Title: Waiting on Hand and Foot Author: Ki fruityskittles@juno.com Part: Lots of it. :) Summary: I guess this could take place after the Christy movies Disclaimer: Catherine Marshall’s beautiful story of Christy is owned by the Marshall-Lesourd Family, L.L.C. I’m in no way seeking profit or credit for her heartwarming story. I’m just continuing the story of Christy for everyone’s amusement only. Besides, I wouldn’t dream of altering any author’s talent who shares the same birthday as me! :) Authors Notes: Ok, this is my first attempt at a fanfic story so pardon any grammar mistakes you see on here, it’s not exactly my strong point. You may say whatever you want about my story....well to a point. ;) Normally you would see authors here starting their stories in sections. Well I would do that but I’m so indecisive it’s scary! I would start a story and when I’m done with that particular section, I end up changing it around. I guess you could say I’m picky. I’m making this story fairly short because I want to you guys to get an idea of my style of writing before I jump into a novel length story. Thanks for taking your time reading this. A special thanks to ‘Anne B.’ who helped me get started on this thing. (Sorry it took so long) ******************************************************* Christy McNeill woke up to the smell of coffee and bacon cooking downstairs below Neil’s and her bedroom. She laid back against her pillow and smiled to herself thinking about the wonderful and understanding man she married almost six months ago. Over the past several days she has been under the weather and has not been able to teach school and take care of Neil’s needs without feeling exhausted. Neil of course has been worried and insisted on checking her out thinking she may be pregnant or worse. Her pregnancy came back negative which puzzled and worried her.... **A few days ago.. --------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------- “But Neil if I’m not pregnant, why am I always tired? Neil was finishing washing up when he looked at his wife’s worried face and noticed her hands twisting her dress into an ugly ball of wrinkles. He strode over to her and gently took her hands in his. “Well Mrs. McNeill your dress is not going to survive long if you keep twisting the fabric like that.” He teased with a twinkle in his eye. Christy looked down at their joined hands and noticed her own hands were indeed clutching her dress as if her very life depended in it. ‘When have I begun being such a nervous wreck?’ she thought to herself and let go of the Dress while still holding on to Neil’s hands. She looked up at him and noticed a faint smile on his lips. He appeared to enjoy her predicament which made Christy feel inferior. She tore her hands from Neil’s and pushed him away from the chair which she had been sitting on. She was ready to get up when Neil placed his hands on her shoulders to still her which made Christy even more angry. “I don’t appreciate you making light of this situation *Mr. McNeill*. Now move so I can make *your* dinner that you so humbly deserve!” She said sarcastically. Neil still held onto her shoulders and laughed that deep baritone that she learned to love. “Did I ever tell you how cute you are when you’re angry? You’re even more so when you get nervous like you did earlier.” He replied lightly. “Now are you going to allow me to tell you what’s wrong or shall I let you continue doing hand exercises on your dress?” Christy just stared at him not knowing what to say to this. She didn’t know whether to slug him, or kiss him senseless. “You know,” She said as she sat back down “You’re impossible. Just when I want to really get angry with you, you have to make a silly remark like that.” Neil just smiled “And that’s why you love me.” Christy just shook her head with a sly smile “No, that’s not it.” She teased. “Now, are you going to tell me what’s wrong with me or should I continue doing my hand exercises you love so much?” Her smile disappeared when she saw Neil’s serious look on his face. “Neil? What is it?” He took her small hands in his big ones “I’ve been worried about you Christy, and with my examining you only add to my worries.” He continued on before she could open her mouth. “Christy, you’re simply overtired and you have too many responsibilities on your shoulders right now.” Christy gently took her hands out of his and got up from the chair “But Neil, you and I both agreed before we got married that life in these mountains will not come easy and that we were both willing to take one day at a time.” Neil got up and stood in front of her “Yes I remember that. But do you also remember that if the burden was too much that you or I would slow down for a while?” Christy grabbed hold of his hand that was laying on her shoulder “First of all Neil, living up here on these mountains is not a burden, far from it. And second, why should I be a special case? There are families up here that are doing triple of the amount of workloads I do and they’re doing just fine.” He put Christy’s palm of her hand to his lips and kissed it. “That’s where your wrong Christy you are a special case, you’re my wife. And as your husband I have every right to worry about you. Come over here.” He took her hand and led her back to the chair she was sitting on earlier. Once she was sitting, he knelt down so he can see her face. “Now, I’m going to speak and I don’t want any interruptions until I’m finished, ok? “ She just nodded and waited patiently for him to speak. He held out his hand and made a list of items with his fingers. “You’re teaching the children at the school, you help at the mission with the unfinished chores, after that, you come home and make sure everything is straightened up, and to top it off you take care of me when I get home by always having a nice hot meal, not burnt might I add.” He smiled and she couldn’t but smile back. “Now, it’s my turn to help take care of you like you have everyone else here and I don’t want to hear any arguments from you.” Christy sighed and gently laid her hand on his face. “Neil, I appreciate the offer but I just can’t drop everything and ignore my responsibilities. Who’s going to teach the children? Miss Alice needs my help and so do you, and if I stop straightening our home up, it will look like a tornado hit it. Believe me, it took me long enough to clean when I first moved in here.” He just chuckled. “Well I can take care of myself just fine, and as for the children and Alice, that can be taken care of as well.” “Neil....” She started to argue “Then it’s taken care of!” He popped up. “I’m going to talk to Alice about you getting off for a week...” “A week?!” She interrupted and jumped off her chair nearly toppling it over. “Neil, I can’t take a week off!” He put his hands on her shoulders “You can and you will. It’s about time someone took care of you for a change.” “But how about you? You get tired as much as I do, even more so and I can’t allow myself stop taking care of you.” He sighed “I’ll tell you what, if we find a compromise, will you agree?” She felt herself giving in. “I don’t know Neil...” He smiled to himself and he knew she was giving in. He clapped his hands together and rubbed them excitedly, “Great! Then it’s settled!” **Present Day... --------------------------------------------------------- --------------------- It’s been three days since her ‘vacation’ and she was loving every minute of being pampered by her husband. He was a wonderful cook that she knew the first week of their marriage when he insisted cooking his speciality, fried fish. But at the same time he was sloppy as any bachelor can be, and he still after almost six months of marriage, needed to kick that habit. She wrapped the cotton blanket tighter around herself to ward off of the early morning chill that snuck through the wooden boards over night. She laid her head on Neil’s pillow and took a big whiff at his scent of leather and tobacco, something she’s grown fond of quite well. Neil said he took care of everything about the School and Alice and she said not to worry about the children or her and that they’ll be fine. She couldn’t thank Neil and Alice enough for this and hopes to repay them in the future. She was already feeling much better than she had in months and wondered where she had the energy to go on before her forced vacation. She was enjoying the warmth of the scent of Neil around her and was just about to doze off when she heard a loud clang and a muffled curse from downstairs. She giggled and wondered what he dropped this time. Him dropping pans and other loud and heavy objects was a routine since she’s been on her break and wonders how she could have missed something earlier like that in their marriage. She decided to get up and brave the cold and see what Neil dropped this time. “It’s either now or never” She mumbled to herself while she threw her robe on. She snuck quietly down the stairs trying to avoid the weak boards on her way down and what she saw as she descended on the bottom step made her want to burst out laughing. Neil was desperately trying to sweep up the flour that was in a metal container laying down on the floor with flour everywhere. Every stroke of the broom made the flour dust up into a small cloud making things worse and getting all over him in the process. He was covered head to toe with a thin sheet of flour, most of which was in his hair for some odd reason. Neil was muttering under his breath when she couldn’t hold out any longer. Her laugh made him jump a foot and when he turned around with a floured scowl on his face she crumbled on the floor and she was done for. “I don’t see what’s so funny Christy.” He fumed “Someone left the flour container opened and I accidently knocked it over.” She was still trying to get over her fit of giggles and wiping her eyes from the tears of mirth that fell. “Neil,” She giggled “If I remember right, it was you who left the container opened. Remember the fish you made last night?” She smiled sweetly trying to hold back another fit of giggles. He just glared at her and turned around to continue sweeping. He was muttering under his breath about women and fish. “What was that Neil?” She smiled as she got up from the floor and dusted flour off of herself. She walked toward his sweeping form and laid her hand on his upper arm. “Neil?” “I’m busy Christy.” He said under his breath “I’m sorry I laughed at you. Do you forgive me?” He stopped and turned around and saw her mirth-filled eyes and a couple of streaks of flour on her cheeks where she wiped her tears off. He couldn’t help but smile at the look she was giving him. “You know Christy, you don’t make it so easy for me when I want to get mad at you. I just have to look into your eyes and I forget what I was mad at you about.” She just smiled. “Good then we’re even.” She grabbed his hand. “Would you please drop that broom and come sit with me?” He obeyed without questions asked and walked to the nearest chair by the table and sat down. “What did you want to talk about?” “Nothing.” She said “I just want you to hold me.” She sat on his lap and laid her head on the crook of his neck and wrapped her arms around his upper torso. “No arguments here” He said as he kissed her forehead and wrapped his arms tightly around her small frame. “I just wanted to thank you, for everything Neil. You have been so good and understanding to me and I can’t thank you enough for that.” He smiled. “Just you allowing me to hold you like this is thanks enough, lass.” She smiled and squeezed him once before letting him go. “I’ll tell you what, why don’t I finish cleaning up the flour while you finish with the breakfast?” He kissed her on the lips before answering. “How about this. I finish the breakfast and the sweeping while you go upstairs and relax until I call you down for breakfast.” She put her finger up to the corner of her mouth looking as if to make an important decision and then smiled. “I will if you meet me up there later.” Neil chuckled. “It’s a deal Mrs. McNeill, It’s a deal.” THE END!!!