The Weekly Dormouse. (aka Bike, est. 2007) Part 3340 by Angharad Copyright© 2021 Angharad

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This is a work of fiction any mention of real people, places or institutions is purely coincidental and does not imply
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I took both of us back to the university and Daddy went back to his office, "You'll never guess who I just met?"

"Peter Dominic?"

I nearly fell over. "You told him where to find me?"

"It's hardly a secret, is it?"

"Judas." I hissed at her.

"Come off it, Cathy, everyone knew where you were."

"Well, one of them did, but then you knew that."

"I refuse to play this game, do you want tea, or not?"

I disappeared into my office and pretended I didn't hear her. "Here." She slammed the mug on the desk.

I looked up and pretended to be surprised, "Thank you, is it that time already?"She went muttering to herself.

I stared at the mug and burst out laughing and she returned, "What's so funny?"

"You are."

"I see, perhaps you would be good enough to enlighten me?"

"You take me too seriously."

"I do?"

"Yes, I was just winding you up."

"Now hang on, a moment ago you were accusing me of betraying you."

"You did but because it worked out, I forgive you."

"I don't give tinker's if you do or not. Peter needed to see you and say his piece and you as good as told him he couldn't do it here, so I told him where you were likely to be."

"I see."

"What if he had said something different?"

"He didn't, did he?"

"No, he didn't."

"You didn't know that."

"I did, I worked with him at Bristol for umpteen years."

"You told me this before."

"At least I'm sticking to my story."

"You are indeed, but I'd be grateful if you'd not tell anyone else where dine."

"Do you want me to resign?"

"No, I want you to finish your typing."

"I see, you don't, it could have been anyone, even someone bearing me malice. I have been attacked, nearly murdered by people I didn't even know were after me and when someone dies trying to protect you - it hurts."

"I'm sorry, I thought that part of your life was over?"

"I'm never sure it is. They say it is but neither our little Russian friend, assuming he has any friends, is not renown for keeping his word."

"What do want me to do?"

"I'm sure it will never happen again, so I'd like you to return to your desk and finish the typing."

"Tea?" she asked on leaving.

"Now you're talking," I said holding out my dormouse mug.

About two hours later and surrounded by St Claire's finest I mentioned that I had seen Peter, "Did you punch his lights out?" asked Trish.

"No, I didn't, he came in peace," I declared.

"When has that stopped you?" continued Trish.

"I am not aggressive," I said and then decided to turn it into a joke, "So watch it or I'll bash you," I said to Trish who ran off screaming that I was going to hit her.

When I caught up with her she in her bedroom laughing, suddenly she threw herself on the bed her arms over her face calling out,

"Don't hit me, Mummy, I'll be a good girl."

"What are you doing, I don't think I've ever hit you?" I said to the teenager on the bed.

"Just carrying on the joke, Mummy."

"What? You'll have everyone thinking I hit you."

"Only if they're stupid, my acting isn't that good."

"Well, it fooled me," I said.

"That's not difficult," replied the superior teenage being on the bed.

"You brat." I called her.

"I've been called worse," she shrugged, mainly in school.

"Who has called you worse?" I asked her wondering if we had a problem.

"Girls in school sometimes call me names because I'm cleverer than them, most have no idea about a decent one-liner so my replies are killers and tend to end the discourse."

"What do you mean?"

"Like they call me the brain, so I call them a precursor to the Neanderthals or a dish of fried beetle pee if they get down and dirty, sometimes it gets more personal and they tell me I'm menstruating monster and I tend to reply with something like, you're like a bundle of dinosaur faeces - a pile of poo turned to stone and just as useful."

"Does it happen often?"

"Most days, but I'm used to it, Livvie gets it too and she is even better at shooting them down."

"That wouldn't surprise me, Livvie always could stand her ground in a slanging match, is that why you want to go to university?"

"No. although I should get a better class of insult there."

"I wouldn't count on it, the first years are often like high school students until they realise they aren't in school any longer and have to act like adults."

"Oh, I thought they would be like young adults."

"Very often that doesn't happen until they had one kick-up the arse to remind them they are here to study, somehow I don't think that will be problem with you because you're too young to become involved, which may be an advantage we'll have to see.

"Do, they really mess around instead of working?"

"Alas, many of them do, especially those who aren't properly mature. Some of them grow up quite a bit during their courses. We want them to have fun but the main reason they are there is to learn."

"I shall learn, Mummy, that's why I want to go."

"I know that sweetheart, that's why I want you to go. You're beyond what you can learn in school and before you go off the track, I want you to develop that mind of yours. "

]"I won't disappoint you, Mummy."

"I'll make sure you don't." I looked her in the eye and I think she meant it. I hope for both our sakes she meant it.

"Did you have problems at university?"

I reflected on my time at Sussex. "Not really, I didn't make loads of friends because of my gender problems, half of them didn't know if I was grungy girl or a strange boy."

"But you were a girl, weren't you."

I looked wistfully into the distance, "I don't know, Trish. My prof knew that I was probably trans and as good as sent me here I'd got a good degree and needed to sort myself out, and Gramps already had experience of a trans person in his daughter twenty years before, so if anyone could cope, he could.

"Then Auntie Stella hit you off the bike and you fell for Daddy. I'm glad you did."

I got a warm feeling as I said, "So do I dear, so do I."

"You're the best Mummy in the world."

"I doubt it and by a long shot."

"I don't care, you're the best and so is Daddy the best."

He's never here, I thought to myself before answering, "I expect you're right, dear, I expect you're right."

With that we returned downstairs before the rest missed us.