It had been several weeks since the 'Shower Incident', and Gordon still hadn't relaxed. He'd had no cause to relax.
There had been no retribution. Yet.
Bad enough that Scott was mad at him. Although, he still hadn't apologised for slurring Four. But Gordon wasn't going to mention that again – he valued his life too much, and pranking Kayo was just about the worst thing he could have done.
Only pranking Grandma outranked that.
He'd been frantic for the first week, sticking to Alan and Virgil like glue. Alan milked it for all it's worth, claiming Gordon's slice of chocolate cake, his extra special cookies and stealing anything edible Gordon owned. Virgil just shook his head and ignored him, telling him that first time that he would not stand in Kayo's way if she chose to act there and then. Well, that was some brotherly regard right there!
By the end of the second week he'd let his guard down a little, stopped following Alan around. Thankfully that second week had been full of rescues.
Week Three and virtually no rescues and still no payback. Gordon began to worry again. He hadn't seen Kayo at all since the incident – and that unnerved him more than ever, especially when Scott told them she was with Penny on a mission.
TBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTB
It was halfway thought week four that something happened. It was something that made Gordon almost faint with shock. How – how- how could anyone do that to him?
For Gordon, returning from a mammoth 27-hour rescue, had showered safely, dressed safely, only to reach his room and open his door…to this.
SOMEONE had been in his room.
SOMEONE had not only been in his room, they had tidied it up.
SOMEONE had been in his room, tidied up and made his bed.
SOMEONE had been in his room, tidied up and made his bed and stolen Squiddie.
SOMEONE HAD STOLEN SQUIDDIE.
He stood agape on his threshold, limbs frozen, hand on the doorframe. He was still there five minutes later when Virgil came up.
Virgil hesitated at his own door, watching Gordon with a frown. It was like the kid was stuck. In fact, Virgil watched his brother not move for a couple of minutes before investigating. Trying to look casual as he sauntered over, he couldn't help but frown deeper when he got nothing from Gordon. It wasn't until he was directly behind him and put his hand on Gordon's shoulder that any reaction happened at all.
'Gords, you alright?' Virgil's frown deepened as Gordon shook his head and stepped into the room. If he didn't know his brother so well, he would swear he looked like he was about to cry.
'Wow!' Virgil exclaimed, looking around. 'I don't think I've ever seen the floor in here before.'
It was a well-known fact that Gordon was a slob. He always had been, except for his spell in WASP. Scott had been the nagging voice every Saturday morning telling him to clean his room or there would be no swimming, no TV, no Buddy and Ellie. Shesh, you'd think he was still five years old the way Scott went on! But it was Gordon's one rebellion. It was his inner sanctum, and he was going to keep it the way he liked it. Gordon knew where everything was.
The expression on Gordon's face told Virgil it had not been cleaned by him, nor was it expected. In truth, there were patches on the carpet that screamed: this is the colour I was originally; and the distinct lack of clothing dotted around was astounding. Virgil couldn't resist. Crossing the room to one of the closets, he opened it to find Gordon's clothes neatly hung or folded.
Damn, his sister was good. And brave.
But Virgil was still worried about the expression on his co-pilot's face. He looked lost. Crossing over to the bed, he sat down next to Gordon and gently laid a hand on his forearm. 'Gordon, what is it?' The look of utter desolation almost broke his heart.
'She took Squiddie.'
It was softly said, but the absolute pain in those words tore at Virgil. Every family member knew about Squiddie. The aqua-green squid was almost the same shade as John's eyes; and had been Gordon's most treasured possession for his entire life. It had been the first gift his mom had given him as a baby and was only two days younger than he was. Now, 22 years later, he was almost bald in places and he had had more new eyes than could be counted and more operations via Grandma's needle too, but he was always on the bed. Scott called him Gordon's heirloom, and indeed, Gordon had intended to keep him forever.
But, yes, Squiddie was gone.
Virgil frowned. Kayo knew as well as the rest of them how important Squiddie was to Gordon, and he wasn't so sure that Kayo would go that far in revenging herself. He voiced this to Gordon and was almost regretful when his face registered the hope that maybe she'd just put him away.
Cue the next three hours of chaos and mayhem.
It took less than ten minutes for Gordon to return his room to the state it usually was. Everything was dumped out of drawers and closets and piled on the bed and floor for excavating through to find the quid.
The bathroom was next.
Then the laundry room – although Gordon did stay and help tidy it up, he didn't want to risk Grandma's wrath.
Then Gordon went through Four's hanger. And Four. And the locker room.
Still nothing. The squid's shoulders started to stoop.
Scott chose this precise moment to return home. By the time Scott made it to the lounge, Gordon was sat in the centre of a brother sandwich, Virgil on one side and Alan on the other. Both outside brothers threw frowns at Scott that were so powerful he took an involuntary step back. But the abject misery on Gordon's face had him racing forwards and kneeling in front of him.
Placing a hand on Gordon's knee, he asked what was wrong. It was Alan who answered. Hot headed Alan, who still didn't know when to pick his battles.
'As if you don't know!'
'I don't! I swear!'
'Kayo has stolen Squiddie!'
That earnt Alan a clip around the ear. But it was not from his brothers. No. it was from Grandma.
'How many times have I told you, young man, to get your facts right before you go accusing people and shouting your mouth off?'
'But Grandma!'
'Hush up!'
Grandma and Kayo came around the front and stood either side of Scott, who straighten up and offered Gordon a hand up. Gordon accepted and stood facing the three of them. Grandma had a frown on her face. Scott had a small smile on his face, and Kayo had a grin. Her arms were behind her back.
It was Grandma who spoke again:
'Alan, apologise to Kayo.'
'But Grandma!'
'Apologise Now.'
'Sorry, Kayo.'
'That's ok, Alan. I understand why you may think that. Gordon?'
'Yes, Kayo?'
'I think this might be yours.'
And holding out her hands, she presented him with Squiddie. Gordon gasped in delight and snatched his squid up, hugging him close.
'I noticed he had a rip, so I took him to Grandma's to get stitched. Grandma found a couple of areas that were close to tearing, so she did an overall patch job.'
All thoughts of anger and sadness gone, Gordon launched himself at Kayo, grasping her in a tight, one-armed hug. Everyone else looked on in amusement. Even John appeared, having been filled in by Virgil as to what was going on.
Kayo admitted she thought cleaning his room was the best prank ever – they all knew how much Gordon boasted that he knew where everything was – and in making the bed had seen the damage on Squiddie. It had not occurred to her to leave a note saying where Squiddie had gone as she thought it was a quick fix. She was horrified that any of them thought she would do anything to so treasured a possession.
She couldn't believe that Alan had been so quick to accuse her, and Alan indeed was backpedalling hard. Presented with the disapproving faces of all his older brothers – even Gordon – and Grandma, Alan found himself on extra dish duty for a month. And he was tasked with the next cleaning of the mole pods. By himself.
Gordon was very sheepish when they all trouped to return Squiddie to his bed and found Gordon's room looking almost exactly like it had been before Kayo had cleaned it.
But with Squiddie back where he should be, and everything looking normal, the family just fell about laughing.
After all, you can't keep a good squid down.
NOTE:
Follows directly on from Death Wish.
