Ok… On a roll and going for 3 chapters in as many hours… I hope you are all enjoying this! Hope you don't get too mad at me for what is to come… but by the end of the chapter I know you will feel better about it. :=)
Still don't own them…
Fiona is roaming the castle having second thoughts about returning with Larry and feeling generally dejected. Unbeknownst to her Larry and Vaughn are keeping close tabs on her.
"She's been like that ever since the fire swamp." Larry said to Vaughn as they watched her walk by. "It's the head of the board of directors' failing health that's upsetting her."
"Of course." Vaughn responded dryly.
"The head of the board of directors died that very night, and before the following dawn, Fiona and Larry were made partners. And at noon she met her employees again, this time as their leader." Maddy explained to Charlie.
Larry holds his hands up to the crowd of people waiting to hear him speak. "The head of the board's final words were..."
At this point Charlie can not take it any more and he interrupts the story "Hold it! Hold it! Grandma, you told that wrong. She doesn't partner Larry, she ends up with Michael. I'm just sure of it...after all that Michael did for her, if she didn't end up with him, it wouldn't be fair."
"Well who says life is fair?" asked Maddy. "Where is that written? Life isn't always fair?"
Charlie is so angry that he is almost in tears. "I'm telling you, you're messing up the story! Now get it right!"
"Do you want me to go on with this?" Maddy calmly replied, giving Charlie the look that both Nate and Michael had seen many times, the one that said cut the backtalk.
"Yes." Charlie replied all apologetic after seeing the look in Maddy's eyes.
Maddy takes pity on her grandson and gives him a slight smile. "Alright then, no more interruptions. At noon she met her employees again, this time as their leader."
"The head of the board's final words were, 'Love her, as I loved her and there will be joy." Larry sang out. "I present to you, your Co-Chief Special Operative; Chief Special Operative Fiona."
As Fiona walks out into the crowd a young man in a tight shirt with an obnoxious pattern on it calls out at her in a loud and accusing voice. "Booooooo! Booooooo! Boooooooo!"
"Why do you do this?" Fiona asked sounding a bit upset at the rudeness.
The young man practically spit his response at her. "Because you had love in your hands and you gave it up!"
"But they would have killed Michael if I hadn't done it." Replied Fiona passionately.
The young man gave her a look of disgust from his blue eyes that were remarkably like Michael's. "Your true love lives, and you partner up with another! True love saved her in the fire swamp, and she treated it like garbage. And that's what she is, the Chief Special Operative of Refuse. So bow down to her if you want. Bow to her. Bow to the Chief Spec Opp of Slime, the Chief Spec Opp of Filth, the Chief Spec Opp of putrescence! Boo! Boo! Rubbish! Filth! Slime! Muck! Boo! Boo! Boo!" Just as the young man shouts out the last "Boo!" Fiona jolts awake in her bed, sitting up in an alarmed manner.
"It was ten days 'till the contract signing ceremony. The head of the board of directors still lived, but Fiona's nightmares were becoming steadily worse." Maddy said to Charlie, leaning over to turn another page in the book.
Charlie was so elated that he was practically bouncing on the bed. "See? Didn't I tell you she'd never partner with that rotten Larry."
"Yes, you're very smart. Now Shut up." Replied Maddy, trying to sound annoyed but sounding more amused than anything else.
Fiona stormed into Larry's office and threw herself into the nearest chair. "It comes to this: I love Michael, I always have - I know now I always will. If you tell me I must partner thee in ten days, please believe I will be dead by morning."
"I could never cause you grief." Larry replied trying to sound soothing and just managing to sound smarmy. "Consider our contract signing off." He then turned to Vaughn, who was sitting in another chair in the office where they plainly had been going over some paperwork. "You um...returned this Michael to his yacht?"
Vaughn replied with a sly twinkle in is eye. "Yes."
"Then we will simply alert him." Larry stated, turning to Fiona. "Beloved, are you certain he still wants you? After all it was you who did the leaving in the fire swamp. Not to mention that, uh, spys are not known as men of their words."
Fiona replied in sure confidence/ " My Michael will always come for me."
"I suggest a deal." Larry hedged. "You write four copies of a letter. I'll send my four fastest boats, one in each direction. The Dreaded Spy Chuck Finley is always close to Florin this time of year. We'll run up the white flag and deliver your message. If Michael still wants you, bless you both; if not, please consider me as an alternative to suicide. Are we agreed?"
Fiona got up from her chair with a brief nod and swept regally from the room closing the door briskly behind her.
To be continued…