Tip-tap, rip-rap.
Ticka tack, too!
This way, that way.
So we make a shoe!
A/N: This story doesn’t belong to any particular universe. Fair warning: There’s a hint of Trixie & Dan here, so if that’s not your cup of tea…
Ticka tack, too!
This way, that way.
So we make a shoe!
A/N: This story doesn’t belong to any particular universe. Fair warning: There’s a hint of Trixie & Dan here, so if that’s not your cup of tea…
A Little Bit of Magic
From city kid to country boy, Dan Mangan thought in quiet bemusement as he strolled along a well-worn path in the Wheeler’s vast game preserve. It sometimes still seemed a dream to him, so unbelievable it was that he’d gone from a life of homelessness, stealing cars, and gang fights to this totally new world in Sleepyside-on-the-Hudson. He had a home. A real home. It was rustic and isolated and he shared it with a cantankerous old man who hid his heart of gold behind a gruff, stern exterior. He had an uncle. His mother’s younger brother. His Uncle Liam was as equally gruff and stern as Mr. Maypenny, and yet Dan had slowly come to realize that both men genuinely cared about him and he was no longer just another throw-away on the streets of New York City. After two years of this near idyllic, small town life, he realized there was very little left of the city kid in him and he truly loved where he was, and more importantly, who he was now.
He could see the deep shadows lengthening on the path ahead. A gentle, peaceful dusk was settling down around him and he smiled at how very un-Halloween-like the early evening was. A light breeze rustled through the treetops and somewhere in the distance he heard the plaintive hoot of an Eastern screech owl just risen from its daily slumber and ready to begin its nightly hunt.
Dan rounded a sharp right bend in the trail and found himself facing a sight he had in no way expected. He blinked twice and determined he was not simply imagining the strange vision before him. Several thoughts and questions went through his head at once, but he settled for the most obvious one. “Bobby?”
“Hi, Dan.”
“Uh, what are you doing?” Dan asked, taking in the young boy’s bizarre outfit. He supposed it was some sort of costume, but the odd cross between an astronaut (helmet), farmer (denim overalls), bee keeper (net) and - if the fake sword tied to his waist with a bit of frayed rope was to be considered - crusading knight, left Dan dumbfounded.
“I’m hunting fairies,” Bobby said solemnly. “Mart says if you catch a fairy on All Holl… All Holls…”
“All Hallows’ Eve?” Dan suggested with a small smile.
Bobby nodded. “Alls Hollows Eve. If you catch a fairy, it has to grant you three wishes. But they can be bad and maybe hurt you, so you have to be very careful.”
“Uh, huh. Bobby, does your family know you’re out here… hunting fairies?”
Though the helmet partially hid his face – Dan had to give the boy credit; he’d done a reasonably good job with nothing more than a brown paper grocery sack, some plastic wrap, and crayons – it was clear Bobby was suddenly nervous and guilty. With a sigh, Dan fished his cell phone from his back pocket and made a call.
“Hello?”
“Hey. Are you missing someone?” There was a very long pause and finally, Dan spoke again. “Trix?”
“Yeah, Dan. Did you maybe call the wrong girl?”
“Huh?”
“I’m not particularly missing anyone at the moment,” Trixie replied, clearly amused. “I mean, I think you’re great, but…”
Dan felt his jaw drop. “That’s not what I meant!” he said hurriedly, glad she couldn’t see the way he was cringing with sudden embarrassment. He didn’t know how, but it always seemed his absolute lamest moments involved Trixie Belden in some way or another. “I meant literally. Are you literally missing someone, as in your baby brother?”
“Bobby? He’s at home with Mart,” Trixie answered. “Or at least he was a couple of hours ago when I came over here to help Di decorate. Dan? What’s going on?”
“Bobby’s here with me. We’re on the trail that winds across the preserve and ends at the bluffs. I just found him. He says he’s --“ Dan cut himself off at Bobby’s anxious head shake. “Uh, he’s looking for some more rocks for his collection.”
“Bobby!” Trixie groaned with exasperation. “I am so sorry, Dan. Can you make sure he gets home? I’ll call Mart and find out how he managed to lose him.”
While Bobby couldn’t actually hear Trixie speaking, it was obvious he knew what his sister was saying. Dan watched as the boy’s shoulders sank with dejection. “Hey, listen, Trix. I’ll give Mart a call. You get back to the party prep. And don’t worry. I’ll make sure Bobby gets home. Just cut me some slack for not showing up early tonight to help with any last-minute set-up?”
“Deal!” Trixie said with a laugh. “Thanks, Dan. I appreciate it.”
Mart answered the phone on the fourth ring. “Dan. What’s up?”
“You tell me.”
“Uh, I’m just putting some finishing touches on my costume for tonight. Why?”
“Did you not happen to notice the youngest of the Belden siblings making a break for it?”
“What? What are you talking about?”
“I’ve got your bro, Bro. He’s here in the preserve with me.”
“Bobby!” Mart exclaimed in much the same tone as his sister only minutes before. “He’s supposed to be upstairs cleaning his room before Mrs. Lynch comes to get him at 7:00 to go trick-or-treating in town with the twins.”
“Right. This is gonna sound strange. Do me a favor and go check the condition of his room.”
“Huh?”
“Go see if he actually cleaned it before he snuck out.”
Bobby was nodding vigorously at this, and a few moments later, Mart spoke again. “Well, I wouldn’t call it exactly Moms level of clean, but for Bobby, it’s not too bad.”
“Okay. In that case, I’m going to help him with his fa – uh, rock hunting, but I’ll make sure he gets home in time to go.”
“Thanks, Dude. Owe you one.”
Dan ended the call and slipped his phone back into his pocket. “Well, young man, you probably shouldn’t be rewarded for taking off without permission or letting anyone know, but I find myself with a bit of time on my hands and an inexplicable urge to hunt some fairies. What do you say? Want to join forces?”
Bobby did not answer immediately and Dan had to bite back a smile at the look of deep concentration on his face. “If I catch one, I get the wishes, right?” he finally asked. “I mean, you have to catch your own, if you want to wish for something?”
“Sounds fair,” Dan said reasonably. “But we don’t have a lot of time, kiddo. I’m assuming you still want to go trick-or-treating with your friends?”
Bobby shrugged. “If I catch a fairy? I can wish for all the candy in the world.”
“Huh. Can’t argue with that logic. So, do you have a destination in mind or are you just hoping to spot one off the trail?”
“Mart says the fairies only live in the deepest, darkest part of the forest and you haf to be very lucky to find ‘em.”
Dan found himself grinning at that. “Right. Makes sense. Well, you know I patrol these woods almost every day. I think I know where we can find the exact, most deepest, darkest part. C’mon.” He fought the urge to chuckle as he led the boy back up the trail, aiming for a small, but well-worn path he knew would branch toward the old schoolhouse. He could only imagine how the two of them looked together as they marched along. His thoughts returned to his own childhood. By the time he was little more than Bobby’s age, he was already learning to pick the pockets of unsuspecting tourists and his innocence had been shattered long before that. He glanced at the boy at his side. At some point he would be forced to gently suggest they abandon their hunt and head back to Crabapple Farm, but for now, he was glad to let his young friend have his hope-filled adventure.
“How’s your teacher?” he asked as they followed a slight curve on the path.
Bobby’s head dropped for a moment. “I don’t know. They won’t tell us anything. She’s still in the hospital and we have mean old Mrs. Tanner as a sub.”
Dan shot him a sympathetic look. “Sorry, kid. I know it’s hard. Your sister told me you really like her.”
“Miss Berry is the best,” Bobby declared emphatically. “She never yells and she reads great stories and she lets us have extra time at recess when we’ve finished any tests.”
“Wow. She does sound like the best,” Dan told him seriously. “Don’t lose hope yet. We have some great doctors in Sleepyside, you know.”
Bobby nodded but didn’t say any more. He walked on and Dan wondered if he shouldn’t have spoiled the mood with his question.
Dry leaves crunched beneath their steps. It wouldn’t be too much longer before there were more of them on the ground than on the trees around them. Dan reminded himself to check the wood pile outside his home. He’d been steadily adding to it, but with a recent series of cooler than normal nights he wasn’t sure if the stacks were depleting faster than he was building them.
“We should turn here,” Bobby announced suddenly. He’d come to an abrupt halt, waving his butterfly net in the direction of a barely discernible, overgrown trail.
Dan frowned. He couldn’t recall ever even noticing the path before. “I don’t know, Bobby,” he said slowly. The last thing they needed was to get lost and be stuck in the woods after dark.
Bobby didn’t bother with a reply. He dramatically pulled his sword from his rope belt - after a bit of a struggle Dan pretended not to notice - and shoved his way forward. Vowing to pay close attention to any and every turn they took so that he could guide them back out again, Dan hurried to follow.
There was a gradual downward slope to the trail. Bobby used his wooden sword to hack at a few slender, vine-like tendrils that hung in their way, much like a famed explorer forging his way through a tropical jungle. With a broad smile, Dan merely batted them aside with the back of his hand.
The woods quickly grew wilder and Dan reflected that perhaps they really were headed toward the deepest, darkest part of the Wheeler Game Preserve. There was an odd, though not necessarily alarming, feel to the area. As silly as it seemed, the one word Dan could think of to describe it was “enchanted.” The brief glimpses of sky he caught between the thick branches above showed the first stars were appearing, twinkling brightly against the backdrop of a fading red and gold sunset.
Dan wasn’t sure which one of them noticed the unearthly glow first. Off to their right, there was a definite pale light, but the purplish cast to it was nothing he could identify as normal. With a soft cry, Bobby left the path and charged toward it. Dan quickly caught up with the boy and they both stopped on the edge of a small glade, keeping to the shadows under an enormous black oak tree.
“Fairies,” Bobby whispered in awe.
Dan gazed in confusion and disbelief at the tiny dancing lights floating about the clearing. Fireflies, he told himself severely, balking at the more fanciful thoughts crossing his mind.
Without warning, one of the glimmering lights peeled away from the others and shot straight at them. It hovered only a few feet away and seemed to grow in brightness to the point that Dan found he almost wanted to cover his eyes. Time froze. The evening breeze was gone and the silence that surrounded them was so complete, Dan had a strange urge to call out, if only to make sure he hadn’t lost his ability to hear. He was distantly aware of the other lights, still twirling around the glade like dancers waltzing through a magical forest ballroom.
“I'm sorry, and thank you,” Bobby said sincerely, lowering his net. Dan started in surprise, feeling like he’d been released from a spell he hadn’t even known had held him captive. He turned to look at the boy. “We won't ever come back,” Bobby continued. “And we’ll never, ever tell. I promise.”
The light dimmed slightly before zooming around the young boy’s head and returning to the others.
Bobby shoved his sword back in his belt and used his free hand to pull his helmet off. For a long moment, he stared at the clearing, then he glanced up at Dan. “We should go now,” he said simply.
Dan was at a complete loss for words. “What…?” he began, before trailing off, not sure what he even intended to ask.
“You shouldn’t catch fairies,” Bobby told him soberly. “It just wouldn’t be right. They aren’t meant to be caught. They’re meant to be free.”
“Uh… yeah?”
Bobby nodded. “And you can’t ever tell. Ever. Someone else might try to find them and that could be bad.”
Dan held both hands up in a helpless gesture. “Who would I tell? No one would believe me, anyway. I’m not sure I believe me right now.”
Bobby turned and started back for the trail, Dan at his heels. They didn’t speak for almost ten minutes, each lost in his own thoughts. It wasn’t until they were almost out of the preserve entirely, the lights of Crabapple Farm shining a welcoming beacon before them, that Dan found his voice again. He shook his head hard and drew in a deep breath. “So, I guess you’re okay with not getting your wishes?” he asked Bobby, still not sure how to process what they’d seen.
“She gave me one. And she told me a secret.”
“Huh? She? What?” Dan stopped, staring down at Bobby, his confusion highly evident.
The serene smile Bobby gave him made the boy seemed significantly older and wiser beyond his years. “Miss Berry is gonna be fine. She’s gonna be back before Christmas. Also, you should call Trixie again. She is missing you now. And if you were ever going to get around to asking her out on a date, tonight would be the night to do it. She’s not in denial anymore.”
With that, Bobby trotted off toward his home. A minivan was just pulling in the drive and Dan could see the four younger Lynch children waving eagerly in their direction. He pulled his phone from his pocket and stared at it uncertainly before tapping the screen.
If he was ever going to ask her, tonight would be the night.
He could see the deep shadows lengthening on the path ahead. A gentle, peaceful dusk was settling down around him and he smiled at how very un-Halloween-like the early evening was. A light breeze rustled through the treetops and somewhere in the distance he heard the plaintive hoot of an Eastern screech owl just risen from its daily slumber and ready to begin its nightly hunt.
Dan rounded a sharp right bend in the trail and found himself facing a sight he had in no way expected. He blinked twice and determined he was not simply imagining the strange vision before him. Several thoughts and questions went through his head at once, but he settled for the most obvious one. “Bobby?”
“Hi, Dan.”
“Uh, what are you doing?” Dan asked, taking in the young boy’s bizarre outfit. He supposed it was some sort of costume, but the odd cross between an astronaut (helmet), farmer (denim overalls), bee keeper (net) and - if the fake sword tied to his waist with a bit of frayed rope was to be considered - crusading knight, left Dan dumbfounded.
“I’m hunting fairies,” Bobby said solemnly. “Mart says if you catch a fairy on All Holl… All Holls…”
“All Hallows’ Eve?” Dan suggested with a small smile.
Bobby nodded. “Alls Hollows Eve. If you catch a fairy, it has to grant you three wishes. But they can be bad and maybe hurt you, so you have to be very careful.”
“Uh, huh. Bobby, does your family know you’re out here… hunting fairies?”
Though the helmet partially hid his face – Dan had to give the boy credit; he’d done a reasonably good job with nothing more than a brown paper grocery sack, some plastic wrap, and crayons – it was clear Bobby was suddenly nervous and guilty. With a sigh, Dan fished his cell phone from his back pocket and made a call.
“Hello?”
“Hey. Are you missing someone?” There was a very long pause and finally, Dan spoke again. “Trix?”
“Yeah, Dan. Did you maybe call the wrong girl?”
“Huh?”
“I’m not particularly missing anyone at the moment,” Trixie replied, clearly amused. “I mean, I think you’re great, but…”
Dan felt his jaw drop. “That’s not what I meant!” he said hurriedly, glad she couldn’t see the way he was cringing with sudden embarrassment. He didn’t know how, but it always seemed his absolute lamest moments involved Trixie Belden in some way or another. “I meant literally. Are you literally missing someone, as in your baby brother?”
“Bobby? He’s at home with Mart,” Trixie answered. “Or at least he was a couple of hours ago when I came over here to help Di decorate. Dan? What’s going on?”
“Bobby’s here with me. We’re on the trail that winds across the preserve and ends at the bluffs. I just found him. He says he’s --“ Dan cut himself off at Bobby’s anxious head shake. “Uh, he’s looking for some more rocks for his collection.”
“Bobby!” Trixie groaned with exasperation. “I am so sorry, Dan. Can you make sure he gets home? I’ll call Mart and find out how he managed to lose him.”
While Bobby couldn’t actually hear Trixie speaking, it was obvious he knew what his sister was saying. Dan watched as the boy’s shoulders sank with dejection. “Hey, listen, Trix. I’ll give Mart a call. You get back to the party prep. And don’t worry. I’ll make sure Bobby gets home. Just cut me some slack for not showing up early tonight to help with any last-minute set-up?”
“Deal!” Trixie said with a laugh. “Thanks, Dan. I appreciate it.”
Mart answered the phone on the fourth ring. “Dan. What’s up?”
“You tell me.”
“Uh, I’m just putting some finishing touches on my costume for tonight. Why?”
“Did you not happen to notice the youngest of the Belden siblings making a break for it?”
“What? What are you talking about?”
“I’ve got your bro, Bro. He’s here in the preserve with me.”
“Bobby!” Mart exclaimed in much the same tone as his sister only minutes before. “He’s supposed to be upstairs cleaning his room before Mrs. Lynch comes to get him at 7:00 to go trick-or-treating in town with the twins.”
“Right. This is gonna sound strange. Do me a favor and go check the condition of his room.”
“Huh?”
“Go see if he actually cleaned it before he snuck out.”
Bobby was nodding vigorously at this, and a few moments later, Mart spoke again. “Well, I wouldn’t call it exactly Moms level of clean, but for Bobby, it’s not too bad.”
“Okay. In that case, I’m going to help him with his fa – uh, rock hunting, but I’ll make sure he gets home in time to go.”
“Thanks, Dude. Owe you one.”
Dan ended the call and slipped his phone back into his pocket. “Well, young man, you probably shouldn’t be rewarded for taking off without permission or letting anyone know, but I find myself with a bit of time on my hands and an inexplicable urge to hunt some fairies. What do you say? Want to join forces?”
Bobby did not answer immediately and Dan had to bite back a smile at the look of deep concentration on his face. “If I catch one, I get the wishes, right?” he finally asked. “I mean, you have to catch your own, if you want to wish for something?”
“Sounds fair,” Dan said reasonably. “But we don’t have a lot of time, kiddo. I’m assuming you still want to go trick-or-treating with your friends?”
Bobby shrugged. “If I catch a fairy? I can wish for all the candy in the world.”
“Huh. Can’t argue with that logic. So, do you have a destination in mind or are you just hoping to spot one off the trail?”
“Mart says the fairies only live in the deepest, darkest part of the forest and you haf to be very lucky to find ‘em.”
Dan found himself grinning at that. “Right. Makes sense. Well, you know I patrol these woods almost every day. I think I know where we can find the exact, most deepest, darkest part. C’mon.” He fought the urge to chuckle as he led the boy back up the trail, aiming for a small, but well-worn path he knew would branch toward the old schoolhouse. He could only imagine how the two of them looked together as they marched along. His thoughts returned to his own childhood. By the time he was little more than Bobby’s age, he was already learning to pick the pockets of unsuspecting tourists and his innocence had been shattered long before that. He glanced at the boy at his side. At some point he would be forced to gently suggest they abandon their hunt and head back to Crabapple Farm, but for now, he was glad to let his young friend have his hope-filled adventure.
“How’s your teacher?” he asked as they followed a slight curve on the path.
Bobby’s head dropped for a moment. “I don’t know. They won’t tell us anything. She’s still in the hospital and we have mean old Mrs. Tanner as a sub.”
Dan shot him a sympathetic look. “Sorry, kid. I know it’s hard. Your sister told me you really like her.”
“Miss Berry is the best,” Bobby declared emphatically. “She never yells and she reads great stories and she lets us have extra time at recess when we’ve finished any tests.”
“Wow. She does sound like the best,” Dan told him seriously. “Don’t lose hope yet. We have some great doctors in Sleepyside, you know.”
Bobby nodded but didn’t say any more. He walked on and Dan wondered if he shouldn’t have spoiled the mood with his question.
Dry leaves crunched beneath their steps. It wouldn’t be too much longer before there were more of them on the ground than on the trees around them. Dan reminded himself to check the wood pile outside his home. He’d been steadily adding to it, but with a recent series of cooler than normal nights he wasn’t sure if the stacks were depleting faster than he was building them.
“We should turn here,” Bobby announced suddenly. He’d come to an abrupt halt, waving his butterfly net in the direction of a barely discernible, overgrown trail.
Dan frowned. He couldn’t recall ever even noticing the path before. “I don’t know, Bobby,” he said slowly. The last thing they needed was to get lost and be stuck in the woods after dark.
Bobby didn’t bother with a reply. He dramatically pulled his sword from his rope belt - after a bit of a struggle Dan pretended not to notice - and shoved his way forward. Vowing to pay close attention to any and every turn they took so that he could guide them back out again, Dan hurried to follow.
There was a gradual downward slope to the trail. Bobby used his wooden sword to hack at a few slender, vine-like tendrils that hung in their way, much like a famed explorer forging his way through a tropical jungle. With a broad smile, Dan merely batted them aside with the back of his hand.
The woods quickly grew wilder and Dan reflected that perhaps they really were headed toward the deepest, darkest part of the Wheeler Game Preserve. There was an odd, though not necessarily alarming, feel to the area. As silly as it seemed, the one word Dan could think of to describe it was “enchanted.” The brief glimpses of sky he caught between the thick branches above showed the first stars were appearing, twinkling brightly against the backdrop of a fading red and gold sunset.
Dan wasn’t sure which one of them noticed the unearthly glow first. Off to their right, there was a definite pale light, but the purplish cast to it was nothing he could identify as normal. With a soft cry, Bobby left the path and charged toward it. Dan quickly caught up with the boy and they both stopped on the edge of a small glade, keeping to the shadows under an enormous black oak tree.
“Fairies,” Bobby whispered in awe.
Dan gazed in confusion and disbelief at the tiny dancing lights floating about the clearing. Fireflies, he told himself severely, balking at the more fanciful thoughts crossing his mind.
Without warning, one of the glimmering lights peeled away from the others and shot straight at them. It hovered only a few feet away and seemed to grow in brightness to the point that Dan found he almost wanted to cover his eyes. Time froze. The evening breeze was gone and the silence that surrounded them was so complete, Dan had a strange urge to call out, if only to make sure he hadn’t lost his ability to hear. He was distantly aware of the other lights, still twirling around the glade like dancers waltzing through a magical forest ballroom.
“I'm sorry, and thank you,” Bobby said sincerely, lowering his net. Dan started in surprise, feeling like he’d been released from a spell he hadn’t even known had held him captive. He turned to look at the boy. “We won't ever come back,” Bobby continued. “And we’ll never, ever tell. I promise.”
The light dimmed slightly before zooming around the young boy’s head and returning to the others.
Bobby shoved his sword back in his belt and used his free hand to pull his helmet off. For a long moment, he stared at the clearing, then he glanced up at Dan. “We should go now,” he said simply.
Dan was at a complete loss for words. “What…?” he began, before trailing off, not sure what he even intended to ask.
“You shouldn’t catch fairies,” Bobby told him soberly. “It just wouldn’t be right. They aren’t meant to be caught. They’re meant to be free.”
“Uh… yeah?”
Bobby nodded. “And you can’t ever tell. Ever. Someone else might try to find them and that could be bad.”
Dan held both hands up in a helpless gesture. “Who would I tell? No one would believe me, anyway. I’m not sure I believe me right now.”
Bobby turned and started back for the trail, Dan at his heels. They didn’t speak for almost ten minutes, each lost in his own thoughts. It wasn’t until they were almost out of the preserve entirely, the lights of Crabapple Farm shining a welcoming beacon before them, that Dan found his voice again. He shook his head hard and drew in a deep breath. “So, I guess you’re okay with not getting your wishes?” he asked Bobby, still not sure how to process what they’d seen.
“She gave me one. And she told me a secret.”
“Huh? She? What?” Dan stopped, staring down at Bobby, his confusion highly evident.
The serene smile Bobby gave him made the boy seemed significantly older and wiser beyond his years. “Miss Berry is gonna be fine. She’s gonna be back before Christmas. Also, you should call Trixie again. She is missing you now. And if you were ever going to get around to asking her out on a date, tonight would be the night to do it. She’s not in denial anymore.”
With that, Bobby trotted off toward his home. A minivan was just pulling in the drive and Dan could see the four younger Lynch children waving eagerly in their direction. He pulled his phone from his pocket and stared at it uncertainly before tapping the screen.
If he was ever going to ask her, tonight would be the night.