Chapter 24: Tangers IV--Sneezy Bear

A/N: Jad Merci Beau Coup

Chapter 24: Tangers IV—Sneezy Bear

We got home around three in the morning from Phoenix. Michele picked up Patty at the airport and I slept in her car all the way to my loft. In fact, I don’t remember getting into my house, or even getting into my bed. When I woke up, I noticed that my jeans and shoes were placed nicely in a corner of the room, and a soft quilt was wrapped around me. Michele must have tucked me in. I blushed.

I blushed even more when I looked at my face in the bathroom mirror and noticed a big, red, lipstick kiss on my cheek. Michele would do that! Just to scare me!

I sighed and scrubbed my face. This was the weirdest three game win streak we’d ever been on, well that I could remember. The shut-out against Dallas wasn’t bad, but it was the road trip! The wins in Dallas and Phoenix were just plain freaky! There was no way we could continue to play like that and get away with it.

I yawned and glanced at the clock after I’d showered and got dressed. It was after eight o’clock, and then I saw a yellow post-it on the clock face. It was in Michele’s flowery handwriting. "Come to breakfast," it read.

I was wide-awake then and out the door.

Breakfast at the Roy house was not a spectacular event by any means. Patty had a nervous stomach and he couldn’t digest or even smell anything stronger than cereal in the morning, so that meant everyone had to eat cereal. What was great about it, was the company. I used to love just goofing off with the kids at the table or watching Patty and Michele as they bickered playfully or not so playfully.

I glanced over at the teddy bear in the passenger seat of my car. It was the sneezing teddy from the first gift basket Joe had received from Modo. I thought it would make a great gift for Jana, she loved bears. I had even tied a red bow around its neck and everything.

I frowned when I noticed that Danny Hinote’s car was in the spot I usually parked in on the sidewalk. What was he doing here?

I sauntered up the driveway, squeezing the teddy bear for good measure.

"Hey!" I greeted Danny as he was coming out of his car. "How you feeling? What brings ya over here?"

Danny smiled with that perfect smile that every girl who didn’t already dig Foppa swooned over. "Hey, Tangs," he said. "Mimi invited me for breakfast....oooh she makes awesome pancakes!"

Mimi?! Pancakes?! What the hell was this?!

"Uh, Noter," I said, "Michele won’t be cooking today."

Danny frowned with his eyes, but kept smiling. "Why not?"

"Cause Patty’s here," I said. "He can’t have fried stuff in the morning."

"So," Hinote said with a shrug, "He doesn’t have to eat it right?"

I shook my head. Danny didn’t know anything! "He can’t even smell it," I said. "It make him sick to his stomach, like puke and everything."

Danny just stood there staring at me, a disbelieving scowl on his face. "You’re joking right?" he said.

I shook my head. "Nope, so Michele won’t be cooking, it’ll just be cereal. So maybe if you want pancakes you can go..."

"Are ya trying to get rid of me Tangs?" Hinote asked with a playful lift to his eyebrows, and a playful punch to my arm.

"Noo!" I said in a voice much higher than I would have liked to use. "It’s just that.."

"Awww, I don’t care if it’s just cereal," Hinote said. "I like being around those kids! They’re cute, they remind me of white mice on speed!"

My mouth hung open a bit. How did one answer that?

"Danny! Danny! Daaaany!" I was horrified to hear Jana squeal as she came streaking down the stairs and leaped into Danny’s arms. Danny laughed and hugged her, swinging her around and making airplane noises. Hey! I thought he had a concussion!

"Heeey," Danny giggled as he finally stopped spinning Jana and looked at her. "Where’s your mom? Your mouth is full of toothpaste!"

Jana grinned like a jack-o-lantern in reply. "I made daddy fall out of the bed!" she mumbled through her pasty mouth.

"Come on," Danny said with a grunt as he hitched her to a better position in his arms and he ran with her back upstairs.

They left me standing alone, a helpless teddy bear in my hands. Jana hadn’t even seen me! I suddenly felt like a stranger....what was I doing here?

Within minutes, which felt like a million years for me, Danny came trotting down the stairs with Jana on his shoulders. He looked up at me, joy in his eyes. I hated him!

"Oooooh Alex!" I heard Michele’s voice sing from behind Danny. "You got my note, that’s nice."

I felt my cheeks redden. "Hey Michele," I said. Jana had still not said anything at all to me! "How is everything, we’ve been real worried!" I noticed with a pain in my gut that she still had that bruise on her mouth where that guy had hit her.

"Awww," Michele said with her usual loving spirit. "That’s nice. You’re so sweet to worry. But not to worry. Daniel was here to protect us, he’s been wonderful, haven’t you Daniel."

Danny smiled, "Yup," he said.

"Oh," was all I could say.

"I think Mimi took more care of me, actually," Danny said with an earnest nod of his head. "She made me feel so at home here, and her cooking was amazing! She made me these yummy herbed, lumpy mashed potatoes...."

The mashed potatoes she always makes for me? I thought.

".....and this awesome creamy pasta...."

The Fettuccini Alfredo? I thought.

"....and she makes these awesome sugarpies!" Danny finished, stabbing the last dagger into my heart. My sugarpies?!

Michele laughed and put her hand on Danny’s back as she did. I felt faint! Michele looked at me and her smile disappeared into one of concern. "Alex!" she gasped, "What’s wrong? You’re bottom lip is trembling!"

"Oh," I squeaked. I was going to cry!

"Oh don’t take it personally, Alex," Patty said coming down the stairs, he was dressed and combed. "The woman will make those dishes for anyone, she’s a harlot."

Michele’s eyes narrowed to angry slits, and I noticed that Danny’s face looked angrier than she was!

"Oooooooh!" Michele gasped and she whirled around, trying to slap at Patrick. He easily caught her wrist in his hand, smiling.

"What do you think you’re doing?" he asked in French.

"Let go of me!" she snapped back in French.

"You know you like it," Patrick said.

Michele jerked her hand out of Patrick’s and she stomped off into the living room, Patrick followed her. They proceeded to bicker in semi-high voices.

Danny walked closer to me his eyes wide. "What happened?" he asked quietly as he slid Jana to the ground.

"Nooooo!" Jana squealed. "Pick me up!"

Danny patted Jana on the head and continued to look towards the living room. Yup, he was definitely a rookie in this house.

"Hey, Jana," I said, smiling and leaning over to her.

"What?" Jana asked dully as she looked at me with angry, flashing blue eyes.

I held out the teddy bear to her and squeezed the stomach. "Ah-choo!" went the bear.

Jana immediately giggled and snatched the bear. "Merci!" she said as she dashed up the stairs with it. "Jonathen!" she yelled in French, "We got a new goalie for the toys! It sneezes!!!!"

Hinote watched the little girl run up the stairs and then with the most distraught look I’ve ever seen on his face, he asked, "So what just happened?"

I shrugged, "Nothing," I said.

Danny looked horrified. "Nothing? What are they fighting about?"

"Nothing," I repeated. "They love to bicker, especially before breakfast, its just play-fighting. Good to get the appetite going. You know?" Or maybe Danny didn’t, I thought, he wasn’t French after all.

"Noooo," Danny said, starting to sound irate, "I don’t know! Why is he treating her so mean?"

"Danny," I said, "It’s OK."

Just then there was a loud crashing sound, like a glass breaking and a sudden silence of all the yelling. OK, I thought, maybe it wasn’t........

"That’s it!" Danny snapped and he dashed towards the living room with me after him. We both stopped short at the doorway. There was a large vase shattered on the wood floor, and Patrick was sitting back on the couch. Michele was in his lap, leaning over him and kissing him, her hands on his shoulders. They didn’t even notice us. Danny was just staring with his mouth open.

I yanked him outta the room, "Come on," I muttered. "Leave them alone."

"What?" Danny gasped, "Is that?"

"Oh," I said calmly, "That’s just Michele calming him down. Come on lets get the cereal bowls."

Danny followed me quietly, I kinda felt sorry for him now that he seemed

spooked.

Note: I won’t be around all weekend but stay tuned! More chapters starting on Tuesday!

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