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A Winter Walk
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"I can't believe we're doing this." Perfect Tommy mumbled, pulling the collar of his coat tighter around his neck. "It's freezing! Who decided we need to take a peaceful walk through the woods on the coldest day of winter?!"
"Oh, don't be such a sour puss!" Mrs. Johnson teased. "Come on, Oddity!" she called behind her, patting her leg, before taking off running ahead.
Knuckles' dog barked excitedly and took chase, easily catching the girl. He jumped and bounced around her, barking and nipping at her as she squealed and giggled, taking playful swats at him.
Knuckles stepped up beside Perfect Tommy and leaned into his side. "Yea. Don't be such a sour puss." she mimicked, jabbing him in the ribs.
With a growl of his own, Tommy wrapped an arm around her neck and pulled her down into a hold. Having her just where he wanted her, he proceeded to rub his knuckles on her head.
"Hey! Ow!" Knuckles protested, but it lacked the proper convincement as she laughed. Grabbing his arm, she dropped to her knees, leaned forward, and flipped him over her head.
Perfect Tommy landed on his back in the snow with a solid thud that left him momentarily dazed. But the icy snow being shoved down his shirt had him on the quick path to recovery. "Woe! That's cold!" he cried. He went to grab the girl.
Knuckles quickly scrambled out of reach, jumping to her feet and running to catch up with Mrs. Johnson and Oddity.
Rawhide crouched down beside Perfect Tommy. He looked his friend up and down, and sighed, shaking his head.
Perfect Tommy looked at him. "What?"
The big cowboy just grinned and shook his head again. Patting his shoulder, then taking a hold, he hauled PT to his feet.
"She got you good that time." Tommy Boy teased as she jogged passed them backwards. But, no sooner were the words out, than she tripped and fell backwards, landing on her rump with a solid thud of her own in the cold snow. "Oof."
Oddity, hearing this new commotion, came running back down the trail, pouncing on the fallen Cavalier. Wining a mixture of excitement and concern, he sniffed her over good, pushing her back in the snow, assuring himself that there were no injuries.
Screaming and laughter sounded, as Tommy Boy wiggled under the dog, only half heartedly fighting him off.
Satisfied that she'd live, Oddity proceeded to lick her face spotless...
Which did bring a few rather loud protests from TB and quite a few "ew"s from the bystanders...
... then leaped away and bounced back up the trail where he, joyfully, attacked Mrs. Johnson, knocking her into the snow and repeating the process.
Tommy Boy wiped her face on the back of her sleeve.
Chuckling, Thunder offered his hand down to her. "Nice to know you're loved, eh?" he asked as he pulled her up into his arms.
"I prefer your kisses." she complained. To demonstrate, she held her head up and waited for his warm lips.
But Thunder frown. "What do you say we get your face washed first?"
Feigning hurt, Tommy Boy swatted him, stepping away.
Good friend that she was, Peggy Banzai was ready to come to her aid. Handing her a properly formed snow ball.
Which Tommy Boy wasted no time what so ever in using as she leaped back at her lover, catching him before he had a chance to move, and delivering the icy package down the front of his pants.
With one breath, Thunder's face turned all sorts of colors before finally settling on pale blue. With a panicked squeal, he began to hop around desperately trying to shake the snow out of that most sensitive region.
Rawhide eyed the altercation with amusement and a little remorse at what he had once had and lost. But then a soft nudge at his elbow reminded him of what he had now. He raised his arm, letting Big Norse scoot under and snuggle into his side. "Kids." he mumbled.
"What? And old folks like us can't have fun?" Big Norse huffed.
Rawhide chuckled. Not bothering to even give her a look, he bent over, scooped her up, legs first, and proceeded to carry her, upside down, up the path.
"Hey!" she cried, legs kicking in the air, before falling victim to her own giggles.
Pecos leaned back against Reno. "Now why don't you ever sweep me off my feet?" she wondered.
Reno shrugged. "'Cause I'm no where near as big and tough as Rawhide." he answered in a kinda nonsolant way.
Pecos frowned back at him. "Well, I'm not as big as Norse neither!" she pointed out.
Reno stopped. He looked her up and down. Then, with a sigh, he reached down and scooped up two handfuls of snow, and handed her one.
"What's this for?" Pecos wondered.
"It was bound to happen... any minute now." Reno explained. "I just thought we should, you know, be prepared."
Pecos' brow wrinkled as she thought about that. Then, with an impish smirk, she splattered the snow ball right on Reno's nose.
Reno stood very still for a moment, eyes closed, letting the wet and cold drip down his face. Then his eyes snapped open and the corner of his lips twitched up.
With a cry, Pecos spun about and made a run for it.
When Reno didn't take immediate chase, Buckaroo asked "So?"
"Just a minute." Reno hushed him as he watched her run. He let her get half way up the path before he whistled and called "Here, Oddity! Come here, boy!"
Oddity spun about on command and came bouncing back down the path, bowling over anyone and everyone who just happened to be in his way... which included Peggy, Perfect Tommy, and, finally, Pecos.
Then Reno ran up and pounced on her. Straddling her middle, he held the squealing girl down with one hand while lifting her shirt with the other.
Pecos screamed when he planted his snow ball right on her bare belly.
Peggy winced. She put a finger to her ear and looked up at her husband as he came up and offered her a hand. "So much for a peaceful walk through the woods."
Buckaroo hauled her to her feet, wrapping his warm arms securely around her middle. "I don't know." He looked around at his Cavaliers, each in the midst of the struggle of a life time to get whoever happened to be in the way covered in more snow than he or she happened to be in.
Nowhere was there even the slightest sign that these people were warriors; scientist at the top of their particular study; guardians of the world as a whole; teachers of basic life; survivors... Some were killers in their own right. Some had suffered the worse... hell, one or two of them had even died at one time or another.
But here, right now.... there was no fear, no hatred, no anger, no pain, no bad guys, no evil...
The crisp winter air was alive with laughter and squeals and playful curses. Snow balls were cutting through the air. Lovers were tackling one another in an excuse just to hold on to each other.
Buckaroo took his wife's hand in one of his, wrapped the other around her waist, and danced her up and around the top of the path. "It's all music to my ears."
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