Easy As Falling Off A Log.
by Bonzi Cat & 'is Mum.
part:256. (Isn't that a quarter of a Gigastory?).

I spun around in my seat, "Simon, what are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same," he said.

"Doing a re-enactment of the Alamo. The police didn't like the bit with live ammo."

He stood and shook his head. "I can't leave you alone for five minutes, can I?"

"No," I said and hugged him. I felt his arm around me and for a moment I felt safe. I also felt safe to cry. At first, my eyes just felt as if they were burning a little and filled with tears, then the tears became rivulets running down my cheeks. In moments, I was sobbing and shaking and I didn't know why.

Simon stood holding me, rubbing my back and saying comforting things to me. I sensed rather than saw or heard someone approach and Simon sent them away. I had missed him and his protective hugs.

When I'd calmed down a bit, he took me into the room and kissed me, it was a wonderful sensation to feel his warm lips touching mine. His strong arms held me and I was close to swooning, though I didn't know why.

"What are you doing here?" I asked him again.

"I had to bring some business acquaintances to assist the boys in blue to deal with these ruffians."

"Any news on Stella?"

"Oh Stella is perfectly safe."

"What! Why didn't anyone tell me?" I was crying for joy, and hugged him tightly.

"She's up at the hospital getting checked over."

"What happened?"

"We worked out where she was within hours, with some help from our friends in Russia and some intel...."

"What the stuff in computers?" I asked blankly, what could an American silicone chip company have to do with anything, besides I preferred AMD.

"What?"

"Intel, the computer chip people."

"No you silly goose, intel, as in intelligence. Get with the jargon girl."

"So what happened with Stella, a swat team was it?"

"No, a SAS team rescued her."

"Oh, I'd have thought the police would have done it."

"They flew them in from Hereford, they sussed the job, did it and left."

"We could have done with a few of them earlier on."

"I heard Robin Hood helped out."

"Ha ha," I hugged him tighter.

"So how many did you shoot?"

"Who said I shot anyone?"

"I heard you confessed to it."

"Confessed, I'm not guilty of attacking people's houses with machine guns, who do you think I am, the SAS?"

He laughed, "So how many did Robin Hood shoot?"

"I think the figure of three was mentioned." I blushed as I said it.

"I heard they only found two bodies."

"Not the two coppers?" I gasped.

"No, they were okay, someone had called them to go elsewhere."

"What? No wonder we were such easy meat."

"No the bodies had arrows in them."

"Oh dear, have they died?" I hadn't given it much thought until now. When I fired the arrows I didn't care if they had killed the targets, now I did. The fact that I had deliberately hurt three people now weighed heavy on my heart.

"I don't know, I'm just immensely proud of my little girl defending herself and her friends against overwhelming odds."

"But I might have killed someone," I sobbed.

"They were trying to kill you, and Tom and that copper."

"I know, but I have no right to kill anyone."

"Neither have they, and they started it."

"That doesn't make what I did right, Simon."

"Cathy, you bought yourself a bow and arrows, if you weren't planning on using it, why the hell did you buy it?"

"I felt safer for having it with me. I didn't think I would ever use it. I was angry and frightened for Stella. I wanted to protect myself and Tom."

"I didn't know you could fire a bow."

"Even you could hit something with a compound bow." I realised what I'd said as the words were out of my mouth.

"Even me, huh! That says a lot about your confidence in me, Catherine Watts."

"I'm sorry, Simon, I didn't mean it like that. What I meant to say was, anyone could hit something with a compound bow.The cantilevers take all the weight off the string so you get to aim it better. It's a forty pound bow."

"That sounds pretty powerful to me."

"It is, from close range would probably put an arrow straight through you." I shuddered as I saw my arrows hit the bloke in the house. How I managed to reload and fire so quickly amazed me when I thought about it. I was as quick as a British archer in the Anglo French wars. I mean I hit him and he staggered about with an arrow in his back and I reloaded and shot him in the stomach. How could he survive two hits, but somehow he did. And that guy who took one in the face! Ugggggggh! I mean, how did he survive that, did I blind him or hit his brain or his mouth? I felt quite ill.

"Are you okay?" asked Simon.

"Not really," I sobbed. "I need to see Dr Thomas."

"Ah, I'll call her as soon as I can, but I think tonight we need to get our heads down."

"What here?"

"No, the hotel on Southsea, remember we have a suite there."

"I brought a case of your clothes from the house."

"I love you Catherine Watts."

"I love you too," I said sniffing. "What about Stella?"

"She's safe for now, hopefully we'll see her tomorrow."

"I hope so." I hugged him again and then let him lead me back to my car. He sat in the driver's seat and we followed a police car to Southsea.

"Are we safe now?" I asked him when we'd snuggled down in the comfortable bed.

"I am with Ramboette protecting me."

My hand which was near his waist dropped a little and squeezed something quite firmly.

"Jeez! Cathy, what are you doing?" he squeaked loudly and jumped but I held on.

"Rambo-ette?" I queried.

"Okay, I apologise, let them go for Pete's sake."

"Still feel safe?" I asked.

"From mad Russians yes, from my psycho-girlfriend, I'm not so sure." I could feel his hand rubbing something as he soothed his injured pride.

"Well that's alright then," I growled at him and put the light out.