‘Susan Thomas get off that table right now……….. how many times do I have to tell you that people who sit on a kitchen table don’t get married…………’ Her Gran tapped her shoulder lightly to gain her attention as 13 year old Sue swung her legs happily to and fro as she munched on a spoonful of her moms’ oreo-cookie dessert.

‘It doesn’t matter Gran, I’m not getting married………… boys suck, they tease me and call me names and pull my hair……they chase me with spiders and dead fish….and they don’t even bother to learn to sign……. they’re jerks………’

That's so cute.. and "EWWW!" via me about the spiders.. i hate them! I'd probs hate boys too if they did that to me.. eghhhh.. great now i can't stop shivering.. eghh

More please

You already got me laughing Cath...this should prove to be most interesting!

terriffic another challenge story from Cath
great start more soon please pretty please Lin

Great start!

Sue's going to regret saying that me thinks....great start....


~laura michelle~

Woohoo! A Challenge story from Cath!
A wonderful start!
I look forward to more!

I'm trying to rack my brain and remember if I ever sat on a kitchen table?
Oh well...

Tracy

Very amusing and promising start, Cath!


I did it! Endless times! Does this mean that I will never get married? Please, Cath, prove Gran wrong!

Ornella

There was a boy on my street who liked to throw worms. He cut them up into wriggling pieces and tossed them. Once I got hit in the side of the face with severed worm parts one of which slithered down inside my blouse. I still get squeamish when I see worms on the pavement after a rain! Oh -- and love Sue's observation -- but if we look into the future we see that her grans might actualy be right!

kav

I’ve never been really sure how much older Jack is than Sue so I’ve gone for 8 years

Chapter 2

‘Jackson Samuel Hudson get off the table this instant…….. I told you, if you sit on the table you’ll never get married…….’ His Gran waved her wooden spoon at her favourite grandson as he grinned sheepishly and remained where he was.

‘I don’t think I want to get married Gran…….. girls are way too hard to understand……… too much like hard work……..’

‘Allie?’ she asked softly.

‘Yeah……..’

‘So what did you do?’

‘Why assume I did anything?’ he asked indignantly.

‘Women always assume the man did something wrong……. gets us to the end result without taking the long way round………’ she smiled at the good looking man before her.


‘……..I came up for her 21st party…….. I’d asked what she’s like as a gift and she said ‘surprise me’, so I take her out for dinner, buy her an expensive necklace, bracelet and earrings………. all matching and still it’s not enough………’

‘I think she wanted something else son……….’

‘What more does she want? I already work 2 jobs to see me through law school and I picked up extra hours to buy the gifts and so I could take this weekend off…………so I’m way behind on my assignments….’

His Gran waved her ring finger under his nose, ‘I think she was hoping you’d ask her to marry her………’

Jack groaned loudly, the end of his law degree was in sight and he’d already applied to join the FBI so marriage was the last thing on his mind right now.

‘But if you marry her I will kick up such a stink Jack……before and after I kick your butt…………..’

At 5 foot 11 Jack was much shorter than most of his friend who were easily 6 foot 6 or more yet he towered over his Gran who was just 5 foot 1. It was his excuse for sitting on the table, it brought him closer to her level…….. and he knew it would wind her up.

‘So, you don’t approve of my choice in women?’

‘What you want is someone as down to earth as you, not a glorified clothes horse who thinks she’s better than everyone else, a woman who will accept your career choice, not try to make you someone you’re not……..’

Jack stared at his Gran, ‘how did you know?’

‘Allie told her Gran and she told me……… she doesn’t want you to join the bureau……..’

‘Am I wrong to not want to be a lawyer for the rest of my life?’

‘Reach for your dreams son, if it’s right for you to become an Agent it will happen…….. but don’t give up because she wants you to earn megabucks …….. the woman you marry will understand your job, will support you in it, will worry about you being safe but will pray for you…….. I don’t see Allie doing any of that…….now get off that table before take this wooden spoon to that butt of yours……….’

Jumping off the table Jack lifted his Gran from the floor and swung her n the air, laughing as she squealed in his ear.

Sharing coffee and cinnamon rolls his Gran glanced over at the young man who was the image of his dad and his recently deceased granddad, the killer Hudson eyes twinkling as he spoke about his studies and his friends, about his hopes for the future.

That's a wonderful sentence... exactly the opposite of what my mother keeps saying to me... Sorry! Bad day!


However, I love Jack's Gran!



Ornella

Love the granny network!!!!! And after all that table sitting we now understand where in lies the problem with Jack and Sue getting together!

kav

I like Grams....though.....did you really have to mention the dreaded A?


~laura michelle~

Hmmm I just saw those killer Hudson eyes in my mind.. Great choice of words!

Tracy

I loved the whole post! Jack's gran is too funny!

This is great...I always saw them as 4 yrs. apart but 8 works too...

Love Jack's grandmother!!!!!

She did a great job of describing Sue, didn't she?
Great post! Looking forward to more.

I've usually thought of Jack and Sue as being 2 - 4 years apart, but that's mostly because I know Yannick and Deanne are 2 years apart. Eight years works.

Tracy

I just love Jack's gran!

I can't wait for more!

Faith

thought jacks gran was lovely loved her,
I think when the time comes grans will just really love sue
more soon please cath pretty please Lin

GOtta love the Granny network. You tell your grandma, who tells someone else's grandma, and she tells someone else's until it ends up probably to Sue's grandma.... Hehe... that would be interesting, wouldn't it?

Oh, the Granny network... I know very well how that works. I myself call it Grandmamas' Inteligence Service.

Fabulous start! I love Jack's granny already

Chapter 3

Some years later

Jack Hudson leant against the work surface in his parents’ kitchen and chuckled as his mom shouted yet again at his sister, ‘Esther Hudson get off that table……….. I keep telling you that if you sit on the table you’ll never get married……….’

His 24 year old baby sister scowled at her mom, ‘do you really believe that rubbish mom?’

‘Look at your brother, he used to sit on the table and he’s still single ……….’

‘He’s still single because he’s in love but he won’t do anything about it………. cute but clueless………’ Esther teased as Jack glared at her, wondering why she believed she had the right to discuss his love life or lack thereof with his mom.

‘If I’m still single it’s moms’ fault………… don’t look at me like that mom…… you’re the one who dumped me on the table when I was little…….’

‘That doesn’t count, that was when I had to look at your scraped knees or the broken wrist you got…….. or when you were chasing round the kitchen eating while the dog tried to snatch the food out of your hands………or any of the hundred and one reasons why I needed to look close at you…….. like the time you fell out of the tree and came in with blood pouring down your face…… I tell you son, how you haven’t gotten yourself killed working for the FBI is beyond me and how your dad and I ever survived having you for a son is beyond me……..’

Jack grinned and hugged her, ‘thanks mom, ya know I’m really glad I came all this way for your anniversary, just to be insulted by my parents and my little sister……….’

‘Seriously Jack, we just want to see you settled with a lovely wife and a couple of grandchildren……. is that too much to ask?’

‘No……….. as long as you’re not gonna try and fix me up with Allie again…….’

‘No Allie…….. I promise……. but we all like Sue…… she’s good for you…. and I know you like her more than you let on…….’

‘Esther get off the table……….’ Jack mumbled before heading out of the kitchen to his room.

I thought that this was quite cute....


~laura michelle~

Me too. It's so Jack-like, though.

I agree with you both.

Ornella

Count me in

I agree with all of you!

That was cute. I could picture Jack saying that.

I agree with all of you no ALLIE please
SUE yes just hope he has the courage to phone sue e.mail
or get her up to his family home but he has to tell sue he
loves her ,more soon please pretty please Lin

Allie will not exist in a relationship in this story you said it yourself

Jack cute but clueless... as always.

Jack not being clueless....how is that even possible?

I've been popping in and out of the board for the past few days, so I've missed a lot, including this story....and the parts about sitting on tables just tickled me. I used to sit on tables all the time when I was little!

Not doing that any more!!!



Well if he was cute and smart, he would be a woman!

Or Levi... the wonderdog.

Cute post!

Looking forward to more...

Tracy

Chapter 4

Sitting on his bed Jack pulled out his phone and rang Sue.

‘Hi…….. good to see your voice Hudson……….. I’m good and so is Levi……are your mom and dad looking forward to the party?.......... I’m sorry I couldn’t come up with you…………… still limping and looking sorry for himself……and he still hates the bucket on his head….. it wasn’t your fault Jack…….. stop blaming yourself, Levi and I don’t blame you……. Ok, you can take us out for dinner again to make it up to us…….. but Levi wants to know when you and I will have his choice of dinner……… rabbit flavoured ‘Meaty Chunks’……with biscuits……I’m sure he’ll be happy with a few beef flavoured treats and pizza crusts…….. Ok, I’ll see you Tuesday at the pen, actually no…….. meet me at the coffee shop on 10th and I’ll shout you breakfast…… give my love to your mom and dad…….... bye Jack……..’

Closing his phone Jack leant back on his pillow and relived that awful day earlier in the week.

Oh my, anxious to find out what happened to Levi!

Tracy

Cath...there is more to this story I am sure of it, explain please

Wha? Levi? How could you hurt Levi? What happened? Why is he hurt?

Awww, what's happened to Levi?

Cath, I can just see Jack and Sue sitting on the table!! As usual, you have both of their characters down pat!! Love the grans and their comments!! So glad Jack's gran doesn't like Allie either!!!

Now, what did Jack do to Levi?? Why does a picture jump into my head of Levi trying to push them together and Jack falls on him???

Joy

Cath this is great but what has jack done to levi
please pretty please tell more soon please Lin

What happened to Levi?

Em

What's wrong with Levi?

to everyone. What did happen to Levi?

Ornella

I'm waiting.....





~laura michelle~

couch warning



Chapter 5

He and Sue had taken Levi to a different wood for a walk, laughing as he disappeared in to the bushes in search of squirrels or rabbits.

Suddenly Jack had heard the most horrendous blood-curdling cry, telling Sue to wait he’d chased after Levi and found him with a rabbit trap fastened around his front leg.

Grateful that the dog trusted him Jack had forced the teeth apart before wrapping his shirt around the leg.

Talking softly to the big dog he’d carefully lifted him up and carried him to the path before he and Sue ran to the car.

Ignoring bureau policy he’d put on his lights and siren as they raced to the vets where the prognosis had been better than expected. Because of the speed at which the dog had been freed damage had been minimal, although the leg had required a plaster cast to heal the fractured bones and stitches in the cuts.

He and Sue had reluctantly agreed that he would head to Wisconsin alone rather than subjecting the dog to either a long car ride or staying in DC without Sue.

Jack had spent the rest of the week mentally rebuking himself for suggesting walking the dog there and had tried to make it up to both of them. He’d insisted on paying the vets’ bill, he’d taken them out for breakfast every morning, bought lunch in to the pen and taken them home for take-out each night. His heart had broken as he’d watched the dog hobbling around the park unable to chase the squirrels which almost seemed to torment him.

Because of him Levi was hurting and because of that Sue was hurting and whatever she said, he was having a hard time forgiving himself.

Ah, Jack... The rabbit hunter is the only one who can take the guilt rightfully.

That's sad...but what is the J/S relationship status at this point? She would be going home with him?