"Otis! Otis!," cried Baby cheerily. "They're back, Sandoz n Moon are back!" The blonde was bouncing around the room happily.
"Well, let's go meet em, God. Just shit ya pants, why don'tcha," Otis mock-complained, putting down the stick of charcoal he'd been using on the huge paper. It was a homemade easel holding it up, one that RJ helped the skinny madman put together. Otis wiped his hands on a rag and followed his adoptive sister downstairs to greet their visitors. It had been the better part of a year since they'd seen the two wild gals. Baby had torn around the Midwest with them for a while, then returned to her home, homesick.
The road-worn Ford Maverick wound its way up the dusty path leading to the Firefly homestead. The cherry red paint with the white racing stripes was covered in grime and dust, the tires needing replaced soon. Looks like the Hawks had been doing some hardcore travelling again, thought Mother Firefly as she stepped out on the porch to await their guests. The Firefly matriarch was dressed in her usual lingerie and feather boas, clipping along in her platform heels.
The Maverick pulled up to the driveway and stopped, the music of Cream blasting. Otis recognized the song "Tales of Brave Ulysses," and heard the driver's voice singing along with gusto. The car and music shut off and the driver got out of the vehicle, pulling off her huge, goofy sunglasses and smiling broadly at the people on the porch. "San!," burbled Baby, darting forward to wrap her arms around the big woman. "Babygirl!," laughed Sandoz, and was soon enveloped in a group hug with Mama and Baby and Otis and Tiny. After they calmed down a bit, Mother asked, "Where's Moon? Did she not come with you?" Just as she spoke those words the passenger side door swung open, and the familiar brown-haired girl stepped out. She had a bundle in her arms and a solemn expression, and everyone wondered what that was about.
She walked to the curious group and ever-nosy, Baby moved toward her and squealed, "Moon's gotta baby! Look, a baaaaby!" Mother rushed to the pair, craning her neck to get a look.
"Izzat...yore baby?," asked Otis, pale eyes wide.
"Yeah, he's mine," answered the tanned girl. "His name is Danny." The baby kicked up his legs and blinked his eyes at the commotion, eliciting cooes and ahhhs from Baby and Mama.
"Wonder who's it is," mused Otis, scratching his belly and inching closer to see the bundle of joy.
"Don't matter," Mother said, asking to hold him. "He's a Firefly, regardless."
"He kinda looks like RJ," suggested Baby, making funny sounds at the child who smiled.
"I thought so too," put in Sandoz. "Where is the big lug?"
"He's down at the hardware store," answered Mama as they all made their way to the front door. "He'll be happy to hear the great news! A grandbaby, I got a grandbaby!"
"Oh boy," groused Otis. "We'll never hear the end of it."
Danny was passed around the living room like a joint at a Black Oak Arkansas concert, and he was a calm, easygoing baby, not even crying when Otis held him. "His a big chunk o' baby. Yeah, he must be RJ's," said the slender, long-haired man, looking down at the infant with growing interest. The baby stared back up at his uncle with a similiar expression, then yawned and smacked his lips. "I think he's tired," Moon said, getting him from Otis. Mother immediately went to the attic to get Baby's old cradle and clean it up, Moon following her.
Tiny was smiling happily; he'd taken his turn holding the infant, albeit rather clumsily. Otis sat beside Sandoz, his arm around her, obviously deep in thought. "Out with it," the redhead told him. "I know that look."
"I was just...surprised," he said, glancing over at her with a small grin. "And wonderin' if maybe you'd let me put a lil Otis in there," he poked her belly.
"You sure know how to talk to a girl," snickered Sandoz. "We've all got a lot to talk about. You know me and Moon ain't got a real home...we'd like to stay here. Permanently."
Otis didn't say anything to that for a few moments. "Is it cause of the baby?"
"Well, partly. Plus we're tired...tired of travelling...and tired of being alone."
"I wondered when you kittens would wanna settle down," Otis spoke. "So...ain't got nobody else, huh? No big strapping lad to make yew holler?"
"You know better. No matter what I do, my heart belongs here."
"Took ya long enough ta figger it out," snorted the psycho hillbilly.