Forgotten Forbidden America:: Patriots Reborn (2 page)

Nancy laughed at him, and Devin turned, showing his one-tooth smile. “More coming,” Nancy said, pointing at a cluster floating away from Gerald. Whipping his head around and letting out a battle cry as he raised his fist, Devin pounded the bubbles, soaking everyone.

“Good attack, soccer ball head,” Nelson called out, and Devin looked at him and squealed.

“Damn it, Nelson, stop calling him that,” Michelle snapped as Devin killed another large cluster.

“He likes it,” Nelson shrugged as Nancy pointed at another cluster leaving Gerald’s area. Changing tactics, Devin started hitting the bubbles as fast as he could slap them, sending out an almost constant spray.

“Hard to believe he’s only nine months,” Matt laughed, watching the water splash up.

“Ten months yesterday,” Michelle said, wiping the remnants of Devin’s war off her face. “That’s why Nelson always gets to wipe up the floor—because he taught them this.”

Seeing the bubbles surrounding Gerald, Devin cried out, slapping the water as he watched the bubbles, trying to take down Gerald. With his head laying back and his eyes closed, Gerald said, “I know the bubbles are there, Devin, but they are my friends.”

Devin paused his thrashing of the bubbles like he understood what Gerald said. “Aah,” Devin said, slapping the water beside Gerald and killing the bubbles.

Gerald lifted his head and looked at Devin, who just grinned back. “You killing my friends?”

“Aah,” Devin yelled, slapping the water several times, covering Gerald’s face with water and making Nancy laugh.

“Gerald, he’s telling you collaboration with the enemy will not be tolerated,” Nelson said chuckling.

Reaching down, Gerald pushed a clump of bubbles to Devin, who promptly obliterated them, making Gerald laugh. Seeing Gerald laugh at the destruction, Devin, who was standing on Nancy’s legs, started bouncing up and down, raising his hands.

“Devin, more coming,” Gerald grinned, shoving a clump toward Devin, who leaped at the bubbles. Nancy had to sit up so he didn’t fly out of her hands, and Devin slammed both hands down, yelling out for more bubbles. “Give him here,” Gerald said, reaching out.

“I had him first,” Nancy gasped.

“We are at war, woman!” Gerald snapped. “The fate of mankind rest on this.” Everyone sat up, shocked, because Gerald really only interacted with Gavin. He spoiled the shit out of Olivia and Brittney, but that was about the extent.

Sighing, Nancy moved over beside Gerald and let Devin get on Gerald’s legs as he held him. Nancy was soon smiling again, scooping bubbles up and pushing them to their destruction. “Great,” Michelle sighed, watching Nancy and Gerald laugh. “Just when I think he’s going to outgrow it, someone comes along and joins the bubble war.”

Nelson stood, stepping over to Ashley, who was holding Mike. “Come here, Mike,” Nelson said, just taking him from her. Shocked, Ashley looked up with an open mouth as Nelson sat down, pulling Mike’s fist out of his mouth and showed him the bubbles floating on the water. Nelson would poke one with his finger then get Mike’s hand and hit one.

When the bubble popped, Nelson would cheer him and hold Mike’s arms up. “Nelson, I’m sure Matt and Ashley don’t want a bubble warrior,” Michelle sighed.

Nelson spun Mike around, looking him in the eyes. “You hear that? The bubbles have taken her over.” Mike laughed and threw his hands down, splashing the water. Nelson held him up, cheering. Before long, six-month-old Mike was splashing the water. He wasn’t hitting bubbles yet, but he had the beginnings to make a strong bubble warrior.

As the others were drying off, Nelson was wiping the floor up with a towel as Gerald came over and helped him. Gerald picked up the soaked towel, looking at Nelson with a huge grin. “I have to admit; that was fun as hell.”

“Ain’t it though?” Nelson grinned.

They all went to their cabins and changed. When Michelle went to Olivia’s room and didn’t see her in the bed, her heart sped up; then, she saw a sheet of paper on the bed. Picking it up, she read.

I got Olivia after you two went to the gym. Nellie wanted her on the couch in case she woke up.

Bernard.

P.S. Why do you let those big dogs in the bed with her?

“I’m going to have to have more kids because everyone keeps taking the ones I have,” Michelle sighed, walking out. She put Devin in his crib, and he started telling her, as Michelle headed for Gavin’s room, that he didn’t want to be in his crib. Getting Gavin up was harder than usual. He had been helping out all day every day, and that was making him sleep hard.

“Gavin, it’s time to get up. We have work to do,” she said in a soft voice, sitting on the side of his bed and brushing his hair off his face.

“I’m up, Mom,” he mumbled, rolling on his side and pulling the covers up.

“Well, I guess Nancy and I will have to do it on our own,” Michelle smiled, rubbing his head.

Gavin sat up and rubbed his eyes. “I’m up,” he said, yawning.

“Get dressed, baby boy, so we can go eat,” Michelle said, kissing his forehead.

“Mom!” Gavin moaned. “I’m not a baby.”

Getting off the bed, Michelle smiled. “Nobody’s around, so I can call you my baby boy.”

“Mom, I’m around,” Gavin said, throwing back the covers.

Michelle walked over and hugged him. “You can’t be Momma’s baby even when nobody’s around?” she said in a pouty voice.

Giving a sigh, Gavin said, “Okay, Mom, but only when nobody’s around,” and hugged her.

“Thank you.” Michelle grinned and kissed his head. “Don’t forget your gloves.” Walking in the bedroom, she found Nelson out of the shower and getting dressed. “Are you filling Gavin’s head with that Man Card macho bullshit?”

“Ah, no,” Nelson said, turning around and wanting to know what the hell brought that on, but be damned if he was asking because he might, in fact, be guilty.

“He’s my baby, and I can call him that if I want to,” Michelle said, walking in the bathroom.

Nelson grabbed his spring-assisted knife and slid it in the front pocket of his logging jeans. “Shit, first kid of ours that says we can’t call them our baby, I’ll throw their ass out,” Nelson mumbled, gathering the rest of his stuff.

Walking into the living room, he found Gavin getting dressed. “Ready for another day of hot, sweaty work to let everyone know you’re a man?” Nelson grinned.

“Yeah, but it doesn’t seem right getting up before the sun wakes up,” Gavin said, yawning.

“Have to eat before it wakes up so we can be outside when it does,” Nelson said, walking down to the basement. When he walked back out, he said, “Made this for you last night. Come here, and let’s see how it fits.

Gavin turned around and saw his dad holding a small tactical vest. “Oh wow!” he cried, jumping up and running over, now wide awake. Putting it on, Gavin looked at the two plastic magazine holders on his chest. “I only got two?”

“You have to learn to carry small weight before big weight,” Nelson said, getting on his knees, and Gavin looked down to see his dad buckling a holster to his thigh.

“A pistol!”

“Yes, if you continue to show me you’re responsible, I’ll let you carry one. You’ve carried them hunting and have shot every pistol that I own with the exception of the Desert Eagle and the Smith and Wesson fifty cal.”

“I can’t hold those up,” Gavin groaned.

“I can’t hold the damn things up long, so don’t let that bother you. Unless you’re attacked by a tank or an Imperial Walker, they are just too damn big,” Nelson said. “The holster is the same kind you use when we go bear hunting; it’s just lower on your leg.”

“Can I carry that pistol?”

“That’s why you have that holster,” Nelson said, and pulling an XDM 9mm compact from behind his back. “Now during the day, when you’re wearing this, I want you to periodically touch every piece of equipment on it to let you know it’s still there.”

Thinking about that, Gavin asked, “How long do I have to wait till I check?”

“If you take it off, you check it when you put it on. I check mine when I move around a lot or crawling on the ground.”

“To make sure I haven’t lost anything, right?” Gavin asked as Nelson tightened the vest up.

“That’s right but to also reinforce where everything is on your rig. How does that feel?”

“Good I guess,” Gavin said, pulling on the vest.

“Now, you take this off before climbing trees or doing anything that the vest will get in the way.”

“Yes sir,” Gavin said and hugged Nelson’s neck. “Thanks, Dad. I’ll make you proud.”

Squeezing Gavin tight, Nelson said, “Boy, you do that every day.”

Gavin let his dad’s neck go. “I can’t believe you got Mom to let me carry a pistol.”

Nelson just winked at him. “She’ll be okay.”

“Dad, she is going to yell.”

Getting off his knees, Nelson rubbed his head and said, “She tires out or her throat gets sore, and she stops.”

Gavin was unconvinced and shook his head. “Dad, I don’t want you getting in trouble,” he said, looking down at the pistol and really not wanting to take it off.

“Son, I’m always in trouble with Momma for stuff I don’t even know if I did. Sometimes, I like getting in trouble for stuff I know I did.”

“Like my dirt bike?” Gavin said with a grave face.

Nelson cringed and groaned. “Maybe not that much trouble,” he said, hearing Devin starting to yell again.

“Like t—”

“Gavin.” Nelson held up his hand, stopping him. “I remember each one very vividly, but you know right and wrong. Now, if I ever for any reason see you playing with a pistol, you will never touch a gun in my house again. It’s more dangerous, as you know, but it serves a purpose. It’s a tool, so treat it with respect.”

“Yeah, like when you pull the trigger on your rifle and it goes
click
while you’re aiming at a bear that’s coming at you,” Gavin grinned.

With his face getting serious, Nelson reached over and grabbed Gavin’s shoulder. “Like the rifle, if you aim at another person, where do you aim?”

“Here,” Gavin said, touching the middle of his chest.

“You pull the trigger till they stop moving, and come to me or your mom.”

“Yes sir,” Gavin said and went and pulled his short AR out of the gun rack by the front door.

“Son, you make sure those weapons are always put up. We have little ones around here.”

“Yes sir,” Gavin said, sitting down on the couch and looking at the vest with a grin as Nelson headed to Devin’s room.

Walking in and seeing Devin standing and holding onto the side of the crib, Nelson stood next to the crib with his hands on his hips. “What is this yelling about?” Grunting, Devin reached out to Nelson. “You want out of jail, soccer ball head?”

“AAAAAA,” Devin yelled, hitting the side of the crib.

“Well, I know the warden,” Nelson said, reaching over to pick Devin up. “You know, out of all the kids, you have to be the happiest one.”

As Nelson moved over to the changing table, Devin babbled as he tried to clap his hands. “Oh man,” Nelson gasped, changing the diaper. “Smells like you drank Tequila. I swear my eyes are burning.”

Seeing his dad making funny faces, Devin laughed. “Don’t laugh; this is nasty,” Nelson said, tossing the diaper away. “I’m asking your momma what the hell she’s feeding you.”

Dressing Devin, Nelson grabbed the diaper bag and headed back to the living room. He saw Gavin looking down at the floor.
Well, Michelle’s been in here,
he thought and rounded the corner to see her standing in the kitchen.

“You didn’t even talk to me about the pistol,” she snapped.

Nelson rolled his neck, popping it, shocking Michelle because she knew Nelson was going to fight back, and he was willing to sacrifice. “Run around, soccer ball head. We’re about to have a throw down,” Nelson said, putting Devin on the floor. Letting out a squeal, Devin crawled in high gear toward Zeus and Hera, who were lying on the floor.

After Nelson put the diaper bag down, he turned to Michelle as he took a deep breath and found Michelle holding up her hands for him to stop. “Can I just ask your reasons before we start the throw down?” she said then lowered her hands.

“Same reason we carry pistols: back up,” Nelson said. “You know as well as I do if your primary weapon goes down, you’re in a world of shit already. Your only chance is your secondary—your pistol.”

“I know b—“

“How many times did you use your pistol when your M-4 went down?”

Closing her eyes with a sigh, Michelle said, “You know. You were there for each one.”

“If he carries a rifle, that you damn well know he’ll treat with respect, he carries a pistol. You’ve seen him carry pistols before, so I don’t even know why we’re having this talk.”

“Because we didn’t talk about it.”

“That is on you, not me,” Nelson said, making Michelle jerk. “You could’ve given it to him or talked about it before I did. I can’t read your mind, and you know how dangerous it’s about to get. I want him used to it before he has to have one on or near him twenty-four, seven.”