DISCLAIMER: I don’t own them… if I did there would have been kissing and such. This story is not intended for profit but simply to test my ability to create something I am happy with that others might enjoy. Karen Sisco and all its characters are property of Jersey Television. No infringement intended.
ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.
The Green Mountain State
By atfm
Bare feet padded over the old wooden floor, their owner feeling every crack and every small bump beneath her soles and toes. She avoided the spot where water was dripping down through the roof steadily, stepped over a shoe that had been left lying in the middle of the room carelessly the night before, and eventually came to a halt.
Standing next to the bed, Marley looked down on a sleeping Karen. Waking up didn't appear to be a viable option for her at this point, so Marley slipped off her robe and slid back under the covers, snuggling up to Karen, who acknowledged her with a grunt. She might be sharp-tongued when talking to criminals, but in her mostly-asleep state, coherency was impossible for the marshal.
However, when Marley entangled her feet with Karen's, the latter's eyes popped open, and, withdrawing her legs hurriedly, she very clearly – though not particularly eloquently – blurted out, "Ugh!"
Taken aback by Karen's outburst, Marley dutifully lifted the blanket and peeked under it to determine what might have caused such a reaction. Not finding anything, she asked, "What's wrong?"
Karen was wide awake now. "Your feet. They're cold."
"This whole cabin isn't exactly a cosy place." Marley frowned and glanced at the small puddle of water on the floor near the door.
"You can say that again. Just how did you manage to convince me to go to Vermont? I don't recall any promises of sexual favours or taking me to fancy restaurants."
"I didn't. It was you who wanted to come here to see the fall foliage after watching a documentary on the Discovery Channel."
"Right. Somehow it looked a lot better on TV. Who knew Vermont could be this cold and dreary in October? Whatever happened to the Indian Summer the leaflets advertised?" Karen wrapped the blanket around herself more tightly and dared to scoot closer to Marley again, steering clear of her feet.
Marley looked out of the small window next to the bed and squinted. "I imagine the trees do look beautiful at this time of the year. If you manage to find them behind the veil of mist and rain, that is."
"Those New England states don't do anything for me. Too damn chilly up here. Who needs that? We should cede them to Canada."
Chuckling, Marley replied dryly, "They've got nothing on the sweltering heat and humid air of Florida, huh?"
"Clothes sticking to your skin, sweat trickling down your back, bad hair days," Karen added with a wistful smile. Then her tone grew almost pitiful. "Can we go home?"
"We should stay, we already paid for the cabin. It's just a weekend, we can survive that." Marley reached for the remote control and switched on the TV. "There's always staying in bed all day and watching the telly."
As Marley flipped through the channels, Karen waited exactly two and a half seconds before she dismissed a programme. "No…..no…..God, no…..NO….the Discovery Channel, are you kidding me?"
Sighing at Karen's fussiness, Marley tossed the remote control over to her side of the bed. Before she could tell Karen to choose something herself, she was distracted by a prolonged creaking above her head. When she looked up to the ceiling, a few drops of water splashed down on her face.
Throwing back the covers and making Karen whimper at the rush of cool air, Marley scrambled from the bed. She began gathering clothes from all over the bedroom and stuffing them into a suitcase, hell-bent on leaving this place as quickly as possible. "Get dressed, Karen. We're going home."
Karen sat up in bed and grinned. "Miami, here we come."
The End