Wearily Yours

 And on the count of three, they did.

The door flew open with a crash and a simultaneous yell of "CHARGE", thoroughly startling the people on the other side. 

Rich and Nikki froze in shock, promptly letting go of a half-taped Bekah, who turned on her kidnappers with a ferocity truly frightening to behold…  

It was a terrible struggle, first one side had the upper hand, then the other would raise up with a terrible roar and quite sufficient might to go with it…. And in a matter of minutes, there emerged from out of the ashes of a battle to be made legendary in the years to come, a victor. 

Four victors, actually, and 2 captives. They were not very reasonable captives, as prisoners go. And not very captive captives at this point as the victors were having trouble in the tape department. Rather impressive struggling and choice words, especially on Nikki's part, were rather distracting.  

 "Didn't... know... kidnapping... was this hard..." Sophie gasped as she practically sat on Rich whilst Eric wrapped tape around his hands. 

"Hey... Linnie! I have a brilliant idea..." she laughed at the mere thought of it and Linnaea called back with difficulty.  

"Spill it... fast... having... trouble..."  "Let's stick 'em together," Sophie cried, earning an immediate indignant howl from the half-conquered Nikki. 

Eric stopped dead in his tracks.  “First Mate Sophie, I think you just saved our skins! Remind me to put you up for a medal of honour. You two.” Motioning to Linnaea and Bekah, who were still at it with a very uncooperative Nikki, “Bring the Silent One over here.”  Bekah, who had yet to be filled in on things, snorted eloquently at this.  “The Silent One, eh?? What do you call Deafening then?”  

But the Silent One would not be brought. She balked, dug her heels into the ground, and went stiffer than a stone wall. In the end, Eric had to go and drag her, which wasn't good, because that left Sophie with Rich and although he was practically as good as secured already, she was in danger of being thrown very far as he bucked worse than a rodeo bull. 

Linnaea, seeing doom come crashing down if somebody didn’t do something fast, let go of Nikki the instant Eric had her, and dashed lickety splickety to the aid of the reigning cowgirl, and the bronc was forced to be just a leeeeeeetle bit less vigorous in his sunfishing. In fact, he gave up all together and lay quite still, for a moment, at least. 

By this point, Eric had succeeded in dragging Nikki the rest of the way and then another battle ensued as they forced her to the ground. Deafening had ceased to become relevant, she had far exceeded any descriptions that English would afford as they shoved her up against her cohort, shoulder to shoulder, and retrieved the duct tape. Linnaea got off Rich and on Nikki, seeing that part of the battle was gonna need all the help it could get.  

And it WAS a battle,  every inch gained was one fought for by every single person, giving it all they had and then some! Schwunk and spunk and wrath and hilarity all melded into one adrenaline filled rush of activity, and…. Then it was done. 

A two headed mummy lay at their very tired feet. Granted, one of the heads was louder than the other, but that was only a statistic.  "We've done it..." Sophie sighed, getting dizzily off of Rich at long last and staggering a few steps. "Crivvens, don't they look funny though?" And the hysterical laughter that ensued rivalled Nikki's howls. Twas a good thing indeed that the neighbors were on vacation.  "Now to get them into the shed..." 

Eric frowned contemplatively. "I wonder how to do that..."  "And I'm exhausted..." Linnaea wavered and would have made a show of flopping onto the ground, but Eric caught her.   "Easy now," he laughed. "I ain't gonna carry any more than I have to... I'm exhausted too."  She giggled out loud. It was really at the thought of being toted sack-fashion, but she did not share this bit of information.  

“Don’t worry, I’m just gonna rest up for one minute. This grass is awful nice and soft…. If I can’t get back up, just throw a pillow at me and I’ll camp out!”  

He groaned at the words  “soft” and “camp out”.  

 “Sounds about right, but I’m afraid I wouldn’t be able to get myself back up after the one minute was over.”  "I s'pose it's useless demanding to be let go," Rich half-groaned, half-laughed as all four weary victors began the daunting task of dragging their captives toward the shed.  "Demand it anyway," Nikki snapped. "I refuse to be stuck to him!" And with that, she struggled wildly, or at least she would have been if she could move, as it was she could only squirm barely.   

"The hunters have become the hunted," Sophie giggled. "Poetic, ain't it?"  

"No way are they gonna fit through that door," Bekah sighed as they managed to get the mummy to the threshold. Rich and Nikki glanced at each other warily and then remembered they were supposed to be mad, thus the glance turned into a glare on Nikki's side and a teasing grin on Rich's.

 Linnaea started suddenly as she looked inside that shed…. With the Recently Vacated And Very Hard Floor… and something in her heart gave a little twinge. It said things…. And suddenly she leaned over and whispered something in Sophie’s ear. Sophie started too, and then grinned. She, in turn, leaned over to whisper the same something into Eric’s ear. And Eric, as they had suspected he might, grinned too. 

Rich glared balefully at them, curiosity mixed with a decided dose of apprehension in his expression.  “It’s starting to look like a game of Telephone around here! Ya gonna let us in on the order of torture, or are you planning to surprise us?”  

Nikki shot daggers at him with her eyes.   “Will you STOP saying us??? I don’t care if we ARE Siamese twins right now, there ain’t no Us.”  

"Never interrupt a game of telephone," Sophie said sternly as Eric whispered to Bekah, who hooted and took off for the house full speed.   

"It's official," Rich sighed, seemingly ignoring Nikki. "They are gonna burn US at the stake."  Nikki did not appreciate being ignored, and to be ignored by HIM?!! That was just too much. She grit her teeth and swore silent revenge, just as much at Rich as the rest. And he seemed not to notice at all. THAT was the worst thing about it, he’d never not noticed anything she did before!!  

Bekah was running back from the house now, her arms overflowing with things. Giggling uproariously, Linnaea and Sophie met her halfway and busied themselves inside the shed just out of eyesight of the victims. Not that they would've noticed anyway, they were too busy being mad at each other. Or rather, Nikki was mad. Rich was starting to enjoy himself, realizing how much fun it was to rile his fellow captive.  Not that he was gonna let her see that, of course, he knew better than that. So the aftermath might be memorable, so what? Right now he was perfectly safe to say and do and think anything he pleased, and that pleased him greatly.  

He did not see Eric watching their little show and grinning mysteriously to himself. Nor could he have guessed what was spinning the wheels in Eric’s head, which was just as well. Because he was thinking to himself that maybe, just maybe…. Painful though it could turn out to be…. ( For HIM) This kidnapping could prove to be the biggest favour he’d ever done Rich!  

"Okay, we're ready now, bring 'em in!" Sophie cried, laughing. The Siamese twins gulped. They remembered quite clearly the sound of Eric’s head banging into those very same walls…. And shuddered, one in dismay, and the other in remorse. Rich groaned. He was the one with the attack of remorse. Nikki, who wasn’t, refused to give either them or him (especially him) the satisfaction, and remained completely silent.  

“C’mon, you guys…. It ain’t spiders, is it??” Rich was sounding leery of their intentions. It tickled them to hear it, which made him mad even though they didn’t laugh.   Nikki sniffed disdainfully, clearly lending the impression that SHE certainly wasn’t worried even if there were spiders in there. This was very amusing to at least two members of the party of mighty warriors holding them captive, knowing full well they’d squashed spiders aplenty for her. Rich was very impressed, however.  He always had to squish his own spiders, and he liked ‘em best dead.  

"Yes, it be spiders," Sophie laughed menacingly. "MILLIONS of spiders."  "Aw, don't scare the poor things," Linnaea giggled. "You'll just have to wait and see."  

With much grunting and groaning and angry yells, they managed somehow... They knew not how, but the fact remains that they managed... To turn them sideways and shove them through the door. With visions of spiders dancing in their heads, the captives were rather shocked to see not creepy crawlies, but blankets and pillows spread on the floor.

 "Are we not merciful?" Sophie cried and Eric grinned.  "Not quite." And before he would set the poor, confuzzled captives down, he purposefully, but gently tapped their heads against the wall. "Bonk! There ya go, eye for an eye... that's Scripture for you!"  

He did settle them gently each on their own soft pillow afterwards, and tucked them, and drew the covers right up to their indignantly quivering chins, which were rendered quite speechless both by the knock on the head and also just shock. Stopping just short of patting them on the head, he withdrew, and three heads were stuck in the very small doorway, grinning in wicked amusement. The three heads proceeded to sing out in unison and perfect harmony….  “Soo long, farewell, aufwiedersehn good byeeee…. Gooooooood night….” Exactly as if they were Liesel, Marta, and Gretel leaving the ball.  “G’night, you two!” There was a decided note of glee in each respective voice, which rankled all the more when the heads withdrew, and an explosion of giggles and one delighted chuckle was heard to burst forth on the other side of the door.  

"Now," Linnaea said firmly as the culprits returned to the house.  "Sophie, you get the tea, Bekah, we need more of those cookies, Eric, you're on popcorn." She was grinning rather mysteriously as she snatched up Sophie’s phone which had been lying on the table. "The show is about to begin."  "Yes, indeed," Sophie, who was obviously in on this, filled the tea kettle quickly and plopped down beside Linnaea at the table. "Time for the fireworks!" She laughed with delight.

In another moment, the phone was put on speaker and set face down in the middle of the table... And they heard the unmistakable voices of Rich and Nikki...  

Nikki turned on her currently disowned partner in crime with fertile disgust colouring every inch of the face he could barely make out. Not that any of it got lost in translation, it carried just fine in her voice too. JUST fine. Actually, maybe it was safer this way. ‘Cause now he couldn’t make out the eyes he knew full well were blue, and it gave him courage. Foolish courage, maybe, but still courage. He grinned mischievously at her, comfortable in the knowledge she couldn’t see, and therefore it couldn’t get him in trouble. Because she was livid. All the listeners could hear inside, over the crunching of popcorn and cookies, was the fuming sarcasm that rippled through every word she shot at him. None of what Rich was thinking translated very well across the wires, however.  

"This is officially the best idea I've ever had, and I mean it," Sophie laughed. "This is perfect. They're punishing each other."  In the background, barely heard through Nikki's indignant yelling, they could hear muffled laughter and Linnaea shook her head.   "It's punishing her all right, but I dunno about him."  

"Nah, this is the best thing that's ever happened to him," Eric winked. "Trust me when I say that."   They listened in amused silence for a few moments longer as Nikki went on and on, barely even pausing for breath. 

And suddenly Sophie bent over double, trying not to choke on her popcorn and Eric nearly spit out his tea. Linnaea, fortunately, had not anything in her mouth at that moment and so was spared the agony of near death by snacks. And not only that, she was able to laugh the hardest over whatever it was that was going on out there. It certainly wasn't anything they had expected to hear and now they hadn't a clue what to make of it... Rich was... singing... oddly enough. Singing very loudly and very off-key...  "Let me be by myself in the evenin' breeze and listen to the murmur of the cottonwood trees, send me off forever, but I ask you please, don't fence me in... Just turn me loose, let me straddle my old saddle underneath the Western skieeees..."  

Nikki snorted so loudly that they all jumped.  “Oh, YOU wanna be alone??? YOU. Well tell you what, buddy, you ain’t got nothin’ on me!”  

He stopped in the middle of a verse to chuckle in her face. “Oh, I know. Ain’t nobody who got much of anything on you, is there? But other people are allowed to express sentiments too, y’know.”  

She nearly exploded. “Well if YOU wanted to be alone, why didn’t you get brilliant about 5 hours ago??? I knew all along this was gonna be trouble, I TOLD you it was gonna be trouble, but nooooooo, Tarzan wouldn’t listen!”  

He flinched at this. He’d known she’d fling that back at him at some point, it was too good a shot to keep in her locker for long…. But it was still humiliating to know she’d never let him forget how she saw him. Wasn’t even his fault, he’d been an innocent victim then too!  

"Tarzan..." Eric laughed. "That's a good one. Man, I wonder how long she'll keep yelling?"  "Oh, believe me..." Linnaea sighed. "She could go on like this forever."  And then they suddenly grew very quiet, for now it was Rich who was yelling...  "HELP!" he hollered and they all jumped again. 

"AGH... your HAIR is getting in my mouth... ack, I can't get it out... noooo... stop... stop shaking your head, you're making it worse... it's getting everywhere..."  

"I'm of half a mind to go save him," Sophie was in tears, she was laughing so hard.   "But don't you dare, this is too good."  

“Why on earth couldn’t you have left it in that bun thingamajig???” Rich was still yelling. And he forgot entirely that he’d been stealthily admiring it not twenty minutes ago. Because it tasted awful. Like roses and oat dust. And she wouldn’t stop turning her head to the wall, and then it was right in his face, and it not only tasted awful, it tickled. It tickled mercilessly.  

“You got any idea what it feels like to have twenty pointy metal pins sticking in you alllll day long???? Course you don’t, you don’t even know what a hairbrush feels like. When we get outta here, I’m coming after you with one, and THAT is a promise!!!”  

"Fine, fine," Rich sighed in resignation. "I'll choke to death on all this hair then and you probably won't even  be sorry."  

"You bet I won't be sorry," Nikki snorted. "Maybe then I can finally get some peace!"  

The culprits inside nearly died themselves, giggling hysterically over the dramatic gagging and choking noises that ensued. Rich was told to shut up but he wouldn't shut up and the choking got even more extreme.  

"Okay, that's it, we gotta save him..." Sophie gasped out between gales of helpless laughter.  

At that moment, Rich had paused his choking long enough to add,   "Better yet, phooey on your hairbrush, I'm coming after you with a pair of scissors..."  

And Linnaea was the one to choke this time, wide eyed with horror and gasping for breath in the midst of hysterics….  “Ohhh he better not, or we’ll have to go after him ourselves. Not to mention Dad would kill him and fire him, in that order!!”  

"You do that and you will die," Nikki snapped. "Immediately and forever. You will be the deadest thing you ever saw. Touch my hair and it'll be the last thing you ever touch, you hear me?"  

"Ohhhh, but what a wonderful way to die," Rich murmured dreamily. "I wouldn't actually. Cut it, I mean. It's driving me crazy and I hate it right now, but otherwise I love it. 'Twould be a pity to waste all those gorgeous curls..."  All they heard for the next three minutes was a series of very angry splutters, gaining volume with each new breath until they reached a magnificent crescendo, and she had to stop for a breather. Which gave Rich a beautiful opening for another such statement…. But, eyeing her carefully, and judging based on the shortness of her breath, he decided very wisely that this was enough for one dose. After all, you get so much more reaction out of a bottle of cod liver oil if you give it by the spoonful, instead of the whole bottle at once. And having thus made up his mind to make it last, he kept studiously silent, and this discomfited her greatly beneath her mask of fury.  

"So..." Rich began after a long silence, but he didn't get far.  "Just shut up," Nikki snapped. "I've had enough. Don't you dare say another word to me, okay?"  

"Okay," Rich said mildly and there was another long moment of silence. The eavesdroppers in the house all were rather surprised... Rich never gave in that easily. But suddenly he was talking again, and carrying on quite the one-sided conversation with himself.  "So. This is how it's gonna go. She refuses to let me speak to her and so I must sit here and talk to myself. Because sitting here and not talking would be veeeeery boring. Tis really horribly inconsiderate of her, specially seeing as I have to put up with her and also all this hair, which is gonna be the death of me yet..."  She harrumphed loudly, but she would not reply, of course. To do that would be to encourage him, and THAT was the very last thing in the planet she planned to do. He chuckled reminiscently to himself. 

He had a rumbling chuckle, the kind that tickled…. And she was in no mood to be tickled.  “Remember that first time I came to work, and she couldn’t believe her eyes? Was pretty sure I’d set the Cat on fire, too…. Heard her say so to Jim when she thought I didn’t understand. Of course, with somebody believing in me like that, I couldn’t help but make a go of it.”  The storm opposite his face grew stormier, but the thunder was kept sternly inside the rainclouds.  “Got half a mind to call her Jane….”  The thunder was about half a second away from rolling when the next thing came at her.  “Wonder what would happen…. Nah, I better not. Not here. I’ll save it for some other time, maybe.”  

She knew perfectly well he was doing it on purpose, but her curiosity couldn’t help but nibble at the bait. Well, as hard as curiosity CAN nibble in stony silence.  

"Aw, c'mon," Sophie whined at the phone. "Say SOMETHING, Nikki, we wanna hear what he was gonna say!!"  

"If I know Rich," Eric was saying, his mouth full of cookie. "And I do, he wasn't actually gonna say anything. He's just trying to get her to talk. I wonder if it'll work..."  

"On Nikki?" Linnaea laughed at the mere thought. But her laughter was stopped in its tracks, for that was unmistakably Nikki's voice coming over the phone...  "That's right, save it," Nikki spoke between clenched teeth. "Save it for a loooooong time, cuz after this, you ain't getting within shouting distance of me till I get good and ready to see you again and that might be never."  Linnaea’s eyes widened. This was something new in the way of Nikki-isms. This had never happened before, and was destined to go down in family history permanently, if it meant what it looked like it meant. She looked at Eric, wide eyed. What was it he had said before?? And the conspiratorial way he looked back settled it. This was for real!  

Rich stilled. Nikki angry out loud was one thing, that was steam, he knew how to roll with steam. But this wasn’t , and he didn’t. What if she meant that??  

"She's crazy," Sophie winced and then grinned at Linnaea. "Gonna break his heart if she ain't careful."  

Rich was, in fact, afraid of that very thing. Sensing he had maybe gone too far, he held his tongue for a good long while. Nikki didn't speak either, but she was breathing angrily. He waited in silence as she huffed to herself and slowly, slowly her breathing became more peaceful. Her eyelids were drooping shut... still he was silent. Maybe if she actually fell asleep then she would forget how mad she was at him.  And in later years, this became his favourite technique of getting her over an argument. Because it worked. She really was worn out, exhausted beyond exhaustion…. And the hours, with all the drama that went with them, stole in and took their toll. The lashes dropped. The jaw unclenched. The freckles relaxed out of their angrily scrunched wrinkles…. And silence reigned, because he wasn’t about to start this thing back up again!  

He turned his head, staring at her in the darkness. He could just make out the outline of her face and he felt a sudden thrill go through him. She really was the prettiest thing... if only she didn't get so mad... but, he grinned to himself, that was kinda half the fun. And maybe she wouldn't be so mad when she woke up again. He was filled with a sudden and fierce resolve... to get her to love him, somehow, someway... no matter how long it took.   

He laughed then... a quiet laugh, of course, so as not to wake her up... she was snoring softly. It grew a little louder and after a while it was starting to get on his nerves. As much as the duct tape would allow him, he nudged her, she stirred and murmured something, and the snoring stopped. Her head slid sideways until it rested on his shoulder and he felt his insides turn to mush. And he took it back, her hair wasn’t annoying. It was soft, and it wisped in little curls that fell against his cheek…He couldn’t exactly kiss her Goodnight, that really WOULD wake her up…. So he just lay there and thought one at her instead, hoping it stuck to whatever she was dreaming.

"They are being aaaaawfully quiet out there," Sophie sighed, propping her chin in her hands. "And I am being awfully tired..."  

"Gracious, it's past one in the morning," Linnaea glanced at the clock. "I'll bet they fell asleep..."  

"Should we go get 'em?" Eric mumbled, his eyes half-closed. At that moment, they could hear faint snoring and then a low laugh, and after that, silence.   

"Rich is still awake," Linnaea snickered. "Let's leave 'em a while."  

For a few minutes more they sat there, staring at the mostly silent phone. And then Rich murmured something... They couldn't quite make out the words... But it sounded somehow an awful lot like "I love you"...  And Bekah, who had moved to the couch during the choking escapades because she kept falling off her chair laughing, was the only one whose eyes did not widen and start glimmering delighted things at the eyes of the others. This was because it was one in the morning, and she had sort of faded away slowly into a dreamful sleep…. And thought she was dreaming this too.  

"See?" Eric woke up a bit and grinned knowingly. "I told you. And you, poor Linnaea, shall soon be the unfortunate sister-in-law of the craziest Wilson of them all, or I'll eat my hat!"  

"As much as I want to see you eat your hat," Linnaea giggled. "I hope you're right. They're made for each other, those two crazy scamps, and she'd better realize it too!"  

"Promise me that if I must end up eating the hat that you'll be merciful and give me barbeque sauce to go with it?" Eric said hopefully. He pushed his chair back from the table, stretching and yawning. "Show’s over, people's, I'm gonna go catch whatever sleep I can in what's left of this night. You said I could have the motorhome, right?”  

“Yup,” Linnaea trailed after him to the door. “That way we’re all here in the morning to let ‘em loose and I can’t wait to see the results, although terrified I am at the same time,” she laughed. “Wow, what a night it’s been…” She stopped short as Eric stared at her, smiling softly.   

"An adventure to remember," Eric laughed and Linnaea flushed under his gaze. "A little different than the storybooks, eh? The heroine rescuing the hero…”  

She glanced over his shoulder, looking desperately for Sophie, but her friend had vanished and left her alone. She was caught... trapped... she froze in place, wondering whether she ought to take flight. And when she did, she was gonna give Sophie a thorough talking to, that's what! How dare she desert her at such a time! And that was a direct quote, she KNEW where he’d gotten it. She blushed miserably.  

"Hey..." Eric caught Linnaea's hand as she glanced frantically toward the hall. "Wait a second. I said I owe you one, didn't I? After all, you rescued me…”  

"Sophie helped," Linnaea protested feebly. "In fact, the whole rescue plan was her idea… And we got caught anyway, so it wasn’t that effective of a rescue…”  

"But this is for you."  She could hear the smile in his voice. Her heart rate spiked alarmingly and she felt unsteady. No way could she keep standing... she was wavering on her feet. For one moment, she thought of yelling for Sophie. But part of her wanted to stay… He pulled her close, so close, she could feel his heart beating... his was racing too. He bent his head and without realizing she was doing it, she lifted her face to his. And just like that, he pressed a gentle kiss on her cheek.  

"You're a pretty special girl, y'know that, Linnaea Jean Kincaid?" he whispered. She couldn't answer. All coherent thought had fled and she wasn't sure what to make of anything at all. She was trembling in his arms, dead certain that if he let go, she would crumple in an undignified heap at his feet. 

"The most special girl I've ever known in all my life," he added. "You're sweet and kind and fun and... and beautiful... and I love your smile." He laughed softly and kissed her again. “Good night.”  

And with that, he was gone. Linnaea stared at the door, stunned, not moving until Sophie came to pull her away, reminding her that they really ought to get to bed. They decided it was easier to leave Bekah on the couch, toting pillows and blankets for her this time, and tucking her in brought the whole evening back…. They had their hands very full not exploding with hilarity all over again, but they kept a lid on it for the sake of the goldilocks so peacefully sleeping.

It was just past two in the morning. Not a sound nor a creature was stirring…. Except the croaking of the frogs in the velvety darkness. What a funny way to think of the darkness…. But that’s what it was calling itself in the thoughts of the other only creature stirring. Well, she hadn’t stirred yet. But she couldn’t sleep either….   With a sigh of defeat, she swung her feet over the edge of the bed. Maybe hot milk would help…. Because she was sure tired enough, it was just one of those white nights again. That and maybe an over abundance of adrenaline just before bed. 

She glanced fondly at the other bed, where a Sophie shaped lump was sleeping like a rock…. Because Eric didn’t know it, but he was sleeping in her bed out in the motor home.  She rattled her pot as mouselike as she possibly could, tiptoeing around the kitchen, and  keeping an eye on Bekah…. 

But she had to give up. The hot milk was not working. There was only one shot left in her locker, and that was the Fresh Air cure…. And something had to give, or she’d be a veritable sleepwalker tomorrow!  

She snagged a knife on her way out, an inkling beginning to form in her thoughts. 

She was just coming back around to the house after a full circle of the yard…. And it hadn’t exactly done what it was supposed to do, which was sleep-ify her, but it had done something else. She swerved away from the front door on an almost-whim, (it was a pretty solid whim) backtracking around the other way lest she wake up Eric…. The motorhome walls were THIN, and the poor guy needed all the sleep he could get.  

She crept ‘round by the fence, but she stopped... After all, she couldn't go through this without Sophie. Someone had to hold a flashlight. Besides, Sophie would never forgive her if she missed this. So Linnaea doubled back to the house and in a matter of minutes, Sophie was retrieved and recruited.  

"A wise decision," she agreed when Linnaea told her what was afoot. "Better give the poor guy a headstart or Nikki will kill him for sure."  Out they crept, into the night, following their route from hours ago when they had gone to rescue Eric. Gracious, but that seemed a long time ago!   

"Alrighty," Linnaea sighed as they reached the shed. "This is how we're gonna do it, I'll hold the flashlight and you..."  

"Can't sleep, huh?"   

Both girls started, whirling to face Eric. He laughed.   "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you. Came out to check on our prisoners..." 

He glanced at the knife in Sophie's hand. "Gonna let 'em loose?"  

"Without disturbing Nikki, if at all possible," Linnaea clarified. "Rich's life depends on it." 

Slowly she pushed the door open, shining the beam of the flashlight inside. And a pair of decidedly not asleep eyes twinkled back at them. Very silent twinkles. He had heard exactly what was being said, thanks to the lack of insulation in those walls, and he approved. Also very silently. But heartily.  

The girls looked at Eric. Linnaea looked down at the knife in her hand, gave it a considering look, and mind made up, handed it handle first to Eric. He looked at her quizzically, and gestured towards the door, as if to say “be my guest.” She’d come out here to do it, after all, why should it change hands now?  

She did not think the same way. He had steadier hands than her any day, and Rich… well, Rich was gonna be a tough parcel to unwrap. So she looked “pleases” at him, and poked Sophie until she caught on and joined in. Eric took the knife. 

Sophie moved the flashlight beam closer and they saw with relief that Nikki was indeed asleep. They had thought so anyway, but knowing for certain was comforting. Her head was resting on Rich's shoulder though, and that did present difficulties.   

Eric had to kneel in the doorway to reach Rich. The girls peered in over top, trying to keep their giggles silent as Eric sawed away at the tape. Rich kept making dramatic grimaces... He was TRYING to make them laugh, wasn't he?? It wasn't until Sophie motioned with a warning finger and a nod of her head towards the peacefully sleeping and thus blissfully unaware Nikki that Rich stopped. 

And then he went on to be so incredibly solemn faced that it was just as funny as when he’d been grimacing, (cause he was not in the habit of being solemn) and they were endangered greatly all over again.  

Eric glared at him in the middle of getting Rich’s arms unstuck, stopped for a moment,  waved towards the now peaceful face of Nikki, and made KABOOM gestures. Still Rich was solemn. Eric gave up in disgust and went back to his sawing. He had turned a two headed mummy into two separate cocoons, and was beginning to extract the butterfly from the one on the left…. And he could not afford distractions.  

After several minutes of peeling and grunts that weren't muffled as much as they should be, Rich's arms were pulled free. As much as he could, he stretched them and grinned in relief, then turned towards Nikki again as Eric kept working to free his legs. 

Gently, Rich lifted her head and set it back on her pillow. She stirred just barely and all four others froze... But she was still sleeping and they relaxed again. Maybe a little too much. After all, they were THIS close to being home free… well, as home free as they could be with the threat of retaliation hanging over their heads, but for now…. Safe to go to bed and sleep the few hours still left til morning light!   

Yawns were beginning to creep into the situation. And they were contagious. They were being desperately stifled at every turn. The girls were starting to sag against the doorway and Eric was moving slower. It was a very good thing indeed that he sawed through the last bit of tape just then, or all five of them would have ended up sleeping outside.   

Rich helped yank away the last bits of tape and then tried to stand, but was so unsteady, he nearly went down again. Eric grabbed him and dragged him out of the shed moments before disaster could occur. No one even wanted to think what would happen if he went crashing down on top of Nikki.  

And then it was over. Rich wobbled around getting his land legs back, and the lot of them were too zoinked for it to even be a dangerous thing, ridiculous as he did make it even in his exhaustion. 

Two minutes went by. 

Rich still wobbled around in circles, but the circles kept getting smaller and smaller…. Until finally, Linnaea had all she could take of standing upright. It was time they went to bed. HIGH time. 

She marched wearily up to him, hooked her arm through his mid-circle, (it was really only spinning by now) and started off for the motorhome. He made no protest, having been going on autopilot for the last three circles.  

In the end it took all three of them to get him into the motorhome and for the second time that night, they tucked him in bed. He was asleep before they finished and the girls tiptoed back to the house, exhausted beyond belief... 

And yet still laughing, as if it was even possible to laugh when so completely worn out.