Playing the Fool

Chapter 23

America was trying figure out a way to get Sarah to calm down, glancing around for a clue of anything that had upset her. Noticing the half finished puzzle on the dinning room table, America called over to the sullen state by the window.

"Hey Sarah, why don't we finish that puzzle we started last time I was over?"

Eye's lighting up, Minnesota turned around excitedly clapping her hands.

"Yes! Come on, it's just the way it was when you left! Although I dusted it over once and a while so a few of the looser pieces have moved a little bit."

Seeing as this would probably take a lot time, Danny found himself forced to join in the "puzzle party" as Sarah had called in when she'd dragged him over. Much to his confusion, Danny found they where trying to finish the puzzle upside down so that all the pieces where the same color. When he asked why, America and Minnesota looked at each other laughed and said that any other way would have been too easy. After a little while, America deiced it was about time to find out what was bugging one of his more cheerfully States.

"So... how have things been going for you lately?"

He asked slowly, fitting his fourteenth piece into place much to Danny's annoyance seeing as he hadn't gotten even one right yet. Sarah hummed thoughtfully, before mumbling.

"Fine I guess, I have made a friend since you dropped off that mirror so that's a plus. Wes has been a jerk, my George isn't a silly pet. Sure he's not a common animal to keep as a pet, but he's such a sweet heart."

"Really? When did you get a pet Minnie?"

America asked, wanting to keep the conversation going knowing that when focused other things Sarah would say things on her mind that she'd normally not say.

"A few years ago, you can meet him if you like. He's just outside though be warned, George is a little shy around strangers."

"What kind of dog did you get?"

Danny asked, grinning in proudly as he finally got a piece in the right place. Sarah only laughed at this, waving her cousin off before saying.

"Dog? Don't be silly, my George is not a dog, he's a bull."

Both America and New York stopped trying to finish the puzzle, staring at her Danny said in a dull voice.

"You have a pet cow?"

Giving Danny a fierce look, Sarah snapped.

"He's not a cow, he's a bull. What's so weird about having a pet bull? America has a pet whale, besides you guys already think most Minnesotans have pet cows anyway."

Changing the subject slightly, America asked.

"So how did you come across getting George the bull?"

"One of the local farmers offered him to me, after I heard what would have happened if I didn't take the poor little guy I just had to take him in."

"What could have happened, it's a cow you people love cows."

Danny said broadly, Sarah sighed before saying a quiet voice.

"You don't know anything you city slicker, while I know Minneapolis is nothing compared to your city's you don't know anything about farming. Cows are female, and any male calves born aren't really useful to many farmers. If I hadn't taken George he would have ended up in being *culled, it's so sad to think about it."

"I'm... terribly sorry about that."

America said though he didn't really know what else to say, Sarah gave a weak smile.

"Well that's just how things are in the farming world, it's been that way for years and years. Sam said the same thing last time he visited, though I get the feeling he was a little sacred of George. My baby's pretty big after all."

She grinned, America nodded picking his next words carefully. She'd mentioned D.C. first, it was the perfect chance.

"Speaking of D.C., your aware he got sent to the hospital after the last world meeting."

Sarah nodded, fitting in her seventeenth piece she said in a passive tone.

"Yeah, he's really not doing to well. Though he seems to be improving with a little TLC."

"TLC?"

Danny asked glaring at his latest failed attempt, Sarah nodded.

"Tender loving care, it's the best I can do for my big brother. Though I'm not sure that Ollie's suggestion of bringing him here was such a good idea, I'm no doctor after all..."

"So Sam is here then? I thought you said he wasn't."

America said carefully, Minnesota just nodded before look up at him confused.

"Didn't you already know that? I thought Ollie's message went to Uncle Arthur, guess it didn't get through after all. Sam's just..."

Eye's flashing with a weird light, Minnesota set done her puzzle piece. Placing on hand on her head, she rubbed her temples.

"Something wrong Minnie?"

Sarah grumbled under her breath before saying, 

"I don't know, I just have the over whelming urge to... bake for some reason."

Watching her get up, and walk over the the kitchen they glanced at each other. This was weird, a little too weird even for Sarah...

(To be continued...)

*Cull = selectively killing animals