Rollie and Angie rushed through the mud and rain onto the porch of the inn where they scuffed their feet and went inside.
"Welcome back, Daniel said you were coming back for the holiday." Molly greeted pulling the register out for them to sign.
Rollie put them in the book then she led them to their rooms.
"If you need anything just ask me or Alex." The taller blonde smiled and handed him the keys.
"Thanks." Rollie nodded and unlocked their doors where they deposited their luggage. "Come on, I want to see Daniel." He said grabbing her hand and heading for the stairs.
Daniel watched the rain from his porch as he sipped his coffee. It had rained for the last two days he'd done a lot of praying in that time. If the rain kept up they would surely have a flood. He walked over to the steps as Alex pulled up.
"Want some coffee?" He asked as she hurried up to him.
She nodded and he led her into the small house and got her a cup of the steaming java.
He smiled as her cheeks got some color back into them from the hot drink.
"You're worried." He said.
"We're supposed to have severe thunderstorms later...lots of rain." She sighed.
"The church and house are open."
"I knew they would be. I'll pass the word when I get back." She smiled lightly.
He saw more than worry in her eyes when he looked closer.
"Hey, I know you don't like storms, why don't you and Dylan come up here tonight?"
"You wouldn't mind?" She asked gratefully.
"What are friends for?"
She hugged him then looked up.
"Friends?" She said with a twinkle in her eye.
"More than friends." He smiled and tenderly kissed her.
There was a knock on the door and they both sighed. Daniel shook his head with a rueful smile and went to answer it.
"G'day cous!" Rollie grinned.
"You made it!" Danel beamed and hugged the pair. then pulled them inside.
"Hi Alex." Rollie greeted.
"Hi..." She smiled mischieviously, "Andre."
The couple chuckled.
"I need to get going, thanks for the coffee."
"I'll walk you out." Daniel offered taking her mug to the kitchen then he escorted her to the porch.
"Guess I won't be coming up tonight." She sighed touching his sweater and nodded toward the door.
"Then I'll just have to come down."
Alex kissed him then hurried to her truck.
Daniel watched her head down the hill then went back inside.
"Any announcements to make regarding the two of you?" Rollie smirked.
"Nope. Coffee?" Daniel replied.
"Sure." Rollie answered with a chuckle.
The minister retrieved two more mugs and poured them. "I have milk and some sugar packets..."
"Black is fine." Angie answered.
"Mom told me she really enjoyed your lunch." Daniel said handing Rollie a mug.
"She told me a lot about herself...and you."
"I am not going to ask what she told you." Daniel rolled is eyes and led them to the couch where they all sat. "I'm glad you were able to make it out here for Thanksgiving."
"We had some time off so figured ought to spend it with family." Rollie smiled.
"Didn't you spend it with family before this?"
"Don't celebrate Thanksgiving in Oz,remember? We ate dinner with friends when we settled in New York, then when I went to work for Manny...they made me part of their family gathering." He finished, looking at Angie.
"We've spent every Thanksgiving and Christmas together since I was eleven." She added sliding her hand into his.
"Bet you spent the holidays with the oldies."
"Oldies?"
"Parents." Rollie clarified for Daniel.
"Mom mostly...dad was away a lot...even on holidays." Daniel dropped his eyes.
Rollie felt a stronger bond with Daniel, neither of their fathers were around much for them.
"So what's on the menu?" Angie asked to ward off the melancholy that was looming over the men.
"The usual...turkey, stuffing, fish--"
"Fish?!?" Angie asked.
"We're a fishing community." Daniel shrugged and smiled.
There was another knock at the door and Daniel went to answer it.
"Hey Kevin, come on in."
"Thanks." The cop nodded and blinked upon seeing the couple.
"Kevin." Rollie greeted.
The cop nodded back to them."You come about the storm?" Daniel asked.
"We're gonna sandbag."
"I'll get my coat."
"You need an extra hand?" Rollie offered.
"Two." Angie added.
"That'd be great." Kevin nodded.
The trio left with him and helped sandbag around the island before the storm hit.
"Do you have to do this a lot?" Angie asked catching her breath.
"Couple times a year." Kevin replied.
Rollie looked down at his feet, sloshed with mud. It was clear the ground was far too saturated to absorb any more rain.
Two hours later Rollie and Angie entered the inn looking muddy and feeling tired.
"I see you two have been helping out." Alex commented coming down the stairs. "Get cleaned up and I'll get you dinner on the house."
"That's really generous, thanks." Rollie nodded and ushered Angie up.
"Hey, is Daniel still out there?" Alex called to them.
"With Kevin." Rollie replied.
"Thanks." She nodded and headed for the bar.
"Let's hit the showers Ange."
"Right behind ya boss."
"They finished sandbagging around the inn." Molly reported as Alex picked up the phone.
"Great."
"Daniel is coming after they finish Callie's."
"Good." The redhead replied putting the receiver down.
"Hey Mom."
"What are ou doing home early?" Alex asked glancing at the clock.
"They let us out." Dylan shrugged grabbing a stool.
"It's really starting to come down." Daniel breathed taking his coat off.
Alex poured him coffee and he washed up behind the bar then sat next to Dylan and drank it with relish.
"You want something to eat? Boris made vegetable soup."
"That and a sandwich?" He smiled at her.
"Coming right up." She nodded and went to the kitchen.
Daniel was half-way through his meal when Rollie and Angie appeared.
"Get everything bagged?"
"What we could before it started pouring." Daniel sighed.
Rollie squeezed hia shoulder in support.
"Grab a seat. Coffee?" Alex asked them.
"Couple of beers." Rollie answered sitting next to Daniel. He grinned at the boy. "G'day Dylan."
"Hi." Dylan grinned back.
"Okay, so what can I get you?" Alex asked placing the beers before them.
"The salmon dinner looks good." Rollie replied checking the menu.
"I'll have the grilled chicken salad." Angie added.
Alex wrote it down and went to the kitchen.
"I hope Kevin's okay." Molly said as thunder roared overhead.
"He went to get Charlie..." Daniel said.
"I'm going to take care of the laundry." Molly replied and hurried out.
"Is she okay?" Angie asked.
"On the eve of their planned wedding there was a big storm, Kevin had to go and get Charlie, he didn't want to leave his house. When Kevin didn't return after a while Brian went looking for them...they had been caught in a mudslide and Brian used a bulldozer to dig them out." Daniel explained.
"Wow!" The couple said.
"Yeah,they got married once Brian brought Kevin back here." Alex said returning to the room.
"They got married here?" Rollie asked surprised.
"They didn't want to wait after what they'd gone through." Daniel nodded.
"Daniel married them." Dylan added grinning at the minister.
"And a certain naughty boy ate a layer of the cake with Nub." Alex eyed her son.
"It was good too." Dylan grinned back.
Alex was about to retort when they heard a crack and the lights went out.
"Don't panic." She said and pulled a hurricane lamp from under the bar and lit it. She went to the kitchen and turned the oven off then rejoined them. "Sorry about dinner." She apologized to the couple.
Before Rollie could tell her it was okay the door opened and a soaked Kevin and Charlie came in.
"The sandbags aren't holding against this, we have to move to higher ground." Kevin ordered.
"Kevin!" Molly rushed over hugging him then wrapped a blanket around both men.
"I passed the word that the house and church were open." Alex told them.
"Good, I'll call dispatch and have them broadcast it over the air." Kevin said relieved heading for the phone.
"Daniel can ride with Dylan and I up to the hill, Kevin can take you three and Charlie. Mol, grab blankets." Alex organized.
Molly and Daniel filled two trash bags with extra blankets and returned after a couple of minutes.
"Okay, let's go." Kevin ordered.
"Kevin, take them to the house, we can go to the church." Daniel said and the cop nodded then led everyone out.
Daniel pulled the church doors closed against the strong wind and located a supply of candles and matches he kept in the church for services. Alex relieved him of them and a few of the islanders helped Daniel move the lecturn and organ into the back room to give them more space.
It wasn't long before the church and house were full, Kevin had been at the top of the hill directing them evenly to the shelters.
"I'm going to head to the house, make sure everything is okay there." Daniel said pulling his slicker on.
"Be careful." Alex implored.
"I will." He smiled and headed out of the church and down the steps to the house. The wind howled and the rain blew sideways but he managed to get there.
"Daniel?!?" Rollie said as he entered.
"Everybody okay here?" The minister asked accepting the towel Fr. Mac. gave him and wiping his face.
"Yeah, we found the candles so we're all set." Molly nodded.
Daniel walked over to the closet and pulled out two radios and batteries for them. He handed the bigger one to Kevin and pocketed the transistor. "I'm going to head back." He said and started for the door.
"Hey, don't get stuck out there." Rollie told him.
"I'll be alright, you just stay here where it's safe." Daniel replied ad left the house.
Rollie walked to the window and watched the lone figure in the yellow coat and hat trudge toward the hill.
"BLOODY!" He exclaimed and ran for the door.
"ROL?!?" Angie cried as he ran out of the house.
Daniel was half-way up the steps when a shout caught his attention. He looked over and his eyes grew wide, he jumped from the steps grabbing the girl as she started down the hill.
"NO! KITTY!" She struggled against him.
"SUE!" Her father shouted reaching them.
"TAKE HER!" Daniel shouted as Sue's father grabbed for her from the steps, Daniel turned to pick his own way back when a flying shingle hit him in the head knocking him down the hill.
"DANIEL!" Rollie shouted and ran over to him.
"REVEREND!" Sue's father exclamed seeing him go down.
"I'VE GOT HIM!" Rollie hollered up and helped Daniel stagger to his feet.
They went their separate ways Rollie and Daniel to the house, man and girl back to the church.
"Sue!" Her mother cried hugging her when they returned.
"Kitty." Sue sobbed.
"You could have been hurt!" Her mother sobbed and scolded.
"Reverend Cooper was hurt." Sue's father reported.
"Daniel's hurt?!?" Alex paled.
"Someone from the house took him back there." The man nodded.
"Mom?"
Alex hugged Dylan seeing how scared he was for Daniel.
"I need to see how he is--"
"Come on Alex, look outside!" Brian interrupted.
"Just because you don't care about him--" She snapped angrily.
"I do care!" Brian replied and stomped away.
Alex realized the others were staring so she strode to the window and looked toward the house.
"Daniel?" Lily checked his eyes.
The minister mumbled incoherently.
"He definitely has a concussion." She said cleaning the minor scratches to his face. "The only thing we can do is keep an eye on him while he rests." She added pulling the covers up to his shoulders.
"Will he be alright?" Rollie asked concerned.
"We'll know by the morning." She looked at him then frowned. "You need to get out of those wet clothes, Daniel wouldn't mind if you borrowed some of his."
Thoughts of protest went unspoken as she found jeans and shirt and handed them to the Aussie then pushed him out of the bedroom.
"Good thing you and Daniel are both so slim." Angie said leading him to the bathroom where he changed.
"Hey, thanks...Daniel means a lot to us." Kevin said when he came back out.
"He means a lot to me too." Rollie replied as Angie wrapped her arms around him.
"We'd better settle in, it's going to be a long night." The cop sighed.
Angie awoke as Rollie moved. She watched him silently make his way to the bedroom and go inside. He had to check on Daniel himself, that was the way Rollie was with people he cared about. She recalled how shocked she had been when he told her about his new found relatives, a cousin that looked just like him! There was no mistaking the joy in his voice when he talked about them and she was elated for him, he deserved these happy family ties. She waited several minutes for him to return and when he didn't she crept into the bedroom and found him asleep on the floor next to the bed, with a soft smile she laid down next to him and fell asleep.
Alex couldn't sleep, it wasn't the bench, though she did have her complaints about that, she was worried about Daniel and imagined the worst. Careful not to wake Dylan she quietly walked to the door and slipped out.
Brian watched her go and even though her accusation hurt, he knew it was born of fear so he let it go. He relocated to the bench she had vacated and sat next to Dylan who, in his sleep, snuggled up next to the man.
The moon was full and bright in the early morning hours, the crickets and frogs were filling the cool night air with sound. Alex was relieved to find the storms were over as she quickly descended the steps and hurried to the house. Once inside she let her eyes adjust to the darkness before proceeding. She saw her friends and neighbors asleep and knew everyone would insist Daniel be taken to his own bed so she made her way there where she maneuvered around Rollie and Angie and slid onto the bed next to Daniel who she gently touched and fell asleep secure in the knowledge he was safe.
Alex rolled over and her arm fell off the bed landing on a soft surface. She slowly regained consciousness and was startled when someone gently gripped her hand. Rollie sat up a moment later placing her hand on the bed.
"I believe that belongs to you." He said in good humor.
"Sorry." She blushed and looked over. "Daniel?!?"
"Where is he?!?" Rollie demanded seeing the bed empty of his cousin.
The commotion woke Angie.
"Rol?" She yawned and sat up.
"I don't know." Alex answered tossing the cover off herself and climbing out of bed.
The couple followed her into the livingroom where they found the others up and about.
"Where's Daniel?" She asked Molly.
"Lily took him to town for tests."
"He wasn't happy about it so he must be okay." Kevin smiled.
"I'm going to get Dylan and head down." The redhead replied starting for the door.
"Mind if we come?" Rollie inquired.
Alex shook her head and they followed her to the church. She found Dylan and Nub talking and the boy ran over upon seeing her.
"Is Daniel okay?"
"Dr. Watson took him for tests, lets go."
Dylan followed Rollie and Angie out but Alex paused at the door.
"I'm sorry Brian."
"Forget it. I'll see you in town."
Alex looked at him a moment then nodded and left for the clinic.
They found the exam room door closed and waited anxiously until they heard a sneeze and Alex knocked.
"We'll be out in a moment." Lily said, surprised to see them there.
They waited what felt like hours, in reality only ten minutes more, before the door reopened and Lily led Daniel out.
"Are you okay?" Alex asked taking him all in.
"I'm fine." He smiled.
Alex glanced at Lily who nodded her assurance.
The redhead hugged him as did Dylan.
"I have a shirt just like that." Daniel commented to Rollie.
"This is your shirt." Rollie grinned, relieved he was alright.
"Oh." Daniel smiled and shrugged then turned to Alex. "Hey, don't you need to get to the inn and start lunch?"
"Lunch?" She asked him puzzled.
"It is Thanksgiving." He reminded.
"I don't think anyone will be in the mood." Angie pointed out.
"All the more reason to have it. We have a lot to be thankful for after last night." He said.
"Speaking of..." Lily looked at him.
"Oh yeah!" He chuckled and went back into the room returning a moment later. "Look who we found this morning."
"Kitty!" Dylan recognized the cat.
"Why don't you take him back to Sue?" Daniel handed the furball over.
"Mom?"
"Just be careful of the debris." She nodded.
The boy ran out and Daniel caught Rollie looking at him.
"What?"
"I'm just glad you're okay cous." Rollie smiled softly.
"I am okay...and it is a day for giving thanks. We need to have that lunch Alex to remind everyone of what we have here with each other."
"Let's talk to some people." She threw her hands up in resignation.
Daniel rang the dinner bell at two p.m. drawing everyone's attention from their place in the buffet line.
"Last nght we weathered a storm, today we've been helping each other to pick up the pieces," he gave a nod to Rollie and Angie, who had pitched in as well, "that's what a community is about, helping each other through the tough times. God brought us here together and God saw us through last night...being that today is Thanksgiving...I'm thankful to God for all of my family and friends on Hope and off." He smiled at them all.
"Amen." Father Mac. agreed.
"Okay, okay, I'm thankful too, I'm also hungry! Can we eat?" Brian asked.
"Boris?" Daniel looked to him with a grin.
"Moosh! Moosh!" The big Russian replied.
Everyone dug in then sat at the tables talking and laughing and Daniel observed it all with a smile of gratitude on this day of thanks.