Three Little Princess

: : Author : : Shelby ( [email protected] )

: : Summary : : The next part of the story with The O�Connells and their three daughters. I�m jumping ahead about to where they are already toddlers, thats more fun I think but if you guys won�t a baby story with all of them I will do that per request.

: : Chapter One : : Home : : Back to Archive : : Chapter Three : :

Three Little Princesses

Chapter 2: Rugby

Weekends had come to include trips to Bishops Park, where Alex and his team played their Rugby matches. Now at almost 12, Alex was an official member of the team, and a good player. Today when the rest of the family arrived at the park, he was already at practice. Evie and Rick set up a large blanket on a little hillside overlooking the game area, while Nanna watched the girls who were all dressed in warm dresses with warm stockings underneath.

�Sing,� Elizabeth said looking over at the playground.

�Not right now, we need to help cheer for Alex,� Nanna said.

�No,� she said, and began to run for the swings. Rebecca followed, but Louisa stayed with Nanna, who was trying to think of what to do, when Rick ran past her saving her the trouble of having to run after two energetic toddlers.

�Elizabeth, Rebecca stop,� he shouted. When she heard her daddy�s voice, Rebecca did as she was told, but Elizabeth ran on. Rick remembered when Alex did such things, and shook his head, amazed out how like him she was.

�I topped daddy,� Rebecca said as he picked her up and continued after his other daughter.

�Yes you did. Thank you for listening to me,� Rick said as he gained on his little girl. When he caught up to her, she started to scream putting up a fight.

�LET GO ME,� she yelled, struggling as he knelt down beside her. He let go of Rebecca and held her immobile glad when Evie came and got Rebecca.

�LET GO LET GO LET GO,� she screamed.

�Shhhh,� Rick said. She finally calmed down, and let daddy carry her back to the blanket where mummy had set out food for them to eat, which helped her calm down even more. By then the game had started, and Alex already had the ball running as fast as he could for the goal.

�GO ALEX,� Rick yelled noticing two of the bigger players on the opposing team approaching him. Alex seemed to notice, and ducked at the last moment causing the two players to wham into one another. Just before he got the ball to the goal, he was tackled by one of the other teams players.

�Is he hurt?� Evie asked worried. Rick grinned as his son got up unharmed, and Evie sighed in relief. She hated this game, because of the risk Alex took with getting tackled by guys much bigger than him.

�I go pay dat,� Rebecca said.

�No ma�am,� Evelyn said not about to let her daughter do that. This time the other team had the ball, and Alex and Darby with Matt and Derrick, trailed after the player with the ball.

�GET BALL ALEX,� Elizabeth yelled, which caused Nanna, Rick and Evie to laugh. She loved watching her big brother play Rugby and cheered on with her parents and Nanna.

�I say have I missed to much of the game?� Jonathan asked as he approached with his latest girlfriend. Lately Jonathan had started to date woman more than use them, which Evie was relieved for.

�Not too much,� Rick said, then yelled at the other teams coach who was protesting a move Darby had made.

�Mad,� Louisa said of her father as Nanna held her.

�No honey. He is just trying to get the other teams coach to listen to reason is all,� she said as an explanation. Grace sat with Evie, and the two of them talked about the worry they had when watching the game with Alex at risk.

�Rick won�t ever agree about that,� Evie said as she closed her eyes when Alex got tackled again. Rebecca and Elizabeth were now settled on Rick and Jonathan�s shoulders clapping for Alex as he got up, none of them knowing how hurt he was from that particular tackle. Alex walked normal to the sidelines and Darby approached him.

�You okay?� he asked.

�Yeah just got the wind knocked out of me is all,� Alex lied. His chest hurt as if someone were stabbing knives in him, and he didn�t want his mum to freak out, so he held strong, even as Darby put him back in the game. Alex was tossed the ball and groaned as it hit his chest, but he ran anyway, and again he was tackled, feeling something snap. He cried out as the guys got off of him and didn�t get up as he normally did.

�Stay here baby,� Rick said as he noticed that Alex wasn�t getting up. Evie looked at her husband, and then at the field and stood as he started to sprint down there.

�I knew he would get hurt,� she said starting to go down herself, only to be stopped by Jonathan.

�Let Rick get him. Alex is going to be upset as it is if he is hurt, and well.� Evie knew what Jonathan was getting at, and restrained herself watching as Rick lifted Alex off the ground, and brought him back up the hill.

�Jonathan will you and Grace take Nanna and the girls home for me?� he asked.

�Dad I�m fine,� Alex squeaked. Rick ignored that, and when he was sure Jonathan and Grace could handle things, he and Evie went to their car and after getting Alex settled in the back, they drove to the hospital.

~*~

It was several hours later when Rick and Evie arrived, with Alex asleep in the back of the car after taking pain killers for his broken ribs. Evie had not said a word to her husband since Dr. Brigman told them he had broken his ribs, angry that Rick had been so pig headed about not listening to her when she had protested Alex playing the game. As they entered the house, all was quiet. They found the adults in the Parlor and Jonathan informed them the girls were asleep in their room.

�Thank you for staying with them,� Evie said as she watched Rick carry Alex upstairs.

�What happened to him?� Jonathan asked. At his question his sister sighed and sat down on the couch.

�Two broken Ribs,� she said, none to pleased. Jonathan decided he and Grace needed to go, knowing that Rick was going to hear to no end how Evie had been right, and he for one didn�t want to be around when they argued. Once they had gone, Evelyn went upstairs, and as she got closer to Alex�s room she heard them talking and stopped.

�I know mum is going to yell at you, so just tell her to back off because I�m the one who made the decision to play, and I knew I could get hurt,� Alex said sleepily. Rick kissed his forehead.

�Don�t worry about your mum and me. You just get some rest,� Rick replied. Until she heard Alex say that, Evie had been fully intent on letting Rick know just how she felt about Alex playing Rugby. Now that she knew how Alex felt when they got into arguments, she left, quietly going into their room where three little Princesses slept. Watching them sleep, and thinking about all the times she and Rick had argued, and yelled at one another, which were few and far between Evelyn realized they needed to find another way to work through their differences. Her husbands hand on her shoulder got her attention and Evie turned welcoming his arms around her.

�I heard what he said,� she whispered. Rick took her hand and led her out of their room and down the hall to the girls room.

�Evie maybe you were right. I was so proud of him for getting into a sport, I guess its a guy thing, but I didn�t even think about him getting so hurt,� Rick said. Evelyn shook her head.

�No Rick. Rugby has given Alex confidence in himself, and strength, and when he gets better he should play more. I can�t, we can�t take something away from him that he so loves,� she pointed out. Rick put his hands on her cheeks then leaned in and gave her a gentle kiss. Evelyn reached behind him and pulled his head closer needing to feel the warmth of his mouth against hers, and Rick didn�t hesitate to give her what she wanted.

~*~

Having two broken ribs had Alex out of commission from school and from Rugby, and the two days he had spent in bed he was on pain killers though the Doctor had lowered the dossage, not wanting him dependent on that, and now Alex was in more pain and not in a very good mood. Evelyn had brought him lunch and Alex all but tossed it to the floor when she persisted on him eating.

�Alex thats enough,� she said finally. He closed his eyes, feeling frustrated and angry that he couldn�t do things he loved.

�I�m sorry mum, I can�t stand being in bed like this, and it hurts,� he said. Gently Evie settled beside him.

�Did you know your Uncle had broken ribs once? He was about your age, and he had played a prank on some pretty rotten boys. They didn�t like the joke that he had played on them, so one day after school they cornered him and took turns beating him up. Your grandfather Howard saw to it that the boys were punished, but Jonathan was in his room in bed for weeks upset. I used to come in and try to tell him jokes, of coarse he knew all of them, because he was the one who taught them to me,� Evie said. That made Alex laugh, which made him groan.

�All right, you need to get some rest,� she said kissing him as she stood up.

�Can Elizabeth come in and sit with me?� he asked. Evie looked surprised, but was pleased. Alex had always had an affection for her, and after a few minutes Evelyn brought her in.

�Now be gentle with your brother,� she said as she set her on the bed next to him. Once she was gone Elizabeth turned to face him.

�Mummy say got big owie,� Elizabeth said. Alex grinned at her.

�Yup I do, but I don�t want to think about that. So what have you been doing all day?� he asked. Elizabeth seemed to think about his question for a few moments then took a deep breath.

�I dot put in quiet chair cause I pulled Issa hair, and she cried. Nanna say Dat very naughty.� Alex shook his head.

�Why did you pull her hair?� he asked.

�Cause she took baby, and Issa not asked me,� Elizabeth informed.

�What else did you do?� He asked.

�Daddy goed barn, and payed in hay. Daddy shoved the icky out talls. Den dot ride Barnie if daddy,� she said yawning and resting her head against her brothers side.

�What else did you do?� he asked shutting his eyes.

�Mummy read book bout Gypt.� she whispered, then both of them fell asleep.

~*~

The next few weeks Alex had to stay home relaxing, then finally about the fourth week he was able to go back to school, and things from there returned back to normal, or as normal as the got for him.