The Long Story

[ticky]

was just thinking bout that Danielle... they are long over due *G*

[Mrs Henley]

Haha, I was just wondering

[ticky]

Almanzo and Danielle pushed through the front doors of The Sad Cafe looking at each other and laughing. Thats most likely why they didnt, at first, notice the emptiness and abandoned feeling in the old dive. Almanzo looked up from the face of his beloved Danielle and glanced around. His brow furrowed and a slight look of confusion came over his face.
"Where is everyone?"
Danielle stopped laughing and tore her eyes away from Don's face. She looked around the cafe and noticed the empty booths, dusty tables and lack of brewing coffee pots behind the counters.
"OH Pooh! I was so much wanting a good hot cup of coffee. Where is that waitress?"
Almanzo smiled at the lovely young woman holding his arm. "I do believe, sweetheart, we are the only ones here!.. Hello?" He called out.
There was no answer. Almanzo glanced around the cafe thoroughly and saw no one. He peeked out the door to see if anyone was coming.
"Well, I dont see the harm in just brewing a pot of coffee. I'm sure someone will be back shortly."
Almanzo hopped behind the counter and started searching for the coffee brewing equipment. Danielle laughed
"Oh Almanzo, Men are as useless in the kitchen as a bicycle to a fish! Oh let me.." Danielle scooted behind the counter and immediately found all the supplies she needed.
"You see? It takes a woman to know a woman's ways!"
Almanzo looked skeptically at Danielle.
"You think a man cant make his way around a woman kitchen?" Almanzo smiled broadly showing all his white teeth. His face was transformed when he did this from a stoic grumpy looking old man, to handsome, charming and suave. Danielle caressed his face and looked lovingly into his eyes.
"Darling, you are so handsome. You should smile more!"
Almanzo took her hand, turned it palm up and kissed it softly.
"You give me reason to smile" he grinned. "Now, you just sit down here at the counter and I will explore the kitchen! If we're lucky..." He rifled through the refrigerator, "We Are!, .. We will have the best omelettes you have ever tasted!"
Almanzo made himself at home in the small but efficient kitchen. He soon had eggs cracked and onions chopped, milk poured and a pan heating.
Danielle was impressed by his skill and abilities in the kitchen. Of course she was already well acquainted with his skills in other areas. The thought of this made her smile.
The smell of the fresh brewed coffee filled the air and soon the smell of onions and peppers frying in butter joined the coffee to make a mix that made Danielle's stomach growl.
The front door bell tinkled and in stepped Sheriff Soda.
Almanzo started but then noticed the Sheriff's deadly git was harnessed and safe away from any harm it might bring. He smiled
"Well Hello Sheriff! Im sorry if we're trespassing. No one was in here at the cafe and Danielle and I were starving! Have you people ever heard of McDonalds out here?"
The Sheriff sniffed the wonderful smells floating by and said
"Henley. I'll forget all about that trespassing thing if I can talk ya'll out of a cup of that coffee."
Danielle hopped up and got a cup of coffee for the sheriff. She set it down on a coaster in front of where the sheriff had sat at the counter.
"Whatever it is you are cookin up back there sure smells spectacular!"
Almanzo smiled again and shook his head. He was in trouble. He just became the new fry cook for Lisa's cafe.
"I'll double the order Sheriff."
"Oh no, dont go to any trouble! After all, it's not like this is your cafe." Sheriff Soda grinned at him. She knew she had him on the hook and was going to milk it for all it was worth.
Almanzo smiled, looked down and shook his head. He was hooked like a fish on the line.
"No problem at all Sheriff" More eggs, more cheese, more onions and peppers.
The door opened again and in stepped Joe and Rhonda. They were sniffing the air like a couple of bloodhounds.
"What is that amazing smell! Is Lisa Back?" Rhonda asked anxiously.
Sheriff Soda smiled and shook her head.
"Nope, that would be Mr. Henley back there."
Almanzo looked up through the service hole and waved hello to the couple at the door.
"Hey there! Names Almanzo, Im Don's brother, and this is my beautiful parnter in crime, Danielle."
Danielle greeted the two with a friendly hand shake and asked them to sit. She poured them each a steaming fresh cup of hot coffee.
Joe and Rhonda looked at each other and shrugged.
"Gift Horse.." Joe said to Rhonda.
"Riiight.." Rhonda said back.
They sat and sipped the coffee.
"Do you two want some of this Omelette action we've got going back here?" Almanzo asked.
"Absolutely!" Joe said without question. Rhonda agreed whole-heartedly. they were both starving.
"Umm.. Almanzo?" Joe began. "Did you say you were Don's brother?" Almanzo, laughed to himself and looked up at the blond man at the counter. He came out from the kitchen where Joe and Rhonda could get a good look at him.
"That I am" Almanzo smiled at the two's reaction. Joe whistled low and slow like a tea kettle cooling down. Rhonda's jaw dropped.
"Just how many dopplegangers are running around this place anyway?" she asked to no one in particular.
Almanzo grinned. He was used to this reaction. Even for identical twins, he and his brother were uncannily alike, except for now, except for the eyes.
Joe cleared his throat.
"Uh, we just left your brother. He's over at the Bitter Creek Ranch. nearly got himself riffed to death! Turns out he's not hurt, just drunk as a skunk."
Almanzo's smile faded and he dropped his spatula.
"Is he alright?"
"Oh yeah! he's fine. Better then before in fact! Jessica was so worried about him, she came running. She's looking after him now!"
"Riffed?" Sheriff Soda looked at Joe. She was disgusted. "Was it Tim?"
Joe smiled. He was aware of Tim's past with the Sheriff.
"Oh no Sheriff. It was that hot shot ax slinger they got over there. Not Fiddler, Stewart I think his name is."
Sheriff Soda set her coffee cup down heavily and sighed.
"Ill go have a talk with him this afternoon."
Almanzo started to clean himself up and walk out when Sheriff Soda stopped him
"Whoa there, Doolin Dalton where do you think you're goin?"
Almanzo had lost all sense of humor and looked more serious and pensive then Danielle had ever seen him.
"My brother needs me. He needs his family around him right now." He started towards the door.
Danielle grasped his arm.
"But darling, He's fine! He's drunk! you know how your brother gets when he's been drinking! Besides, Jessica is with him. He will be alright!"
Joe piped in
"besides, it's not pleasant there right now. Don Chugged All Night and was suffering a Tequila Sunrise this morning. Danielle had her hands full cleaning him up! I think I'd give Bitter Creek Ranch plenty of space for a while."
Almanzo looked down. He scowled at his nikes. They sure were comfortable! He smiled. He looked up into the face of Danielle. She smiled back at him.
"You're right." Almanzo smiled. It was safer for Danielle, if Don was drunk, that he and she stay here.
"Besides," said Sheriff Soda, "Im starvin. I'd hate to run you in for makin a huge mess in Lisa's kitchen without her permission." Sheriff Soda grinned.
Almanzo laughed to himself and shook his head.
"You win, sheriff!" He headed back behind the counter to the kitchen, picking up his dropped spatual and tossing it into the sink.
The bell on the door rang again and Tim sauntered in. His eyes grew wide at the sight of Sheriff Soda. Tim smiled tentatively at the Sheriff.
"Oh come on in Schmit, Im not gonna riff ANYbody till I get my omelett!" The Sheriff grinned at Tim, who shot her a wan smile back.
"umm.. Omelette? is Lisa back?" Tim glanced behind the counter at Almanzo. "Oh hey Almanzo! What are you doing back there?"
"A strange twist of fate, my man!" Almanzo grinned. "Omelette?"
"Uh sure! that'd be great!" Tim smiled back at the friendly man behind the grill.
Danielle jumped up and poured Tim a cup of coffee and set about making another pot.
"Uhh.. So Rhonda and I are headed for Las Vegas to find Lisa and Frank. There's a real scary guy who's got his hands on the Deed to this place staying at The Last Resort. We're going to find Lisa and find out if she knows whats going on." Joe was looking at Sheriff Soda.
Sheriff Soda stopped drinking her coffee and looked at Joe. "exactly what does this scary guy look like?"
Joe discribed him to the Sheriff glancing occasionally at Tim.
"this is bad." The Sheriff said looking deep into her coffee. Danielle hopped up and offered the Sheriff another cup of coffee "It's fresh! it will not be bad!"
The Sheriff looked at her as if she had corn growing out of her ears.
"What? Oh no.. I meant the stranger in town.. not the coffee, this is fine." Sheriff covered her cup with her hand.
The Sheriff tore her gaze away from Danielle and looked at Joe. "You said this guy was at The Last Resort? Maybe I'll go have a chat with him."
"Well, I still think we'll head for Vegas and see if we cant hunt down Frank and Lisa. They need to know whats going on here." Joe nodded at Rhonda.
"Can we eat first?" Rhonda had been starving since they had woke up this morning and the smell of Almanzo's omelettes were eating her up from the inside out. Joe smiled at her then sniffed the air. His eyes closed and his stomache growled.
"Oh yeah, after we eat!" Joe licked his lips.
Almanzo came out of the kitchen carrying two plates and set one in front of Sheriff Soda and one in front of Joe. Rhonda looked hungrily at Joe's plate as Joe dug in. He looked up and saw Rhonda looking at his dish the same way she was looking at him the night before. He scooped up a particularly juicy piece of omelette dripping with cheese and fed it to her. She smiled, gratefully took the piece. Savored it briefly then kissed Joe.
"Thanks" she smiled. He smiled back at her and filled him own mouth with the delicious eggs.
"Well Damn Henely! This is fantastic!" Sheriff Soda spoke through a mouthfull of eggs and cheese.
Almanzo continued to bring out plate after plate of omelettes and serve all the friends. Danielle filled coffee cups and the cafe was filled with the sounds of happy hungry people enjoying their meals. Something it hadnt experienced in a very long time.

[Mrs Henley]

Rhonda *smile*

We have to find Lisa and Frank!

[Mrs Henley]

Want an omelett Nancy?

[ticky]

I'll call Almanzo..

[Mrs Henley]

Can you give me his number Rhonda? lol.
Who wants some coffee?, it's fresh

[ticky]

Sheriff Soda sauntered across the parking lot of The Last Resort on her way to The Bitter Creek Ranch. She was in no hurry. She didnt really want to talk to Stewart about the riffing, but this was her job. No one had been hurt and she was sure that, just from that fact, he'd taken a real ribbing from all the other guys. Stewart was, after all supposed to be a big shot with his git. A miss on an easy shot like that would put him up for ridicule from the other guys for months! Maybe he'd learned his lesson.. and maybe not. It could be he's now out to earn his title back and that made everyone a target. Especially Fiddler, who was the one thing standing between Stewart and what he saw as his rightful place as crew boss. Yeah, no doubt about it. Stewart needed to be considered a danger to the publics health. That public being Fiddler. Sheriff Soda walked a bit faster towards the ranch. She liked Fiddler. He was a tough cookie but smart and knew how to deal with his men. She'd hate to see anything happen to him.
She walked up the long drive to the ranch and beneath the archway sign signifying the entrance to Bitter Creek Ranch. She heard the old car before she saw it. An old Ford Mercury rumbled up the drive towards her and stopped beside her. The window on the passenger side rolled down and there, leaning across the seat was a man who could have been Frank's twin brother (or Glenn's for that matter) but for an extra 10 years. His dark brown hair was shorter then Franks and his eyes were, if possible a deeper, darker blue. There was just a hint of graying at his temples but the same amazing smile and dimples marked this man when he smiled out the window at Sheriff Soda.
"Well hey there Nancy! What brings you out this way? Did my little brother get into some nasty scrape?" My God but that man was handsome and charming.
Sheriff Soda smiled wide. She couldnt help it. This man had that effect on her
"James! It's good to see you. Im actually coming to see Fiddler about one of the guys." Sheriff Soda grinned haplessly back at the stunning smile of the sexy man in the car. Her feet began to sweat.
James looked concerned. "Is everyone alright?"
Nancy smiled. "Oh yeah, everyone is fine. No one got hurt. Thats why Im here just to talk!"
James looked visibly relieved. He was part owner of this ranch with his little brothers and any "accidents" here, purposeful or not, could break them and they'd loose everything.
"Well, hop on in here girl and I'll give you a lift!" James smiled that "you know you cant resist me" smile at Nancy, and she couldn't. Even though she only had a few yards left to walk to the Ranch House, she sat happily next to James. He smiled at her and her palms began to sweat too. She was going to need a shower after this ride! The old Mercury roared up the gravel drive and stopped in front of the ranch house. Nancy started to open the door but James gave her an "Ahh!" and she waited. He jumped out, ran to the other side of the car and opened the door for her.
For no other man, would she have put up with this kind of behavior, but this was James Frey. Little birds seemed to sing at the mention of his name, flowers bloomed and rainbows arched across the sky.
"GOOD GOD Nancy! Get a hold of yourself!" she said silently and shook her head. She smiled sweetly at James as she stepped out of the car. He took her hand as she got out. The electricity between the two was undeniable and obvious. They were and always had been obviously attracted to each other. Why they had never consummated this attraction, no one knew. They had both had other relationships that had failed miserably but never with each other. Nancy stood by the car, James held her hands and stood so close the heat of his body warmed her and his breath stirred her hair. He lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles. She watched as her hand rose and his lips brushed the skin and he smiled at her. It was like watching a movie. One that made your heart beat fast and your breath come short. One that you'd rent over and over and over just for that one scene. The spell was finally broken when the door of the ranch house opened. Nancy looked up in time to see Jessica walking down the steps towards them. James never took his eyes off Nancy till Jessica was standing right in front of them.

I have to make dinner for the roaring hoards.. More to come!!

[ticky]

Ok, get ready... JUMP....

Dr. EV was in her office. It was office hours and she was up to her elbows in a goat named Barney who had a bowel obstruction. We wont go into further details. We'll just say Barney is fine and recovering. During Barney's surgery, Glenn came rushing in to the office and stopped short when he saw where Dr. EV's hands, arms and elbows were and cringed.
"Damn it Glenn! Im a little busy here! Do you think you can wait in my office while I finish up?" Dr. EV upset. She wasnt used to having delicate procedures like this disturbed. She was a doctor and was trying to help an animal that needed her and deserved a little respect as well. She took her job seriously and resented it when others didnt.
Glenn looked away but didnt leave the procedure room.
"Im sorry baby, but I cant wait, I need to tell you something and I have to do it now." Glenn was sweating and breathing hard. He'd been running, that much was obvious, but his linen pants and white cotton button up shirt were soaked. His shirt was unbuttoned to his belly and his dark chest hair was matted with sweat. His dark hair fell over his forehead soaked with sweat as well giving him the look of a little boy with those long dark eye lashes and blue eyes. Dr. EV took one look at him and forgot about Barney, even though he was attached to her in a most uncomfortable way. Glenn had the look of fear on his face, like a man who'd been running for his life.
"Glenn?" Dr. EV had lost the edge to her voice. "Honey? are you alright?"
Glenn leaned hard against the wall of the procedure room and threw his head back.
"No baby, no Im not." Glenn held his head with both hands, then ran his hands through his hair and looked right at Dr.EV ignoring where her hands were and what they were doing. Dr. EV turned her attention to Barney and said over her shoulder,
"Talk to me sweetheart, I'll finish this up and we'll go in my office"
Glenn looked down at his feet and shook his head.
"Im sorry babe, there's no time. I have to leave town." Dr. EV's head popped up and whipped around to look wide eyed at Glenn.
"What do you mean? What are you running from Glenn?"
Glenn looked like he was about to cry. He'd never been so vulnerable or scared. Not that Dr.EV had ever seen.
"Evey, baby, they've found me and unless I leave town Im a dead man." Glenn dropped his head in his hands and Eve was sure he was indeed crying now.
Eve twisted her arm first right, then left then pushed. Barney let out a loud complaint.
"Got it!" She pulled out her arm, gave her assistant some last instructions on Barney's recovery and went to the sink to wash up. As she scrubbed her arms and hands she looked back over at Glenn who was sitting on the floor by the Procedure room door with his head in his hands.
Eve finished washing and walked over to Glenn. She knelt in front of him and put her arms around him. He looked up and put his arms around her. She stood and he came with her. She put her arm around his waist and lead him into her office. She closed the door and no more then turned around when he slipped his arms around her and cried into her shoulder.
"Im sorry baby, Im so so sorry. You have to believe me. I would never had done anything like this if I had had a choice. They wanted me dead so I hid, and now they've found me."
Eve pulled Glenn back a few inches and held his chin up so she could see into his tear blurred eyes.
Very gently and softly Eve looked Glenn right in the eye. "Glenn, I want you to tell me what you're talking about. Start at the beginning, baby. Im here and Im not going anywhere."
Glenn looked at Eve. His big blue eyes were filled with tears and his brow was wrinkled in fear and sadness.
"Im not Glenn." His eyes never left hers.
"What?" Eve was understandably confused.
"Im not Glenn. Im Frank and Frank is Glenn." Glenn looked up into Eve's face.
Eve's eyes were wide and her brow furrowed in confusion and shock.
"Explain please?"
Glenn laughed and wiped his eyes.
"When I lived in Chicago, back a long time ago, I got into, well some difficulties. I owed some really bad people some.. well.. favors. They wanted to collect. They wanted me to kill a man. I tried! ..but I couldnt. They were going to kill ME instead. I ran. I came here, to Eaglesville, to the only family I had, my Cousins. Glenn is my cousin but we're nearly identical. The only real difference is our eyes."
Frank/Glenn reached up and poked at his eye. Out popped a contact, then the other. Eve looked at Frank/Glenn's eyes. They were brown!
"You have brown eyes!" Eve said softly almost to herself.
Frank sniffed and smiled. "Yeah, that was the hardest part of stepping into my cousin's life. Otherwise it was easy! we traded names and I stayed here in town. The guys who were after me werent after a blue eyed farmer. They wanted a brown eyed sleezoid. I just took over The Last Resort. It really belongs to my cousin."
"Fran.. I mean Glenn?" Eve was still trying to rejuggle all the names and identities in her head.
Frank smiled at Eve. He understood her confusion. He was still a little confused. He felt safe here with her in her office, though. It was easy to talk to her.
"No, my other cousin, James, Glenn's older brother. I could have switched identities with him except I refused to cut my hair or dye it gray." Frank grinned. Eve was well aware of his vanity.
Eve sat heavily in the chair behind her desk and looked blankly into space. How was she going to process all of this? Frank was Glenn, Glenn was Frank, she loved Glenn. No, she loved Frank. Didnt she? Suddenly she looked up at Frank.
"Who's trying to kill you?"
Frank looked down at his shoes again.
"The guys from Chicago. I dont know how they found me, but they did. One of em, the adopted son, he's the meanest son of a Bi.. anyway, he's here. He even checked into MY motel!.. well Jame's motel."
Frank had fallen a long way from that suave slick Mr. Smoothy in the cafe. He was a mess physically and emotionally. Eve just watched him, trying to decide what she was feeling. She had to save him. She did love him. Damn it. It would be so easy if she didnt.
"Alright Gle.. Frank." Eve closed her eyes and counted to ten. "I have a place. I havent used it in years, but its there and being cared for. We can go there. No one knows about it. We'll stay there till the coast is clear." Eve had been talking to Frank but looking at her hands. Now she looked up. He was staring at her in disbelief.
"You DO want my help, dont you?" Eve was astonished at his reaction.
Frank slowly smiled at her. He dashed behind the desk and wrapped his arms around her and picked her up. He spun her around and kissed her deep and hard.
"I love you, babe! YES! of course I want your help!" Eve relaxed a little. She thought maybe Frank was going to use this as an excuse to leave her. She exhaled and wrapped her arms around Franks neck and held him close.
"Dont leave me, okay?" Eve was shaking.
Frank held her close and whispered in her ear, "never.."
They stayed in this long embrace for a while. Then Frank pulled away.
"We need to get out of town as soon as possible. The longer we stay, the more chance he has of finding me."
Eve knew this was true. She also knew that any car of truck leaving town would be suspicious during the day, but a vets truck headed out of town at dawn wouldnt get a second glance.
"We'll leave at dawn. I'm always being called up to some out of town farm at dawn. No one will notice anything different. Once we're gone, no one will be able to find us." She held Frank's face and looked directly into his eyes.
"I dont know how long we'll have to stay away. You'd better clean up any messes you dont want to leave behind."
Frank took her hands and kissed them. He smiled.
"Already done."
"Then lets go to my apartment and wait till dawn." Eve grinned at Frank and bit her lower lip. Frank knew what that meant. He picked Eve up and tossed her over his shoulder. He dodged out of the office and up the back stairs to Eve's apartment over the clinic.

Bed time.. more later *G*

[eaglesvet]

Excellent visuals...I can just picture what Frank/Glenn looked liked in this scene...like something I recently viewed on "Frey Fever," perhaps?
(In case anyone is wondering, we do have shoulder-length plastic gloves for 'delicate' procedures like Barney's, thank goodness!)