ATOP Chapter Nine

For the dozenth time, Katie trudged wearily up the stairs with an armload of things. Trunks were scattered all over her room to the point where she could barely move. Her bed had disappeared under a mountainous pile of dresses, shoes, hats... and a host of other articles of clothing which she was too tired to identify. A whirlwind of a week had passed and an even more whirlwindy week had begun and now just a few days were left before she would become Mrs. Scott. The dresses were finished, the cake decided on, the flowers chosen... mostly everything was done, except... the packing. 

And the packing was taking a long, long time. Everything had to go. There was a honeymoon trunk, an everyday-clothes trunk, a nice-clothes trunk, a sheets and towels trunk, and a miscellaneous trunk... and she didn't even know they owned this many trunks. Nor did she know how they were to cart them out to Minnesota, or how they were to get the trunks themselves back after she had emptied her things into her new home. 

With a sigh, she flung herself headlong on the bed... and then yelped. She had landed smack on top of a pair of shoes, the heels of which had jabbed straight into her side. Sitting up hastily, she rubbed the sore spot between her ribs and reached for the shoes. High-heeled white shoes... with little red crosses on the sides... she smiled reminiscently. It seemed a lifetime ago already. And really... it was. A lifetime that had passed, and now she was about to enter a new life...

...As soon as she finished packing all of these trunks. She groaned again at the thought of it. She would beg for help, but... well... everyone was busy right now. Very busy. On her behalf. The thought of it made her feel guilty and she stood quickly to begin packing again. 

So intent was she in her work that she didn't notice the soft footsteps coming up the stairs. She didn't even realize that someone had entered the room until she felt a hand laid on her arm. She jumped, dropping an armful of stockings and whirling around to face an equally-startled Marjorie.

"Ach, m'eudail, I'm sorry..." she laughed. "I didn't mean t'scare ye."

"Mrs. Scott!" Katie laughed back, bending to gather up her stockings. "I didn't hear you come in. What was that you said... may-doll?"

"M'eudail... m'dear," she smiled. "Ye dinna have to call me Mrs. Scott. Call me Marjorie, or..."

"Mum?" Katie smiled. "That's what Mac calls you, isn't it."

"Aye." Marjorie's green eyes sparkled, the laugh lines in the corners thereof crinkling in a kindred-spirit sort of way. It made Katie lean in for an impulsive hug. "I was hoping ye would call me that. I've always wanted a daughter. And now." She put her hands on her hips as Katie pulled away, snapping into a determined air. "Ye have a mess here, Katie, lass." she shook her head, tsking sadly. "Let me help ye. And we can have ourselves a good, long chat while we do it." 

And so-saying, she plunked herself on the floor beside a trunk overflowing with what looked like a mountain of dresses and began to expertly fold them into neat piles. "I want ye to tell me all about yourself. All the things that those five-minute telephone calls we've had could not say. And all the things that we could not say when surrounded by other people as we have been for the past however many days I've been here. All the big things and the little things, the hopes and dreams and joys and sorrows and prayers and tears. I want to get to know my daughter." And she beamed at Katie in a way that melted the girl's heart. 

"Well..." Katie grinned, sighing in relief as she sank down across from Marjorie and began to sort out the disaster of the sheets and towels piled atop another trunk. "Where shall I begin?"

"Why, begin at the beginning!" Marjorie cried, laughing. "What was it like growing up?"

"The Cavalry," Katie smiled reminiscently. "I'll tell you about the Cavalry. And... well... and Jerry."

♡♡♡

"There are some things that must needs be discussed," Josh planted himself in the front doorway, blocking the way to the porch. "I seem to remember that a proper wedding should include a... watcha-call-it?"

"Bachelor's party," Ronnie informed him. "And according to Emma's schedule, tonight is the only night for it."

"Does it even count if most of you ain't bachelors?" Mac laughed, attempting to push through to the door. "I already have plans tonight."

"Plans that dinna align with the plans of the people in charge," Jafe grinned. "Namely, me. And we are going to have ye a proper send-off, and no arguments accepted."

"And there's a reward if you behave," Josh added. "Tomorrow night. A bonfire... with everyone. But you only getta go if you stay put tonight. Else we'll duct tape you in the hayloft or something and have the bonfire without you."

Mac gulped, shivering in mock terror.

“Oh no, not that, anything but that!!” This was in a terrible squeak, somewhere between sheer horror and so rich a drollity that the original members of the Cavalry were sent into spasms akin to hysteria, whereas Jafe was merely tickled, being used to him. As a result of said spasms of hysteria, they had a very difficult time responding to him.

Josh was the one, difficult though it was to believe, to first pull his face into something resembling solemnity. But only resembling. The twinkle in his eye belied him as he dropped the bombshell he had just snatched out of thin air. Bombshells were kind to him that way, always popping up.

“Be good, and you may be inducted into the Cavalry. As an honorary member. But only if you’re real good, and follow all the rules.” The "all" was stressed upon heavily by Josh, who was very busily thinking up rules and wondering just how many he could cram into one evening. He scratched his chin contemplatively. This was going to need some cooperation on the behalf of Other Folks. A slow grin crept over his face as he looked meaningfully at Jafe. It was reflected back at him like a beam from a light house. This was gonna be good. 

Mac knew that grin from both sides of the exchange, and groaned within himself heartily. This was before the full import of the words hit him, and it was no more than thirteen seconds before he saw this disaster turned sunny side up. His face brightened perceptibly as the saving thought hit. 

“Is Katie in it?”

Ronnie laughed out loud. “ Yeah, buddy, Katie’s in it.” He cocked an eyebrow at his Soon-To-Be-Brother-In-Law. “Does that mean you’ll cooperate?”

Mac considered. On the one hand, if Katie was in it, there was no way he was gonna do anything that jeopardized his chances. ‘Specially if there was a Katie-attended bonfire hanging in the balance. On the other hand, however, was Torpedo. And that was a handful. He wasn’t opting out, not by a long shot…. But he felt it only just to put in a clause. He was the bridegroom, after all. He had some rights, didn’t he?

He wasn’t sure. He'd have to ask Katie afterwards. She’d know. And if she didn’t, Emma would. He must have some. He wished he had a book of traditions to pitch at them if they got out of line, though. So he did the next best thing... bought insurance. He waved a finger in a general direction that vaguely included everyone, and was aimed at all their respective noses. 

“Only if Chief helps write the rulebook. Ain’t trusting nothin’ Torpedo cooks up by himself.”

Josh grinned conspiratorially at Ronnie, as if he was about to pull a fast one, and proceeded to pull out another straight and sober face instead. 

"Ah well, if you insist," Josh shook his head grimly. "Can't really blame you, after all, you didn't grow up with Chief, how would you know?"

"Trouble is," Jafe grinned. "We have rules in place to keep Ronnie from protecting you. And the schedule has already been written and approved by all."

"All except me," Mac quirked an eyebrow.

"Don't worry, buddy," Ronnie chuckled. "I'll make sure they don't kill you. For Katie's sake. Beyond that... I can't make any promises. Like they said... they have rules."

This sounded ominous. Mac gulped again. There was no getting out of this, was there? Well, might as well buckle down like a true soldier and bear it best he could.

"What's the first order of torture, then?" he grinned resolutely and unflinchingly. Let the enemy see he wasn't afraid of them!

"First, the rules," Josh said firmly. "Being that we have a series of tests to prove your worthiness to join the Cavalry. But if at any time you chicken out or otherwise try to avoid it, well..." he pulled a roll of tape from his pocket and grinned dangerously. "You know the consequences. Same for Ronnie if he gets in the way."

"Ha! You beating Chief, that's something I'd PAY to see," Mac roared with laughter. "It's impossible, Torpedo, might as well give it up."

"To get back to the point," Jafe interrupted. "The first order of torture, as you termed it. And ye can blame your songbird for it. To the kitchen with ye, lads!" And Mac was accordingly surrounded and marched to the kitchen. 

"What does my Lintie have to do with it?" he glanced round the kitchen expectantly and saw no sign of her... besides the large platter of chocolate chip cookies on the counter. Double chocolate chips, the way he liked them best.  No one but Katie could have made those cookies. Instantly his fears fled. He could trust Katie's cookies, sure enough.

"So my brilliant sister-in-law," Josh drawled, a dangerous twinkle in his eyes. "She, sweet-hearted bride that she is, decided to make cookies for you. So here they are. Have at 'em, Cat."

"You're kidding." Mac stared dubiously at Josh. "I can have 'em? That's it? I don't have to fight you for 'em or turn a dozen cartwheels one-legged or anything?"

This was too easy. The alarm returned. Mac stepped forward and picked up a cookie, suspiciously. They were definitely Katie's. He ought to know, he'd had plenty of them in the past. And her cookies were perfection if ever anything perfect survived in this world. So... why the premonition? 

They were all staring at him intently. Mac rolled his eyes and threw back his head. 

"Just remember. MY cookies. She made 'em for me, right? So... no touching."

"Ach, dinna worry, ye can have 'em all," Jafe laughed. This did not bode well. But... Katie's cookies! No more hesitating, this was getting ridiculous. He took a bite... a large one.

The Squad-and-Cavalry combination collectively held their breath as he first chewed, and then unhurriedly swallowed. They gazed upon his countenance dubiously and with concern as nothing happened. The consternation was almost too great to bear. They had been expecting a grand show, and here all the guy did was finish his bite and amble easily over to the icebox. He set down the rest of his cookie, slid a tumbler from the dishrack, and proceeded to take himself an unhurried drink of good cold milk. Thus having taken care of the wildfire that was, with the first bite, set raging inside of him (in direct contradiction to what his features declared his insides to be going through), he poured himself another glass of milk, and took another bite of cookie. He was gonna do everything in his power to become a Cavalry member that Katie could be proud of, and if that meant eating molten lava chocolate chips, he was game. Oh boy, was he game!

He swallowed a grin along with the cookie as Josh’s eyes nearly popped out of his head in disbelief. Josh had been the one to discover that they were  fiery to begin with, being in the acclaimed cookie-snatcher he was, and he was sorely disappointed with this turn of events. 

"Did we grab the right cookies?" Josh whispered loudly to Jafe, who nodded, grinning wildly. He had expected something of this sort. Mac was tough as nails and besides, he liked spicy food. 

"As always," Mac was saying calmly. "Lintie's the best cook in all the world. Although I'm gonna have to ask her where on earth she got that recipe..."

"À la bride jitters, I guess," Josh snickered, in a better mood now that a new idea had popped into his head. "She dumped half a bottle of red pepper in those things and didn't even realize it!"