I’m not even sure exactly how this idea started, or if the title accurately describes the content but this is the first fan fiction that I’ve ever finished, and it’s also the first I’ve shared with more than one person. Be kind, please?

The premise is slightly odd. I’ve paired up the (human) members of the Famous Five and the Adventure Series in a vaguely romantic way. Each ‘story’ is just a short scene centred around their first dates, and will hopefully capture their personalities. The other thing I should explain is that these don’t all occ

ur in the same “universe” or “timeline”, they are all completely stand-alone stories which don’t influence or relate to each other in any way. Clear as mud, right?

Anyway, on to the first four stories.

ANNE AND PHILIP

“I had a lovely time this evening Philip,” said Anne, standing on the doorstep of the flat she shared with a friend. “I’d invite you in but Jenny’s probably studying in the living room right now.”

“That’s okay,” replied Philip, “I had a great time too. Maybe we can do it again soon?”

“I’d really like that,” said Anne as Philip leaned towards her for a goodnight kiss. Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, Anne spotted something moving on Philip’s collar.

“Goodness gracious Philip, what IS that!?” shrieked Anne, pressing herself back against the door. “Ugh, it’s an earwig! Where did it come from?”

“Er, out of my shirt,” said Philip in embarrassment.

“You know what, I think I might just be busy for the next… ever,” said Anne weakly as she opened the door as little as possible to slip in to the safety of her flat.

“Drat!” said Philip to himself as he shooed the earwig back into his collar. “I really thought I’d gotten them all out this time”.

DICK AND DINAH

Dick broke into a jog down the street as he heard the church bell chime. He was fifteen minutes late to meet Dinah and he really didn’t want to put her into one of her moods at the start of their first proper date. As he rounded the corner he caught sight of Dinah standing at their agreed meeting place. She wasn’t alone, though. Standing face to face with her, mirroring her angry pose, was his cousin George.

Dick slowed his pace, and finally stopped across the road from the girls. They were far too engrossed in their argument to notice him, and he took a moment to look at them both. He caught a few words of their row, “rude”, “fathead” and “only a dog”, between the cars and buses passing along the road, and was struck at just how similar the two girls were. Both so proud, defiant and stubborn, with dark unruly hair and sun-tanned skin.

Taking advantage in a momentary lull in the traffic Dick crossed the road and finally caught the attention of the two girls. “What’s up?” he dared to ask and his ears were immediately assaulted by both girls yelling about the other. His mind sorted out some phrases from the din, “your silly girlfriend”, “your fatheaded cousin”, “poor Timmy” before holding his hands up in surrender.

“Well,” demanded George and Dinah in tandem, all the while glaring daggers at each other, “what are you going to do about her?”

“I… er… um,” said Dick, helplessly. The two girls gave him a disgusted look and stomped off, thankfully in different directions.

He had the sinking feeling that he was going to have to make it up to both of them, somehow.

JULIAN AND LUCY-ANN

“… and then the police took the two of them away. I hope they were locked up for a long time.” Julian finished the story of one of his adventures and smiled at the slender red-head sat beside him on the bench.

“I hope so too” said Lucy-Ann. “I can’t bear to think people like that might get away with it. I’ve come across some nasty people on adventures too, you know.”

“You’ve had adventures?” asked Julian, “what kind?”

“Oh, just the usual kind,” answered Lucy-Ann with a small smile, “hunting for treasure in an inescapable valley, uncovering money forgers, nearly being thrown off a mountain…”

Julian looked at her in surprise. “Forgive me for saying this, but you don’t strike me as such an adventurous person.”

“I’m not,” was Lucy-Ann’s reply. “I find them positively frightening but I can’t seem to help myself from falling into them, especially when I’m with my brothers and sister.

“Ah,” said Julian, “I know what that’s like. Falling into adventures, that is, not being scared of them.”

Lucy-Ann laughed at that. “Of course,” she agreed.

“But don’t worry,” said Julian, putting his arm around her shoulder and pulling her closer. “If an adventure sneaks up on us I’ll keep you safe.”

GEORGE AND JACK

George closed the front door to Kirrin cottage with a sigh.

“Oh, George, dear. You’re home,” said her mother. “Good, I can get to bed now.”

“You know you don’t have to stay up and wait for me, Mother,” said George reprovingly.

“I know dear, but it’s hard to sleep when I know you’re still out,” replied her mother, “not because I was worried about you, of course, I know you can look after yourself. I just like to hear how your dates have gone, that’s all,” she amended quickly with a twinkle in her eye.

“Oh, yes. Well, it didn’t go very well tonight, as a matter of fact,” said George. “All he wanted to talk about was his parrot. She sounds like an amusing bird, but after three hours I was quite fed up. I could hardly get a word in edgewise about Timmy…”

Meanwhile

Jack hung up his jacket and kicked off his shoes before opening the living-room door. Immediately Kiki flew to his shoulder shouting “Jack! Jack!”

“Hallo, mate” said Philip from his armchair by the fire. “How was the date tonight?”

“Date. Mate. Date. Mate,” began Kiki before Jack shushed her.

“That’s quite enough rhyming old thing,” he said. “The date… well… it wasn’t great,” he continued.

“Mate. Date. GREAT!” Kiki bellowed in Jack’s ear.

“Kiki!” he said sternly, “stop that,” and tapped her smartly on the beak. Kiki put her head under her wing and sulked.

Philip smiled at Kiki’s antics before returning to the more important subject. “What went wrong?”

“Well, all she wanted to talk about was her dog.  He sounds like a clever thing, but after three hours I was quite fed up. I could hardly get a word in edgewise about Kiki…”

I hope to write the other four (Anne/Jack, Dick/Lucy-Ann, Julian/Dinah and George/Philip) at some point soon. Please leave a comment and let me know what you think of these stories and the characterisations!

Part two: where everyone swaps dates