Chapter 6

"You ready?" John asked.

"No, but let's go," Brian replied with a smirk.

"You'll be fine. Just take it slow and easy. Don't overdo."

"You realize the shoveling will ruin my manicure and the wind will negate all the effects of my hundred dollar a tube French anti-aging cream," Brian snarked.

"There's almost no wind this morning and you have big thick mitts to protect your manicure," John said debunking Brian's complaints.

"If you say so."

"You can do it, Dada," Bree said with her beautiful smile.

"Thanks for the pep talk, Squirt. Where's Emmy Lou when you need a good cheer?"

"Go Brian, Go Brian, Go Brian!" the assembled crowd at the cottage chanted. The impromptu cheer was followed by belly laughs all round.

"Hey, where's my cheer?" John demanded.

"Go John, Go John!" they all responded.

Fortified with the energy from all their friends and family, Brian and John opened John's front door. They started the lengthy trek through huge drifts around to the storage shed at the back. They had one shovel that was always kept in the mud room to clear a path to the vehicles. John was digging his way where necessary, while Brian followed. As they came to the corner of the house, John handed the shovel to Brian, and then they disappeared around the side.

"Let's go to the bedroom," Bobby suggested. "We can follow their progress through the bedroom window."

Everyone rushed to follow Bobby. They craned their necks to get a view through the window of Brian digging his way along the side of the building.

"They're almost to this corner of the cottage," Bobby reported for those who couldn't see.

"Dada," Bree said standing in the middle of the large group of people. She sounded worried since she couldn't see anything but legs.

"It's okay, sweetheart," Justin said picking her up. "Dada's almost to the corner then we can see him from the sun porch."

As soon as those words were uttered, the whole group rushed to the sun porch in time to see Brian lead the way around the corner. A cheer went up. Brian and John could hear it and looked up. They both smiled and Brian, ever the showman, took a mock bow.

"Get digging!" Debbie shouted.

Brian scowled but threw aside a few more shovels of snow before handing the implement to John. Everyone continued to watch the slow progress as they made their way to the shed. Finally they were there and were able to dig open the door of the shed. John entered and came out carrying a load of shovels of all types and descriptions. He held them up in triumph. Everyone cheered.

They slowly dug their way to the sun porch door which they were able to free from its case of snow. Beau immediately went charging out, racing around the yard and getting stuck in the drifts.

"Dog, behave yourself!" Brian ordered. "We may need to tie a cask of brandy to your neck to rescue the diggers."

Beau immediately came over to the men and sat down beside them once they entered the sun porch.

"Okay," John said. "I'm ready for a break."

"Michael and Ben, you're up next?"

Ben nodded. "We'll go out and make our way back along your track, digging to the front door of the cottage. That's closest to the vehicles."

"Good plan," Brian said, squeezing Ben's shoulder.

Michael and Ben had donned their winter gear and were out the door. Beau went with them. He seemed to be reveling in the snow and cold.

"I could use some coffee," Brian said blowing on his frigid fingers.

"Coming right up," Debbie called as she headed for the kitchen where they had a pot of coffee and muffins all ready for the returning heroes.

John and Brian slumped down in the chairs at the kitchen table.

"That was hard digging," John said with a sigh.

"Good packing snow," Brian replied.

Bree immediately recognized those words. "Snowman!" she said her eyes lighting up.

Brian groaned. "Maybe later, Squirt."

"'Kay, Dada," she said as she climbed up onto his knee.

The phone rang as Brian was stirring his coffee. Justin answered it.

"It's Emmett," he mouthed as he listened to what he was being told on the line. With a final okay, Justin hung up the phone. "They've started digging out from their end," Justin explained. "They just talked to Rachel. Apparently they can't get any of their doors open. They're trapped."

"But they have heat and power, don't they?" Seth asked.

"Yes, everybody's okay in that regard," Justin said.

"Then maybe we should send out a team to head over to Rachel's to set them free, once Michael and Ben make it to the front door," Bobby suggested.

"Hector and I will take a turn," Raph volunteered.

"Thanks, Doc," Brian said.

"I think Bobby should go with you," John added. "He knows the way and he can spell you off. If you get tired, stop and come back. Someone else will take over."

Raph nodded before he and Hector went to get bundled up.

"Emmett says Ted and Allen are out clearing the path at the front of their place," Justin explained.

"Hope the silly old fart doesn't have a heart attack," Brian snarked, but everyone could hear the affection in his voice.

"He'll be fine, kiddo," Debbie said. "Everybody's been told not to overdo it."

Emmett says they're going to start digging up the lane, so that we can connect the houses and get from one to the other," Justin told them. "Just in case something happens or we need to share things."

"Good idea," John replied. "We can meet in the middle."

Brian made a skeptical face.

"We can do it," Justin said confidently.

"I help, Dada," Bree said.

"Me too," Patrick joined in.

Everyone turned to look at the two children who had put on their coats and boots and stood holding their plastic shovels ready to get started.

"With help like that, how can we possibly fail," John said as he hugged his son.

Bree got her share of hugs and kisses before everyone started talking and suggesting how best to get started. That was when Michael and Ben burst through the front door.

"We made it," Michael called triumphantly.

"Go Michael. Go Michael! Go Ben. Go Ben!" everyone chanted much to the delight of the two men.

Bobby, Raph and Hector set out to reach Rachel's house. Justin and Bobby went out to start down the lane and hopefully find the vehicles which were mostly buried. Seth was pretty sure he could see the top of what he thought was one of the Jeeps. Bree and Patrick went with them. Gus and JR wanted to be part of the next shift when Melanie, Lindsay and Katerina went out to do a shift.

As the day wore on Debbie and Carl insisted on shoveling for a while, as did Danny. Jennifer and Seth went out and did their share. Bobby, Raph and Hector and their relief shovelers finally reached Rachel's house. That increased the work force when George, the girls, the Morrisons and Steve and Claire could also help. They all refused to let Joan do any shoveling so she kept the kettle boiling and coffee dripping, as well as making food for people as they came in from their shifts.

They kept working down the lane hoping to meet up with Emmett and Drew's crew who were working their way up the lane. The phones were constantly ringing to report progress but neither side was visible to the other through the high drifts.

"Fuck! I'm exhausted," Brian said as he and Justin came in from shoveling. "Who knew there could be so much fucking snow in any one place at one time?" He fell onto the couch, leaned his head back and closed his eyes. Justin was right beside him.

"Brian," Joan said.

He opened his eyes and looked up at his mother. "What?" he asked finding it difficult to keep the irritation out of his voice. He was fucking tired.

"Drink this. You need the energy." She handed him the mug she held in her hand.

"What is it?"

"Hot chocolate. And don't even bother to say it. You drink this and then eat this sandwich that I made for you." Joan glared down imperiously on her son.

"Yes, mother," Brian said contritely, sipping the hot chocolate. He had to admit it hit the spot.

"Here's yours, Justin," she said handing her son-in-law a mug of hot chocolate too. "You've both been working so hard today."

"Yum," Justin reacted. "This is just what I need."

"Me too, Daddy," Bree said as she sipped her own cup of hot chocolate. "Is it time for snowman yet?"

"No, sweetheart, we still haven't got a path to Auntie Emm's. We have to do that first," Justin explained to her.

Joan beamed at her family. They were such a good bunch and loved each other so much. There were rarely harsh words between them. She could picture Jack's reaction if Brian had asked to build a snowman in the middle of shoveling the driveway. She shuddered involuntarily at the thought.

"I have fucking muscle cramps on top of muscle cramps," Debbie exclaimed as she flopped down into one of the chairs in the living room. She took the hot chocolate that Joan extended to her. "And don't you fucking say anything about my age, Kinney," she warned ominously.

"I wasn't going to," Brian protested, "even though my jaw is the only muscle in my body not screaming at me at the moment."

"Tell me again why we're doing this," Debbie said. "We could just wait for the plow."

"Who knows when they'll be able to get here," Carl said as he rubbed Debbie's shoulders. "Shouldn't you have met up with Emmett's group by now?"

"How the fuck should I know?" Brian griped. "The snow's so deep we can't see anything most of the time."

"What if you pass each other and don't know it?" Gus asked.

"Bite your tongue, young man," Jennifer said.

"Hector and Raph should be back from their shift soon. We'll evaluate before we send anyone else out," John stated.

"Good idea," Justin agreed. "Don't you think so, Brian?"

"Sh, he's asleep," Joan said as she took the mug out of Brian's hand and threw an afghan over him. She motioned for the others to follow her out of the room.

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