Second Chance
by Livvie

Disclaimer: The characters and situations of the TV program "Big Valley" are the creations of Four Star/Republic Pictures and have been used without permission. No copyright infringement is intended by the author. The ideas expressed in this story are copyrighted to the author.

Summary: After the death of his eight-year old daughter, Nick is granted a special wish.

***

Why did you leave me Mama?" seven-year old Lizzie Barkley muttered to herself.

She was sitting in her room looking forlornly out the window. In just one week her world had turned completely upside down. She had lost her mother to leukemia, and she felt as if her heart had been ripped out. Her father was not a whole lot of help, ever since mother had died, the strong determined man that he was, crumbled into that of a workaholic, and on top of that, an alcoholic. He was up late every night, draining bottles of strong whiskey. Not once since her mother had taken her last breath had he consoled her, told her that he was there for her, he just pretended that she didn't even exist. Her uncles Jarrod and Heath, and her aunt Audra were very supportive, and they tried to help in every way, but they were not her father.

She felt as if her father had deserted her, he didn't seem to notice that she was grieving, didn't lift a finger when she had an asthma attack not long after, she had practically come apart, and she had no father to keep her together.

"I'd be surprised if he even loved me anymore," she thought bitterly.

The only time he even spoke with her was when she made a mistake, knocking over something at dinner and such. She was invisible, alone, and she felt very much abandoned. Her eighth birthday was coming up, and Nick hadn't mentioned a thing, it just wasn't fair, she had lost her mother, and she had lost her father too.

"I might as well just be an orphan," her thoughts echoed over and over again.

There was a soft tap a the door, her Audra stuck her head in.

"Hey sweetie, I thought you might would like to join us for dinner? I made your favorite."

"Spaghetti?" Lizzie said licking her lips, then she grimaced, realizing that Audra said that she had made it. Audra smiled warmly.

"Yes spaghetti, don't worry, my cooking has improved since the last time."

"Let's hope so," Lizzie muttered.

"What was that?"

I said...um...is that so?"

"Be down in five minutes, don't forget to wash your hands."

Lizzie smiled in spite of herself; she might as well just go down and hope for the best, best meaning that her father wasn't drunk again.


****

Her hoping turned out to be in vain, he was drunk, and his face bore a sour expression.

"Hi Papa," she greeted timidly.

"It's about time you started calling me Father," he answered gruffly.

"Yes sir." She took her place across from her father and next to Heath at the table. Jarrod walked in and kissed her forehead, she smiled slightly.

"What was that for Uncle Jarrod?" Jarrod grinned and ruffled her hair a bit.

"I'm your uncle, must I have a reason? I'm supposed to do things like that."

"And I really wish you would stop big brother."

"Stop what brother Nick?" Jarrod asked taken aback.

"Babying her, she's old enough now to stop being spoiled."

"But I'm not spoiled Papa," Lizzie interjected.

"Are you talking back to me young lady?" he questioned voice rising.

"No sir," her eyes dropped.

A new voice entered the conversation, Heath's.

"Nick she's only a child."

"Well she needs to grow up."

Jarrod looked at his niece, his heart went out to her, she looked so small and helpless sitting there.

"Papa, I'll grow up, I'll do anything you want, just please stop arguing," she begged.

"Are you talking back to me Elizabeth?"

"No sir,"

"Speak up!"

"NO, SIR!!!!!!" she screamed.

Nick shot out of his chair like a rocket.

"I OUGHTA WHIP YOUR TAIL RIGHT NOW."

"Nick that's enough!" Jarrod warned sharply.

"IF YOUR MOTHER COULD SEE HOW YOU'RE ACTING, SHE WOULD TURN OVER IN HER GRAVE!!!!!!"

Lizzie's teeth clenched, he had hit a sore spot. She burst into tears, but all the same her eyes blazed with anger.

"My mother! MY MOTHER!!!! MY MOTHER WOULD LOVE ME NO MATTER WHAT!"

She left the table and started for the front door.

"Lizzie where are you going?" Jarrod called after her.

"RIDING!!!" was her response and she slammed the door behind her.

"Nick you were way out of line, you really hurt her."

Nick shrugged.

"That's the whiskey talking. If you paid half as much attention to her as you did that bottle you would have it made!"

"She's a spoiled brat and she got what she deserved."

"Nick if you don't go talk to her, pretty soon she'll be gone and you won't know how or why it happened," Heath advised.

Nick shrugged them like water off a duck's back and stomped out of the dining room.

****

Lizzie stalked her way to the stables, she was going to get in trouble for this but she didn't care. She didn't need any help saddling her horse, with her father running a ranch she could do it as well as anyone. She mounted, kicked the horses hide and she was off and galloping. She just had to get away, to clear her mind; things were so complex at home. She was in trouble no matter what she did, even when she tried to stop an argument. Her horse gave a neigh of complaint when she rode to the top of a very steep cliff, over looking a pool of water.

Lizzie loved this place, she usually walked up here, but in this case she needed to ride. She loved the pureness of the water, how it was crystal clear, she liked the blaze of colors at sunset. This was her private place, here she was free from everything. She wiped away the tears that were starting to slowly roll down her cheeks. No one understood her or what she was going through, not even her aunt or uncles. She felt honestly alone in the world. She said a prayer to God, to take away the pain she was feeling.

"Come on Vixen, let's go," she told her horse.

The horse tried to turn but it was too scared, it bucked violently, throwing off the rider in the process. Lizzie managed to take hold of the cliff's edge, but she wasn't that strong. Her fingers slipped and she fell into the rocky bottoms of the water with sickening splash.

***

"I'm worried about her Jarrod," Heath said just minutes later back at the ranch."

"You are?"

"Yes, she was so upset when she left, what if something has happened?"

"Brother Heath I know where she went, she goes there everyday."

"Yeah I know where she went to, but I would feel better if we went and checked on her," Heath persisted.

"Alright then, we probably should, I was thinking about it anyway."

Jarrod folded his paper and put it aside, he rose to his feet and Heath followed suit. When they walked outside they saw that Lizzie horse Vixen was coming from the direction where Lizzie's favorite place was. Heath grabbed her by the reins.

"Hey there girl where's Lizzie?"

Heath and Jarrod exchanged looks of concern, they took off running in the direction that Vixen had just come from.

***

When they reached the cliff, they looked and looked but they couldn't find Lizzie anywhere. Heath went to the edge of the cliff and looked down. His eyes grew as wide as saucers, there was Lizzie lying motionless below.

"JARROD, JARROD, COME QUICK HERE SHE IS!!!!!!"

Heath raced to the bottom of the cliff and Jarrod followed in close pursuit. Heath reached her first, he eased her into his arms, and shook her gently.

"Lizzie? Lizzie come on open your eyes." Her eyes fluttered open, but only slightly.

"Papa?" she said faintly.

"No sweetheart, it's Uncle Heath."

"Uncle Heath?" she looked over at Jarrod,

"Uncle Jarrod? Where is Papa?" Heath and Jarrod exchanged glances.

"We don't know."

"Why doesn't he love me?"

Jarrod answered this one, in a surprised voice.

"He does love you, what made you think that honey?"

"Then why isn't he here?"

Neither of them could answer that question.

"Tell Papa I love him."

"You can tell him yourself Lizzie."

"I can't breathe...." her eyes shut, and deep down both uncles knew what had just happened, she was gone, and Nick wasn't there to say goodbye.

***

The walk back to the ranch was a silent one. Jarrod carried Lizzie back, Heath just couldn't bear to hold her lifeless body for one more minute. Neither of them spoke but their thoughts were the same : Nick was going to be devastated. When they reached the ranch the first thing they did was take Lizzie to her room, Nick had to see her before they did anything else. They dreaded it, they knew that Nick's wife's death had made him a drunk, Lizzie's death would probably drive him over the edge. They found Nick exactly where they thought they would, by the fireplace with a bottle of whiskey.

"Brother Nick?" Jarrod started.

Nick turned around to look at his two brothers that were standing there.

"What is it?" he slurred.

"It's Lizzie, she's..." His voice cracked.

"She's what Jarrod?" Nick asked impatient as usual.

"Heath and I went out to check on her, you know at her favorite place."

"Get to the point already!"

"We found her body, her horse had thrown her, she fell into the water below. She's dead Nick."

The whiskey bottle fell to the floor and smashed into pieces, the liquid went everywhere.

"What?"

"We brought her body back, we thought you might like to see it, say goodbye."

Nick sprang out of his seat and grabbed Jarrod by the collar.

"What do you MEAN she's dead."

"I'm sorry little brother." Nick's eyes glazed over and he released his brother.

"Nick?"

No, it can't be true, she can't be gone."

Nick slid to the floor and buried his face in his hands as hot tears rolled down his cheeks.

"I'll never forgive myself."

***

Several hours later Nick was back in the chair by the fireplace, a new bottle of whiskey in hand, and he was drunker then he was before. He watched as the flames danced and flickered, as the colors went from orange to read to white to blue. Lizzie had always loved sitting by the fire with a good book.

"And now she's gone, if only she had known how much I loved her," he muttered sadly to himself.

"She still can Nick," said an unfamiliar voice,

Nick whirled around, there was a tall man with dark hair and glasses was standing there.

"Who the devil are you?" Nick demanded.

"Just the answer to what you want."

"What do you mean?"

"You wished that Lizzie had known how much you loved her."

"Look I don't know who you are."

"Name's Brian."

"Or what you are."

"I'm an angel."

Nick practically choked. "A WHAT?"

"You heard me I said angel, A-N-G-E-L."

"Look Mr., this is the worst night of my life, and I would appreciate if you would stop toying with me."

"Toying? If your gonna talk like that I can just pack up and leave, if you don't want to spend more time with Lizzie then I'll just go."

"Whoa, what do mean more time with Lizzie?"

"Simple, if you cooperate I'll give you a do over, a second chance so to speak."

"How do you plan on doing that?"

"How many times do I have to say it? ANGEL!"

"All right so how do I get a second chance?"

"I'm gonna set the time clock back three days, hear me? three days. You get to go back and make things up with your daughter."

Nick was beginning to get suspicious.

"What's the catch?"

"When you wake up tomorrow Lizzie will be alive and you get to live the past three days all over again. The catch is, at the end of day three, the same accident that took your daughter's life will happen all over again, except the next time it will be permanent. Are you getting this? For the next three days you can do whatever you like but just remember you only got one shot. Make it count."

"But I won't be able to do that knowing that she'll be gone in three days."

"Don't focus on her dying then, focus on the fact that she's alive."

And with that he disappeared. Nick blinked.

"I really need to lay off the whiskey," he muttered, and went to bed.

***

Nick woke up with a splitting headache,  the bright light coming from the window hurt his eyes. Then he remembered,  Lizzie was dead, he had hurt her and paid for it. I could just stay in bed today, I have no reason to get up anyway. But his head hurt so badly. he needed to get up and at least take something for it. He sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed, he yawned and rose to his feet.

"OWWWW!!!!!" a voice yelped.

Nick jumped back in the bed and looked down, there was Lizzie sprawled on the floor with a pillow, he had stepped on her. Nick rubbed his eyes, this had to be a dream, she was supposed to be dead. But then he remembered the angel telling him about a do over, three days to make things right.

"Three days," he whispered. Then he focused his attention on his daughter, who was curled up in a ball massaging her stomach.

"Lizzie? Are you okay?"

"Yeah," she answered sitting up. "I probably won't be able to eat breakfast, but I'm sure I'll be just fine."

"Sorry," it was all he could do to keep from crying. Here was his little girl, and he only had three days left with her.

"Papa, are you okay," she asked. Nick took her arm and pulled her into a tight hug.

"Papa? Can you let go? I can't breathe."

***

Lizzie went to her room to get dressed for school, she had to remember to wear a shawl, after all it was November. Papa was acting very strange, first he stepped on her this morning, she knew she probably shouldn't have gotten so close to where his feet would go, but she thought she would wake up and be out of his room before he even noticed she was there in the first place. Then he hugged her so tight it felt as if he was going to crush her bones. The night before, he was angry with her, this morning he acted as if she had been dead and come back to life. She shrugged, she would probably find out what was up eventually. She grabbed her shawl and hurried down to breakfast.

***

Nick was already down at the table talking to Jarrod.

"Hey big brother what's today?"

"Tuesday," he answered without looking up.

"I meant the date."

"The eighteenth, why?"

"I just wondered."

The eighteenth, so he had until the twenty-first with his daughter. As if on cue, Lizzie appeared and took her place next to Heath as usual.

"Lizzie honey, why don't you come sit by me?" Nick offered.

"I haven't sat by you since I was three," she replied somewhat surprised.

"I just thought you might like to, for a change."

"Okay, why not?"

She moved next to Nick and he mussed up her hair, she franticly tried to smooth it back down.

"Papa I have school."

"Sorry."

Nick looked at his brothers, Heath looked skeptical, and Jarrod's eyebrows were arched way up. After breakfast Lizzie stood up, but Nick grabbed her hand.

"Where are you going?"

"School."

"Why don't you go get your books and I'll take you."

"Okaaay..." she said, giving him an unreadable expression. She left to get her books, and Jarrod addressed his brother.

"What are you doing brother Nick? "

"What are you talking about?"

"Babying her all of a sudden."

"I'm just making up for lost time, I haven't been there for her like I should have been, since Becky died you know."

"Yes I know, but don't try so hard little brother, you're suffocating her, just be yourself."

"That's easy for you to say," he muttered.

Then he rose from the table and headed for the door.

"You know your brother is right, you need to relax Nick." Nick turned around to face Brian.

"Relax, relax how am I supposed to relax when I know what's going to happen on Friday?"

"Maybe you just shouldn't try so hard, you could get her a gift."

" A gift? What kind of gift?"

"A gift that shows how much you care about her, a last father daughter gift so to speak."

"That's nice, that's really nice, as if I don't have enough pressure already, I have to worry about getting her a gift now."

"Papa, who are you talking to?" Nick turned around, there was his daughter standing there with a puzzled look.

"Um...no one," he stammered. "Let's get you to school.

***
When school let out for the day, Nick was waiting for his daughter. Lizzie caught sight of him and he waved, her eyebrows shot up and she let out a breath of annoyance. Why was he so touchy feely lately? She approached him very carefully.

"Papa," she said in fake glee, "What are you doing here?"

"I thought I would pick you up today, being that it's so hot out."

"Papa, it's November," she told him.

"Well, it's unusually warm for November."

"You must be working hard, I'm freezing."

"Well climb on and we'll go home."

Lizzie sighed a climbed up on the back of Coco.

"You all settled back there?"

"Yes Papa." Nick gently nudged Coco's sides, and they headed back to the ranch.

When they rode back into the ranch, Lizzie climbed down before Coco had come to a complete stop, she just had to get away from her father for a while. She ran up to her room and flopped on the bed. Not long after, Nick came up and knocked gently on the door.

"Mind if I come in"

"No Papa." Nick walked over and sat gingerly on the bed.

"So, what are you doing?"

"Just resting before dinner."

"Oh, do you mind if I rest with you?"

That was it, now she'd heard everything. She sat bolt upright.

"Have you lost your mind!?" Her voice was past upset.

"What are you talking about?"

"You know, practically crushing my bones with a bear hug this morning, making me sit by you at breakfast, escorting me to and from school, and now offering to rest with me? What's wrong with you?"

"I just want to make things up with you."

"How about backing off a little, just be yourself, please."

"I'm sorry honey."

"That's okay, can I please rest now?"

"Sure, go ahead, I'll just go."

Nick got up and left the room.

"I wonder where she gets her temper from?"

Nick turned around.

"You really need to stop sneaking up on me Brian."

Brian shrugged.

"Comes with the territory."

"Oh for Pete's sake! What do you want now?"

"Just seeing how everything is going."

"How about checking into getting me an extension on the time?"

"No can do, three days, that was all I was allowed to give."

"Come on you can spare another week."

"No I can't, extensions only come in special cases, and I don't see one here. Besides you agreed, you get three days we get Lizzie."

"No, it's not fair, the terms are not acceptable."

"Don't talk business with me Nick, we both know that your brother is a better businessman then you are."

And then Brian disappeared.

Nick punched a fist into his palm in frustration. He had to get it right this time with his daughter, thanks to stubborn angels he only had two days.

***

Dinner that night went smoothly, Nick wasn't as edgy and didn't demand unusual things from his daughter. He decided to be as relaxed as possible, if she knew why he was so edgy in the first place that would be a serious problem, and the last thing he wanted was to frighten her. She was so alive, she didn't show the slightest hint that she was hurting, but oblivious to everyone else, she really was alone and very scared.

Lizzie yawned, in exhaustion.

"Papa?"

"Yes sweetie?"

"Can I go to bed now, I'm tired."

Nick smiled warmly at her.

"Of course you can, go get ready and I'll be up in a minute to tuck you in."

Lizzie nodded sleepily, and headed upstairs.

"That wasn't so hard now was it brother Nick?" Nick looked over at his brother.

"What are you talking about Jarrod?"

"Being yourself, not smothering her."

"I'm not trying to smother her, I'm trying to make up for not being there for her since Becky died."

"I know that, and I can see your making an effort. It made me so happy the day she was born, not only because I had a niece but also because I knew how hard you and Becky had tried to get a child. It upset me when Becky died and you involved yourself in the bottle more then your daughter, but now I'm glad to see you back on track."

"I lost Becky, I don't want to lose Lizzie, I want her to know how much I love her."

"I don't think you will lose Lizzie anytime soon."

"If you only knew," Nick muttered.

Lizzie was already drifting of to sleep when Nick came up to tuck her in. So he pulled the covers up to her chin and kissed her forehead. Then he pulled up a chair and just sat and watched her sleep.

"Beautiful isn't she?" Brian asked.

Nick ignored his surprise appearance this time.

"Yeah she is."

"I almost hate to take her."

"What are you talking about? You said I had three days."

"Yes, but changes have been made, now it could happen anytime, anyplace, and anyway possible."

"What!?" he whispered fiercely.

"Don't worry, it's not happening tonight, I haven't got the orders yet. But I do know that it will be before the week is over."

Nick looked at his sleeping daughter. Tears came to his eyes.

"You can't do this to me, not again." He looked up and Brian was gone.

***

The next morning, Lizzie came bounding into the room. She shook Nick vigorously.

"Papa! Papa! Wake up!"

"What is it?" he grunted half asleep.

"Look out the window Papa, look!" she urged gleefully

Nick got out of bed and did as his daughter bade him. The sight was breath taking, the entire ground was blanketed in a fresh layer of snow. Nick looked over at his daughter.

"Lizzie, how about a snowball fight?"

"Yippee!!!!!" She cheered.

***

Three hours and a very brutal snowball fight later, they came inside, dripping wet and faces red.

"Papa, do you think I made a good snowman?"

"Sure, it kind of looks like Uncle Jarrod."

"Tall and lumpy?" she asked confused. Nick grinned.

"Exactly."

Lizzie's eyes shined with happiness, she reached up on tiptoe and kissed Nick on the cheek.

"I love you Papa."

"I love you too, no go upstairs and get out of those wet things and into something warm."

"Yes Papa," she said and dashed up the stairs. Nick followed about to do the same.

***

Half an hour later, Nick was changed, he walked briskly down the hall and stopped at Lizzie's door and knocked softly.

"Lizzie honey? Are you dressed?"

No answer, she was probably asleep. Nick stuck his head in and sure enough she was on her bed, but she wasn't asleep, quite the contrary, she was crying. Nick walked over to her and eased her into his arms, he wiped at the tears that were sliding down her cheeks.

"What's the matter sweetheart?"

"I miss Mommy."

"I miss her too, do you want to talk about it?"

"It's just that she always loved the first snow, and I was thinking how much fun it would have been if she were here."

"It would have been fun, no doubt about that, but at least you still have me, I'm here."

Lizzie hugged Nick tightly, he didn't even notice that she was getting his clean shirt all wet. What he did worry about however was when she began to make choking noises. He let her go and looked at her, her eyes were wide with fear, and she was clutching her throat.

"What's the matter?"

"I'm...having...an... Asthma.....attack!" Her breaths came out in short little gasps. She was petrified.

"Well of course she's petrified she can't breathe," Nick thought.

He looked up, and there was Brian standing there looking solemn. Nick's eyes grew wide, not now, not at this moment.

"Come on baby, breathe in and out." He was not going to let this happen to him, not again

***

Come on follow the rhythm of my chest, up down, up down, slow steady breaths. That's right you're doing fine, keep going up and down."

Nick coached his daughter through the worst of her attack. But she was still a little short of breath and Nick decided to stay near her until she could breathe normal. Several painstakingly long moments later, Lizzie was sound asleep and breathing normally.

"You know you just might get that father of the year award."

Nick looked up and Jarrod was standing there smiling at his brother.

"Thanks Big Brother, you know I try."

"And you've really been trying hard too, I'm proud of you."

"You know I never thought I would have to be two parents at once, and quite frankly it's not easy."

"It's not supposed to be easy, and your doing great, I think you have her respect now, once you have that though you need to careful because one mistake and you could lose it."

"I don't think that I could bear that again."

"Just be the father that we all know that you can be, the rest will come to you."

"Now I know why you're the big brother and not me." Jarrod grinned.

***

They had made it through the events of the night before, but it was far from over. Lizzie woke up coughing, the loud noise made Nick jolt wide awake.

"Papa, my throat hurts," she whimpered.

"Do you want some water?"

She nodded her head miserably. Nick rushed downstairs and poured her a glass then darted back upstairs to deliver it. Lizzie practically had a death grip on her throat.

"Oh sweetheart, does it really hurt that bad?" He asked trying not to sound panicky.

Tears rolled down her cheeks, Nick eased her back in the bed and made her take a sip of water. He felt her head, which was hot to the touch.

"Honey I'm going to get Uncle Heath up here to watch you until I get back."

"Where are you going?" she asked franticly.

"I'm going to get Doctor Merar, you are very sick."

"Please don't leave me! No!" she cried reaching out her hand to him. He took it.

"I'll be right back baby, you'll be alright," Nick moved her bangs, which were wet with sweat, away from her eyes.

"I don't want to die."

Nick was shocked, it was all he could do to keep from crying. But he tried to be cheerful as not to scare her.

"Who said anything about dying? Your going to be just fine you hear me?"

She nodded. Nick left, to fetch the doctor, his thought weighed heavily on him the whole way there.

***

Doctor Merar examined her thoroughly, and he found all kinds of symptoms, from the pasty skin to the bloodshot eyes, to the coated tongue. He motioned Nick out of the room, he looked very grave and he finally spoke.

"Nick she is a very sick little girl, it's a good thing you got me when you did, other wise she wouldn't have been alive much longer. And she still very well may not be, I'm going to give you this medicine, you are to give it to her every three hours. In the morning I will come back and check on her tomorrow. Tomorrow will define whether he lives or dies."

"Doc, she can't die, she's all I have left and you know that."

"Yes I know that, and she still very well may live, but as I said we won't know until in the morning."

***

Nick paced back in forth in front of his daughter's bed, he had to move, to do something. He barely even noticed when Brian appeared.

"There's nothing you can do to save her Nick, as soon as you fall asleep she'll be gone."

"I can't let her die, I'll do anything!"

"Anything?"

"Yes anything! This is not happening to me again," Nick said fiercely. "I can not and will not let it happen, do you understand me!!!"

Brian looked at Nick somewhat amused and then disappeared.

***

"Papa? Where are you?" Lizzie whimpered, around three in the morning.

"How are you feeling sweetheart?"

"Papa?" the voice was soothing but it wasn't Nick. "Papa?" she looked where the voice was coming from, but her eyes were still glazed over so she couldn't make out who it was.

"No honey, your Papa fell asleep an hour ago."

"Who are you?"

"My name is Brian, I'm an angel that's been helping your Papa these past couple of days."

"An angel? Why?"

"It's a long story that you will learn eventually, but not now."

"If Papa is asleep then why are you here?"

"I wanted to talk to you this time."

"My head hurts."

"And so it should, and it will for the next few hours. But your going to live, you hear me. I made a bargain with your Papa that has been changed. In the next few minutes you will wake up and your Papa will be waiting. You'll still be sick, but you won't die."

"I don't want to die."

"And you won't, your Papa really needs you right now, and he'll do anything to keep you safe, he is a very brave man. He has shown me that, and for that you will be allowed to live."

Lizzie was confused.

"I don't understand."

"You will honey, you will."

Lizzie eyes suddenly felt very heavy and she closed them.

***

When she opened them it was early morning and the bright light hurt her eyes. Nick was holding her hand from a nearby chair, but he was sound asleep. She squeezed his hand weakly, he stirred and opened his eyes.

"Morning Papa," she said sounding exhausted.

"Lizzie? Your awake? She slowly nodded her head, but stopped because it hurt to move. Nick kissed her forehead.

"Oh thank God."

"I'm hungry."

Nick smiled
.
"That's good because it means that you're starting to feel better."

"I love you Papa."

"I love you too baby."

***

A week later, Lizzie was feeling much better. But she still wasn't allowed to get up out of bed. After a week in bed she was sick of it. Finally she could stand it no longer. She got up, put her robe on and padded her way to the parlor where Nick and Heath were busy playing checkers.

"Hi Papa," she said brightly.

Nick looked over at her.

"Elizabeth Marguerite Barkley, what are you doing out of bed?"

"I'm tired of bed Papa, I want to get up."

"My sentiments exactly," Heath muttered.

"Don't encourage her little brother."

"Can I watch you and Uncle Heath play?"

"Only if get back in bed after."

"Yes sir." She climbed up in Nick's lap and proceeded to watch.

She was enjoying herself until they got to a slow spot. It was Nick's move and he couldn't seem to figure out where to go. Minute slugged by, and finally Lizzie got irritated

"Papa, move right there!" she complained. Nick noticed where she was pointing, if he moved there he would get three of Heath pieces.

"Thanks Lizzie," he said and moved his pawn.

"Darn it Lizzie! I was beginning to like you, in fact I was growing quite fond of you. I helped your Papa pay the Doc so you could get well, Boy Howdy did I ever make a mistake."

"Ummm... Papa?"

"Hmmm?"

"I think I'm going to go back to bed now," she said looking at the expression on Heath's face. Nick burst out laughing as Lizzie took off back up the stairs.

THE END