A Price Worth Paying

Chapter Twenty-nine. Year Four, part three.

Year 4. Part 3.

Sean and Mr Blackbourne just stared at Sang stunned. Eventually the silence got to Sang.

"What! Why are you staring at me! Is it because of the crossbow? Why! I told you both I was better at it than archery."

"Will you please say something." She cried starting to get anxious and upset when the silence continued.

Shaking themselves out of their stupor the pair of them hastened to reassure her.

"It's okay, Miss Sorenson. Honestly. We're just shocked. Neither of us have seen shooting like that before. EVER. You are brilliant. Not to mention designing a marvellous piece of engineering. Really, Miss Sorenson I am so very impressed." Mr Blackbourne stated simply.

"Pookie, you have to realise that what you are capable of is unheard of. You were moving and so were your targets. You knocked down balloons and clay targets each and every time. You NEVER missed once. To be honest I am in awe of what you can do with a loaded weapon." Sean gently said trying to reassure her.

"I told you both beforehand I was good with a crossbow. I wasn't lying. You know I can't. So what exactly is your problem with it."

"We're sorry you thought we had a problem. There's no problem with it at all, Miss Sorenson. We have a lot of pride that our family has the best shot in the Academy, certainly. However, I don't consider that to be a problem. Do you Sean?" Mr Blackbourne asked smoothly.

"The only problem with that is everyone else is going to want you." Sean said honestly.

Neither of them were about to start lying to Sang at this point.

"Well that's too bad because if I'm not with this family I'm not part of the Academy, and that's not negotiable." Sang told them both firmly, burying her face in Mr X's fur.

Mr Blackbourne and Sean just grinned at each other over her head.

Mr Bean goes to the Track.

"Hey Grampa. Watcha doing?" Sang asked happily, prancing into her Grampa's workshop after arriving back from self defence classes.

"Actually, Grampa what ARE you doing?" She asked staring at the pale blue mini that her Grampa was currently working on.

"Well Sweetie. You know how to open a car. You know how to start a car. I figure you may as well learn how to drive a car." Grampa replied grinning at his little girl's obvious surprise.

"This little number is about the smallest I could find. I'm not including your Grammy's car in that equation. I know the seats move and do everything except drive for you, and it may look small but the engine isn't." He said shaking his head over his wife's silver Ferrari and all the tickets he knew were resting in the glove compartment. "We'll wait a while, I think, before you drive it."

"Uh yeah, Grampa. I'm not touching it until I'm proficient at this skill and Grammy says I can."

She grinned suddenly at her Grampa. "Word for the day. Do you like it?"

"I do, sweetie. Mind you, if you want you'll be having lessons daily, and I mean all afternoon. We might have to bump a few things until next year, but there was a vacancy for intensive one-on-one lessons so I grabbed it. Mr D heard and let me know."

"I'd love to learn Grampa. Thank you."

"You're welcome Sweetie. By the end of Summer you'll be a better driver than both your Grammy and me. But don't tell her I said so." He grinned.

"She won't need to George, darling! I'm standing right here." Grammy announced with a definite smirk on her face. "And just so you know, when my sweet granddaughter passes all her lessons she can drive my car at the track when her course is complete. Do you have a problem with that?"