Paladin

Saying "good morning" Jordan walked through reception and towards his office. He knew he had a busy day as he had been handed a complex company contract for his opinion. It would require careful analysis to protect his client's interests. However, this was his area of expertise and for which he was very well paid. At 10am his desk phone rang. He picked up the handpiece. "Jordan, there's another call from Madison O'Rielly for you. Do you want to take it?" "In a way I've been expect

So Brian to the rescue. He appears like a dry apparition from the storm and tutors Alvin on Apple Pie making and life. Like all fairy tale apparitions he departs leaving something tangible behind, in this case not a glass slipper but an a more practical orange oven glove. The pie, unsurprisingly exactly like granny's, is a catalyst for union. Yes they finally acknowledge they are what the whole town knew.

I think we're heading for this:

I don't know about now, but years ago the background murmur of a crowd on stage was created by actors in the crowd quietly saying "rhubarb, rhubarb" to each other. It would look as if they were conversing. The Goon Show regularly made fun of this by saying "rhubarb, rhubarb" loudly so it was more than a murmur.

Also my thought @Mattyboy. Perfect pie but fudging. Somehow I think Tabby would appreciate the effort, even if the result is more chaos than perfect pie..

Theo's resistance to mating with Vince and Jack is all in his mind, thinking. His body is thinking something else entirely different. It looks like the body is winning. In the end his mind won't mind.

I'm still concerned about Cocoran hanging around Rick's apartment block, especially now he has met Brad and Nick. Rick can stay with Adam, but what about the boys? Bad timing with Corcoran and the police but understandable. Corcoran was brought in "to help with their investigation" because his name is in the "black book" as a client. All before his details were circulated as the prime suspect. However the police would now have an address. Could help.

They could just purr at each other while flexing their claws into some doilies.

Sadder if you don't have morning wood.

Wait there! Who won this round? Tabby has to be being ironic when he gives it to Alley Cat. Callum gave Tabby the perfect opportunity to play the "you don't appreciate me" card, which he did, and it trumped anything Alvin had to offer. Trick to Tabby! Alvin might be first into the pool but Tabby is winning.

My preparation for Christmas was frenetic and a little bit frantic.

So they're each others fertilizer.

A seedling mightn't know how to be a tree yet but Tabby knows how to make a part of Alvin grow.

Granny expected the bathroom mayhem. Her message was clear “Now for Task the Second: The Master Bathroom. The plumbing has developed a personality. Specifically, the showerhead in the main bath only emits a sad, lukewarm trickle. You and Tabby are to diagnose and fix it. I've left my tool chest under the sink. Remember: righty-tighty, lefty-loosey. And for heaven's sake, turn the water off at the main first.” Granny knew 1. that both are incapable of being successful plumbers and 2. they wouldn't follow her instructions re the main. I reckon that wherever she is (Steve's time share or beyond the grave) she is have a good old laugh and chuckling at the tasks yet to come, in the full knowledge that the guys will stuff them up somehow. But, eventually the tasks will bring them together.

It gets bored just sitting in a corner washing all day. Besides it rocks to the music.

What worries me most about this story is those aspects of it that I have survived. The everything doily covered, those souvenir teaspoons displayed on wall racks, the pink bathroom (including pink toilet paper) and every crocheted item, including that bloody key ring strawberry. If there's a multi coloured striped knitted cardigan I'll scream. 🙀 Loving the the interaction between Teddy and Alvin and everyone's easy assumption that they are a couple. wonderfully comic.

While the net is tightening around Corcoran the number of people around Rick needing protection is increasing. Corcoran knows where Rick lives and where Adam lives, so where will they stay when they go back to Sydney? Being a regular of Casey's suggests Corcoran has money or is given access as a favour. What is he doing for money or favours and for whom?

Poor Alvin, trapped in a house and garden with Tabby and over looked by Blake and Jason on one side and the Higgins family on the other side. Too late to leave. He's trapped in more ways than he knows, but there's still room for him to have lots of fun, or as an Australian quiz show host would say, Hard Fun.

Alvin has to live in Granny's house without changing it so it won't take long for him to appreciate beige. At least Tabby isn't doily or beige.

So with comic brilliance the glitterati win over beige and save the children from a colourless fate worse than death. Now it seems, back the relatively ordered chaos of Merrickville. That is if someone gets the dates right.

Maybe the GA gods read this prologue and decided to inflict their own chaos on your timing. Anyway Happy Christmas.

This absolutely hilarious story smelling of pine, snow drifts and survival reminds us that Christmas really is a time for vivid imagination and joy. I'll have whatever you're having @Topher Lydon.

I'm surprised that Rick didn't look back in his journal to see if he posted a private note about telling Martin about Corcoran. It could have jolted his memory. @weinerdog recovered memory through hypnosis is a minefield of contention both professionally and legally.

One thing this discussion has done is teach me about useful GA features I've never used. Never too old to learn as they say, so guess what my new year's resolution is? Thank you @Myr for all the explanations.

I see drones as the feckless bees. Only one chance to show death destroying initiative, but otherwise spending their life being an irresponsible and lacking in initiative burden on the hive.