Not-yet-titled sequel

6.17

After lunch with Sam and Laura, Rebecca went to visit Allie to see if she could lend a hand with anything. She learned Leonard was already pouring cement into a wooden form for her mother's stove. Apparently the latest three-piece design would forego the metal fifty-gallon fire barrel of the early versions entirely, and even had the smoke path snaking through the upper mass to improve heat transmission, just like Walt's.

Great. If we don't have one come winter, Sam's going to spend all her time over there in the warmer apartment. Guess that'd at least mean they're getting along. She might have to fight Sue for the warmest spot though.

Sadly, there wasn't much for her to do at Allie's, beyond opening several cans for her to appease Leonard's rampant and poorly concealed anxiety. He'd heard somewhere that pregnant women's joints could hyperextend as their connective tissues softened, and was paranoid about anything that put the least bit of strain on her body.

"He's worse than you are," Allie grumbled as she rolled her eyes at Rebecca. "He's lucky I'll need his help after the baby arrives, or I might have murdered him already."

Rebecca cringed at just about every part of Allie's statements. "It means he cares, I guess? And I bet a lot of it is his own nervousness manifesting. At least you can send me home when I get on your nerves."

"Yeah, well. It doesn't help my nerves any either. I'm well aware how much there is to worry about, having a baby with reduced medical levels. And, don't think I haven't kicked him to the couch twice while you were gone! Admittedly, some of that was because it's getting impossible for me to sleep comfortably."

"Maybe my mom can give you some ideas tonight? I think most of the grudges she's held against me are actually from before I was breathing air."

Allie laughed. "I'm not surprised, you're such a softie that I have a hard time picturing anyone resenting you for long time. But, shoo. You know how you said I can always boot you out the door? If you stay, you'll ruin some of the surprises for tonight."

"Okay, okay. I'm going." Rebecca checked the can opener to make sure it was still clean and returned it to the appropriate drawer. "What time should we come over?"

"Aim for five, if that's enough time for Sam to get cleaned up."

Rebecca snapped her fingers for Rufus to follow her as she rounded the kitchen peninsula and headed for the door. "Okay. It sounds like she has a couple of projects going in addition to helping my mom, but I told her to make sure she stops whatever she's up to early enough to get ready."

"We both had to fall in love with overachievers, tinkerers, and fixers, didn't we?"

"Apparently!"

She pulled the door closed behind her and checked the handle. Allie had plenty of windows open for air, and Rebecca wasn't about to leave her alone with the door unlocked. Sure, they had a tight perimeter, guards at the only open entrance to the building, and a roving patrol, but like Allie had said. Rebecca was being pretty damned protective too. She figured she could be allowed that the week she and the gang had.

She decided to plow through the remaining rows of the blanket so she could present it at dinner, glad her mother was there to help with the finishing touches. She set it down just over an hour later, ready for Laura to work her magic hiding the end knots deep in the bulk of the existing rows, and was looking through the closet for attire options when Sam returned. Rebecca was just glad to not get spooked again when she opened the door.

When she got out to the front room, Sam had deposited a backpack on the table and was digging out a black metallic brick with a control panel on one side. She grinned at Rebecca's quizzical expression while connecting it to a pair of car batteries they kept in a corner of the dining room.