#rivervale_lodge

The phone at the lodge RINGS, perhaps intruding on Frank's lunch

It does, but the phone rings so rarely there that it's not a problem to answer it. So he does. "Hello?"

A snuffling, tearfilled voice he recognizes - Connor. "Pop-Pop, I'm not feeling good at school. Can you please come pick me up?"

"Sure thing, Connor." Frank says immediately "At school, yes?" He names the school Connor attends.

He nods, then answers. "Uh-huh."

"Right. I'm on the way." And he is! He'll leave the Rig in the parking lot and use Brekke's jeep or another 'beater' car kept around for when the Rig is Too Much.

And off he goes (To Bergen)

With head out the window... Connor and Frank return

well, frank's head stays in but you know who I meant

Frank does indeed let Connor hang his head out when it's safe. After they are parked, he leads the boy up to the Lodge.

Oak barks a hello

"Hey Oak." He greets the Fae hound "Connor, you want an after school snack?"

Oak bounds to Frank

Oak gets ears rumpled.

Happy wags

"Snacks! SNACKS!"

"Snacks it is. Come on. We'll raid the kitchen."

He heads in, then pauses when he smells apple pastries. "Jodi stole my apple fritter. She said it was good, though."

"Go ahead. One. Otherwise you answer to Kerri."

He takes one, and then looks to Frank. "Can I save it for tomorrow? In case anyone wants to steal it again."

"Tell you what... have that one, and I'll set one aside for you for tomorrow."

"But not aside for TOO long. Else I have to give it to Lilly."

He takes a fritter, and breaks it messily in half, then offers the bigger half to Frank.

"All yours, big guy." Frank reaches and gets his own.

"Oh." He grins, and gobbles it, equally messily.

"Am I im t'oubl for skip'n schoo'?" He asks through a mouthful.

"If you were mortal, you might be.... but you're trying to help someone, and Fae have to watch out for each other." Frank explains "You need to be sure you do the work for school, though."

"But... she's not fae." He says, with clear uncertainty in his tone, and looking intently up at Frank. "Is she?"

"We'll see."

"Maybe we should take her an apple fritter today. So it's nice and fresh."

Frank nods. "I'll wrap one up to bring with us, and if we can we'll give it to her."

"Good idea."

"Can we make it extree-special?" He wiggles his fingers.

"If we need to, yes."

"Whee!"

"Ok." Frank goes about wrapping up a treat while consuming his own fritter.

Fritter fitter no quiter

and soon the clock has begun to hit that 2 hour mark

"Bing bong!"

"You want to stay here?"

He's already waiting at the door, and makes BIG PUPPY DOG EYES.

Oak approves of the technique. Kids' got it down

"Okay, okay...." Frank packs up and follows along.

And off they go to the school....

(TBC in Bergen)