Just Another Day

by Purple Lacey

Alternate Universe One Big Happy Family

Disclaimer: Not mine, no money made, yada, yada,yada.

This is a story set in my OBHF AU so you might want to read One Big Happy Family? first .


Buck froze as he heard the rustle from the other side of the room. He felt his heart pounding in his chest, and felt the slight dew of perspiration that gathered on his palms as he stood motionless in the darkened room. He was deliberately breathing through his mouth so the sound of his respiration didn't alert the room's other occupant to his entry. Discovery at this point would be disastrous. Buck was sure he didn't want to think about what he would be facing if he drew attention to himself now.

He waited for several minutes, barely daring to breathe; until he was sure he had gone unnoticed then resumed his silent advance. He hugged the wall as much as possible, trying use the shadows that filled the room to mask his presence.

"One in the kitchen," Buck heard Vin's voice softly whisper from the earpiece of the headset that was connected to the radio hooked on his belt. "We need to hurry. You only have 7 minutes left."

Buck gently blew twice into the microphone to acknowledge the transmission without giving away his location, but without stopping his stealthy advance on his target.

Buck's system was flooded with adrenaline, making his senses almost supernaturally sharp, a feeling he had come to be familiar with, but had never gotten used to.

Reaching his destination, he stood listening carefully for a moment to ensure he had not been discovered. When he was sure he was safe, he began to ease the drawer in the bureau in front of open, being extremely cautious not to make the slightest noise. He was almost there. If his luck would just hold out a little longer, they might be able to pull this mission off. Now was not the time to make a mistake.

"Five minutes," Vin's quiet voice informed him.

Buck reached into the front pocket of his jeans and pulled out the small device that rested there. He cautiously fitted the device inside the open drawer, thumbing the switch that would activate it, and making sure the correct connections for the trigger had been set. He took a moment to draw in a deep breath as he slowly pushed the drawer closed once more taking care to make sure the device remained stable. In his heightened state of awareness, the scant minute it took him to complete the closure felt like hours, but finally it was done.

He took a quick moment to remove a folded rag from his other pocket and wipe his fingerprints from the drawer handle, then made his way back to the door of the room as fast as he could, but still being just as careful to remain undetected.

He slipped through the door and silently closed it behind him, moving swiftly away on silent feet.

When he felt he had gone far enough away he breathed a sigh of relief. They had done it!

"Mission accomplished," Buck whispered into his microphone.

"Roger," Vin acknowledged, "I'm on my way."

Buck had to wait less than a minute before he felt Vin approach.

"Thirty seconds," Vin whispered after looking at his wrist watch.

Buck nodded.

"Twenty seconds," Vin reported.

The tension in the air seemed to build.

"Ten... nine.... eight...," Vin counted.

Buck held his breath once again, attention totally focused on any activity in the other room.

"Three... two... one..."

 Both boys heard the sound of an alarm clock going off, and both tensed in anticipation.

The sound of a loud yawn could be heard. Moments later both boys heard what sounded like soft footsteps cross the room Buck had just exited. They strained forward trying to catch the slightest sound that emanated from the room.

The quiet stillness of the morning was suddenly shattered by the bloodcurdling screams of what sounded like a dozen children yelling at the top of their voices. A startled yelp and a loud thump-- like a body suddenly hitting the floor-- could be heard through the door. Buck and Vin looked at each other with identical grins and gave a high five, before scurrying down the staircase and out the back door.

Ezra Standish sat on the carpet of his bedroom trying to calm his pounding heart, staring in shock at his dresser drawer that was currently emitting the ear-splitting racket. Realization of what had just occurred was swift and he leapt up to snatch the offending noisemaker, desperately searching for an off switch.

When blessed silence was finally achieved the man that had been so abruptly shocked into full wakefulness stood looking at his reflection in the mirror for one moment. The shock in the green eyes reflected back at him swiftly changed to irritation, and the pajama- clad man ran to this bedroom door and threw it open.

"Buck! Vin!" the irate man yelled as he headed down the stairs after the two pranksters. "You just wait until I get my hands on you two."

The sound of two hysterically laughing children as they hightailed it out of the area was his only response. Yep, it was just another day in the Larabee/Standish household.

The End

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