There is Fun to Be Done

Oh, the places you'll go!
There is fun to be done!
There are points to be scored.
There are games to be won.

 

It felt great to be out and in the thick of holiday shoppers. After weeks cooped up inside, recovering from serious injuries, Trixie Belden had found herself impatient to get out. Since she still had not been released to drive by her doctor, she had cast her mind to the problem of finding a ride. Honey? No, Honey was too busy at the office just now. One of her brothers? No – just no. Diana -- hmmm? Trixie surprised herself, as well as her sister-in-law, when she had suddenly announced that she was eager to go Christmas shopping, if Diana could take her. But once Diana had recovered from the shock of Trixie actually asking her to go shopping, she willingly agreed. Now, after two hours of Trixie’s power shopping, Diana wasn’t sure she would ever recover from the experience. The woman was doing every bit of her Christmas shopping in the space of less than two hours! Trixie had actually out-shopped, Diana.

“Uh, Trixie?” Diana finally interrupted before Trixie could barrel off to the next store.

“What, Di?” Trixie replied absently as she perused her list. There were only two things remaining, and unfortunately one was a question mark.

“Do you think we could take a break and grab some coffee?”

Trixie glanced at her watch; it was taking her longer than she had planned, primarily due to the trips out to Di’s car. With her left hand still in a splint, she just couldn’t manage very many packages.

“Sure, I need to think about one of my gifts anyway.” Trixie answered. She was racking her brain to think of ideas for Jim’s Christmas present.

In short order, Diana sat Trixie in a corner of the crowded coffee house and went to the counter to order. Trixie doodled on her list half listening to the traditional Christmas tune about Grandmothers and reindeer as she desperately tried to find inspiration for Jim’s gift. I’ve got the radios for the boys and Jim, but I really wanted something special for him, something besides the radios.

Trixie had managed to come up with exactly nothing when Di sat a tray down on the small café table. “Smells great, what flavor did you get?”

“Christmas blend, of course,” Di replied merrily. “Do you like the reindeer cookies?”

Trixie picked up one of the reindeer shaped crispy rice treats. “This is a cookie?”

“Well, not exactly. But I wanted to get us something to nibble on.” Di sat, automatically added creamer and stirred her coffee slowly.

“Diana,” Trixie moaned. “I have no idea what to get Jim for Christmas.”

“But you said you were getting those wireless radios for Jim and the boys at the school; I don’t understand.”

“Diana, I want to get him something personal, you know that he’ll think of me and smile when he sees it.”

“Exactly how personal?” Di asked, her eyes narrowing thoughtfully.

“Oh, I don’t know…more personal than aftershave!”

“As personal as silk boxers?” Di probed, one eyebrow raised in query.

Trixie flushed, “No, not that personal.”

Di nodded. That answer told her everything she needed to know about the current status of Jim and Trixie’s relationship. “Let me think about it. What else is on your list?”

“The bookstore – I want to get Bobby, Moose, Thump and Kevin a book for Christmas,” Trixie explained.

“Okay, after we finish our coffee, I’m going to run these bags out to the car while you sit here and rest,” Di explained, placing her hand on Trixie’s arm as she could see her friend about to protest. “Then, when I get back, we’ll head to the toy store and save the bookstore for last. Books can get heavy.”

“The toy store?” Trixie asked, in a puzzled voice.

“Yep, you know how the boys are. They love gadgets and things. We’ll find the perfect gift at the toy store. And if nothing else, well there are always Sponge-Bob Christmas boxers!” Diana finished as she sat back in the chair and sipped the fragrant Christmas coffee.

Trixie grinned as she picked up a reindeer cookie and bit off an antler with gusto. “Diana, thank you, my friend. This trip is exactly what I needed.”

 

 

Thirty minutes later, Trixie and Diana were studying the electronic game selection in the huge toy store. There were hundreds of games, everything from a bass fishing game to Texas-Hold ‘em poker. “Gleeps, Di, which one do you think he would like?” Trixie muttered as she picked up a popular NASCAR racing game.

“Any of them,” Diana replied, as she played with a YAHTZEE game. “Some seem to have better graphics than others. This one’s fun, but I think YAHTZEE is more fun with a group.”

“Yeah, but the whole point of these is to give you something to play when you have to be by yourself.” Trixie chewed her lip thoughtfully as she looked at the dice. “Save the threes,” she murmured.

Diana’s eyes sparkled, “Maybe YAHTZEE would be a good present for you.”

Trixie giggled, “Maybe, but I wish they had a CLUE game. That would be the one for me.”

“Well, Mart does love his HANGMAN game,” Diana admitted.

“Right, so that means we need to find Jim a twenty --” Trixie stopped abruptly as she noticed a game in the rack right in front of her and then let out a girlish squeal. “DIANA! Look, they have one,” she exclaimed, grabbing the game off the shelf.

She laughed as she pushed the buttons, trying it out. Oh, Di, this is perfectly perfect! He will love it! Think of something!”

Diana beamed. This was the old, impulsive Trixie. “Okay, is that the personal touch gift you were looking for?”

Trixie chuckled with her oldest friend and nodded, “Yes, now tell me is it animal, vegetable or mineral?”

“Animal,” Di replied quickly.

It didn’t take but a couple of minutes and twelve questions before the twenty questions game correctly guessed Di’s “Bob White”.

“Come on Di, let’s blow this Popsicle stand and head over to the bookstore. And just think this will fit in my purse. No need for you to run back to the car.”

“Do you know what books you’re getting?” Di inquired as they waited their turn in the line.

“Oh, I do! I just hope they have them.” Trixie smiled again. She knew her younger brother and his friends would love the book she had in mind.

“Are you going to tell me, or do I have to wait until we get there?” Di pleaded impatiently, in a rare role reversal.

“Are you familiar with the For Dummies and Complete Idiot guide books?” Trixie asked in reply.

“Yes, I even bought Excel for Dummies. I use it all the time,” Diana said.

“Well, did you know there was one called The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Private Investigating?”

“You’re kidding!” Diana was incredulous.

“Nope, and I checked, they said they had every one of the guides, so let’s hope they didn’t just tell me that to get me off the phone,” Trixie said.

 

 

Fortunately, the store had the books organized alphabetically and Trixie quickly made her purchases. The girls were smiling as they left, Diana with The Complete Idiot’s Guide to a Smart Vocabulary as a gag gift for Mart.

“What else are you giving Mart for Christmas?” Trixie asked as the girls settled themselves into Diana’s comfortable BMW, a graduation gift from her father. Diana dearly loved it for its muted purple, color that was so uniquely her own. Today, both girls loved it as well for the heated seats.

“Oh, this and that,” Diana replied, turning pink.

“Great,” Trixie muttered, “he’s probably getting those Sponge-Bob boxers!”

“No, the silk Superman ones!” Diana grinned. “After all, he is my super-hero. Besides, it’s tradition now. I get him a pair of special boxers every year. It wouldn’t be Christmas or Valentines if he didn’t get those!”

Trixie shook her head. “Di, you two are something else. Is that all you’re getting him besides the book?”

“Yes, we have a forty dollar limit. But I’m hoping to give him something else that doesn’t cost anything,” Di said teasingly.

“Too much information!” Trixie declared, “Of course, I already knew you would give him that!”

“Trixie,” Di giggled, “You’re so funny! I wondered if you might be giving Jim that as well.”

It was Trixie’s turn to blush bright red. “Not yet,” she mumbled. “I think, well, it’s going to be a while, Di. After what happened, I’m too nervous and scared and worried… and until Jim remembers everything that happened that day… well, that’s just not going to happen.”

Diana nodded. She understood Trixie’s reluctance to be with Jim intimately until they had resolved their issues from an experience that had nearly cost them their lives.

“Well, don’t worry about it, sweetie,” Di leaned over and patted Trixie’s knee. “When it’s meant to be, well, it will be. Besides that, is everything else between you okay?”

“Yes, ever since the Christmas program, things are pretty good. Jim’s still fairly upset about the boys having to go home on a 48-hour pass.”

“Well, I certainly don’t blame him for that!” Diana fumed. All of the staff at Frayler had been upset with the State’s decision on that matter. “The very idea of sending them right back to the people who abused them in the first place. At least he insisted they not leave until after ten on Christmas morning. He won that point.”

Trixie nodded. “They’ll get to have their own Christmas at school. I haven’t told Jim yet, but I’m going to bring Sam and Harry home with me, well to Crabapple Farm, anyway,” she told Diana quietly.

“Oh, Trixie!” Diana’s eyes filled. Her heart broke for the young boys who had no family to go home too that Christmas. “You have to be the most thoughtful, wonderful, generous…”

“Stop, Diana. You know you and Mart would have eventually thought to do something similar.” Trixie did not want Sam and Harry at the school alone. None of them did.

“You want to stop at my place and I’ll help you wrap those gifts?” Di offered. “It would probably be easier to get them wrapped at our apartment than to sneak them in at Crabapple Farm.”

“What if we stop and just wrap the ones for Bobby and his friends, Moms and Dad?” Trixie asked. “Moms will help me with the others. Besides, I don’t want to wrap all afternoon.”

Diana nodded. She sensed Trixie tiring out on her. “Good idea. If I keep you out too long, Moms is going to let me have it.”

It was simple enough to bring the books and other gifts inside at the school. The girls were smiling as they settled in to wrap gifts. Their smiles turned into laughing and giggling as Diana decided to go ahead and wrap Mart’s gifts. Trixie rolled her eyes at the silk superman boxers. A knock on the door had Diana scurrying to hide the yet-unwrapped book. She smiled in relief when she saw it was Samara Burns.

“I saw you two girls come in with packages and figured you would be wrapping. I thought you might like some hot chocolate or tea,” Mrs. Burns offered.

“Oh, Sammie, that would be divine!” Diana crowed. “I would love some hot chocolate! Do you have any snacks to go with it, maybe some of that party-mix?”

Trixie frowned in puzzlement; it seemed that all Diana had done that afternoon was eat. Mart was definitely beginning to rub off on her.

“Yes, certainly. Shall I bring a tray or do you want to come down to the kitchen?”

“If you’ll give us five minutes, I think we’d like to come down to the kitchen. Trixie just wants to finish up her wrapping. After we have our cocoa I’ll take her home before we both get in trouble with Moms.”

Diana quickly helped Trixie finish, in addition to wrapping her own two gifts for Mart and placing them under the small tree she had set up in their living room. Christmas trees abounded at Frayler this year. Mrs. Burns even had one in the kitchen decorated with kitchen utensils and red and white gingham bows.

The two girls carried the wrapped gifts downstairs. Trixie had decided to leave the ribbons and bows off until she got home, and they made an easy parcel stacked together.

Mrs. Burns was looking out the kitchen window, frowning.

“What’s the matter, Sammie?” Trixie asked as she noticed her expression.

“Nothing, I’m just surprised to see Brad back so soon,” she commented. “I wasn’t expecting any more guests between now and Christmas.”

“Brad’s a guest?” Trixie said in surprise. “I thought he was a student worker, just working holidays and breaks.”

“Well, yes, I guess technically you’re right,” Mrs. Burns bit her lip. “He just seems to expect treatment like a guest when he’s here. As if staying in the guest cottage makes him expect special treatment.”

“What do you mean?” It was Diana’s turn to be surprised.

Samara Burns shrugged, “I just work here, cooking and helping with laundry, cleaning and such things. Although it’s Dr. Frayne’s rule that the boys help, and the maids from the daily housekeeping service do most of the hard work. It’s just when Brad’s here he expects the maids to keep his cottage cleaned and to do his laundry. Everyone else takes care of their own quarters.”

Diana frowned. She was certain Jim did not know this, but she didn’t want to tell tale. Knowing Sammie felt the same way, she gave a sigh. “Did you not expect Brad back before Christmas?”

“No, actually I didn’t. I heard him on the phone and I was pretty sure he was making arrangements to go home for Christmas. Of course, we still have some time, I may have just misunderstood. It’s a good thing he is back, what with Tad leaving to meet up with some friends for a few days.”

Trixie felt uneasy. For some reason ever since the Frayler Christmas program the comings and goings of Tad and Brad bothered her. In an attempt to ignore the gooseflesh on her skin, she shook her head and reached for a mug. “How about some cocoa?” she said brightly.

When Jim walked in a few moments later, Trixie’s spirits skyrocketed. Judging from his expression, he was just as happy to see her as she was to see him.

“Hi, Trix!” he greeted her, glancing at the other women for an instant, before deciding he would give her a kiss anyway. Diana was technically family in his mind, not staff, and well Sammie Burns was like another mother. “What brings you here this afternoon, besides Sammie’s wonderful cocoa?”

“Diana took me shopping. I had some Christmas things to finish up,” Trixie explained.

Diana gave a most unladylike snort, “Some things – if that wasn’t every bit of your Christmas shopping then I can’t imagine what you already purchased.”

Trixie grinned, “Well, yes it was, but I did finish up. Then Di offered to help me wrap the gifts for the residents of Crabapple Farm.”

Jim smiled. Like Diana he recognized his old Trixie emerging from the dark places she had inhabited in the past few weeks.

“Will you be here a while?” he asked as he caressed her good hand softly.

“No, in fact, when we’re done here I’m heading home, before Moms gets worried about me overdoing.”

“Will you be able to join us on Sunday night, for our weekly dinner?” he asked. “The boys are hoping you’ll get back into the old routine.”

Trixie nodded, “I’ll be here as long as I can get a ride.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll pick you up. I can drive now.” Jim’s limp was hardly noticeable.

“I’m sure Bobby or one of the gang will bring me.”

“Well, if that’s the way it works out, just bring them with you and give your Moms a night off. There will be plenty of food here. Sammie always makes sure there is enough left-over on Sundays for several nights.”

Samara Burns beamed with pleasure at Jim’s complement. She never knew how hungry the boys would be, plus if they wanted a midnight snack she wanted to have some semi-healthy food in her kitchen for them to snack on.

Trixie readily agreed and the quartet finished their cocoa, talking and joking about the upcoming Christmas holiday. It wasn’t until she was getting her coat and scarf on that she remembered to tell Jim about her wish to take Harry and Sam to Crabapple Farm for their 24-hour family pass.

“Jim,” Trixie began, laying a hand on his arm and giving a soft squeeze to reassure him. “About the boys and their holiday pass,” she started.

Jim stiffened. The idea of it still hurt. “What about it?”

“Sam and Harry don’t have any family. I was hoping that you would allow me to check them out and take them home with me—well, take them to Crabapple Farm with me.”

“Trixie, don’t you think your Moms has enough on her plate this Christmas with Bobby’s friends?” Jim asked, frowning.

“Yes, but we will all help her. Even Bobby and his friends help. They almost always clean up, just like we used to do. I don’t want Sam and Harry to stay here alone Christmas Day.”

“You know I would never let that happen,” Jim chided gently. “Trixie, it’s not always easy to be the parental figure for the boys. You can’t be the popular aunt or family friend. Sometimes you have to say ‘No’ and be unpopular.” Jim was anxious that Trixie understand what she would be taking on.

“I understand, I promise I do. I’m not going to take them and spoil them rotten. I’ll look after their best interests in every way. I just think it would be good for them to be involved where there’s a big crowd, maybe they won’t dwell as much on their first Christmas without their parents.” Trixie explained sincerely.

Jim sighed; there was no point in telling her it wouldn’t matter where the boys were -- they would dwell on their missing parents. He knew from his own experience that the holidays made that fact very painful. But he planned to spend a good bit of time with Trixie on Christmas Day anyway; so he would know exactly what the boys were going through.

“I guess as long as you invite me over for Christmas dinner as well, then I can allow it,” Jim grinned as he agreed to her request.

“But won’t you want to be with the Wheelers?” Trixie cried. “Why, even Honey and Brian are eating Christmas dinner at Manor House, they’re having an old-fashioned Christmas goose. Mart and Diana won’t be eating with us either; they’re going to the Lynches since Uncle Monty will be in town.”

“Mother and Dad will understand, Trix,” Jim explained carefully. “This is the first Christmas that I have –“

“I know, I know, the first Christmas you have the school and the students,” Trixie interrupted, nodding her understanding.

“No, the first Christmas that I have you,” Jim corrected. “Nothing is more important that spending our first Christmas together, Trixie. Nothing.”

“Oh!” Her face flushed as she realized what he had said.

Jim smiled, and looked around the hall at Frayler. “There never is any mistletoe around when you need it!” He reached a hand in his pocket, “Luckily, I believe in being prepared,” he whispered as he pulled out a sprig of mistletoe and held it over her blonde curls.

“Luckily,” she whispered as she reached up to give him a kiss.