"That's ..." Nikita counted on her fingers "one, four, five for me and one for you." She held her fingers up as proof, a huge grin on her face.

"Awwright" Michael said glumly, nodding his head.

They set the floating armada up again amongst the bubbles. She quickly gathered the five ducks, a plastic spoon, a tugboat, a frog with no legs, and the barbie over to her side of the bath. Michael was left with a plastic colander, a tennis ball and three plastic squares, one had a hole in it and it kept sinking to the bottom. He retrieved it as it sank again, squirting the water out so it would float, at least for a little while.

"You have more" he said softly.

"That's because I won, the winner always gets the most" she said proudly.

Michael nodded again, a small smile curving his mouth.

"Then it's my turn to say go" he announced.

"No you said go last time ... and the time before."

"But that's the rules Ni-ki-ta" he said slowly "whoever said go the time before the last time is the one who says go next."

She thought about this for a moment, then sighed.

"It's the rules" Michael said again, smiling.

"OK" she sulked "but barbie is just watching this time, you can't get her."

Michael picked up the barbie as it floated amongst the bubbles and sat it on the rim of the bath.

"What are you doing?" Nikita squealed, grabbing the barbie and clutching it to her.

"You said barbie is just watching this time."

"No I didn't, I said you couldn't get her."

"But you ..." Michael shook his head and then frowned.

"Barbie is in the game" she said emphatically.

"Ohhhkay" he said.

"But you can't get her."

Michael sighed and rolled his eyes.

"I wanna play now."

"OK."

"Ready..."

"Does the frog beat the tennis ball?" she interrupted.

"Only if it gets it from underneath."

"No it doesn't, the frog jumps." Nikita picked up the frog and bounced it across the surface, splashing water everywhere. They both giggled as they started splashing water at each other.

"OK" Michael laughed, "it can get it from the top too. Ready, set ..."

"That square thing sunk again," she said. Nikita pushed aside the bubbles and then floated her face in the water as she reached down to pick it up. As she resurfaced she squirted water at Michael as she emptied the square.

She handed it to him as he rubbed the water from his eyes.

"Thanks" he grinned as she smiled at him.

"Ready ... set ... go" he said slowly, stringing out each word.

Michael started trapping and sinking Nikita's ducks with the colander.

"You can't get the ducks with that thing, only the tugboat gets the ducks."

Michael kept going, intent on his task of capturing and sinking Nikita's yellow ducks that lurked amongst the bubbles. He scooped another three into the colander and held them underwater, releasing them suddenly so they rocketed up to the surface.

"But I don't have the tugboat" he said, grabbing another duck, content to just thump this one with his fist. He was pleased to see that this also had the effect of sending a spray of water all over Nikita.

"It's the rules Michael, you said." She grinned at him jubilantly as soapy water dripped from her nose.

"But you never follow the rules anyway" he groaned.

"Some of the rules are stupid."

She looked at him defiantly, her hand on her hips.

"Ohhhkayyy" he grinned, then rushed out "ready, set, go."

Water splashed everywhere as they both set about pulverising each other's toys, both screaming with laughter.

"I win" Nikita squealed.

As she was just about to start savouring another moment of glory, barbie's head came sailing majestically through the air and landed with a loud splash right in front of her.

She looked across at Michael, horror-struck. He shrugged, an innocent look on his face.

"You ..." she didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Her mother appeared around the door, the two children quickly exchanged a secret smile.

"Look at this mess, I need gumboots, you two ..." Nikita's mother shook her head as she picked up a towel. "Michael honey, out you get, your mother's here early, time to go home."

Michael stood and smiled shyly as Nikita's mother picked him up and wrapped him in the towel.

"Say bye bye Nikita" she said, drying Michael off "I'll come back and get you in a minute darling."

"Bye bye Michael" Nikita mimicked, then giggling she stuck out her tongue "I won again."

Michael grinned as he saw barbie's head floating amongst the bubbles, "bye Nikita."

The END

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