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Title: Franny's Clugal Flugal.
Author: Lys at lystykds@aol.com
Rated: G, Humor

The curtain pulled away from the window in the tall house to the rear of the Vecchio's family home. The owner of the hand that moved the curtain grinned. She'd lived in her home for over 50 years and she loved watching what went on in and around the home that the Vecchio family had lived in for the last 45 years. She often told her friends that watching that house in the summer was better than any soap opera you could find on the television. She grinned again, picked up her crocheting basket and dropped gently into the whicker chair by the window where she could see the entire back yard of the home behind her home through the window.

The sun's rays bounced off the water of the children's pool as the two four footed animals ran around the yard in huge circling loops. The bulkier of the two animals ran deftly and caged in the other animal at nearly every turn as they swung their course of loops first to one side of the swimming pool and then to the other. The daintier animal, complete with a very new hair bow over her eyes and a new hair cut from a recent trip to the groomer, pranced with her head held high as she moved swiftly in the path of the male animal. The bulkier, bigger boned animal slunk low to the ground and nipped at the heels of the fine boned white, female poodle. He dropped and rolled in front of her effectively blocking her path. He was of mixed heritage and the wolf in him was delighting in what was a well-matched race between two four-footed beings. His female alpha had moved away some months previously leaving him alone and sad. His missed his Maggie, but this new female this poodle they called Ante, wasn't a bad sort at all. She was swift on her feet and intelligent. And the fact that she was a good-looking young thing didn't hurt in his estimation of her either.

Children's voices rose to the highest form of excited squeaks rose over the back yard as Maria and Tony's children splashed riotously in the pool. Maria kept a vigilant eye on the children as she stood just off the back porch in a way that let her watch the children but let them think they were on their own in the pool.

A shout of laughter sounded over and above the children's squeaks of joy as Francesca, Maria's spunky little sister darted into the area where the two four-footed animals ran. She held a Frisbee high over her head and threw it high into the air. Both women grinned as the male of the duo leapt high into the air and grabbed the plastic disc before Ante had a chance to turn back and see it.

"No fair Dief." Francesca grinned and planted her hands on her very narrow hips that looked even tinier in the dark shorts she had chosen to wear her swimsuit top. To the casual observer, every part of Francesca was made in a way that made her look fragile and breakable. She had grown tired of being the little one while the Vecchio siblings were growing up. But, somewhere between leaving puberty and her divorce behind her, she'd found a way to be happy with her diminutive size.

She was well aware of the fact that being so very petite was an attraction to some men. Though she'd long been unhappy with the proportions of certain parts of her body, she had learned to play off her size with the clothing she wore.

Dief and Ante regrouped and nearly pranced on their paws towards the female who had taken Ante in when her owner had gone to jail. Both animals knew just how to wheedle Francesca to get what they wanted. They also knew exactly where to cut line and pay attention to her. Dief dropped the Frisbee and trotted in his most polite manner up to the small woman who lost her brains when his male human companion was at hand. Dief just couldn't figure it out; he'd never understood why his alpha male companion hadn't noticed this alpha female. To be sure she didn't consistently send alpha waves out from her being, but Dief was nearly 100% sure that was because she'd been struck dumb when she'd meet his Fraser, his alpha male of the human species companion.

"Come on you two time for some cool water and a break before that brother of mine gets here to pick up Dief." Francesca's short brown curls bobbed boisterously around her head as she leaned over and picked up the Frisbee and turned towards the house.

Maria watched her sister lead the way for the animals as the small group headed up the back steps and onto the back porch. She thought back to the evening her brother had first brought The Mountie, as she thought of the man, to their home. She'd been so sure then that her sister was just playing with the poor boy when she had flirted so outrageously with him. Now, looking back, Maria wasn't so sure her sister hadn't been hit with cupid's arrow. Maria was sure it was The Mounties's influence that had begun a slow change in her sister, for Frannie was surely no longer the totally obnoxious little sister that Maria had always known. Maria turned back to watch the children splashing wildly in the pool and lost her train of thought as she became engrossed in the doings of her children.

The neighbor behind the curtain grinned when she saw the two sisters in near proximity to each other as Francesca led the animals up to the porch. The little one had changed. She put her crotchet work aside when she heard the sound of that car the Vecchio boy insisted on driving. She craned her neck and got her face as close to the window as she dared and waited before picking up the opera glasses she just happened to keep in her basket. She knew the presence of that nearly wild animal at the Vecchio meant that young Vecchio would probably be bringing that dear Canadian boy with him. She sighed; if she were about 45 years younger she might be preening her own feathers when he was around. She laughed for she was a very good friend of the Vecchio sibling's mother and she knew quite well what antics the youngest child had gone to over the last few years to try and entice that nice young Canadian boy. She'd even watched a few of those antics right from her whicker chair. Her grin broadened when she caught sight of the dark haired Canadian walking at young Ray Vecchio's side.

Francesca poured fresh water into the bowl she used for Ante's water dish. She knelt down and put a hand on the shoulders of her four-footed friends as they drank stood over the dish. Dief slopped up his water with his wide tongue and let the water drop onto the porch flooring. Ante delicately lapped her water and turned a canine grin at her companion.

"You two got hit by a clugal flugal didn't you? Love at first sight. It's grand when you both get hit at the same time. Very painful when it only its one and not the other." She laid a gentle hand on the soft curls of Ante. "You're very lucky."

Ray Vecchio stopped to talk to his sister, Maria, as he neared the porch. He grinned at the kids in the pool. "Sure keeps the kids cool." He looked at his sister and leaned his shoulder towards her, "You think Ma would get in with them?"

Maria laughed. "I tried again today, believe me. She said today was her baking day. Can you believe that?"

Ray nodded and turned towards the porch steps. Benton Fraser, his friend Benny, was climbing the steps as if he was stalking something. That got Ray's attention and he moved slightly towards the porch.

Benton Fraser, Constable, RCMP, had seen and heard his companion, Dief, drinking water on the porch as he walked up. The porch was well shaded but he could make out the diminutive figure of Francesca Vecchio kneeling between the two animals. Her hair, while holding its bounce, was a trifle wilted from the heat, and sweat ran down her back between her shoulder blades as she petted first one animal and then the other. He cocked his head slightly as he listened to her and then felt his own face flushing wildly. He moved one booted foot quietly up on the first step of the porch steps. When he heard her tell Ante, "You're very lucky", he knew that he should finally speak and he quickly climbed the remaining stairs before Francesca had a chance to hear him coming. Lately, she moved quickly out of his path whenever he was around and his feelings had begun to feel hurt every time she did it. Now, he had an explanation. He cursed his thick headedness and advanced on the trio on the porch.

"I think you mean they were hit by a mutual 'coup de foudre'." He moved quickly until he was standing nearly directly over Francesca's kneeling form. He dropped to his own knees and placed a loving hand along Dief's shoulders. "I understand that sometimes only one person gets hit by a coup de foudre."

Francesca's eyes were enlarged in their sockets as she wiped her lips with her tongue. She pulled Ante closer to her and replied, "Does lightening ever strike twice?" She looked mortified by what she'd said but gamely held her gaze towards the target of her lightening strike.

Benton watched her, noted every curve of her body, and noted the fear in her eyes. He berated himself for being the coward that he was when it came to affairs of the heart. He'd been sorely burned before by his own hit of electricity that created an imbalance of the inner ear. But, as he looked at the small form in front of him, he knew it was tearing his own heart out that she was hurting. He'd come to think of that feeling a lot lately but had put it down to the pangs of a friendship that seemed to be floundering and he hadn't the right rope to repair the broken spar. He was often 'slow on the uptake' as his friends put it about human relationship things. He knew it. But he was also aware of his own self defense mechanisms trying to raise the bastions against the feelings he knew he harbored for his best friend's sister. He closed his eyes and opened them again to see Francesca's face paling as she watched him.

"Sometimes, Sometimes... Er... sometimes," he began with his throat tightening around his vocal chords. "Yes." He said and swept the hat he wore off of his head. "Yes. I do. I do think that a err...a." He looked at her pleadingly to find her expression suddenly brightening. "Well, the Inuit..."

Francesca cut him off with a laugh and a broad grin. "So, have you been out in any storms lately?"

Ben pulled Dief to his side and grinned, "Yes, actually I have." He reached over to pet Ante and let his fingers trail along her fingers that were threaded into Ante's collar.

Ray chose that moment to walk up the steps. He marched over rather loudly and placed his hands on his hips. "Lightening, this is the deep subject you wanted to see Franny about?" He turned away and went to the back door. "I'm going swimming, either of you want to come?" He disappeared into the house and they could hear him talking loudly to his mother to stop baking and cool off.

Maria turned towards the steps just in time to see Benton look out over the backyard towards the children in the pool, raise his hat and lean over towards her sister. 'Sometimes,' she thought, 'it pays just to stand and watch." She heard one of the kids starting to cry and she turned her head towards the pool, "Hey, Joey, stop that!" She missed seeing Francesca touching her lips wonderingly before leaning into Benton's arms.

Across the backyard, the curtain fell back into place.

End Franny's Clugal Flugal by Lys: lystykds@aol.com

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