Immaculate

Spiders and Showers

"No, I was just looking at the view. It's beautiful here," I said truthfully.

"Yes, it is," he agreed. "If we go too fast, just say so."

"I can keep up," I said and even to my ears it was a little sharp.

"I know you can," he said and moved back towards the others.

"Half an hour more and we'll stop for a break," he told them.

Nathan came back down towards me grinning happily.

"Enjoying it, Peanut?" he asked and I sent him a quick grin and started to carry on. My pack, which I knew was smaller and lighter than theirs, was starting to feel like an elephant was on my back.

"We're almost at the top," Kota called out. "Might as well wait till we're there for a break."

"Half an hour or the top, Kota, whichever comes first," Mr Blackbourne told him. I looked up and saw Dr Green looking at me, but his face was serious and his eyes had a distant look in them. He blinked and then he was grinning at me, his usual playful sparkle back in his eyes, I grinned back, but I wondered what he'd been thinking of.

I kept my head down, my hands behind me supporting my backpack and trudged onwards.

----ghghg----

I sank down onto the rocks. We had reached the top and the view was amazing. You could see all around the lake, the steep sides of the hills that were covered in forest. You could see the camp site laid out below and it looked tiny.

"Food!" Nathan cried in delight and he helped me slide my backpack off my shoulders. I felt almost weightless when it came off, as if I would float upwards now it wasn't dragging me down.

I was shaking slightly and very sweaty, but at least now they also were sweating and looked a bit out of breath. I let Nathan open my pack and then he was handing me a bottle of water and my foil wrapped sandwiches.

"Thank you," I told him and he slumped next to me and took off his own backpack. The others all grouped around on different rocks as they looked over the lake.

"We're hiring the boats tomorrow, but Tuesday we're going to explore the cave system on the other side," Mr Blackbourne told me. I liked the sound of that and told him so.

I finished my sandwich and lay back on the rock, the sun was warm on my face and I drifted.

----ghghgh----

Mr Blackbourne's POV

She was asleep and I wasn't surprised. I knew that she hadn't got that much sleep last night. For someone whose voice had broken, she sure could make a lot of noise. I closed my eyes at that thought. I had been awake, so had Sean, we had heard her go downstairs quietly and then the flush had gone, but she hadn't come back up. I had been about to go and make sure she was ok, when we heard another door open and North had told Silas he was going to the toilet. He wasn't quiet at all when he thumped down the stairs and then we heard the murmur of voices and it went quiet. I had been starting to drift when I had heard the most delicious sounds coming from her and it had made me groan. Sean had been worried that North was taking it too far and said I ought to check that they weren't having actual sex.

I had blanched at the thought and told him that as he was the Doctor, he was much more qualified for the job. He told me as head of the family it was my responsibility. In the end we had decided on Rock, Paper, Scissors and I was so glad he lost. He had crept out of the bedroom and come back again a few minutes later, red in the face and muttering about going blind. He had assured me that nothing more than hands were at work and had got back into bed and buried his head under the pillow. Sang's cries at that moment got louder and I dived under my own pillow. It muffled the sounds, but it didn't stop my brain from coming up with images of Sang on her back. But it wasn't North dragging those noises from her, it was me. It had taken me ages to get to sleep and I knew that they hadn't come back upstairs.