Lilone1776 - I think Merle isn't happy unless he's being a little bitch to people.
KrisAnthemum221 - Daryl and kids. Gotta love it.
ldyjaydin - I'm glad it pleased you.
GG - You know I'm getting a lot of people either rooting for the turkey or the Lt. in my reviews...it's kind of fun!
Vi - Babes. You know you're super special and I appreciate the support you give me.
Axelrocks - Gah, you always give me great reviews! Thanks a lot for the support! (I'm glad you caught up on SPN).
earthbound68 - Haha! Turkey babies...funny stuff!
Surplus Imagination - I'd like to say that I'm a proper member of polite society and had to research a lot of those insults because I'd never say them myself...I'd like to say that, but it'd be a damned lie.
spygrrl99 - Actually Merle is the hardest one for me to write, he's such a twisted ball of yarn as far as character intricacies go. But yeah, his insults and curses are loads of fun!
Satory - A fellow Canuck, huh? Well, I apologize for my butchered Cajun French (a lot of it has been taken from Cajun translation sites so it might be improper to an actual French speaker). I wish it was more like Quebecois French, then I could throw a few 'tabarnac!' exclamations into the mix. (This would probably only be funny to you and me, Satory). Anyways, love your avatar. Kick ass nuns are the best. Thanks for the kind review! / / / Un Canuck semblable, huh ? Bien, je fais des excuses pour mon français envoyé à la boucherie de Cajun (beaucoup d'il a été pris des sites de traduction de Cajun ainsi il pourrait être inexact à un haut-parleur français réel). Je souhaite qu'il ait été plutôt le Français de Quebecois, puis je pourrais jeter quelque le 'tabarnac!' exclamations dans le mélange. (Ce serait probablement seulement drôle à vous et à moi, Satory). Quoi qu'il en soit, aimez votre avatar. Les nonnes de cul de coup-de-pied sont le meilleur. Merci pour l'examen aimable !
Gah, love when I meet fellow countrymen online...
Anyways, Quebecois curse words and talk about turkey aside...here's another chapter. Same tune, different singer.
Chapter Thirteen: Peekon
**Little Missy**
They had told her she couldn't go outside without one of them present, but sometimes she liked to sneak away whenever Mother Mena was at prayer or the Lieutenant was busy.
Knowing what nightmares lurked outside the walls, however, she never wandered far, but sometimes she just needed to feel the grass beneath her feet, to know that the world wasn't changed much at all.
Except.
Except for the things that she didn't like to think of that lingered just outside the walls of the convent in the darkness of the forest.
Spinning around on the grass, she hummed that tune that the Lieutenant taught her and swung her arms about, enjoying the way the black dress that Sister Gertrude had altered out of an old habit for her swished about her ankles.
Picking up a stick that had been blown into the convent grounds by a wind storm they had during the winter, she dragged it along behind her, heading for the infirmary to peek at that big, scary man who everyone seemed to avoid.
She had to hurry, Sister Mary Monica was making her rounds on the wall and was just behind the church at the moment, but soon she'd come back from behind it and see Annie skipping her way across the grounds.
She couldn't remember the words to the song, the Lieutenant had sung it so softly in his funny language in the dark of night after she woke screaming, that she couldn't remember any of the words, so she hummed the tune, hurrying into the shadows of the infirmary just as Sister Mary Monica appeared in sight from behind the church.
Poking her head into the infirmary, she giggled as Father O'Rourke glanced over and ducked her head back just before she could be caught.
Staying in the shadows, she crept over to a nearby window and pushed up onto her tiptoes to peer over the sill inside.
On a cot inside the big man sat playing cards and looking grumpy.
Touching the stick to the window, she tapped it lightly, hoping to catch his attention without Father O'Rourke noticing.
When he continued to play cards, she hopped up to see what Father O'Rourke was up to, before tapping the window a little louder with the stick.
The big scary man looked up and Annie beamed, hopping up and waving happily.
Tilting his head, the man peered over at the priest, before calmly pushing to his feet and heading for the window.
Annie was practically buzzing with excitement as he stopped at the window to peer out at her.
She waved again, then took the stick and drew 'hi' in the dirt below the window.
Leaning against the frame, the big man frowned, before raising his only hand subtly, glancing over to ensure the priest didn't notice the gesture.
Biting her tongue, Annie scratched out the 'hi' and drew 'play'. She was only just learning to print, but the letters were still hard for her, she sometimes drew her A's backwards. This one was perfect because the tail of the A was pointing to the tail end of the word (at least that was what the Lieutenant had taught her).
A sound caught her attention and she scurried around the corner of the building as Father O'Rourke poked his head out the door.
Covering her mouth to hold in her laughter, Annie waited until she was sure the priest had gone back inside, before racing off back towards the dorms, the stick dragging behind her. Reaching the building as the short haired lady that the Lieutenant had brought back from one of his trips exited it, she paused at the sight of Annie high tailing it towards her.
"Hi!" Annie chirped.
The woman, who was holding a baby smiled. "Hello, honey."
"What's its name?" Annie asked, pointing at the baby with the stick.
"Her name is Judith."
"Can I see her?" Annie asked, hopping up to try and catch a glimpse of the baby.
The woman smiled kindly and stooped low enough for Annie to see the baby. Annie liked the lady's smile, it reminded her of her mama.
"Does she sleep a lot?"
"Mostly, yes. Where's your parents, sweetie?" The woman asked, taking a seat on a nearby bench in the shade.
Annie flopped onto the grass at her feet. "Gone."
For some reason this seemed to make the woman uncomfortable and Annie shrugged at her reaction. She couldn't remember much of what happened before she woke up at the convent. Some days she thought maybe it was a bad dream and that the Lieutenant and Mother Mena were her real parents. After all, didn't they hug her like a mama and papa would? Didn't they scold her or feed her or let her snuggle and kiss them?
Wriggling her toes in the cool grass, Annie poked the ground with the stick.
"That's a pretty dress you're wearing," the woman said.
"Sister Gertrude made it for me. I hate it, it's too hot."
The woman smiled, it was broad and nice. "I bet you'd like something bright and colourful, hm?"
Annie nodded. "I like that this spins pretty though, like a bell." She stood up to demonstrate the skirts swish effect and the lady laughed.
Sitting on the bench now at the lady's side, Annie swung her feet.
"I bet you're real bored here, huh, sweetie? Without other children around to play with." The lady said.
Annie nodded enthusiastically. "The Lieutenant sometimes plays tag with me, but…he's been busy lately."
"I'm afraid I can't play tag with the baby in my arms," the lady said. "But how about Eye Spy?"
Beaming, Annie nodded. "Okay! I'll go first!"
..-~-..
..-~-..
Her and the nice lady – Carol – played Eye Spy for about an hour before Annie spied Sister Mary Agnes open the gate for the Lieutenant and the quiet man with the crossbow.
She hopped off the bench, racing across the grounds for her Lieutenant. He always gave the best hugs and she wanted to see him clean the turkey.
Launching herself at him, she climbed up his body until she dangled from his neck. He was as tall as a tree and she loved climbing trees.
"Hi!" She greeted him, burying her face into his neck. He smelled like the woods with a faint hint of the smell of the church. And when he wrapped his long arms around her, they were solid like the limbs of a tree and she felt safe. The Lieutenant never let anything bad happen to her here. He kept them all safe and happy.
"What are you doing outside, Little Missy?" He inquired.
She giggled and pressed a kiss to his cheek, just below his right eye. "Carol was playing Eye Spy with me. I like her." She turned her head to eye the man who walked quietly behind the Lieutenant, he held a bunch of dead furry things in his hand. "Hi!" She said.
He nodded at her.
"What's that?" She pointed at the furry things.
"Squirrel."
"Why?"
"Good eating," he returned.
"Yeck!"
"You won't be saying that when you're craving meat later on," he shot back.
Burying her face back into the Lieutenant's neck, she giggled. The man had pretty blue eyes and she liked his voice, but for some reason he made her feel shy.
"Does the Old Missy know you're out and about?" The Lieutenant asked.
Annie shrugged.
"Did you sneak off while she was at prayer again?"
"I don't like praying, it's boring!" She insisted, hoping that the Lieutenant would save her from having to do so. "All you do is kneel there and think your thoughts!"
"Did you ever think that maybe you're giving the poor woman a fright sneaking off like you do?" He asked softly in his strange voice as he set her on the ground by the church.
Annie shrugged.
"I am having a fright," Mother Mena's voice broke over them as she stepped out of the church nearby. "You're in very bad trouble, little lady."
Hiding behind the Lieutenant, Annie took hold of his big hand and hoped he'd help her out with Mother Mena. It was that big hand of his that had removed a thorn from her foot just last fall when she ventured into the old flower garden with her bare feet and found a neglected rose bush. Through her tears she had seen his face and it comforted her in a way that she had never had in a long time. He was her Lieutenant from that moment on.
"Annie Louise, I stand up from prayer to find you gone, what makes you think I wouldn't panic?" She demanded.
Shrugging, Annie pulled further back behind the Lieutenant.
"I'm sorry, Mother Superior," Carol broke in, moving towards them with the baby. "It was my fault. I found her on the grounds and thought she looked bored, so I kept her busy by playing a game. I wasn't thinking that maybe she was missed somewhere."
Annie peered around the Lieutenant's thigh, watching as Mother Mena sighed, thinking the whole matter over. Offering Carol a small, grateful smile, Annie hoped she would get off the hook on this one.
She felt the Lieutenant's free hand land on her shoulder and she giggled as he tweaked her chin. Wrapping her arms around his waist gratefully, Annie buried her face in his hip, knowing he forgave her. He always did.
"Lafayette," Mother Mena spoke, "why am I always the one playing the villain?" She demanded.
Annie giggled, she loved when Mother Mena used the Lieutenant's real name. It made her laugh every time.
The tall soldier shifted on his feet.
"Are we really going to eat squirrel?" Annie broke in, tugging on the Lieutenant's hand, hoping to distract the two from what she knew was going to become a weird adult situation where everyone got uncomfortable.
Sighing heavily, Mother Mena threw her hands up. "I wash my hands of her, Lafayette. You keep spoiling the girl while we do all the punishing."
Watching sadly as the woman walked off, Annie fidgeted with the button on one of the Lieutenant's many pockets on his pants. It wasn't true. If anything the Lieutenant was harder on her than anyone, he just knew when she needed forgiveness. He understood her better.
The Lieutenant moved off after Mother Mena, leaving Annie to stand beside Carol and Daryl.
Peering back at the two, Annie offered them a weak smile.
"Sorry," she said to Carol.
The woman smiled. "Don't worry about it, honey. You'd better go inside though, okay?"
Annie nodded. "Can we play again sometime?"
"Of course," Carol said.
Beaming, Annie skipped off, heading in the direction that the Lieutenant and Mother Mena went, as the Lieutenant paused at the corner of the church to urge her to follow.
She caught up with him, sliding her hand into his. "Are you awful mad?" She asked.
He looked down at her, still trailing behind Mother Mena. "I am." He said. "You shouldn't worry the Old Missy like you do. She loves you, you know?"
Annie frowned. She supposed she never thought about it like that. It was like when the Lieutenant went away and she didn't know what was happening with him. If he was safe or happy. Maybe that's how Mother Mena felt when she snuck off.
Pressing her face into the back of his hand, she thought about this, eyeing Mother Mena's swishing backside in front of them as they paused at the dorms.
The Lieutenant wasn't allowed inside without Mother Mena saying it was okay and Annie looked up at him. She could remember the feel of his arms around her on the nights when she woke screaming so loud that he could hear it all the way in the garden shed. The first night he nearly broke down the door to get inside at her, his big old knife drawn, Mother Mena on his heels with a heavy icon of Saint Jude in her hands as a makeshift weapon.
Annie couldn't stop screaming for the longest time, she remembered this because her throat had begun to hurt, but whatever bad dream she had was so horrible she couldn't stop.
By the time she was able to stop, by the time she remembered to stop, she found herself scooped up in his lap, Mother Mena at his side stroking her hair.
Since that night the Lieutenant had been her most favourite person with Mother Mena a close second.
Suddenly feeling bad for causing trouble, she hugged him tightly around the waist.
"I'm sorry I'm so bad all the time!" She exclaimed.
"You're not bad, boo. Just bored." He replied, stooping to press a kiss to her temple. "I wish you had another little girl to play with, but things are not like they used be. You know?"
Annie nodded.
"Why don't you go and curl up in Old Missy's lap, you know she loves when you do that."
"Okay. You wanna come too? She softens when you're around."
The Lieutenant laughed softly. "Softens?"
"Um-hm, her face gets all soft and sparkly." Annie stated.
"I didn't know a person could get sparkly…" he teased.
Playing with the hem of her dress, Annie swirled a little. "Of course they can, Lieutenant!"
"Get inside you wee boo," he teased, flipping her braids off her shoulders playfully.
Annie paused, looking at the Lieutenant for a long moment, before speaking. "Will you come back to us?"
"Of course, I always will."
"Not everyone does, though, do they?"
Smiling his funny, secretive grin, the Lieutenant shifted on his feet. "I'm not everyone, though."
"That's true." She said. "Lieutenant?"
He stopped at her calling his name and turned back to her. "What, wee boo?"
"Can I play with Carol and Daryl's baby sometime?"
The Lieutenant smiled his funny smile as though he knew something she didn't. "I think she's a little too little right now, but it's okay if you want to play with Carol sometime."
The Cajun Dialect
Peekon - Thorn