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randomplaces2011-02-23 02:08 am
random_xtras) wrote in randomplaces2011-02-23 02:08 am
Entry tags:
Breaker 'verse 13
Alvin took a deep breath and opened his eyes to look at the bottom of the top bunk, then sighed and quirked a grin. Ain't felt this relaxed in awhile.
"Need a drink?" rumbled Ettiene's voice softly, and he turned his head to see the big marine reclining on the couch and watching something on his laptop.
"I don't wanna move."
"Yeah. 'magine not." Ettiene grinned without taking his eyes from the screen.
"What're ya watchin'?" Alvin felt Jubilee stir against his side and looked down at her, feeling the breath catch in his throat. She's so pretty...
"Nightwin'."
"Ah." Alvin closed his eyes and gloried in the feeling of peace, then sighed and kissed first Dove and then Jubilee on the forehead. "Come on, guys, I gotta get up."
"Five more minutes." Jubilee's arm went around his chest.
"Jubes, you're gonna have a lifetime t' snuggle, but I really gotta get up now."
There was silence for a few minutes, then she cracked one eye and looked up at him sleepily. "Zat a proposal?"
"I can do the knee thing, if you want. But I gotta get a ring first." He grinned at her.
She closed her eye and rubbed her cheek against his chest, then reached across him to gently tug on Dove's winghand. "Sounds good. How'd you end up in the bed, anyway?"
"No idea," he said wryly, then frowned and patted Dove's back. "Woah, Sweetheart, wake up 'n gimme Buddy, he's gonna be hungry."
"No. He just ate." She lowered her wings and blinked at him, then stuck out her arm and showed him Star's bottle.
"You should 'a woke me up." The dark haired man winced.
"Why? I know how to make bottles." She twitched an ear, then sat up and scootched off the end of the bed. "You feeling better, Uncle Ettiene?"
"Yeah." He grinned and set the laptop aside, then caught her as she bounced over and wing-glomped him. "Good mornin', Sweetheart.
"Good mornin'." She twitched her ears and kissed him on the cheek, then started and giggled as Star let out an exuberant squeak.
"'Ey, what dat, 'tite?" Ettiene took the tiny boy and cradled him in the crook of one arm. "Y' sayin' good mornin' too?"
Alvin shook his head and gently shoved Jubilee out of the bunk, then sat up himself, wincing and squinting as he felt how stiff his body was.
"Need a hand?" Jubilee's voice was soft.
"I'm okay. You need the bathroom?" He resisted the impulse to put a hand to his ribs, settling for twisting his head slowly from side to side instead.
"No. Just sugar 'n coffee." She yawned hugely.
"Okay." He heaved himself to his feet and went into the bathroom, his mind focused on a warm shower.
When he got back out Henri had joined Ettiene on the couch and Dove was bouncing around in her underpants and chattering at Collete, who was brewing good smells on the camp stove.
Grabbing a Yoda tee and a pair of cargo shorts, he beckoned the girl to come over. "Arms up." He slid the shirt on, helping her slip her wings through the cuts in the back. Then he looked at the burns on his feet while she pulled on her shorts. Not too bad, today. Better than yesterday.
"But, Vader, I need to take a shower." She fastened the button on the shorts. "You said not to take showers vith my clothes on."
"Right now, you need clothes on."
"Vhy?"
Jubilee snorted from where she cuddled with Star and a huge cup of coffee on the kitchen end of the couch.
He cut a glance at her, a look that said, 'She's gonna be your daughter too.' Then he pulled Dove over and whispered in her ear. "It isn't appropriate. You aren't doing anything wrong. We just don't want to give anyone else the wrong idea."
"Oh." She put her ears back in a frown, then flicked them forward and giggled as one bopped him on the nose.
"Dat woman, she kick hard," noted Ettiene from the couch, sounding awed. Henri nodded silent agreement.
Alvin moved over to where he could watch, plopping down in front of and slightly to one side of Jubilee. He leaned his head back and then nearly broke some teeth as Dove did a swan dive into his lap. "Oh, easy there, Sweetheart." He winced as she made herself comfy.
"Did I hurt you?" She paused in her snuggling to cock her head and point her ears back at him.
"Not so much as I already hurt and you reminded me." He shivered slightly as his breath made her fine white hair do little dances and tickle his neck.
"I hurt you yesterday, vhen you catch me." Her ears went toward the computer as someone started shooting. "Vhat's that?"
"Ouch," said Ettiene, then shot a glance their way. "What y' mean 'catch'? I miss somet'in'?"
"I flew!" said Dove, forgetting Alvin's injured status and bouncing excitedly, one wing catching him gently in the side.
"OOMph!" He pushed the excited child out of his lap and watched her scramble up next to the Cajun, chattering endlessly about her newly acquired skill.
"Whoa, whoa der, 'tite! Slow down, dis be d' South. Now, what be dis 'bout yer flyin?" Ettiene was yanked from the couch and dragged out the door in the little girl's eagerness to show him. Alvin barely managed to catch the laptop as it fell.
"You hommes stop gettin' dat chil' so worked up b'foe breakfast," scolded Collette from the kitchen.
Henri's big hand came down on the back of Alvin's shirt and pulled him into the place that Ettiene had just vacated, then carefully pushed the computer back open.
"OOOmphfff..." The sound trailed off as his back eased into the soft cushions. He sighed as deeply as his soreness allowed and adjusted the screen so all three of them could see. When Jubilee snuggled toward him he responded by curling his arm around her shoulders and leaning into her soft strength.
"Mmm," she murmured contentedly, letting her head rest against him. "I could do this forever."
QUIET, said Henri. TROUBLE.
The dark headed woman blew a soft raspberry in response to the giant's silent words.
Once the video had finished its play Collette set the food under covers and motioned for her husband to go outside, handing him a plate. Henri followed her into the sunshine, leaving the comfortable pair to themselves for the moment.
Alvin clicked out of the video player, then opened his email browser and checked to see if there was anything new from SE. At his sigh of frustration, Jubes cracked open an eye.
"Prollem?"
"I don't understand. He hasn't contacted me or Shana recently. I know he can take care of himself but..."
She shifted slightly and kissed Star, then took a sip of her coffee and shuddered. "Ugh. Well, he's with Wolvie, so he's proly okay."
He gave a soft grunt and pulled up the satellite feed from his friend's last known position. Using the last few days, he tried to backtrack with several programs, including infrared and spectral. Several larger heat signatures popped up in the area but he couldn't lock on anything specific.
"Ugh! I can't find them." He ran a hand through his unruly brown hair.
"What're those hot spots?" Jubilee quirked a grin as Star sighed in huge empathy and accidentally spit his soother out.
"Not sure. They sure read awfully hot. Too big to be Snakes or Logan. Or even a bear..." He picked up the baby's soother and teased him with it gently before letting him have it back.
"Okay, that's just, like, too freaking spooky." Jubilee frowned and shivered slightly, then dropped her voice and muttered under her breath something about, "Please, God, no more crazy aliens letting their dogs out for a run."
Alvin pulled her close. "Aw, don't worry. Between the two of us, we can take care of things with a little help."
She gave him a slightly haunted look, then started and jabbed him in the chest with her shoulder as a cell phone went off in the depths of the couch.
"Pain, the pain..." he gasped, teasing her as he dug for the offending object.
"Uh, I think that's mine." Jubilee moved away from him and stuck her own hand between the cushions, grabbing his wrist instead of the still insistently deedling phone. "Whoops, heh..."
He turned his wrist to capture hers and bring it to his ear. Poking it, he smirked. "Hello? Hello? Any one there?" His right hand slid behind her, digging underneath the cushion for the real phone.
"Yeep! Leggo! That's ticklish!" She squirmed and tried to pull away, knocking the coffee cup off the couch arm behind her. "Al! I mean it! Oh... um, if it's still ringin' that's gotta be Wolvie."
Alvin fished out the small phone and handed it to her with a flourish, kissing her fingers before hopping up to check on Dove. "Back in a sec." He walked toward the door, biting his lip to hold back a wince as his feet and ribs ganged up on him and his stomach suddenly roared a protest at the delay in getting breakfast. Sheesh.
Frowning, he detoured into the kitchen and grabbed a piece of pan bread and some ham. Adding a couple spoonfuls of scrambled eggs and folding everything together, he went to lean on the doorpost and watch his daughter do glides back and forth across the yard. Occasional shouts were heard as Ettiene would give advice about lift and push, and behind him he could hear an occasional murmur as Jubilee talked to her adopted father.
A note in her voice made him turn to listen.
"Uh, yeah, I'm having lots of fun." She stuck the phone between her shoulder and ear and moved Star from the crook of her arm to her other shoulder. "No, no Cajun guys are hitting on me." She grinned widely and cut a glance toward Al. "They, like, know better, don't worry. So, like, how're you doin'? I was worried, ya big lug! Huh? Oh... You can't? No way, how can you not find something if you can smell it? What's it smell like? Human and something else? And really hot? Uh... okay. Um..." She reached over and took the laptop from the coffee table and expertly inputted Al's password to call up the images of the hot spots. "Try over here." She recited off the coordinates. "No. Just a friend's computer."
Alvin moved over to see what she had called up, watching the red hot signatures move around. He raised an eyebrow at her and waited as the conversation continued.
"Yeah, they just moved away. You didn' see anything? A strange sound?" She started and looked up with wide eyes as something banged against the corner of the cabin and made the windows rattle.
"Careful, mon ange! Dat be de house!" roared Ettiene.
"Crap." Alvin hustled out the door in time to see Henri help Dove to her feet. "You okay, Sweetheart?"
"Oui." She flicked her ears back and forth, cocking her head as she tried to work out exactly where she was. "Did I hurt the house?"
"Sha could'n hurt dis house if she tried," said Collette from where she sat on the porch railing.
The big marine in the yard laughed. "You ain't seen Sweetheart do fire den, have ya?"
"What y' talkin' 'bout?" The Creole girl frowned at him as her husband ruffled Dove's hair and stepped back.
"NOT... not now, E. I don't want her do that right now, okay?" Alvin bit off his sudden something or other and breathed out. "Let's stick to the flying right now and get that part down. No fire, Sweetheart, okay?"
"Okay..." She gave him a funny look that matched her honorary uncle's. "Somethin' vrong?"
"Oh, yeah, that's a baby. He's talkin' to the sunbeam on the back of the couch," said Jubilee from inside, her voice carefully chirpy. "Um, no, he's not Jeanette's. Yeah, somethin' like that. Look, Wolvie, I really gotta go. I haven't even had breakfast yet, 'n the guys're already out in the yard playin' without me. Luv ya, eh? Bye bye!"
Alvin split his attention back to her, giving her a wane smile before answering Dove. "Nothing is wrong. It's just not time for fire." He sent his friend a glare that said 'Not now'.
Ettiene frowned at him again, but nodded and turned to Henri. "Y'all eat all de breakfas'?"
"Breakfast?" Dove paused with her wings outspread and looked guiltily toward Alvin. "I'm coming, Vader."
He ruffled her fine white hair as she bounced into the cabin aiming for the food, then watched as she picked the few things she liked and sat at the table, waiting for him to join her. He grabbed another combo of flatbread, ham and eggs and sat, bowing his head.
"Hâte, Uncle Ettiene," urged Dove as the marine came in and grabbed a huge plate of food, then twitched her ears at Jubilee and bowed her own head. "God is great, God is good, und ve thank Him for our food. Amen."
"Amen. So, what's the word from Logan?" Caramel colored eyes looked across the table at Jubilee. Ettiene squinted at the sunlight as Collette and Henri joined them.
The dark haired woman snorted and folded one leg under her bottom so that she could rest her elbow on it and hold Star more comfortably. "I'd think he was chasin' foo fighters if it wasn't for those energy signatures. He says whatever they are they smell like they're half human and really hot." She reached for the sugar bowl and started heaping sweetener on top of her oatmeal. "Oh, and Snakes says hi to Dove."
"Hi." The little girl looked over her plate. "Vhere is Uncle Snakes?"
"By his house, lookin' fer somethin'," said Alvin, scowling as Ettiene slugged him for trying to take ham off the marine's plate.
"Vhere's his house?" Dove looked at her plate and pushed it toward him. "I'm done. May I be 'scused?"
"In... the... mountains..." The two friends were in a tussle over the ham at this point. "And yes... Hey!" A large hand swiped the piece of meat and Henri calmly began to cut it on his plate. Alvin eyed the big man and had to laugh. "You could'a just asked."
"Dat boy don' say not'in'." Ettiene shook his head and got up to bring the whole platter to the table. "What y' doin', Sweetheart?"
"Lookin' at a book." She ran her fingers curiously over a page of the braille book she'd taken from the library suitcase, then perked her ears toward the door. "May I go play?"
"Sure. Only, no flying without one of us to watch you, okay?" Alvin watched her ears flick and saw her nod as she bounced out the door. "Tennis, anyone?"
next
"Need a drink?" rumbled Ettiene's voice softly, and he turned his head to see the big marine reclining on the couch and watching something on his laptop.
"I don't wanna move."
"Yeah. 'magine not." Ettiene grinned without taking his eyes from the screen.
"What're ya watchin'?" Alvin felt Jubilee stir against his side and looked down at her, feeling the breath catch in his throat. She's so pretty...
"Nightwin'."
"Ah." Alvin closed his eyes and gloried in the feeling of peace, then sighed and kissed first Dove and then Jubilee on the forehead. "Come on, guys, I gotta get up."
"Five more minutes." Jubilee's arm went around his chest.
"Jubes, you're gonna have a lifetime t' snuggle, but I really gotta get up now."
There was silence for a few minutes, then she cracked one eye and looked up at him sleepily. "Zat a proposal?"
"I can do the knee thing, if you want. But I gotta get a ring first." He grinned at her.
She closed her eye and rubbed her cheek against his chest, then reached across him to gently tug on Dove's winghand. "Sounds good. How'd you end up in the bed, anyway?"
"No idea," he said wryly, then frowned and patted Dove's back. "Woah, Sweetheart, wake up 'n gimme Buddy, he's gonna be hungry."
"No. He just ate." She lowered her wings and blinked at him, then stuck out her arm and showed him Star's bottle.
"You should 'a woke me up." The dark haired man winced.
"Why? I know how to make bottles." She twitched an ear, then sat up and scootched off the end of the bed. "You feeling better, Uncle Ettiene?"
"Yeah." He grinned and set the laptop aside, then caught her as she bounced over and wing-glomped him. "Good mornin', Sweetheart.
"Good mornin'." She twitched her ears and kissed him on the cheek, then started and giggled as Star let out an exuberant squeak.
"'Ey, what dat, 'tite?" Ettiene took the tiny boy and cradled him in the crook of one arm. "Y' sayin' good mornin' too?"
Alvin shook his head and gently shoved Jubilee out of the bunk, then sat up himself, wincing and squinting as he felt how stiff his body was.
"Need a hand?" Jubilee's voice was soft.
"I'm okay. You need the bathroom?" He resisted the impulse to put a hand to his ribs, settling for twisting his head slowly from side to side instead.
"No. Just sugar 'n coffee." She yawned hugely.
"Okay." He heaved himself to his feet and went into the bathroom, his mind focused on a warm shower.
When he got back out Henri had joined Ettiene on the couch and Dove was bouncing around in her underpants and chattering at Collete, who was brewing good smells on the camp stove.
Grabbing a Yoda tee and a pair of cargo shorts, he beckoned the girl to come over. "Arms up." He slid the shirt on, helping her slip her wings through the cuts in the back. Then he looked at the burns on his feet while she pulled on her shorts. Not too bad, today. Better than yesterday.
"But, Vader, I need to take a shower." She fastened the button on the shorts. "You said not to take showers vith my clothes on."
"Right now, you need clothes on."
"Vhy?"
Jubilee snorted from where she cuddled with Star and a huge cup of coffee on the kitchen end of the couch.
He cut a glance at her, a look that said, 'She's gonna be your daughter too.' Then he pulled Dove over and whispered in her ear. "It isn't appropriate. You aren't doing anything wrong. We just don't want to give anyone else the wrong idea."
"Oh." She put her ears back in a frown, then flicked them forward and giggled as one bopped him on the nose.
"Dat woman, she kick hard," noted Ettiene from the couch, sounding awed. Henri nodded silent agreement.
Alvin moved over to where he could watch, plopping down in front of and slightly to one side of Jubilee. He leaned his head back and then nearly broke some teeth as Dove did a swan dive into his lap. "Oh, easy there, Sweetheart." He winced as she made herself comfy.
"Did I hurt you?" She paused in her snuggling to cock her head and point her ears back at him.
"Not so much as I already hurt and you reminded me." He shivered slightly as his breath made her fine white hair do little dances and tickle his neck.
"I hurt you yesterday, vhen you catch me." Her ears went toward the computer as someone started shooting. "Vhat's that?"
"Ouch," said Ettiene, then shot a glance their way. "What y' mean 'catch'? I miss somet'in'?"
"I flew!" said Dove, forgetting Alvin's injured status and bouncing excitedly, one wing catching him gently in the side.
"OOMph!" He pushed the excited child out of his lap and watched her scramble up next to the Cajun, chattering endlessly about her newly acquired skill.
"Whoa, whoa der, 'tite! Slow down, dis be d' South. Now, what be dis 'bout yer flyin?" Ettiene was yanked from the couch and dragged out the door in the little girl's eagerness to show him. Alvin barely managed to catch the laptop as it fell.
"You hommes stop gettin' dat chil' so worked up b'foe breakfast," scolded Collette from the kitchen.
Henri's big hand came down on the back of Alvin's shirt and pulled him into the place that Ettiene had just vacated, then carefully pushed the computer back open.
"OOOmphfff..." The sound trailed off as his back eased into the soft cushions. He sighed as deeply as his soreness allowed and adjusted the screen so all three of them could see. When Jubilee snuggled toward him he responded by curling his arm around her shoulders and leaning into her soft strength.
"Mmm," she murmured contentedly, letting her head rest against him. "I could do this forever."
QUIET, said Henri. TROUBLE.
The dark headed woman blew a soft raspberry in response to the giant's silent words.
Once the video had finished its play Collette set the food under covers and motioned for her husband to go outside, handing him a plate. Henri followed her into the sunshine, leaving the comfortable pair to themselves for the moment.
Alvin clicked out of the video player, then opened his email browser and checked to see if there was anything new from SE. At his sigh of frustration, Jubes cracked open an eye.
"Prollem?"
"I don't understand. He hasn't contacted me or Shana recently. I know he can take care of himself but..."
She shifted slightly and kissed Star, then took a sip of her coffee and shuddered. "Ugh. Well, he's with Wolvie, so he's proly okay."
He gave a soft grunt and pulled up the satellite feed from his friend's last known position. Using the last few days, he tried to backtrack with several programs, including infrared and spectral. Several larger heat signatures popped up in the area but he couldn't lock on anything specific.
"Ugh! I can't find them." He ran a hand through his unruly brown hair.
"What're those hot spots?" Jubilee quirked a grin as Star sighed in huge empathy and accidentally spit his soother out.
"Not sure. They sure read awfully hot. Too big to be Snakes or Logan. Or even a bear..." He picked up the baby's soother and teased him with it gently before letting him have it back.
"Okay, that's just, like, too freaking spooky." Jubilee frowned and shivered slightly, then dropped her voice and muttered under her breath something about, "Please, God, no more crazy aliens letting their dogs out for a run."
Alvin pulled her close. "Aw, don't worry. Between the two of us, we can take care of things with a little help."
She gave him a slightly haunted look, then started and jabbed him in the chest with her shoulder as a cell phone went off in the depths of the couch.
"Pain, the pain..." he gasped, teasing her as he dug for the offending object.
"Uh, I think that's mine." Jubilee moved away from him and stuck her own hand between the cushions, grabbing his wrist instead of the still insistently deedling phone. "Whoops, heh..."
He turned his wrist to capture hers and bring it to his ear. Poking it, he smirked. "Hello? Hello? Any one there?" His right hand slid behind her, digging underneath the cushion for the real phone.
"Yeep! Leggo! That's ticklish!" She squirmed and tried to pull away, knocking the coffee cup off the couch arm behind her. "Al! I mean it! Oh... um, if it's still ringin' that's gotta be Wolvie."
Alvin fished out the small phone and handed it to her with a flourish, kissing her fingers before hopping up to check on Dove. "Back in a sec." He walked toward the door, biting his lip to hold back a wince as his feet and ribs ganged up on him and his stomach suddenly roared a protest at the delay in getting breakfast. Sheesh.
Frowning, he detoured into the kitchen and grabbed a piece of pan bread and some ham. Adding a couple spoonfuls of scrambled eggs and folding everything together, he went to lean on the doorpost and watch his daughter do glides back and forth across the yard. Occasional shouts were heard as Ettiene would give advice about lift and push, and behind him he could hear an occasional murmur as Jubilee talked to her adopted father.
A note in her voice made him turn to listen.
"Uh, yeah, I'm having lots of fun." She stuck the phone between her shoulder and ear and moved Star from the crook of her arm to her other shoulder. "No, no Cajun guys are hitting on me." She grinned widely and cut a glance toward Al. "They, like, know better, don't worry. So, like, how're you doin'? I was worried, ya big lug! Huh? Oh... You can't? No way, how can you not find something if you can smell it? What's it smell like? Human and something else? And really hot? Uh... okay. Um..." She reached over and took the laptop from the coffee table and expertly inputted Al's password to call up the images of the hot spots. "Try over here." She recited off the coordinates. "No. Just a friend's computer."
Alvin moved over to see what she had called up, watching the red hot signatures move around. He raised an eyebrow at her and waited as the conversation continued.
"Yeah, they just moved away. You didn' see anything? A strange sound?" She started and looked up with wide eyes as something banged against the corner of the cabin and made the windows rattle.
"Careful, mon ange! Dat be de house!" roared Ettiene.
"Crap." Alvin hustled out the door in time to see Henri help Dove to her feet. "You okay, Sweetheart?"
"Oui." She flicked her ears back and forth, cocking her head as she tried to work out exactly where she was. "Did I hurt the house?"
"Sha could'n hurt dis house if she tried," said Collette from where she sat on the porch railing.
The big marine in the yard laughed. "You ain't seen Sweetheart do fire den, have ya?"
"What y' talkin' 'bout?" The Creole girl frowned at him as her husband ruffled Dove's hair and stepped back.
"NOT... not now, E. I don't want her do that right now, okay?" Alvin bit off his sudden something or other and breathed out. "Let's stick to the flying right now and get that part down. No fire, Sweetheart, okay?"
"Okay..." She gave him a funny look that matched her honorary uncle's. "Somethin' vrong?"
"Oh, yeah, that's a baby. He's talkin' to the sunbeam on the back of the couch," said Jubilee from inside, her voice carefully chirpy. "Um, no, he's not Jeanette's. Yeah, somethin' like that. Look, Wolvie, I really gotta go. I haven't even had breakfast yet, 'n the guys're already out in the yard playin' without me. Luv ya, eh? Bye bye!"
Alvin split his attention back to her, giving her a wane smile before answering Dove. "Nothing is wrong. It's just not time for fire." He sent his friend a glare that said 'Not now'.
Ettiene frowned at him again, but nodded and turned to Henri. "Y'all eat all de breakfas'?"
"Breakfast?" Dove paused with her wings outspread and looked guiltily toward Alvin. "I'm coming, Vader."
He ruffled her fine white hair as she bounced into the cabin aiming for the food, then watched as she picked the few things she liked and sat at the table, waiting for him to join her. He grabbed another combo of flatbread, ham and eggs and sat, bowing his head.
"Hâte, Uncle Ettiene," urged Dove as the marine came in and grabbed a huge plate of food, then twitched her ears at Jubilee and bowed her own head. "God is great, God is good, und ve thank Him for our food. Amen."
"Amen. So, what's the word from Logan?" Caramel colored eyes looked across the table at Jubilee. Ettiene squinted at the sunlight as Collette and Henri joined them.
The dark haired woman snorted and folded one leg under her bottom so that she could rest her elbow on it and hold Star more comfortably. "I'd think he was chasin' foo fighters if it wasn't for those energy signatures. He says whatever they are they smell like they're half human and really hot." She reached for the sugar bowl and started heaping sweetener on top of her oatmeal. "Oh, and Snakes says hi to Dove."
"Hi." The little girl looked over her plate. "Vhere is Uncle Snakes?"
"By his house, lookin' fer somethin'," said Alvin, scowling as Ettiene slugged him for trying to take ham off the marine's plate.
"Vhere's his house?" Dove looked at her plate and pushed it toward him. "I'm done. May I be 'scused?"
"In... the... mountains..." The two friends were in a tussle over the ham at this point. "And yes... Hey!" A large hand swiped the piece of meat and Henri calmly began to cut it on his plate. Alvin eyed the big man and had to laugh. "You could'a just asked."
"Dat boy don' say not'in'." Ettiene shook his head and got up to bring the whole platter to the table. "What y' doin', Sweetheart?"
"Lookin' at a book." She ran her fingers curiously over a page of the braille book she'd taken from the library suitcase, then perked her ears toward the door. "May I go play?"
"Sure. Only, no flying without one of us to watch you, okay?" Alvin watched her ears flick and saw her nod as she bounced out the door. "Tennis, anyone?"
next