Disclaimers: The characters in this story are copyrighted by Warner Brothers and Shoot The Moon Productions. I make no money from these characters; I simply like to share their world for a short time.
A/N A sequel, of sorts, to "Boys Will Be Boys." Just a typical evening at the King/Stetson household; don't want to give too much away. (Inspired in part by a real-life event starring my husband and his then teenage sister.) Hope you enjoy! A special thanks to Bruce Boxleitner and Kate Jackson—as well as the rest of the cast—for portraying these characters so wonderfully.
"Wow, she looks great!" shouted Phillip as he finished buffing off the last bit of wax from the hood of the '67 Mustang they had just finished restoring.
"She sure does. I couldn't have done it without your help, you know!" Lee reached out and gave his stepson a light punch on the shoulder.
"I know," Phillip grinned back as he returned the shoulder punch. "Grandma's going to be so surprised when she gets back from Aunt Lillian's. Hey, let's go get Mom and Jaime and take her for a spin."
"Great idea . . . I'll even spring for ice cream. I know you want to go show her off to your friends, and I figure most of them will be at the ice cream shop on this hot summer night."
Phillip took off into the house to get his mother and brother while Lee just leaned back against the car. While he was extremely proud of the end result of their labor, he was also just a little sad. Working on the restoration had given him a perfect excuse to spend time with Phillip. Jaime had also helped, albeit in a much more subtle way. Whenever they were in need of an authentic part or step-by-step instructions on procedures, Jaime was there with his computer to provide information and aid. Granted, there were a few times Lee had to enlist Leatherneck's assistance, but for the most part the entire process had been handled by the male residents of 4247 Maplewood.
"Oh, Sweetheart, it's beautiful," gushed Amanda as she came up to her husband and gave him a sweet kiss. As Phillip and Jaime caught up with her, she gave them each a hug. Her three boys had done a spectacular job. The classic car was impressive indeed.
"Alright! All aboard for a trip to the ice cream parlor," exclaimed Lee as he held the passenger door open for his stepsons to climb into the back seat. After seeing Amanda into the front and closing the door, he rounded the car and took his seat behind the wheel for what he hoped would be the first of many family outings in the cherry red muscle car.
SMKSMKSMKSMKSMK
Three years later, and the Mustang was the talk of Arlington High School. While Phillip wasn't permitted to drive it to school on a daily basis, he often drove it to practice and games when his mother needed the Wagoneer to transport the twins to and from daycare. While Lee wasn't exactly thrilled to have him behind the wheel of such a powerful car, it was better than handing over the keys to his precious 'Vette. And, after all, the boy had played a huge part in its restoration, so . . .
Tonight had been an extended practice for the big game on Friday night. Both Lee and Amanda were busy, as Lee was finishing up a case and Amanda had to take the twins to their two-year checkup at the pediatrician. Since the practice wouldn't wrap up until late, Phillip had driven the Mustang so that he could drive home when it was over.
When Lee arrived home, the house was unusually quiet. A quick peek into the family room found his wife sound asleep on the sofa. From the looks of things, the twins had worn her out!
As he snuck up the stairs, he could hear water draining from Dotty's bathtub. A quick glance at his watch told him that it was her bedtime.
A small light could be seen from under Jaime's door. No doubt he was hard at work on some last-minute school project.
The glow of the nightlight drew him toward the twins' room. Being careful not to make a sound, he tiptoed in to check on his two sleeping angels.
"Daddy," little Matthew Stetson exclaimed as Lee entered the room.
"Shhhhh . . . let's not wake your sister," admonished Lee quietly as he reached into the crib to retrieve his son. "You're supposed to be asleep little man."
"No sleepy," replied the toddler, then promptly stuck his thumb in his mouth, closed his eyes, and laid his head on his daddy's shoulder—all indications to the contrary.
"Why don't we just sit here for a little and rock," Lee suggested, knowing that about thirty seconds of cuddling would put him back to sleep.
As they sat and rocked, Lee felt his son's body relax until it was dead weight. Wanting to make sure Matty was indeed down for the count, he decided to just enjoy the rare peaceful moment with his son. Soon the rocking stopped, as father and son were both sound asleep.
Downstairs, the back door slowly opened. Phillip inched his way into the house, hoping that everyone was sleeping. Unfortunately, his mother's head popped up over the back of the couch.
"Hi there! How was practice?" she asked.
Phillip immediately burst into tears. Amanda ran and gave him a big hug, holding him tight until the waterworks slowed. "Honey, what's wrong?" She was really worried, as Phillip was not prone to breakdowns like this.
"I . . . I . . . I hhhhhhhit a dddddeer with LLLLLee's MMMMMustang," he finally managed to get out.
"Oh Sweetheart . . . are you okay?"
"I'm fffffine . . . bbbut the cccar isn't. Mom, you have to tell him."
Amanda led her son over the couch and made him sit for a minute. "Phillip, as long as you're fine, the car can be fixed. It's just a machine; you're the important thing. Besides, it isn't like Lee hasn't done the exact same thing."
"He has?"
"Twice. Not to mention all the times his car has been damaged while working on a case. His car before the 'Vette—a 1963 Porsche—was totaled when it was pushed off a cliff. If you could drive the Mustang home, obviously the damage this time is much less significant, right?"
"I guess. But you still have to tell him," he pleaded.
"No, I'm afraid that's your job."
"But . . ."
"No buts! I think I heard him come in a little while ago. Let me go up and get him; you wait here on the couch," she said in a voice that brokered no argument.
As she headed up the stairs, she shook her head in amusement. Everyone had an accident sooner or later; she was just glad her son was none the worse for wear. And she knew Lee would understand. She just had to locate him . . . and he wasn't tucked up safe and sound in their bed where she expected him to be. That left only one place she could think of. She often found him simply standing in the twins' room watching them sleep.
This time she found him asleep in the rocking chair, Matty in his arms.
She gently lifted the sleeping toddler and placed him back in his crib. Just as she was standing back up she felt Lee's arms circle her waist. She turned in his arms, giving him a gentle kiss, then motioning for him to join her in the hall.
"Sorry, Amanda. Matty was awake when I checked on them, and I didn't want him to disturb Jenny. Guess I was a little more exhausted than I thought."
"That's okay. Now that you've dealt with your youngest son, it's time for you to deal with your oldest one," she said as she pointed downstairs.
"What's wrong? What happened?" He could sense something was up from the look on her face.
"Nothing that you can't handle, I assure you. Just remember . . . you were once a teenage boy." With that, she turned and walked into their bedroom, leaving Lee somewhere between curiosity and terror. Just what had Phillip done?
As he walked into the family room, he could tell Phillip had been crying . . . that didn't bode well. In fact, he couldn't remember ever seeing him in tears. Here goes, he thought as he sat down on the opposite end of the couch.
"What's . . . "
That's all he got out of his mouth before Phillip started crying again and repeating over and over again "I'm ssssorry, I'm sssso sssssorry."
"Hey, hey . . . whatever it is, it can't be that bad. You're still here . . . and in one piece, from the looks of it. Hey . . . look at me . . . tell me what happened," he pleaded, fear beginning to set in.
After several deep breaths to calm him nerves, Phillip began the tale.
"Well, I was moving to the turning lane, you know, to turn left from Elm onto Maplewood . . . right by the park. I checked both my mirrors and my blind spot, just like you and Mom taught me, then I headed into the lane. When I looked up, there was a deer right in front of me. I hit it . . . with your Mustang!" He hung his head.
Lee moved next to his stepson and gave him a big bear hug. "Is that all? I'm just glad you're okay. The car can be fixed . . . right?"
"I guess so . . . but you put all that work into restoring it."
"We put all that work into restoring it. And we can fix it again. Come on. Let's go take a look, alright?"
Lee quickly grabbed the large flashlight that was kept in the laundry room for emergencies and followed Phillip out to the drive. A quick look revealed a smashed grill with deer hair sticking out at odd angles. "Well, you definitely hit a deer; the proof is right here. But, you know, it could have been a lot worse. I won't be able to tell the exact extent of the damage until I can examine it in daylight, but it looks like maybe just the grill needs replaced. I think we can hammer out the small crease in the hood."
By this time, Amanda had joined them to assess the damage. As she put her arms around both her boys, she couldn't help but smile. "I told Phillip this wasn't anything new, you know."
"Hardly. I did the same thing with my uncle's car when I was about your age. He yelled a lot, but I realize now that he was just concerned about my safety."
"Hold on there a minute, Stetson. You told me you've had a run-in with two different deer."
"Yes, but you'll also remember that the second time the deer hit me."
His wife and stepson just stared at him.
"Hey . . . the dent was to the passenger side door, not the front of the car. That constitutes it being the deer's fault."
They continued to stare, smirks beginning to appear on their faces.
"Come on . . . explain to me how I could have hit the deer with the side of my car, hmmmm?!"
Amanda started to giggle; Phillip soon followed. It wasn't long before all three were shaking their heads and chuckling.
"What's all the commotion about?" stated Jaime as he joined them. "A kid can't even get a little peace and quiet to finish his history project around here."
"Well, Sport, your brother just insured us men some more bonding time. Take a look."
"Nice job, dufus," he said after he had checked out the damage.
"Don't call your brother names," reprimanded Amanda. "Anyway . . . he feels badly enough."
"Yeah, but Lee was just telling me about his experiences with Bambi's parents. Hey . . . Mom said your Porsche was pushed off a cliff?"
"It was! And your mom thought we might be able to salvage some parts . . . that was until it exploded at the bottom of the canyon . . . not one of my better days. I know you really can't love a car, but I sure was attached to that Porsche."
"Hey, maybe we could find one like it to restore next. After all, it's only another year before Jaime starts driving," said Phillip enthusiastically.
"Could we, Lee?" questioned Jaime.
"I'll put Leatherneck on it in the morning. With his connections, I'm fairly certain we can find something similar to take up our time . . . after we get the Mustang fixed, that is."
"Alright," exclaimed both boys as they all headed back toward the house.
"Lee, do you think we should call the police? We don't want that deer lying in the middle of the road to cause another accident, after all," stated Amanda.
"You're right; I never thought that far," responded Lee, the concern evident in his voice.
"Oh, don't worry," snorted Phillip. "Once I got stopped, I watched as the deer just looked at me, shook itself off, and walked into the woods behind the park. I got the distinct feeling I was simply a minor annoyance in its evening activities."
"Just imagine the story that deer is telling its family," exclaimed Jaime. In a deep voice, he continued. "Hi, Honey . . . I'm home! You won't believe the night I've had. You know that spot on my left rump where the hair is finally starting to grow back from the encounter with that blue Camaro? Well, I now have a matching spot on the right side from a red Mustang. Just what is it with those crazy humans, anyway?"
With that, all four burst into hysterical laughter. What a story, indeed!