The next morning Major Meanswell was setting up a ladder on the truck of his tree out front. Stephanie skipped up to him and asked,
"What are you up to today Uncle?"
"Oh Stephanie. I'm going to repaint that old birdhouse up there. But first I have to get it down." Major Meanswell replied.
"Oh. I would love to help you." Stephanie said.
"Good you can hold the ladder so that I don't fall, all right?" he suggested.
"All right." Stephanie nodded.
Down the street, Sportacus was doing backflips end over end as he came close to Tara's house. He landed by her mailbox and took a calming breath to steady his nerves.
"Okay Alex...you can do this...you can do this." he told himself.
But no sooner had he taken a step forward did Bessie Busybody pop out of the bushes and whisper,
"Alex!"
"Ah! Mom!" hissed Sportacus.
"Sorry honey. I just wanted to make sure your date went well." Bessie said.
"Oh thanks Mom." Sportacus nodded.
"Give you some advice if you need it..."
"Okay..."
"Take some pictures." Bessie said holding up her digital camera.
"Mom how is it going to look if you start taking pictures of me and Tara before our date?" Sportacus asked.
"Oh you're right of course. it could ruin your secret identity. I just thought since I never got to see you since you were twelve..." Bessie began.
"Mom."
"I missed out on seeing you in a tux with a date for prom..."Bessie said sadly.
"Mom."
"I just have no memories of my son to be proud of as he became a man...sniff sniff!" Bessie weakly said her voice breaking.
"One picture." he said holding up a finger and caving in.
"Oh now darling one picture will never do. I have to make sure I get both of your best sides." Bessie said stepping out of the bushes. Sportacus rolled his eyes and stepped towards the door. Bessie got her camera ready and nodded for Sportacus to open the door. He knocked then whispered to her,
"Okay remember that you're just taking pictures as a friend."
"Right, right, right." Bessie nodded. Tara opened the door only to get blinded by the flash of Bessie's camera.
"Wow okay." she blinked.
"Look who I ran into." Sportacus said.
"Hi Bessie? Can we help you?" Tara asked regaining her vision.
Oh don't mind me dear. With my son off at 'medical school' I'm just living vicariously through Sportacus. You don't mind me taking a few pictures do you?" Bessie asked.
"Not at all. Go ahead." Tara said with a laugh.
"You sure you don't mind?" sportacus asked.
"I'm sure she's just missing her son like crazy and this kind of thing makes her feel like a mother again." Tara said aside to Sportacus who nodded realizing that in a way she was right.
"Smile you two!" Bessie said taking their picture. Meanwhile Major Meanswell was reaching for the birdhouse when a bird decided to protest his presence.
"Shoo! Shoo! Now see here, I'm trying to make your home look a little nicer. The least you can do is show me some curtesy..whoa!" he said shaking on top of the ladder.
"Be careful Uncle!" Stephanie told him.
"AAGGG!" the major cried falling off the ladder only to grab hold of a branch.
"Oh! Uncle Milford! Get back on the ladder!" Stephanie told him.
"I'm trying..." he grunted trying to swing his foot over. Suddenly, the branch began to break.
"Oh no!" Stephanie cried.
"And one more looking that way." Bessie said as Tara and Sportacus strained to keep the smiles plastered on their faces.
"You sure you don't mind now?" Sportacus asked her through his teeth.
"Maybe a little." Tara replied truthfully. Just then they noticed Sportacus' crystal blinking.
"Somebody's in trouble!" sportacus said putting his fists on his hips.
"Oh thank the lord..." Tara sighed in relief at the distraction.
"Beg pardon dear?" Bessie asked.
"I mean I hope it's not too serious." Tara recovered.
"Help!" Stephanie cried.
"I'm coming Stephanie!" Sportacus said running off and jumping over Tara's fence. He ran up just as the Major was falling down.
"Oh dear!" The Major cried as the branch finally broke.
"Don't worry Mr. Major I got you!" Sportacus cried doing a flip and landing beneath the major just in time to catch the older man.
"Oh! Oh thank you Sportacus." the Major said.
"No problem Mr. Major." Sportacus said setting the major on his own feet again.
"Are you all right Uncle?" Stephanie asked.
"I'll be fine dear. But oh dear! Oh dear look at my little birdhouse. It's ruined." the major said picking up the pieces of the birdhouse that had fallen nearby.
"Are you all right Milford?" Bessie asked as she and Tara walked over to check on him.
"I'm all right but my birdhouse isn't doing so well." the major said.
"That's okay Mr. Major. Now you have a chance to build a new birdhouse." Sportacus suggested.
"Yeah a better birdhouse." Tara added.
"A better birdhouse?" the Major asked.
"Yeah it'll be great Uncle! We can build it together." Stephanie said.
"What a delightful idea. Come Stephanie. To the hardware store!" the Major said. Bessie laughed as she watched Major Meanswell and his niece run off.
"Oh those two...thick as thieves aren't they? Ah...Sportacus? Tara?" she said realizing that she was suddenly alone.
"Now where did those two sneak off to? I had four more memory cards left." she complained to herself. Peeking their heads around the tree, Sportacus and Tara laughed softly to themselves as they watched Bessie walk off.
"I fell kinda bad for sneaking off like that, but I couldn't wait anymore to start our date." Sportacus chuckled.
"I feel the same way. Besides...it's kinda fun to sneak around..."Tara purred tracing patterns on Sportacus' bicep. He shivered in pleasure and gulped. What was it about Tara that brought out the less heroic aspects of his personality?
"So I've got a great picnic packed. What do you say we start our hike so this date can start too?" Tara suggested holding up the picnic basket.
"That's great. Here, let me take the basket." Sportacus said taking the heavy basket from her.
"What a gentleman." Tara said. But his next comment surprised her.
"Come on. I'll race you to the trail!" Sportacus said taking off into a run.
"Huh? Sportacus! Wait up!" Tara called after him. She huffed to herself in aggravation. She should have known this was how a slightly above average hero thought a first date would go. Hopefully she would get him to slow down after their run. As she gave chase to her superhero date (and admiring the view of his backside while she did), she didn't realize that watching her from the bushes was Robbie Rotten, fully dressed in his Sportafake outfit.
"It's time to start my plan! Perfect...ooh...they're running? But that means I have to run to catch up with them! Not so perfect..." Robbie said. He took a deep breath then broke out into a jog. He didn't get five feet before he felt himself huffing and puffing for air. He took off again, cursing himself all the way,
"I knew I should have beaten them to Lazy Heights Ridge." he cried as he desperately pumped his legs to propel himself forward.