling in glee.
Tom gave a fake gasp and collapsed to the floor. "Oh no! I've been hit!" He spied Stephen standing in the doorway. "Stephen! Help me rescue the Princess!"
Jack laughed, "No, no, brother, pray be a pirate!"
"Well, what a difficult decision." Stephen frowned, as if thinking very hard. "Whichever will I choose?"
"Rescue me and I'll give you gold!" Katalin cried out from her chair.
"No fair! Besides, pirates have lots of gold! And parrots!" Maria stated, hopping from one foot to another.
"Well, Stephen, which side do you chose?" Jack asked.
"Hm… well… Mr. Pullings appears to be dreadfully outnumbered." He carefully made his way over to Katalin. "I shall…. RESCUE THE PRINCESS!" Stephen quickly pulled her out of the ropes and lifted the little girl up.
"Yay! My hero!" Katalin declared, grinning.
"No fair! I didn't get warning." Maria pouted.
"Tide of war." Tom shrugged, standing up. "Does this mean we win?"
"Oh I rescued the Princess, true enough, but I have my own purposes.. mwahahaha!" Stephen laughed evilly.
"Oh no! It's Stephen the spy!" Tom cried out, laughing as Katalin squirmed.
"Well in that case put me down!" She declared, managing to twist out of his arms and fall on the floor, onto a pile of books. "OW!"
"Get him!" Maria shouted, diving at Stephen.
"I can't Cap'm. I'm wounded." Jack called from the floor.
Maria paused and turned back to him. "Oh well. You put up a brave fight." She said earnestly.
Jack and Tom laughed at this quite adorable statement, as she tackled Stephen to the ground. "Oof!" He cried out, tripping over a stack of books.
Maria gasped. "My mast!"
"Stephen the spy broke our ship." Jack mused. "How terribly appropriate."
"Aren't you dead, sir?" Tom asked, looking down at him.
"Not yet, Mr. Pullings." He replied. "Almost."
Maria was occupied. "Stephen, get up. I need to fix my mast."
"But I'm still here! I can rescue the Princess!" Tom rushed over to get Katalin, but was intercepted by Maria, who had climbed onto the bed quickly and attached herself to his neck. "Ack! I'm being attacked!"
Meanwhile, Jack eyed Stephen with an evil grin. "Help me Doctor, I am dying. I will pay you gold."
"And silver no doubt?" Stephen raised an eyebrow.
"No doubt." Jack replied.
"Hm… very well." He looked around and handed him a paper tissue. "You are bandaged." He declared.
"Ha ha!" Jack jumped to his feet. "You are out numbered Pullings! Surrender!"
"Never!" Tom cried out, however it was a rather strained cry for Maria was squeezing around his neck rather hard.
"I've got him!" She shouted, almost in his ear, causing him to cringe slightly.
"Tie him up!" Jack ordered with a malicious grin.
"Okay!" Maria looked around. "With what? We're out of rope."
"Hm…" Jack looked around.
"Dental floss?" She suggested.
Jack paused, remembering the little string that Olivia had explained as floss. "No, that won't hold him, Cap'm. He's quite strong."
Maria shrugged, "Just untie the Princess. I can sit on her and she won't escape."
"Aye-aye!" Jack untied the Princess then put the rope around Tom, grinning ear to ear with amusement as Maria hopped down and sat on her sister.
"Ow! Maria! You're squishing!" Katalin grumbled.
Jack tied up his first lieutenant, but not tightly, hoping to give him a chance to escape to make things more interesting. "Argh!" He gave Tom a light shove. "Pullings should walk the plank!"
"Yay!" Maria cheered.
"No! Never!" Tom protested with all the drama he could muster. "You'll never be rid of me!"
"Why not?" Maria asked curiously.
"Um…" Well, it was an honest question, one Tom had no answer for. "Because…"
"Because!" Katalin declared from under her sister. "We want him to marry Livia, stupid!" She stated rather bluntly. "He's cool."
Maria nodded, "Yeah I agree. He's way more fun than any of her other boyfriends." She stood, walking over to the tied-up Pullings and stating her sentence. "You won't have to walk the plank if you promise you'll marry Livia."
Tom blushed bright red as Jack snickered. He knew Olivia was not ready to tell her family yet, and if he told these little girls was already planning to marry their cousin they would be sure to tell every person they saw. "We shall see." He said, loosening his ropes. "Until then…" He sprung free and gathered up Maria. "Ha ha! Give up the Princess or your Cap'm shall be shark bait!"
"Oh no! My Cap'm!" Jack cried out in mock horror.
Katalin looked around, "No one's guarding me, you know."
Jack grabbed her up, facing Tom. "Aha! A hostage situation!"
"Drat." Katalin muttered. "Missed my chance."
"It appears, gentlemen, you both have hostages." Stephen observed mildly.
"I'm not a hostage!" Maria looked cross. "I'm a pirate!"
"You're my hostage." Tom told her. "Until I get the Princess back."
"Well, I can't control that if I'm your hostage now can I?" She shot back with a overly-dramatic roll of her eyes.
"But he can." Tom said, nodding at Jack.
"She's rather sneaky, isn't she?" Stephen observed.
Maria looked up, "Livia's way worse."
"Yeah. One time we captured her, and she convinced us to untie her then attacked us with rubber-bands!" Katalin complained, wrinkling her nose.
Tom chuckled, "Sounds like her."
"What?" Maria blinked.
"Getting you to untie her." He explained.
"You guys have played pirates with Livia?" Katalin asked.
Maria looked as if she had a revelation. "So that's what the kinky rope is for!"
"Kinky rope?" Tom muttered, asking more himself than anyone.
"Um… no… perhaps others have…" Jack told the girls.
Tom gave them a blank look, horrified by the thought as his eyes slowly went wide while all the illicit uses for that rope went through his mind.
Jack noticed this and quickly moved the game on. "Oh.. um.. ARGH! Give up the Cap'm!" He cried out, pulling Tom out of his thoughts. "Or I'll kill the Princess!"
"Ack!" Katalin squirmed. "Don't kill me! It's not nice!"
"I'm a pirate." He explained. "It's what I do."
"You know too much about this game." Katalin sighed.
Jack laughed, "Apparently so."
"Let me have to Princess or I'll kill the Cap'm." Tom shot back.
"Hm…" Jack pondered a moment. "Then it appears we'll be here for a very long time."
"Let's discuss this over tea and strumpets." Katalin suggested.
Jack choked on his laughter. "That's a very good idea, Princess." He said, grinning at the thought of a nice strumpet in his lap while he drank his tea.
"Crumpets, Princess." Tom corrected, amused as well. "You mean crumpets."
"What's a strumpet then?" She asked.
"It's a lady who…" Stephen started, but stopped when the other two men gave him a sharp look. "I'm not quite sure actually."
"Grandmama called Livia a strumpet once." Maria added. The all looked at her and she looked back, confused. "What?"
"Stephen, would you be so kind as to come here a moment?" Tom asked.
Stephen wandered over, dodging his way through the mess on the floor. "Yes?"
"Go stab Jack and we can win this game." He whispered.
"Hey! No fair!" Maria protested. "Watch out Jack!"
But her protests were in vain for Stephen leapt across the room and stabbed Jack with a sword. "Ha ha!"
Jack clutched his chest and gently dropped the Princess. "Oh… Stephen… I'm hurt in both ways… you betrayed me!" And with that he collapsed to the floor dead.
Katalin blinked, "Who just rescued me?" She asked.
"Stephen." Tom told her.
"My hero!" She gave him a big hug, grinning in triumph.
Maria sighed. "Did I just lose?"
"I think you did." Tom replied, seriously.
"I could escape!" Maria twisted and squirmed determinedly.
Tom chuckled, "I don't think so."
Maria continued to struggle however, until her foot swung out and kicked a lamp, causing it to crash to the floor and break. "Uh oh…"
"Um… perhaps we should move to where there's more space?" Tom suggested, looking at the smashed lamp.
Maria was near tears, her lower lip was trembling as she looked at her destruction. Then the worst thing in her mind that could possibly occur happened.
"I'm home!" Olivia had just come in the apartment door.
They all froze, for the first time noticing the mess in the room. Maria burst into tears, sobbing against Tom's shoulder.
"Oh Maria…" Tom sighed, patting her back comfortingly. "It's all right."
"Is Livia going to be mad at me?" She asked in a wavering voice.
"If you tell her what happened she might not be." Tom assured the girl, thinking to himself that while she might not become angry with the cousins she was sure to be angry with those who were supposed to be in charge.
"Where are you…. Guys." She stopped short when she entered her bedroom, staring at the destruction. Her face was absolutely devoid of emotion, making them all extremely nervous. "Okay… who wants to start?"
They all looked to Tom, "Well… uh…" He stuttered.
She held up a hand, "Wait. Don't tell me. Pirates?"
"Pirates." He confirmed.
"And why was my room the ship?" She asked.
"Because the Cap'm commanded it." Jack said, nodding towards Maria.
"We needed your bed." She clung to Tom for dear life.
"My bed…" She noticed the tilting bed for the first time. "Whoa."
"I'm sorry Livia!" Maria sniffled.
Olivia shrugged, "That I know how to fix. It's happened before."
"Oh yeah!" Maria's eyes lit up and she squirmed down from Tom. "Remember when you babysat us a long time ago and you thought we were asleep while you were on the phone? And you were telling a friend about how your bed fell in when you and that piano guy were mmph! Mmph!" The last part of that was muffled as Olivia clamped a hand over the girl's mouth.
"Maria, munchkin, don't push it." She ordered, turning slightly red.
Tom's eyes went wide again and he looked at Olivia questioningly. "Piano guy?"
"Um… old boyfriend from two years ago." She explained quickly. "Anyway, that doesn't explain how all my text books are on the floor stepped all over. Those books are part of the reason why I have two jobs."
"Well… I needed masts." Maria explained.
"And they're still useable." Jack added.
Olivia stared at them both. "It's dark in here. Could someone turn on the lamp?"
"Um…" Tom hesistated.
Her back stiffened. "Tom?"
"Yes dear?"
"If I turn around will I see a lamp?" She asked.
"Um… no… dear… I don't believe you will." He replied sheepishly.
"Okay… what do you all suggest I do about this?" She asked, calmly, placing a stack of books back on the shelf.
"Hug us and forgive?" Maria suggested.
"Blame her." Katalin pointed at her sister.
"Marry Tom?" Maria supplied.
"What?" Olivia raised an eyebrow at her cousins.
Katalin giggled, "It'd be his punishment!"
"Kiddio, you girls are already in trouble. Don't push it." Olivia rolled her eyes.
"Nice hat Jack." She commented.
"That…" Jack took off the hat. "Wasn't my idea."
"Just out of curiosity who won?" She asked, going over to Tom and Maria.
"Um… I did." Tom said, unable to keep a hint of pride out of his voice.
"So… this one is a prisoner?" She grabbed up her cousin in a iron grip, lifting her off her feet.
"EEK!" Maria cried out. "Livia that is not fair!"
"What's this about fair?" She asked, teasingly. "You're a pirate!"
Tom grinned, "Now you're in trouble. Sent before the judge." He said, nodding to Olivia.
Olivia laughed, "Nice make-up, dear." She commented to Tom.
He blushed slightly. "The Princess insisted."
"So you're not mad?" Maria asked.
"Nope. Not mad." Olivia swung her cousin around. "So, gentlemen, what do you suggest we do with this pirate?"
"Have her jump the plank?" Tom suggested.
Jack grinned wickedly, "Hang her from the yardarm!"
"Aren't you dead?" Maria cast him a dark glare.
"Hm… the plank… the pool's open." Olivia said thoughtfully.
Maria's eyes went wide, "You wouldn't."
"She would." Tom answered, grinning at Olivia over the girl's head.
"Oh my dear little cousin, and I thought you knew me." Olivia gave her an evil smile, "Now, shall we transport the prisoner?"
"But I'm wearing clothes!"
"I can wash them."
"But… what if I drown?" Maria asked.
Olivia laughed, "I taught you to swim two years ago, Maria, you're on a swim team. Don't give me that."
"What about the other pirate?" Tom asked. "The dead one."
"Oh… bring him to. Share the crime share the time." Olivia said with a smirk at
Jack. "Blakeney can help."
Tom grinned, "Mr. Blakeney!" He hollered.
"Sir?" The lad appeared, still a midshipman at heart.
"Be so kind as to help us transport some prisoners will you?" Tom indicated Maria and the Captain.
A slow grin broke out on Blakeney's face. "Aye sir." He boldly took the rear and followed the strange possession down to the pool. Olivia at the front carrying a squirming Maria, Tom and Stephen flanking Jack, and Katalin walking beside Blakeney, giggling all the way.
The reached the pool and Olivia stopped by the edge. "Mr. Pullings, if you would be so kind as to state the charges."
Tom cleared his throat quite officially. "For engaging in piracy, destruction of
property, kidnapping, and the vicious murder of some books, you are hereby ordered to walk the plank. May God have mercy on your souls." He then stepped back to take his position with the Doctor and young Blakeney to push Jack in the water.
"One… two…" Olivia started the count.
"Livia, you can't be serious!" Maria protested.
"THREE!" With that she tossed her young cousin into the pool with a splash.
Jack was shoved, but more willingly jumped than anything, grabbing hold of the Doctor and pulling him in with him
Stephen came up sputtering. "Jack!"
Jack Aubrey laughed, splashing his friend. "Revenge, my good sir."
"Livia, you are the coolest!" Katalin declared, running over to her cousin and hugging her. A hug with rather dubious intentions as she attempted to move Olivia closer to the pool's edge.
Olivia caught on right away. "Oh no you don't." She said, bracing herself against the little girl.
Tom noticed this and gave her a mischievous look, wandering over to them attempting to look as innocent as possible.
"Don't you dare." She said, giving him the look.
Tom however did indeed dare, and with her already off balance from Katalin it only too a small shove from him to send her flying into the water.
"TOM!" She shouted when she surfaced, pushing her hair back form her face. "You're supposed to be on my side!"
He laughed, "I couldn't help it, my dear!"
Olivia looked at Jack with a grin. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
"I believe so." He replied.
"Uh oh." Tom sensed his doom and slowly started backing up. However, he was stopped by Blakeney.
"Sir you must face punishment for that it seems." He said, blocking his escape as Jack and Olivia hopped out of the water and caught Tom. One on either arm, dragging him to the poor.
"AH! No! I didn't mean it!" He protested.
Olivia laughed, "Oh yes you did."
He looked at her sweetly, "Olivia, have I told you how much I love you?"
"That only works on one of us, Tom." Jack said, continuing to drag him towards the pool.
"Besides that was before you pushed me in." Olivia added. "Ready?"
Jack nodded, "On three."
"Now really…" Tom protested.
"One… two… THREE!"
Tom let out a scream as he was pushed into the pool, Olivia jumped in to follow him and Jack did as well, making a splash that coated everyone. Blakeney ran and jumped in as well, and a massive splash fight broke out with no defined sides. It was all for one as they fought.
Finally, they all went back upstairs and changed into dry things. Tom set to making dinner and Olivia sat on the counter talking to Tom as the cousins had been sent to change as when they had reappear it had been in their bathing suites and Olivia told them they'd already been swimming once today and it was too close to dinner. He told her about their day and why his face had become Katalin's experiment. Luckily, the pool seemed to get most of it off and he finally could wash his face without upsetting Katalin, and Olivia promised after dinner to remove the nail polish, even though she had teasingly told him that pink was a good color for him.
She talked about mashing her thumb with a hammer. It did look rather awful, an odd shade of purple and an ugly clot of blood trapped under her thumbnail, but she insisted she was all right. He was amused to hear of her building things in the shop and teased her, calling her a regular carpenter, one with bad aim apparently.
Suddenly, two giggling girls reappeared and attached themselves to either of Tom's legs.
He paused and looked down, "I seem to have two growths on my legs."
The growths giggled and beamed up at him.
"Girls, have you cleaned up your mess?" Olivia asked, amused at how attached they were to Tom, literally.
"No." Came the general reply.
"Well, go do it then." Olivia said. "I'm not cleaning that up."
"But Livia!" Katalin moaned.
"Go." She replied.
Katalin grudgingly got up and stalked off but Maria continued to cling to Tom.
Tom continued to cut the vegetables. "It's rather hard to clean when you're attached to my leg, Maria."
She looked up at him, "You're out to get me tonight, aren't you?"
Tom laughed, "I am. Now go on then."
Maria sighed and left to clean up. "Fine, fine. But I won't be happy about it!"
Olivia laughed, after she left, "They like you."
"Apparently." Tom said, grinning despite himself.
"You have a way with the little ones, Tom." Jack had wandered in looking for a drink and was rooting around in the refrigerator.
Tom blushed slightly, "Thank you, sir." He said as Jack left, with ice cream instead of a drink.
Olivia grinned, "Well, you have two members of my family that like you now. One more and you'll be even with me." She said, tying her wet hair back with a chuckle.
"Yes… about that." Tom looked at her, a confused expression on his face. "Does your grandmother really call you a strumpet?"
Olivia blinked then rolled her eyes. "Which cousin?"
"Maria." He replied. "I learned quite a bit from them."
"I'll bet." Olivia sighed, "Let's see… strumpet… yes she calls me that. She calls me a whore; I call her a mean old bitch. We have a great relationship." Olivia let out a bitter little laugh. "Dysfunction all around."
"Indeed." Tom sensed that pressing that matter was a bad idea and decided on another line of questioning. "And… what's this I hear about you wrestling with your old boyfriend?" He asked with a teasing gleam in his eye.
Olivia choked slightly, "What?"
"Katalin said you were losing." Tom continued, enjoying seeing her discomfort. She was normally so composed. "I'm surprised at you, Olivia."
She stared at him in shock and then laughed, "I'd like to think we both won." She said cheekily.
"Olivia!" He laughed out loud, leaning over to kiss her.
She returned his laugh, returning his kiss. "Maybe later I'll show you a few of those old moves." She whispered.
Tom gave her an amused looked, "I don't know, Olivia." He said casually, returning his attention to the vegetables. "Katalin said you lost, and I'd rather prefer the lady to win. Multiple times if possible."
Olivia froze in shock and stared at him. He looked up giving her a cheeky look, a sly grin slowly spreading across his face. She blinked and slowly a smile formed on her face as well, "Why Mr. Pullings, did you just make a suggestive comment?"
"I believe I did, Miss Corin." He replied, turning to dump some greens into a pot.
Olivia laughed, hopping off the counter, "I am such a bad influence on you." She said, turning and going off to supervise her cousins. "Girls! You better be in there working!" She called as a warning.
Tom grinned, watching her go, before turning back to the dinner he was making. Today had been a good day.
A/N: Yes, yes before any of you say a word I have to apologize for how long it took me to post this. But I do have a good excuse. I worked to get ahead so I wouldn't stress over exams. Did all my work except for one or two minor things. Had this chapter written down to where Olivia comes home. Then WHAMO! Saturday before exams my hard drive cashes. Lost everything. Well, almost everything. That sort of thing plus exams was rather distracting. So I have a good excuse! Don't be mad! In fact, I'm staying up later than I probably should tonight to post this sucker. Because I love you guys!
Due to the lateness of this post I didn't carefully proofread. So if you find more grammatical errors than normal that's why. Haha also, this chapter is twice as long as I normally post. I could have split this in two but I decided it's better all as one.
Also, this chapter (haha and most of the good ideas in this story) was pretty much co-written with Elessar King. All of Jack and Tom's best lines like "I think not, Tom Pullings, I have come to pillage and plunder." Were all hers. She's the brilliant one. I just put it in story form and added and left out a few things here and there. Bow to the might of Elessar King!
Frannypants: I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter and Tom's nails seemed to turn out well, still pink though. I hope this chapter lived up to your expectations and thanks for reviewing!
ClaireRickman: Haha good thing you're treating Stephen well. He's rather whiny at times if not taken for enough walks. Haha yes I agree grown men and little girls usually makes for some interesting times. Olivia's room has been destroyed. Hope you enjoyed and sorry about the long wait… and the long chapter!
Gaeriel Palpatine: Haha I'm glad you're enjoying this so far. This story evolved from joking around with the brilliant Elessar King and it got to the point where I had to write it. LOL and now they're back in the pool! You may borrow Pullings because you reviewed and it's fun to loan him to people every now and then. But be sure to send him back soon! I need him! Thanks for reviewing and putting me on your favorites m'dear! I'm honored
Eldarwen999: Well, there's the end result of beauty shop. It wasn't pretty… but she thought it was and that's all that matters. Stephen likes to pout. I think it's his job. Though he got over it in this chapter. Sorry about the wait and hope this chapter was worth it!
ArcherofDarkness and Callie: Caffeine is nice. I agree. Muppets one of the best movies ever. It doesn't matter how old you are. You have to love that movie. I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter and hope you found this one amusing as well. Sorry it took so long and sorry that the chapter itself is really long. Thanks for sticking with me!
Calliope-Elven-Agent: Haha poor Tom. He was abused in this chapter.
Tom: (rubbing at pink fingernails) Yes I was!
Me: You had fun. Admit it.
Tom: Beating up the Captain, yes. Getting goo all over my face, no.
Baby. I'm sorry this took so long but if you could please recall the Attack Llamas? They're scaring my bunny rabbit and if the bunny rabbit is scared, nothing gets done because that rabbit is my baby. Haha thanks for reviewing! Hopefully the next update won't take so long… unless my hard drive crashes again… (mutters darkly)
Norma Jean the Dancing Machine: Oh I hope I didn't sound mad. I certainly was not! I like answering questions (well… the ones that I am willing to answer haha) so never ever be afraid to ask me anything! Haha people here can tell you that if you email me and ask me for future plot details and spoilers 9 times out of 10 I'll give them to you. I'm not picky and I am horrible at keeping secrets. Blakeney may get a girl in later chapters. I have one more section to go (section mind you… not chapter) and then I'm thinking of focusing on him a little. For a change in pace. Maybe. Haven't decided for sure yet. Anyway, thanks for reviewing my dear, sorry about the wait but it was the computer's fault, and feel free to ask as many questions as you would like!
Kaytee: I got you more! It just took awhile! Stupid computer crashing! Hope you enjoyed and thanks for the kind words.
Miss Flossy: Haha yet again I shall email you later. I was writing my butt off the later half of this week trying to get this done. It helps that I'm at school for commencement band with no TV, no friends, nothing but me and my computer and an occasional symphony rehearsal. Promise to email you soon! Tomorrow even! And now you have to update yourself eh? Hint hint. Poke poke. I want to know what you've got in store for the ladies! Oh… Tom wants to say something.
Tom: Yes, hit Mowett for me!
Me: That's not nice.
Tom: He's laughing at me.
Me: We're all laughing at you. You make the most ugly woman I've ever seen!
Tom: (pouts)
He's kind of mad at me. But at least he got to play pirates. Try as he might he can't pretend he didn't enjoy that. Haha hope you enjoyed the insane chapter and update soon m'dear!
Anyana: Who doesn't love muppets? Haha that's cute that you wanted to marry Kermit. As soon as the pig becomes bacon I'm sure he's all yours. Hope you enjoyed this despite the wait. I tried! Thanks for reviewing m'dear, it's always a pleasure to hear from you.
Et-spiritus-sancti: Haha your favorite chapter was nine eh? Haha yeah I've been on the receiving end of beauty shop too. Hey, it keeps them occupied anyway. And I guarantee you I didn't look as silly as Tom! I think I may have taken the guys slightly out of character this time but I don't care! I had fun writing this chapter! Hope you had fun reading it! And sorry it took so long. You have no idea how sorry I am. But thanks for reviewing m'dear! Appreciate it!
Elessar King: LOL you've already gotten praise and I probably imed you half the chapter anyway. But I'll comment to you because you reviewed. Yay you! Muppets were fun. Pirates is more fun. Hope the chapter lived up to your expectations. Haha count the number of lines I stole! Haha all of Tom and Jack's probably. Hehe we're so weird. We really are. Now….. moo!
The lady of the shadows: Haha yay! The 100th reviewer! WHOO! Sorry I didn't update soon. But as stated above that was beyond my control. Stupid computer. Actually, as I'm on this computer I better tell it that it's a nice computer or it'll crash again. Hope you enjoyed the update despite it being long and late and thanks for my 100th review!
Proudmaxfan: Muppets really is great. I thought it'd be funny for Jack to see that movie for obvious reason, they're on a boat singing. Now I have a funny mental image of him on the quarterdeck and he suddenly breaks into "Cabin Fever" and makes Killick where the banana hat and stuff. Eww that's kind of scary actually. We better hope that doesn't happen. Sorry the update took so long and thanks for reviewing!
Wow. Say you're putting nail polish on Tom and you get reviews. I'll have to do that more often.
Tom: Hey!
Me: Go back to bed.
Tom: With….. Olivia?
Me: (evil grin) That gives me an idea
Tom: I don't like that look……
Not that I'm not grateful for all the review thus far. You guys are awesome. But I really want to know what people thought of this chapter! So…. Review or Tom will never get laid.
Tom: Hey! That's mean
Me: No it's not. It's true.
Tom: (glare) Bean, if you're not nice I'm not going to clean up your dorm room tomorrow and you will never get out of Farmville. EVER.
Me: Sigh. Fine….
Okay so review and Tom will dance the Macarena in his make-up and pink fingernails. It'll be great guys. So review and I'll force Tom to do that.
Tom: Hey!
Me: It's either that or the never getting to get laid threat.
Tom: Sigh. What color lipstick?
He's such a good boy. Anyway guys, thanks so much for waiting for this chapter! I know it took forever! Until next time (which hopefully won't be as long a wait), happy reading!