Alice's POV
"Danny, have you thought about Vern's offer?" It had been a question we'd both been avoiding, but we had a decision to make, one that could make or break Leopards Den.
"Yeh... and it still seems to risky Alice." Danny replied as he injected the goat that had come in to have an operation on his leg. "I know it's a chance to save Leopards Den, but it's about weighing up the pros and cons."
"Hmm..." I replied. I couldn't decide on my views on the situation. The sane side of me (i can hear Charlotte now - the minority then - the cheek!) would probably say No, disagree with the idea, but that crazy little part of me is screaming yes. After all, this place is already falling apart, and we're gonna lose it either way.
"Plus who could play for us?" Danny asked, I rolled my eyes, him of course, duh! He's like the King of Pontoon, no one can beat him and I know he's not a gambling man, but surely that's an advantage? It means that Vern won't know about how Danny plays. The sane side of me was slowly sinking.
"You could." I replied quietly, Danny turned to face me, a puzzled, shocked look on his face. "Well come on Danny you are the king of Pontoon."
"He's the king of gambling!"
"You're not a gambling man, he doesn't know how you play, advantage to us!" I argued back.
"No Alice!" Danny almost ordered that it didn't happen. "Let's just operate on this goat."
Dupe's POV
"Anders." I turned to see Caroline walking up to me slowly, she seemed sort of... I dunno embarrassed but calmer than earlier. Confused?
"Caroline listen..." I began but she raised her hand cutting me off.
"No, Anders, listen to me. I've been so busy fretting about this place and about Liv, that I forgot about who truly needs me, and who I should be supporting and fretting about, you. I'm sorry."
"No I'm sorry." I argued, walking towards her. "I should treat you with more respect, I should talk to you, I shouldn't show us both up like that. I'm sorry too."
We both just stood there for a moment, complete silence, an awkward feeling in the air. Neither of us wanted to talk, and neither knew what to do. After a few minutes I stepped forward and hugged her, enveloping her in my huge arms.
"Now Anders, start from the beginning." She calmy asked, sitting us down on the bed we had shared for so long.
Danny's POV
How could Alice even be agreeing with that idea? I thought she was sane - no, I didn't... Alice sane? pfft, yeh right! But I didn't think she'd agree with such a daft idea! If we lose we had to go straight away, if we wait at least we have a week.
"Steady Danny." Alice mumbled as I pulled the thread too tight.
"Sorry, was thinking." I replied, re-threading the stitch.
She reached over and touched my hand. "I'm sorry Danny, I should have waited until after the operation, and I shouldn't be going against you, I should be supporting you."
"Alice, there's no need. You do support me, I want your opinions on things - although I do agree, maybe it would be better after we've fixed this guy up!"
"Best do it properly then." She teased cutting off the loose thread with her scissors.
After we'd finished the stitching, we placed the goat back in his pen, hopefully he'd be fine, just a bit sore, but nothing that a course of antibiotics wouldn't cure.
"So..." Alice began as she took my greens off me and put them to the side ready for washing.
She would have probably continued if it wasn't for the door bursting open, with a rather flushed Caroline and Dupe running through, along with their army consisting of Liv, Charlotte and Nomsa.
"Danny, you just must play with Vern!" Caroline exclaimed.
"Pardon?" I asked, more out of shock than anything, Caroline agree with a radical idea? Then I saw Alice and Liv smirking - that's when I saw the dirty minded way of thinking of it... which of course nearly made me laugh coming from Caroline!
"Gamble Danny."
"No." I said shaking me head.
"Think about it!" Liv begged, "It makes perfect sense Danny oh please..."
"Pretty please?" Charlotte added.
"I agree." added Nomsa.
I sighed and looked to Alice, who in her usual typically Alice way gave me a look that made me think twice. I shook it away, this was crazy!
"No! It's dangerous."
"Life is dangerous!" Dupe argued, like he had a right to comment!
"Think about it." Liv asked once more.
I was about to open my mouth when Alice stepped forward, as everyone began to open their mouths to speak Alice piped up.
"Enough! Everyone get back to their jobs. If there's a decision made you'll be the first to know. Badgering isn't going to help any." She spoke so sternly that even Dupe followed her orders without argument, as they all trudged out of her hospital, I turned to face her.
"Thanks Al."
"No worries. But Danny, I do think you should think about it." She added.
"I don't see the positives Alice, I can only see the negatives." I sighed sitting down.
"Well... how about I help you out? I mean, this place is a haven of negativity at the minute to be fair, no wonder you can't think."
I nodded as she sat down.
"Well, this way we do have a chance of saving Leopards Den. If we win. I mean yeh, if we lose we lose it quicker, but at the end of the day Danny we are gonna lose it anyway, face it. This is really our last chance."
"Hmm I suppose" I mumbled.
"And, you're amazing at pontoon, you never gamble so Vern wouldn't know your playing technique, that's half the reason we wins, he can adapt and knows everyone's technique, you Danny are a new leaf to him, and he wont have time to read you."
"Suppose, but I still don't want to do it, I feel responsible if we lose." I argued.
"No one will blame you."
"You do it then!" I replied.
She laughed at this, I frowned what was so funny.
"Why's that funny?" I shouted.
"Don't spit your dummy out Danny, but seriously me? Oh hold on, Hi Vern, I'm Alice, I'm here to win Leopards Den, fancy a game of snap?" She laughed again. "Danny you know I fail at card games!"
"Oh yeh… point… but I still don't think it's a good idea." I replied. I expected Alice to begin arguing but she just nodded, before walking up to me and sitting on my knee… what was she up to?
Alice's POV
"Remind me again, how you've got me to do this, and why I'm doing it?" Danny asked for the fiftieth time.
"Because you listen to your mistress." I replied as I casually followed Dupe who had Liv, Caroline and Charlie with him.
"More like she uses her temptations to force me into agreeing to things!" Danny argued.
"Mission complete." I winked as we came up to our destination.
A/N - Ahh I still haven't revealed what they are doing… going to Verns? Maybe. Maybe Not. Doing something else? Maybe. Maybe Not.
Mwaha - evil laugh xD
