Instead of going straight home Robyn went to her garden and sat in the arbour. All was quiet in the town and her solitude gave her a chance to think. It wasn't often that she could really think when in the company of others. People would always ask her if she was alright or would attempt to make conversation with her both of which disturbed her thoughts. Time alone was something she had had a great deal of since Kit had left.
It had been a long time since she'd had so much time to herself. All of the extra time had taken some getting used to and in the beginning it wasn't altogether welcome. Company was something she needed a lot of, she was scared of being alone too long unless she was suitably occupied with something. Partial monophobia wasn't what most bothered her. It was being alone with herself, being alone with the person within herself. The person she couldn't escape.
A familiar sensation washed over Robyn and looking up she reached out with her heightened senses to try to detect who had entered her garden and disrupted her thoughts. It took a matter of seconds for her to locate and identify the person.
"Come on out Stingy." Robyn said into the darkness with a slight smile.
Stingy emerged from behind a conifer and put his hands on his hips, "How do you do that? There was no way you could see me behind here or even know I was here in the first place."
"Lucky guess. What brings you here?"
"What brings you here?"
"Why do you have to answer a question with a question?" Robyn asked with an eyebrow raised before continuing, "I just came here from Ziggy's. You?"
"I saw you coming out of Ziggy's and walking in here. It's not often you come here in the dark and I thought I'd ask you why you're in my garden."
Robyn stood up and walked up to Stingy, "Your garden? Well if you want it it's yours. You just have to remember that there's a lot of dirty work involved in maintaining a garden."
"Dirt?"
"Uh huh. Dirty, dirty, dirty dirt. You can get very messy and ruin your lovely clothes."
Stingy looked away for a few minutes and was evidently thinking. Looking back at Robyn he shrugged his shoulders and said, "When you put it that way it's your garden. You can have it. I don't want dirt."
"Thank you. I should be getting home now; daddy will be worried sick if I'm out much longer."
"Good idea. I'll take you to my house myself."
"My house Stingy, remember?"
"Whatever. Come along," Stingy said walking in the direction of Robyn's house.
Rolling her eyes Robyn followed. It didn't take long for them to get back to her house and before Stingy could invite himself in she closed the door. Opening it again she thanked Stingy for his trouble and closed it once more. Leaning back against it she saw her father smiling with amusement from the kitchen doorway.
"I'm sorry for being late back. I took a detour to my garden," Robyn apologised.
Sportacus emerged from behind Robbie and smiled, "Its ok. I let him know where you were."
"Spying again I see."
"I don't spy, do I Robbie?"
Walking over to his daughter Robbie replied, "I have to side with Robyn on this one. You do spy."
"I don't spy." Sportacus protested, "I take an active interest in what goes on down here."
"Spying," Robbie and Robyn stated simultaneously with their arms folded.
Sportacus folded his arms and sadly admitted that a stalemate had been reached. He wouldn't admit to spying and his accusers wouldn't back down. There was only one way to settle this argument. It was a method that the three had used quite often to resolve disagreements and even though it wasn't always fair it worked. Walking up to Robbie, Sportacus suggested the method they use and he agreed. Unfolding their arms the two men stood in front of one another with one clenched fist held out at arm's length.
Bracing himself for the contest Robbie looked at Sportacus and tried to stare him down but to no affect. Looking back down at his fist he opened and closed it a few times in readiness. Sweat beaded on his forehead as a result of nervousness, he tried to make himself sure that he wouldn't lose.
He had to beat Sportacus.
Sportacus looked from his fist to Robbie who he noticed was looking back at him again. "Ready?" he asked.
Robbie nodded, "Are you?"
"Yeah. On the count of three…"
"Paper, Scissors, Stone." Both men said shaking their fists and shaping them into one of the three items.
Sportacus lost round one with Scissors to a Stone. He won round two with Paper to a stone but his victory was quashed by his choosing Paper which was beaten by Robbie's Scissors in round three. He had lost 2-1 and the argument had been settled, he was a spy.
Robbie smiled victoriously and hugged Robyn who was also smiling. Both then looked at Sportacus and made an L shape with their fingers which they rested against their foreheads. These shapes were combined with calling out 'loser' and laughing. This display went on for a few minutes and was watched by an exasperated Sportacus who couldn't stand bad winners.
When she'd done with mocking Sportacus, Robyn elbowed her father gently in the ribs to get him to take the hint to stop. Robbie chuckled while rubbing his ribs and once he was sure they weren't too badly damaged playfully pushed Robyn a little. In response to the push Robyn got her father in an arm lock. Robbie tried unsuccessfully to get out of the arm lock he was in even though it was a loose one and stumbled slightly. Overbalanced by Robbie's stumble Robyn hit her head on the wall and let go.
Worried for Robyn the two men pulled her from the wall and tried to see where she'd hit. Much to their surprise Robyn pulled her hands away from her head with a smile and in a fluid motion pulled Sportacus' hat off. Before Sportacus could stop her she was already half way up the stairs and taunting him by waving his hat around in the air.
"Got your hat," She repeated before putting it on and running the rest of the way upstairs.
Sportacus looked at Robbie when they heard a door close upstairs. Robbie held out his hand and shook it making a truce. Releasing each others hands they smiled and mounted the stairs.
Battle had commenced.