A/N: Stepping out of 1973 again to bring you a year further on, because Carole wanted out of Tennessee and into story. (Amusingly, I had to listen to GrayStillPlays, play some Farm Town, and read some crack fic to get back here... **shrug** )
Week 17 - UDC 3 - Hitching All the Way from Buck Hollar...
81. Head Over Heels
It was a stormy Thursday night in January when a knock sounded and Pete went to answer it, only to find a girl he'd only seen in pictures standing there, soaked and shivering. He stared at her, head cocked in curiosity for far too long.
"Pete, whoever it is, let them in and shut-" At the pause, he looked back at Helen, who was staring at the girl with wide eyes. "Oh. Carole, get in here."
"Cold," the girl said as Pete let her by and then shut the door with a frown. "Sorry for... getting... carpet wet."
Helen pushed Pete back into the kitchen, where Nick looked up from his own homework to stare. "Homework, both of you. Now."
"But Ma," Nick said as he stood up and moved to Carole's side and hugged her. "What are you doing here?"
"Hitched."
"Nick," Walt called from the table, his tone stern. "Homework. Let your mother sort her out."
82. Under the Weather
An hour later, Pete had corrected Nick's math three times and was about to do it a forth when Helen re-entered the kitchen and allowed herself to sink down into a chair. "Ma?"
"She's asleep on the fold-out in my sewing room," Helen told him seriously. "However she got here, she's exhausted, and we can ask her tomorrow."
"Is that Carole?" Pete asked suddenly, drawing their attention. "She seemed more... bubbly on the phone."
Nick nodded, then looked down at his math homework. "Pete, are you trying to annoy me into re-doing this whole page?"
"You were distracted," he pointed out with a grin. "And you know what the penalty is for badly done math."
Nick sighed heavily.
83. Tooth and Nail
She woke up in a very unfamiliar bedroom that was set up as a sewing room and immediately wondered who was singing. Carole frowned and sat up, her feet brushing across something that was definitely not the floor, and she looked down there to find a dark-haired kid, and Nick, sleeping on blankets on the floor together.
"Oh, you're up," Helen's voice came from the doorway and Carole jumped, then looked at her. "They didn't want to leave you alone in here... oh. It's one of those mornings. Wake Nick first, hon."
"Why?"
"Experience."
Carole reached down carefully and shook Nick's shoulder, and when he blinked up at her sleepily, she smiled. "Your ma said to wake you first."
"Wha..." He frowned, then sighed. "Oh... good call, Ma. Carole, go with her?"
She did, carefully stepping over them both. What was it about the kid who must be Pete, singing in his sleep?
84. Tie the Knot
Nick waited a few minutes, but the singing continued and finally he just shook Pete awake. "Come on, Pete. Up with you." The singing cut off and for a minute Pete didn't move a muscle, though Nick could hear the pace of his breathing... rushed, obviously confused, however momentarily. "With me now?"
"Want mom," Pete finally cried and burrowed further into Nick's chest with his back. "Is that bad, that I want her and it'll be four years in March?"
"Nah," Nick told him gently. "She was your ma, Pete. Of course you'd want her."
Pete slowly got out of Nick's embrace, then sat up and looked at him, then frowned at the clearly empty pull-out bed. "Where...?"
"Probably starting breakfast with Ma," Nick told him with a smile. "It's uniform day, by the way."
Pete froze. "Friday. Right."
"You ready to meet Carole properly?"
Pete nodded and helped him up. "I wouldn't say that it was bad last night, just surprising."
85. Bite Your Tongue
In the kitchen after getting dressed, they found Walt and Carole deep in conversation while Helen finished making breakfast. Walt glanced at them as they each took seats at the table, then nodded to Carole who was looking at Nick with wide eyes. "Carole was just explaining what had been going on at home that caused her to take a bus to Texarkana and then hitch rides from there to here. You do realize how unsafe that was, yes?"
"Yes, sir," Carole answered without breaking eye contact with Nick. "And I would have called, but things were so..."
"Hectic?" Helen suggested, satisfied when Carole nodded.
"Yes. Good word for it." She smiled at Nick. "I'd forgotten how good you look in that."
Nick snorted in laughter. "Well, I'd almost forgotten how pretty you look in anything you wear!" Walt cleared his throat meaningfully and both of them blushed.
Carole glanced at Pete, who was watching them passively. "Pete, right?" At his nod, she reached out a hand to him, which he shook dubiously. "So glad to meet you in person, finally."
Helen brought the skillets over to the table and set them on potholders. "And they have to be to school shortly, so real introductions will have to wait. Pete? You all right?" At his nod, she nodded back. "Glad to hear it."