9. Lizzie-Anne's Little Lambs: Part 1

It was Halloween. Elizabeth had her knee in a brace and was given a scooter so she can move around easier, she just came last week from surgery. Henry stopped by her house a couple days after her surgery. Her mom said that she was going to give up sports for a while and that her knee cap was basically shattered, if you put your finger in the middle and pushed down then your finger would go down an inch! Which made him shudder at the thought. Elizabeth unlocked her locker and put some of her stuff in just then there was an awful nauseating sent coming from around the corner. Henry looked at Elizabeth; she had the back of her hand covering her mouth and nose; she looked at Henry who had the same look on his face. "Do you smell that?" She asked Henry.

"Yeah, what is that?" Just then Jasper came around the corner dressed as a cowboy.

"I think we found the mass murderer" added Elizabeth as Jasper and his awful scent approached which caused Henry to laugh. "Whatcha doing Dunlop?" Asked Elizabeth with her hand still covering her mouth and nose.

"Well because you're southern, Texan, and single he said elbowing her and smirking. I thought you could use a cowboy to go trick or treating with."

"What makes you think I'm single?" She asked with some witt.

"Cause I don't see you around with a boyfriend."

What makes you so sure that I don't have a boy back home waiting for me?" She asked, smiling at this point.

"Um...Uh..um..Uh...oh,"

"Sorry Jasper my heart is with someone else." She said putting a hand on his shoulder but quickly jerking her hand back to her face. "Now take a bath or something you smell worse than manure that has been sitting in the sun all day," she said her southern accent coming on strong while shooing him away.

———

Down in the Mancave... "So...you guys got any plans for the night." Asked Ray, trying to start a conversation. Everyone stayed quiet then Ray thought of that Elizabeth girl that Henry and Jasper liked so much "well...what are you guys planning to do about that Elizabeth girl?"

"Well, she's on a scooter instead of crutches so she can move around easier. She's supposed to take her younger siblings trick or treating so I'm going to go help her about and we might hangout a bit afterwards. She said she was going as something else but her plans changed and her mom didn't want her to wear it so her mom said go as Little Bo Peep."

"Okay, um...Henry have you finally got her to go out with you yet?" Asked Ray

"No," he said depressed.

"She has a boyfriend." Added Jasper.

"What?!" A shocked Charlotte replied "I've never seen her with anyone."

"She said 'what makes you so sure that I don't have a boy waiting for me at home?' And Jasper is just like uhhhhh and then she says 'my heart is with someone else.'"Henry explained

"I'm sorry kid, but I doubt it was going to last." Henry looked at him "sorry it's just," Ray starts laughing "she just seems way out of you league." Henry looked at him offended.

Charlotte started laughing to "she is, and she doesn't seem like your type either Hen. I mean, black high heel boots, dark denim jeans, black leather jacket, and dark reddish brown lipstick. What were you thinking?"

"Okay a couple days after her surgery-" Henry started

"Surgery?!" Questioned Ray.

"Yeah from when Jasper broke her knee her mom said that her knee cap was practically shattered and that if you put your finger in the middle of her knee and push down it's like an inch deep dent."

"Ooooo" shuddered the group.

"I know right, anyway her grandmother told me about her and why she dresses like that and that it's not the real her. She likes to wear flannel, sweaters, and t-shirts, jean jackets, jeans, belt buckles from rodeos, and occasionally dresses. She likes to write songs and perform them, paint, draw, and sketch. She said that the only thing that she still does is write to her dad and a little ritual for him before she goes to bed while he's away." Henry said practically preaching

"Then why does she dress like that?" Asked Ray.

"It's her 'armor'" Henry said in quotes it helps her from getting hurt she's telling them to back off and it reminds her not to open up her heart or trust anyone again."

"Wow that's sad." Added Charlotte "anyway I should go help out Elizabeth see you guys later."

———

At the Thorntons house... Charlotte was dressed Super Girl and was greeted by a young adult woman who looked like Elizabeth but only she has red hair and brown eyes.

"Hi I'm Jessica but you can call me Jessie I'm Lizzie-Anne's older sister," she said as she shook Charlotte's hand.

"Hi I'm Charlotte, I'm here to help out Elizabeth with the trick or treaters."

"Oh right, thanks by the way."

"No problem she must be going crazy being cooped up here."

"Yeah, no kidding." Jessie said with a smile and laugh Charlotte gave a small chuckle Just then Peter came descending the stairs with the scooter that Elizabeth used to get around. He was wearing a military uniform. Peter was six years younger than Elizabeth was so he was nine.

"Sweet stume Peter, are you going as a Marine?"

"Yeah, I'm my Dad," Jessie gave a small smile and walked away.

"How long has he been in the Marines?"

"Since he was seventeen, let's see he's thirty-eight..." Peter stated while quietly doing the math "a little over twenty-one years." Charlotte's eyes grew wide twenty-one years; how long has he been deployed then? So Charlotte tried to change the conversation she could tell Peter didn't want to talk about it "so what is Elizabeth for Halloween?"

"Mom was going to have her go as Little Bo Peep then when Elizabeth saw the costume she picked out a similar one so now she's Mary from Mary had a little lamb." Almost on cue Elizabeth came out from upstairs with one hand on the railing and an arm around her mother. Mrs.Thornton was wearing her old MCCUUs

Elizabeth was settled then they were ready to go she had her hair curled and the front part of her hair pulled back by a white bow. She had a blue and white prairie dress and a blue shepherd's crook with a white bow

"Nice costume Elizabeth, but I thought you were going as Little Bo Peep, what was wrong with it?" Charlotte asked

"Well, it was a nice costume but um..." she leaned over to Charlotte so only she could hear, "the costume had not enough Bo little too much Peep." She said while stifling her laughter. Charlotte doing the same thing.

"So where's your lamb?" Charlotte asked.

"Well it appears I've lost them, oh little lambs!" on cue Elizabeth's younger twin sisters came around the corner of the staircase in lamb costumes. Then the girls stood at Elizabeth's side and held her hands.

"Awwwwww" went everyone in the room.

"That's adorable" added Jessie taking pictures, She looked at her mother doing the same "mom aren't you going to dress up?"

"I am, I'm a marine" she added looking at her costume

"Those are your work clothes" argued Jessie.

"No they say Phillipelli not Thornton and besides I'm a Marine-Medic" Briar Rose countered

"But you still work for the marines."

"Well then I'm wearing my work clothes. And besides what are you supposed to be?"

"I'm a salsa dancer." Jessie replied, putting her hands up and spinning around.

"Why a salsa dancer?" Elizabeth-Lillian asked.

"Cause Abuela made me wear it." She said with a frown.

"So I'm assuming you guys are going as salsa dancers." Elizabeth said, laughing.

"Yep, Mary had a Little Lamb." Jessie said teasing her

———

It was about an hour into the trick or treating everything was going smoothly, Lizzie-Anne was able to keep up but they would stop every once in a while so she could catch her breath but that rarely happened. The lambs were behaving well and Elizabeth and Charlotte were in a lovely conversation, that was until Charlotte started asking her about the things Henry told her. She decided that it'd be best if she eased her way into the conversation, "so why do they call you Lizzie-Anne?"

"Because that's my name Elizabeth-Lillian you know like Mary-Kate, Connie-Jane, Donna-Joe." Elizabeth explained

"Oh so you have two first names." Charlotte replied in explanation and Elizabeth nodded, "Lizzie as in Elizabeth and Anne as in Lillian."

"That's right."

"Do you have a middle name or names?" Charlotte said, nudging her in the side.

"Yes I have three" Elizabeth said smiling and laughing "but you're never going to find them out." She said, nudging her back.

"So why do wear your leather jacket all the time" Charlotte said with caution.

"It's my armor," she stated, taking a deep breath, "it helps protect me from getting hurt, heartbroken, and or abandoned ever again." She said looking down "and so that people don't get the best of me. Ever again." Just then to Charlotte's surprise Captain Man and Kid Danger came running into the park out of breath where Elizabeth, Charlotte, and the twins were trick or treating.

"It's Captain Man!" Cried out Amanda.

"And Kid Danger!" Cried Topanga, the crime fighters did their little wave when they were out of breath, when Kid Danger looked up he saw Elizabeth standing there in her Mary had a Little Lamb costume, they stood there for a moment staring at each other.

Charlotte saw this knowing Elizabeth was smart she worried she would figure out Henry's secret. That he was the super hero Captain Man's sidekick Kid Danger! So she broke up the moment. "Uh...what's wrong are you okay?"

Charlotte snapped Elizabeth out of her transe "Uh...yeah I'm okay he just reminds me of someone." She said looking at Kid Danger over Charlotte's shoulder.

Captain Man noticed Kid Danger staring at a girl in a Mary had a Little Lamb costume, "is that Elizabeth Lillian Thornton?" He asked, also looking at the girl.

"Yep" Henry replied still in his transe.

"She is really pretty."

"I know right."

"But you might want to stop looking at her like that." He said realizing what Charlotte was doing.

"Why would I do that?"

"Because if she's as smart as you say she is and there's obviously a spark it'll seem familiar and then she'll figure out your identity." He said turning him around.

"Right, now, where's Jeff? He should be here." Kid Danger said annoyed he hated Jeff he was so stupid. On cue Jeff came out of the bushes awaiting to get past Captain Man and Kid Danger.

"Um...Lizzie-Anne" Topanga said, tugging on her skirt. Elizabeth looked down at her little sister and followed where she was pointing at a large overweight man whose shirt barely covered his torso coming out of the bushes.

"What the---!?" cried Lizzie-Anne. Curious, Charlotte looked over to see Jeff the stupidest criminal in Swellview crawling out the bushes. Charlotte tried to get Captain Man and Kid Danger's attention without being attentive towards the super heroes.

"Oh no! It's Jeff the super criminal!" Yelled Charlotte, the heroes heard this and looked over to see Jeff trying to catch his breath because he has trouble moving around.

"Stop right there Jeff!" Demanded Captain Man

"I'm going to win this time you horsepiles!" Screamed Jeff and he pulled out a gun.

OMG what is Jeff going to do!? Is someone going to get hurt?

Debbie Ryan as Jessica Thornton