In the midst of preparing to go on our Christmas trip, I was trying to decide which of my collection of Alias Smith and Jones tops to wear on the trip North. After some toing and froing, I eventually decided I was going to wear the rather lovely green shirt that featured the Kid in full hunting pose, which Kathy had gifted me for Christmas. With the decision made, and after a few minutes of drooling over the picture, before reluctantly hanging it up behind the spare bedroom door, I found my mind drifting back to a story idea that I'd been playing with for a few days. After more thinking, I came to the conclusion it needed writing down. So I carefully rootled round the room for my lucky dragon notebook and fountain pen, because with our trip, I knew I'd need to write the old fashioned way if inspiration was to strike. But after a fruitless search, in some frustration, I unpacked the case I'd just finished filling, just to make sure that I hadn't somehow already packed them, before swearing and repacking, when they both failed to make an appearance. After looking under the bed, with a grumble, I took a deep breath and decided I had to brave the damn stairs.

It was only when a painstaking search of every room in the house failed to uncover either the pen or the book, that the reason for their disappearance came to me and I yelled. "Heyes!"

There was no reply, and I sighed at my unruly secondary muse, before I went back to what I was supposed to be doing, while my husband did some final present shopping. I'd probably be able to buy another notebook before Saturday, which would just show the annoying toad, and if not, then frustration would maybe inspire me even more on my return home. Yep, Heyes had better watch out!

It was a few hours later, when I was curled up under my snuggly heated throw nursing a hot chocolate, with my mind on bed, that he finally appeared, his most irritating grin plastered across his face as he said with absolutely no remorse in his tone."Sorry, but some of us have better things to do the week before Christmas, then be at your beck and call."

I glared at him, and hissed. "Where are they?"

"Where's what?"

His face was the picture of innocent, puzzled, curiosity, which of course didn't fool me for a minute, so I said angrily. "You know exactly what I'm talking about, Heyes! My dragon notebook and ink pen!"

He waved his hand airily towards the stairs with a grin that just made me even more mad as he said calmly. "You ask Michael? Or maybe you just put it in one of those safe places that you can never remember!"

I tried to stand to look fiercely at him, but with being encumbered by the fluffy pink throw, the effect was somewhat ruined, and when I finally managed to clamber to my feet, any chance of intimidation fled, when he took in my polar bear pyjamas. He watched me, his face split into a superior smirk, which made my writing hand twitch. I definitely understood why the Kid's hand so often twitched to his gun when having a discussion with his partner.

Whatever he saw on my face and the twitch, made his smile drop a little, before it returned full force, and he said his hands pacifyingly in front of him. "What makes you think I took them? Maybe it was the Kid, he's the one most affected after all."

I rolled my eyes at the dimpled one, and said dismissively. "He'd try a less sneaky, more direct approach, Heyes..." I do prefer the more direct approach, a smile and a strut would do me just fine thank-you. A hard prod brought me back from my wistful imaginings to look into the irritated face of my unwanted company, who was shaking his head, and as his expression shifted to pained, he added in some discomfort. "Lady, will you just stop that? I can see exactly what ya thinking, and I gotta tell ya its making my eyes bleed!" He paused, shaking his head as if trying to clear away something disturbing, before adding. "Besides , if I did take your poison pen, and torture paper, which I'm not saying I did mind, it wouldn't have been stealing anyway."

I smiled broadly, much to his annoyance as I took in the lingering pained expression on his face, but added nothing else. instead folding my arms, and raising an eyebrow at him, in a way I'm sure Spock would have been impressed with, as I said. "It wouldn't?"

He spread his arms out in an expansive gesture and said calmly. "If I had, which I'm not admitting to, but if I had I am merely fulfilling my duty as a member of The ISPCRO."

"The what now?" I'd heard of many acronyms, but that was a new one on me.

"The International Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Reforming Outlaws!" He said this with a firm sense of pride, and like he was presenting some grand idea as he grinned at me.

"And how many members of this society are there exactly Heyes?"

He met my gaze with a smile. "More than one."

I huffed a laugh, as I said amused. "But less than three huh Heyes?"

"Well these things take time to grow, you know that!"

I looked at him and snorted. "As if you haven't just made it up, two minutes ago, Heyes!"

"I may be the founding member, but it doesn't make it any less real! Just ask Kid."

"Yeah, as if he isn't going to back you up, Heyes...I wasn't born yesterday Mr!"

Heyes looked down, and muttered something that sounded insulting, before grinning over at me again as he said wickedly. "I'll tell Kid, you just called him a liar shall I?"

"Heyes, you were outlaws, and of course he'll lie if it gets you out of trouble! He knows I know that..."

Heyes' grin widened as the worry that perhaps the Kid might be upset at me bled onto my expression and he said smugly"You hope anyway!"

Then to my relief from the shadows, the man in question appeared, hat in hand, sporting a broad grin as he winked at me. "Merry Christmas Ma'am. My partner bothering you again?" He then dug into the pocket of his Sherpa, and handed me my precious notebook and pen, which earnt him a glare from Heyes. But he shrugged unconcerned. "It's all in her head anyways. You just ain't happy its your turn this story!"

"That ain't so, Kid! I'm just a concerned partner is all, and I know what she's like, it won't end up being only me! So I was just thinking that with her age, if she don't write it down, she'll forget, and we'll both be safe."

I cleared my throat and glared at Heyes. "Ever been bitten by a rabid coyote, Heyes? I was just googling the symptoms the other day... fear of water, pain, insanity, death..."

Heyes paled slightly and gave me a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Ahh, now, Miss Rachel, I thought you don't ever kill us! Its the one thing we agree on."

"Well, you're always telling me I gotta broaden my writing style..."

I let that linger in the air, waiting until Heyes' expression shifted into mild panic, before winking over at the Kid, and as he took in my amusement, his worried frown changed into a small smile, before he nudged his partner with a wide grin breaking over his expression. "I think she got ya, Heyes!"

Heyes turned to glare at me, but then sighed and shrugged, turning to his partner with a resigned sigh. "C'mon Kid, there's another Rachel I want to introduce ya to...she appreciates me!"

And then they were gone. I laughed, and shaking my head, carefully placed my notebook in my backpack , before heading up the stairs to join my husband in slumber.