Eternal Flame A Little House fanfic

Almanzo and Charles are in Mankato finishing up their deliveries.  They have been stuck there for two nights because of the weather and other things. Story complete in one chapter.

Eternal Flame

Almanzo stared out the window.   According to the mantle clock downstairs in the hotel lobby, it was two in the morning.  He turned over to look at Charles who was sound asleep in the bed they shared.  They were headed back to Walnut Grove in the morning.  Storms and floods kept them in Mankato for two nights and so was a busted wagon wheel on Almanzo’s rig.  They already dropped off two loads in Mankato and were waiting to pick up one for Jonathan Garvey in Sleepy Eye and another for the Mercantile in Walnut Grove.  Things were getting downright busy.  And now, here they were holed up in this tiny hotel room for two straight nights with only one bed between them.

Charles was great company, he was funny and witty.  He even had a lot of Laura’s characteristics, stubborn and feisty, but that’s where it ended.  He was no Beth no matter how similar their personalities.   

They were hoping to be back sometime later this afternoon or tomorrow at the latest, depending on traveling conditions.   He would go crazy if they couldn’t make it back this afternoon.  Almanzo couldn’t go another night away from his Beth.

Almanzo missed Laura, he missed her terribly.  The pouring rain outside their room made the feeling worse.  It reminded him of Sleepy Eye, the night he delivered the money to Houston, the night he caught pneumonia.  But, even though he boasted about how much he had accomplished while he was living there, he still missed her.  He saw her face wherever he went and he couldn’t shake her from his mind, no matter how hard he tried. And when she showed up to help Adam and Mary fix up the old courthouse they rented, it only made things worse.  It only made him love her more.

And from that time on, nothing would ever be the same again.  Not without Beth by his side.

He was glad that she was staying with Caroline at the little house. This way they could keep each other company and watch the youngsters at the same time.  The two of them worked during the day while Albert kept a sharp eye on the younger kids.   

Just one more day, he kept telling himself, just one more day.  He shook his head, stared out at the pouring rain and thought of the woman he loved. 

“Beth,” he whispered, as he placed his hand on the windowpane, “My Beth.”

XXXXXXXXXXXX

“I love you, Manly,” Laura whispered as she stared out the window.  She placed her hand on the windowpane and imagined that he was next to her on the bed.  Instead she was sharing it with Carrie, but not at this minute.  Something, a feeling perhaps, made her go to the window and look out at pouring rain.  She extended her hand and placed it on the window as if she knew that Almanzo was doing the exact same thing at the same exact time.  Only he was miles away. 

She had known right away that it was meant to be between the two of them as did Almanzo when they first met.  Something always drew them together whether it was a spark or a connection or just a feeling. 

Laura sighed and removed her hand from the windowpane and, with one last look at the window, stood up. She walked to the ladder that connected the loft to the common room downstairs and climbed down.

And that’s when she saw someone standing out the window, her hand on the windowpane, calling out her father’s name.

“Ma?”

Removing her hand from the windowpane, Caroline turned to Laura and smiled.  “I’m worried about them, Laura.  Too much has gone wrong too quickly. “

Laura smiled.  “They’ll be alright, Ma,” she said, rushing into her arms.  “They’ll both be here tomorrow safe and sound, bright eyed and bushy tailed, ready to deliver something for someone else.”

“I’m not sure, Laura, not with all this wind and rain blocking their way?” Caroline said, looking at her daughter. 

Laura let her go, nodded her head and stared at her.  “That will stop, Ma.  They’ll be here faster than you think.”

And Laura put her arm around her mother as they both walked toward the bedroom that her parent’s shared.  She stayed with her Ma the rest of the night.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It took all morning to change and grease the wheels, deliver the rest of the goods and load the two wagons with two more stops to make on the way home. 

“Almanzo,” Charles said, turning to his son in law.  “Looks like we’re gonna make it home tonight.”

“Looks like,” Almanzo said, nodding his head.  He couldn’t keep the smile off his face. 

“Not that you were bad company, but, well, you know what I mean.”

“I sure do, Pop,” Almanzo said.  “I sure do.”

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

“Laura,” Caroline said, as she burst into the schoolhouse.  “They’re on their way home.   They’ll be here tonight.   Jonathan just called me.  They’re going to meet us down at Nellie’s.    We don’t even have to cook.”

Laura smiled and, with her mother still standing there, turned to the children.  “Class dismissed,” she told them.  “See you all tomorrow.   Albert, take care of Carrie.  Grace is with Ma.   Grab a table at Nellie’s.  We’ll meet you there.”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“Beth, you don’t know how much I missed you,” Almanzo said, cuddling next to Laura.  “You have no idea.  It was pouring rain last night and all I thought of…”

“Was you,” Laura finished.  She smiled and stared back at him.  “I hope you heard me when I called your name because I heard you and…”

Almanzo’s eyes went wide.  He sat up.  “I heard you and I felt your hand press against mine.  I felt it though the window.”  His eyes narrowed.  “You did, didn’t you?  I wasn’t dreaming that was I?”

“Beth,” Laura said, grabbing his hand tightly and looking into his eyes, “My Beth.”

“And you said, ‘I love you, Manly.  I heard it, just as I’m hearing you now. And you put your hand up to the glass and I…”

They stared at each other.  “Oh Beth, “he whispered, gathering her up in his arms. “ I don’t know what it is, but…”

“It’s our eternal flame, Manly.  And it will burn brightly for as long as we’re together. “

 

This story was inspired by the song “Eternal Flame” by The Bangles.   

 

She's Having My Baby A Little House fanfic

 

 She’s Having My Baby

Thoughts from Laura and Almanzo’s POV

 She's Having My Baby

HE

Almanzo was reluctant to go over to his side of the bed. He walked over to Laura’s side, bending down to look at her. They had been married for almost eight months now.  It was then that a feeling came over him, that beautiful feeling of love and tenderness which filled up his heart.  His love for her made him whole, complete.  There wasn’t anyone else in the whole world like Laura and there never would be, not for him anyway. 

He had fallen for her so quickly that it shocked and surprised him.   It was the last thing he ever expected to happen.  He knew he had feelings for her, but he never knew how much until that day he picked her up in Currie after her first week of teaching.  She went from a little schoolgirl to a poised confident young lady. She was not only beautiful, but she was smart and feisty and fun to be with.  She was the only woman who loved horses, knew about farming and was interested in him.  And Laura made him feel confident and comfortable at the same time.  There was nothing he couldn’t do with her around.  Almanzo had no idea where he’d be without her by his side.

He smiled and touched her cheek.  He loved to watch her sleep and this was no exception, but he was really sorry that he hadn’t come upstairs sooner. 

He wanted to apologize for falling asleep downstairs in his chair by the fireplace. Almanzo had spoken to Mr. Anderson at the bank yesterday and he told him everything was perfect now.  He had just paid off  the two new cows that he bought and some chickens.  He had to watch his spending though.  If he skipped a few payments, he might be in trouble, especially if he bought anything new.  That barn was going to have to be patched up again and the house needed some repair work. 

Almanzo never wanted to tell Beth about his money problems   He always relied on credit to carry him through, but she never agreed with him and warned him against doing that.  All due to her father’s experience.  But it was different with Almanzo.   He hadn’t thought twice about it. 

And the only reason that he went to the bank in the first place because of the baby.    And what a shock that had been.   Beth told him yesterday that she was pregnant and he was so excited that he fell through the Ingalls’ roof, literally.  He had no one to blame but himself, actually.  When you’re in the middle of fixing up a barn roof, you shouldn’t be jumping up and down on it, no matter how excited you get. 

 But Almanzo was no worse for the wear and, being a little embarrassed that he had fallen, everything was fine. Oh, he was excited, but in a good way.  He wanted to start a family and he was finally getting his wish. But, first and foremost, he was going to take care of Beth and his new little girl as well.

And he had a funny feeling that’s just how it was going to turn out.  And that wouldn’t be so terrible.  He loved Beth’s little sister Grace.  She was so adorable.   And he knew that if his daughter looked anything like Beth…

But enough of that, he thought, and shook his head to clear it. 

He looked at his wife, bent down and kissed her cheek. He stood up, moved to his side of the bed and climbed in.      

“I love you, Beth,” he whispered, as he lay down next to her.  He inched a little closer, his arms encircling her waist.  And Almanzo stretched out and cuddled into her, falling asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.    

SHE

Laura had woke in the middle of the night and found Manly cuddled next to her, his arms around her waist and sound asleep.   She didn’t want to wake him up; it was very rarely that he slept the whole night through.   She did manage to separate herself from him so that she could visit the outhouse.   She quickly ran down the stairs forgetting that she promised Almanzo she’d be careful.   

 Laura ran up the stairs as fast as she could. When she entered the bedroom they shared, she found him in the same position, closer to her side of the bed than his own.   And as she got closer, Laura noticed how calm and at peace he was, a look of contentment on his face. 

It was only yesterday that she had gone to Doc Baker’s office.  Her stomach was upset; she wasn’t quite sure what it was.   And so, at her Ma’s urging, she had gone and he confirmed what she already suspected.

She was going to have Manly’s baby.

And she realized at that moment how much she loved him, how much she wanted a family and how she couldn’t wait until this baby was born. At first, she wanted to wait, but when she found she was with child, she couldn’t believe how quickly she changed her mind. 

Laura secretly wanted a boy, she was pretty sure that all men wanted a son to carry on the family name.  But last night, before they went to sleep, Almanzo told her that if they had a girl he’d love her just the same.   Oh, he told her, there were plenty of things he could do with a son, but daughters were special.  There was a certain bond between a father and daughter. He saw it within his own family.  But the love he had for Laura and her sisters, well, that was something else again. 

Almanzo’s favorite was Grace, he adored her.  She was so cute with her blond hair and shy ways.  She hardly ever spoke and when she did, you didn’t get much out of her and sometimes you just couldn’t understand a word she said.  Almanzo told her once he couldn’t wait until she was fully grown.  He knew she would be beautiful.

But enough about that, Laura thought as she continued to stare at his face. It was so calm, so serene.  He was so beautiful, inside and outside.  Oh, they had their differences and they had their quarrels, but she was used to that now.  It wasn’t like the fights they had before they were married, who had been right and who had been wrong and who would be the first to give in. 

No, now it didn’t matter who started it, she was the first to end it and he was eager to make up, which he hadn’t been before they married.  And sometimes, Manly surprised her; he’d be the one who gave in. Eliza Jane had been right, at least, about that part. She told Laura to give it time and that Almanzo would come around. He was the peacemaker of the family; she had told her while they were having tea one night.  It was during the short time they had all lived together for three days, right after Laura and Almanzo’s spur of the moment wedding.  There really wasn’t too much that she had in common with Almanzo’s sister, in fact, it was usually touch and go with both of them.  But Almanzo loved Eliza Jane and Laura was determined to make it work.

She smiled, thinking about the first day they met, the love she felt every time in her heart and soul every time she looked into his eyes.  It was hard waiting for him to notice her, but she forced herself to do just that. She always knew that someday she would be Mrs. Laura Ingalls Wilder no matter what came their way.  She had been determined to make Almanzo see her as a woman and her dream came true.  It took a year, one whole year, but she had done it. 

Manly had fallen for for her like a ton of bricks.   And she was determined more than ever to keep him as off balance as possible, even if it would take the rest of their lives.  

Now, as she watched him sleep, she felt certain calm, a certain peace and love she had never felt before.  For the first time in her life, she knew where she was going and who she was going to get there with.  It was a great feeling and it was something she could understand and latch onto.

Laura loved him and she knew she’d be with him forever. 

“Beth?”  She heard him call as he reached out for her. 

“I’m right next to you, Manly,” Laura answered as she took his hand in hers. 

 He squeezed her hand tightly as he opened up his eyes.  He smiled at her and pulled her close.  “Stay with me, Beth.  Please don’t ever leave me.  I need you here with me. “

“For as long as we both shall live?”

Almanzo smiled.  “For as long as we both shall live,” he repeated, looking in her eyes. 

The Newlyweds Part 2 A Little House fanfic

 

The Newlyweds Part 2

A terrible rainstorm keeps Almanzo and Laura in the barn overnight and they have to make the best of it.  Story is complete in one chapter.

The Newlyweds Part 2

“We’re almost there,” an extremely wet Almanzo urged Skip and Barnum inside the barn while Laura, who was also soaked, held the doors open against the wind and rain. 

“Alright, Beth, we got ‘em inside,” Almanzo called out as Laura closed the doors against the storm.

“You got the sandwiches Sis made?  I could use another. “

“Which ones do you want?  We have two chicken salad sandwiches and three egg salad sandwiches left in….”  Laura started to say as she slipped on the wet ground and fell into Almanzo, who managed to catch her before she hit him in the face.

Almanzo did what any body would have done, he tried to pull her up, but she kept slipping.  Actually, the both of them kept slipping as the ground became wetter and wetter.  “The roof above us is leaking, Manly, I think we ..”

But he slipped and she slipped at the same time.  He grabbed her arms, but she fell anyway, taking him with her into the mud. 

The basket of sandwiches wrapped up in wax paper slipped off of Laura’s arm and fell sideways to the floor, spilling them out into the mud.  

The two of them tried to get up, but they kept falling.  They kept laughing and laughing until they couldn’t laugh anymore. 

Almanzo finally got his balance and pulled her up. “Beth?” he asked.  “Are you alright?”

“I think so, Manly, but my clothes…”

Almanzo smiled.  “Never mind you, look at me.  I’m a sight, huh?  I think this makes that mud fight you had with Nellie look like a picnic.”  He looked up.  “We’re going to have to patch up that leak, Beth.  I wonder how long it’s been doin’ that?”

Laura looked at him and smiled.  “Well, here’s something you might like.  I think we should get out of these clothes, Manly, before we catch our death.”

Almanzo smiled as he looked at Laura. “I don’t know who looks worse, but yes, you’re right about those clothes.   Then maybe we can relax and have those leftover sandwiches.”  He eyes scanned the ground.  “Where are they anyway?  Didn’t you have…”  His voice trailed off.

“Beth?”

“I had the basket on my arm, Manly, did you take them?  Where could they possibly..”

“Beth?” Almanzo said again, picking his head up.  He stared at her, his eyes wide with worry.  “Beth, look, over there.  The sandwiches, most of them spilled out into the mud.”

Laura followed his finger and stared at the basket, which was lying on its side.  Two of the sandwiches were buried in the mud, but still fully wrapped.  The rest of the sandwiches lay about in different position, some wrapped, some lay on the ground unwrapped.   Halves of sandwiches were on thrown every which way. Barnum was munching what looked to be egg salad and Skip was devouring an entire chicken salad sandwich. 

Almanzo turned to look at Laura and found her looking at him.  “Your sister,” she started to say, when Almanzo shook his head.

“How can you blame Sis?” he said looking at her.  “This isn’t her fault; she did the best she could.  How would she know that..”

“I’m not blaming anybody, Manly,” she said, putting her arms around his neck.  “This isn’t her fault, it’s not your fault either.  No one knew about the weather, no one knew the roof had a leak, how could anyone?  It hasn’t rained for weeks.  This is the first big rainstorm in a….”

Laura stopped talking and stared at Almanzo, who she found was looking at her. He seemed to be lost in her brown eyes, which right now were starting to well up with tears.

“Beth,” he whispered as he wrapped his arms around her, pulled her close and kissed her.  When they pulled apart, Almanzo looked at her with a concerned look on his face.

“Let’s not argue anymore tonight, okay?  It was an accident.  Things happen, Beth, it’s not the end of the world.  And do you know what?”

“What,” she answered, as he dried her tears with his thumb rubbing against her cheek.

“We can salvage some of those sandwiches and we can stop that leak, but do you know what’s really important to me now?  It’s you Beth, all I care about is you.  I love you.”  He placed his hands on either side of her face and pulled her close, bringing his lips down to hers. 

And again, they slipped as both fell down into the mud; with Almanzo falling first and Laura landing right on top of him.   

XXXXXXXXXXXX

 It was still raining when Almanzo woke and found Laura next to him, snoring lightly.  He smiled and shook his head.  He sat up and looked around.  They had climbed into the loft so that they’d get away from that nasty leak.  He was going to have to patch it up and quickly.  He already covered the ground with hay so no one else would slip. 

He looked up and to their left side to find that they had removed their wet and mud filled clothes.  Beth had them drying on a pallet not too far away from where they were sleeping. 

And suddenly, something occurred to him. “Beth,” he said, “Wake up.  I need to ask you about the lesson plan for tomorrow.  Sis has been asking about it for…”

Laura’s eyes opened and she smiled.  “Open my journal, Manly.  I wrote it out last night.  We’ll give it to her first thing in the morning.  She’ll be happy as a….”

But she never finished the rest of her sentence. 

And as they parted, his eye flew open.  “Our clothes, they’re all muddy.  She’ll know that we..”

Laura smiled and shook her head.  “Our clothes will dry and so will the mud.  We’ll be able to brush them off and no one will be the wiser.  We can go inside and change quickly and I’ll wash them out when we get back tomorrow night.”

Almanzo smiled, his eyes never leaving her face.  “You have the answer to everything, don’t you?”

Laura touched his cheek.  “No one has the answer to everything, Manly.  No one knows what will happen next and sometimes, we can’t control everything that happens either.  There is nothing written down, there is nothing to follow.  Everything happens for a reason.  There are no plans, Manly; everything happens at the spur of the moment.  And we’ll just have to deal with it, whether it’s good or bad.”

Almanzo looked at her. He lost his smile and his eyes went wide.  “What about my temper and what about my stubbornness?  We’ve got to control it, Beth.  I don’t want you mad at me.”

“Don’t you worry, Almanzo.  No one is perfect.  We’re both stubborn and we both have a temper. We all have our faults, Manly.  We’ll get used to each other.  Just give it some time. We’re new at this.”

Almanzo smiled and touched her cheek. ”I don’t know where I’d be without you, Beth.  You’re my life and my love.  I can’t make it without you.  I love you.”

Laura smiled and looked into his eyes.  “And I love you, Manly.  Everything will work out, you’ll see. And I have a feeling that we’ll be together for a long, long time.”

And Almanzo lay down next to her on the pallet, put his arms around her and pulled her close. 

And everything else was forgotten.

The Dream A Little House Fanfic

The Dream

Almanzo and Laura have another argument, this time it was about finding his guitar. Laura has had enough and walks out of the house leaving Almanzo alone by the fireplace.  It is then that something strange happens.  Story complete in one chapter.

The Dream

Almanzo was sitting in his chair near the fireplace waiting for Laura to come back.  They just had another argument, their second since they were married a month ago.  It was another silly argument, this time it was about his guitar.  He couldn’t remember where he put it and he wanted her to help him look for it.    

“I’m almost done grading these test papers, Manly.  It’ll be a few minutes, and then I’ll be free to help you.”

Almanzo looked at her.  It was always the same answer and he was tired of it.

Well, one thing led to another and Laura had walked out, slamming the door behind her.  He started to follow when he noticed that there were two doors in front of him.  The word IN was written on one door while on the other door was written OUT.

Almanzo frowned.  What the heck was this?  Why were there two doors in front of him?  Was this his imagination?  Was he dreaming?  He shook his head and smiled.  Why was he even thinking about this?  He knew where he wanted to go and that was OUT.

And that was the door he opened.

Almanzo called her name, but there was no answer and she was nowhere in sight.  Where could she have gone?

Where the heck could she have gone?  What was she doing?  There were so many possibilities and he went over all of them in his mind as he kept walking.  

She could be around the farm, but he didn’t see her anywhere.  She could be in the barn, by the chicken coop or sitting by the trees, thinking.

She could also be at her parent’s place.  That’s where she went the last time they had a fight.

And so, he decided to go there.

Suddenly, the ground under him felt different.   Almanzo looked down and noticed he was somewhere in the desert; at least it seemed like the desert anyway.  There was nothing surrounding him but sand.  There were no people anywhere, no houses, no civilization at all, just lots and lots of…

Wait; there was something in front of him.  It looked like a house.  A house with a sloping roof and standing in front of it was…

“Well, look at who’s finally decided to come by,” Charles said, as he stared at him. 

Manly shook his head. No, he thought, this isn’t right. What the heck was the little house doing here in the middle of a desert?   And what the heck was his father in law talking about?

“Charles,” Almanzo said, looking at him.  “All I want to do is talk to my wife.  I know she’s here.”

Charles Ingalls shook his head. “She not here right now, Almanzo, or else I’d ask if she wanted to see you.”

“Where is she? I figured she come here, like she did the first time we fought,” he said, looking at Charles.  “This time I made the first move, you have to give me some credit for that.” Almanzo shook his head. “Look, I love her and I want to make sure that she’s alright.”

“She’s around here somewhere, son.  She came here looking for you.”

 “Look, all I want to do is talk to her?”

Charles looked at his son in law.  “She’s with Perley Day and Eliza Jane right now, they’re looking all over for you. I sent Adam out, Caroline and the girls took the rig and went into town to make sure you hadn’t gone there.  No one seems to know where you disappeared to.”

He looked at Charles and frowned.  “What do you mean, looking for me, I haven’t gone anywhere, Charles. I’ve been alone at our place for Laura to come back.  And what are Eliza and Perley Day doing in Walnut Grove, anyway?”

Charles looked at him and shook his head.  “All I know is that you went to deliver something and didn’t come back.  And from what I heard that was some argument you had.”

Almanzo eye’s narrowed.  “Yeah, we had an argument, but it wasn’t any different than the ones we’ve been having.  Did I miss something?  What was I supposed to be delivering?  What the heck is going on here?  All I know is that I’ve been waiting for Beth to come back to our place since…”

“Manly?  What are you doing here?  Where have you been?  Everyone’s out looking for you.”

He turned forgetting all about Charles and the little house.  His father in law was telling the truth, there, in front of him, was his sister and younger brother.  And there was the woman he had been searching for standing with them.

His eyes grew wide.  “Beth?”

Perley Day looked at him, smiled at his sister and turned to face Laura.  “I told you he’d be back,” he said.

But Laura wasn’t paying attention.  She looked at her husband and smiled.  She started to run and he tried to meet her, but something was stopping him.  It was something deep and slimy, something that had no bottom.  And it seemed as though it was swallowing him up.

“Quicksand,” he whispered, as he sank lower and lower.  When was there ever quicksand in front of the little house?  “Beth?  I’m sorry about what happened.  I didn’t mean to make you mad at me.  I love you and I’ll love you always.”

 But there was no answer; the three of them had all disappeared.  He turned his head to the right and noticed that Charles and the little house were gone.  He was all alone and he was sinking fast.   A mist came out of nowhere and surrounded him as he called out his wife’s name over and over again.  But there was no answer.   There was no one there, no one to help him, no one to pull him out. 

It was then he noticed the two doors, the same two doors that he’d seen earlier; the ones that read IN and OUT.  He walked up to the door that said IN, maybe it would bring him back to reality, but he couldn’t grab the doorknob.  Something was holding him back.  Almanzo didn’t give up; he kept trying to reach it.  It was so close, just a little more…

Suddenly, whatever was holding him let go.   This time when he reached for the door knob, he was able to grab hold of it.  To his shock and surprise, he was able to turn the knob and the door opened without a problem. 

 “BETH?” he called. He looked left and right but there was no answer.  He was calling out to nothing, to no one.

And out of the mist came a voice he recognized.

“Almanzo, are you alright?” he heard the voice calling him.  “Manly?”

He woke with a start, straightened up in the rocker and saw her standing in front of him. He looked around trying to get his bearings.  There was panic in his voice as he stared at her.  “Beth? Beth?  Is that you?”

She was staring back at him and nodded her head.  “I’m here, Manly.  I just went outside to feed the chickens and to hunt some eggs. Then I came back inside to look for your guitar.”

And she held it up so that Almanzo could see it.  “I told you when I was finished with my schoolwork that I’d help you. And anyway, I thought that might help to calm me down and, you know, it did.”

He looked from her to the guitar and back to her.  He smiled.  “Where was it?”

Laura smiled.  “I found it upstairs in our bedroom against the wall.  It was behind the door, Manly. I guess you didn’t close the door…”

Almanzo wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. “Oh Beth,” he whispered.  “I’m sorry.  I never meant to hurt you and the last thing in the world I wanted to do was to get you angry.  I just wanted to...”

But Laura never let him finish.  When they parted, Almanzo smiled and looked into her beautiful brown eyes. 

“Beth,” he whispered, caressing her cheek with his thumb, “My Beth.”

And he kissed her again, this time losing himself in her arms.  

And the dream was forgotten, well for now, at least.