Pushing the two pint-sized demons back out onto the porch, Claymore shut the door firmly. Carolyn, amused at his dream-induced discomfort smiled, "Claymore it's just the children." Wiping his brow, Claymore turned and with a concerned sigh, said, "But from now on, I'm not taking any chances!"

Appearing beside Candy and Jonathan on the other side of the front door, the Captain smiled, "Well done you two! That'll help keep that penny pinching mongrel in line – for a bit a least!" he said with a wide grin. "Now off with the two of you. I understand Martha is in the midst of baking treats for the play and I still have to help make sure that abstemious son of a sea serpent has learned his lesson for good," the Captain grumbled as they headed around the side of the house.

Turning quickly, and with a forceful wave of his hand, the front door flew open with a loud report. "Awwppp!" Claymore gasped, his knees giving way as his body inched down the wall toward the floor. Thunder sounded and lightning flashed, as the Captain stood in the doorway. Carolyn, had her own intense reaction to the dynamic picture Daniel Gregg presented, 'And cowering in fear has nothing to do with what I'd like to do right now,' she thought with what the Captain recognized as a lustful sigh of appreciation.

"Come Madam," he pretended to scold, "we should set aside our personal inclinations – at least until this scum sucking scoundrel has been put upon the path of responsibility, not his current self-absorbed activities!" Rolling her eyes at him, Carolyn offered a slight nod, and the twinkle in her eyes made it clear that their personal inclinations would not be set aside for long."

Giving her a quick wink, the Captain turned furiously toward Claymore. "Now you! To prove you have learned this lesson, what will you do to show your true repentant spirit?"

"Bird ba, ba, bath?" Claymore stammered. "Not anywhere good enough!" the Captain glowered with a tangible rumble in the air. Recognizing an opportunity, Carolyn piped up, "New refrigerator, new freezer and new water heater?" Seeing the Captain's raised eyebrows, she added, "all that PLUS the fixed gate and new birdbath. Surely that'll be enough to show his new dedication to doing the right thing?"

"But, that'd cost. . ." Claymore paused, starting to add up the expense on his fingers, "it'd be hund. . ." the Captain's face made him stop suddenly with a loud gulp. "And," he gasped, "a worthwhile contribution to making Gull Cottage the home you deserve Mrs. Muir." He turned with a loud whisper to the Captain, "come on – that's enough for anyone don't you agree?"

"For now," the ghost of Daniel Gregg said. With a quick turn, Claymore dashed out of the suddenly opened door before they could ask anything more of him and his bank balance.

Standing side by side and laughing at the scene, the Captain and Carolyn noticed Jonathan had joined them at the door. "So, Captain," Jonathan said looked up at him, "what 'personal inclinathings' are you and Mom working on?" "Inclinations," the Captain corrected, unable to keep a creeping look of embarrassment from his face. "Yes, uh," Carolyn stepped in, "we are both, well, together we are working on, or rather trying . . ." looking toward the Captain with a woeful expression of 'HELP' her voice stalled in mid-air.

"Oh come on," Candy joined in, "he means they just really like each other and want to spend time alone, you know, all that mushy grown up stuff." "OH," Jonathan nodded, "Bleech!" Turning to his sister, "want to watch the Flintstones?" "Sure!" she smiled as they ran off toward the TV.

Grateful that the questioning was at an end, the pair stood quietly together for a moment. "So. . ." Carolyn began, "that mushy grown up stuff?" "Enough said Madam!" he said firmly. Leaning his head toward her, he added in a sultry whisper, "See you in our cabin!" and disappeared. Smiling and letting a sigh escape her, and checking that the Flintstones had just began, Carolyn Muir quickly trotted upstairs, glad the next half hour was theirs alone.