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Chapter 25

The three teenagers were hanging in the girls room, watching TV. Well that was the plan but they couldn't agree on a show, so they ended up just chatting...

"You're quiet..." Mattie said to Chloe who was mostly daydreaming rather than adding into the conversation.

"Just thinkin.." she said.

"Wanna share?" Mattie asked.

"Nothing to share really. I was just thinking about my get out of jail free card."

"Power." Mattie said with a giggle. "AND you get to know you have it. Josh and I didn't even know there was a get out of jail free card until we lost it."

"I'd be saving that get out of jail free card for when you really need it Chloe." Josh said giving her a small shove. "Your bound to do something to get yourself in trouble without trying very hard."

"Hmmm." she said. "Could do...or I could plan something SPECTACULAR!"

"Don't be an idiot." Mattie said. Chloe stuck her tongue out but apart from that, ignored her. She was too busy trying to think up a stunt that would TRULY be spectacular.

"Don't do it Chloe." Josh said with a shake of his head. She made him smile he'd have had a little sister he would have liked to have had one like Chloe. She was full of spunk and sass but she was funny. "You know it'll end badly and you'll end up in trouble."

"Like you'd know anything about it." Mattie said with a smile. Here was a chance to have some fun, she thought. "You'd have to practically kill someone before you got into trouble."

"That's just not true." Josh said. "It's just that I haven't REALLY done anything yet." Mattie smiled to herself...

"I don't suppose you'd wanna put that to the test?" she said. Josh grinned...at least she was talking to him...even if she wasn't making a lot of sense.

"Ok I'll bite. How?" he asked. Mattie sat up on her bed.

"You do something that would be guaranteed to get one of us girls in trouble." she said. Josh scoffed.

"So let me get this straight...You want me...to do something stupid so that I get spanked...to prove a point?" Mattie took a minute to assess the question.

"Yerp...that's pretty much what I'm asking you to do." she said.

"I'm not an idiot Mattie."

"Ok, ok...here's a twist on that idea...what if when it comes down to it...right at the last minute...just before the actual deed...we all say Chloe did it."

"Hey!" Chloe said. "How did I get involved in this?"

"You won't actually get in trouble Chloe...you can use your get out of free card."

"Um...not a lot better!" She said indignantly. "That's asking a lot!"

"Come on Chloe...please?" Mattie begged. "What would you use it for anyway? This is your chance to prove a point to Golden Boy once and for all."

"You know...I'm getting really sick of you calling me Golden Boy..."

"OK then...Mattie said. That'll be the bet...You win and you almost get spanked then I don't get to call you Golden Boy anymore."

"And if I don't get in trouble for what ever it is?"
"Then I thought that would be obvious...you keep the name that suits you so well and we'll all know once and for all if you're the favourite or not."

"Hmmm. Ok." He said. Anything to get this little whiner off his back.

"I don't believe I'VE agreed to anything yet." Chloe said. "I do after all hold the get out of jail free card." Mattie rolled her eyes. She could tell Chloe was in...but she WAS holding the power and she was enjoying it.

"Ok I MIGHT, go along with it...but what do I get?" she asked. Mattie pulled a face while she was thinking.

"I dunno." she said "What do you want?"

"I want something of equal or better value."

"I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about." Josh watched the two girls with curiosity. They were amusing. It was like they NEVER stopped going at one another...but he wouldn't mind betting that if anyone else tried to hurt one of them they would be sorry. That was probably the only reason he'd go along with this stupid plan...he didn't care about name calling...but he did want in on the loyalty thing they were was, it wasn't the sort of thing you could ask for...you had to earn it.

JAGJAGJAGJAGJAGJAGJAG

"Kids are quiet." Harm said.

"Uhhuh." Mac said with a smile. "You think they're all alright?"

"Yeah probably reading or something."

"Um...yeah... well I bet on the or something..."

"That is such a cup half full response." Harm laughed. "They could be reading."

"If there's a TV guide up there somewhere."

"Or an instruction booklet from one of the games."

"Yeah." Mac laughed. "Dinner's almost ready anyway so you can go get them if you want."

"Let's wait a while until it's ready to put in front of them. May as well enjoy the quiet a moment longer."

JAGJAGJAGJAGJAGJAGAG

"If I give up my get out of jail free card, I want a guarantee that if I ever need it...someone is gonna have my back."

"Hmm depends what you do I guess." Mattie said with a sly smile.

"Then no deal."

"Ok, I'm only joking dork." Mattie said throwing a pillow. "So long as you keep your clothes on and you don't give our Daddy a heart attack trying to get you off the beach...and no shoplifting..." she teased while looking directly at Chloe. Josh's eyes widened. HE wasn't likely to do any of those things...surely neither of them had either...

"Really?" he said. "Like really, really?"

"That is sooo over exaggerated." Chloe said. "You can be such a drama queen."

"Uhhuh." Josh said. "What are you two...a pair of career criminals?" Mattie collapsed in a fit of giggles and Chloe returned her pillow...so hard that Mattie fell off the bed. Next thing, they were all rolling around screaming laughing and pounding each other with pillows.

JAGJAGJAGJAGJAGJAG

Mac looked up as she heard a loud thud on the ceiling above her head.

"Natives are restless Harm...better feed them." Harm rolled his eyes and headed towards the stairs. When a particularly hard thump seemed to resonate through the wall, he took the stairs two at a time.

When he got there though, instead of barging straight in, he stood outside and listened.

JAGJAGJAGJAGJAGJAGJAG

Josh's elbow hit a lamp and it nearly crashed to the floor but he managed to catch it just in time. There was silence for a second and then another wild fit of the giggles erupted as the girls turned and started whacking the unsuspecting teen with their pillows.

"Hey!" he yelled through his fit of laughter.

Harm smiled to himself and walked back downstairs. Couldn't argue with a little horsing around to help them bond. Then a thought occurred to him about something else that would make them bond...

JAGJAGJAGJAGJAGJAGJAG

"Where are they?" Mac asked as she placed different dishes on the table.

"I'll get them. I thought I'd give them a minute. "

"Why what's happening?"

"Lots of fun, by the sound of things."

"ALL of them are up there together?" Mac asked with a giant smile.

"Yep."

"Well good." Mac said. "But now we have to eat."

Harm walked to the bottom of the stairs and called.

"KIDS! DINNER!" He jumped out of the way as the thunderous sound of teenage feet hit the stairs.

Conversation was free and easy through dinner, with the kids shooting each other knowing looks before giggling again. Harm and Mac for the most part just enjoyed the family moment...until Josh knocked over his drink while attempting to scoop up some more mashed potato with a shaky hand.

"Ok guys." Mac said. "Enough's enough now...calm down." They all tried to calm down until it all became too much for Mattie and a fit of tittering giggles escaped from her like an everyone else at the table were treated to quite a spectacular show and they watched in horror as milk shot out of her nose and mouth, spraying the table.

"Ew!" Chloe squealed. She jumped back and managed to pull the table cloth and the remains of her dinner with her, which clattered onto the floor leaving another horrible mess. All three of them now collapsed on the floor unable to control themselves any longer. Harm stood up and took Mac's hand. Luckily they'd both eaten enough.

"We'll be outside on the back patio guys. When your done clean up the mess ok?" There were no answers but there were three nodding heads as the kids all tried to get themselves together.

JAGJAGJAGJAGJAGJAGJAG

"I was thinking." Harm said. Mac frowned.

"You don't have anymore kids waiting in the wings do you?"

"No...oh God no." Harm said. "Well maybe not yet..." Mac looked over, shocked.

"Really? How many were you thinking Harm?"

"I dunno. One or two babies might be nice." he smiled. Mac rolled her eyes.

"Maybe one day when we know we have ourselves together." Harm grinned...she didn't say no. That was something.

"Ok I have another idea though...I think it would be good for the kids."

""Okayyy?" Mac said slowly.

"I think we need a dog..."

"A dog?"

"Yeah a dog. Think about it Mac...we don't have one yet which means that if we get one it would be for all the kids together at the same time. No one would own it first...they'd have to share it." Mac nodded.

"Do we really need the added responsibility?" she asked.

"I think a shared responsibility by all three would be good and it will be a common bond for all the kids." Mac nodded.

"When were you thinking this would happen?"

"Lets wait until they've been good enough to deserve a reward." Mac chuckled.

"Good then we're not talking right away then." she laughed.

TBC