Second Chances: Simon & Simon, Generation Next
Against their parents wishes, Ricky and Ceci Simon talk their father and Uncle Rick into teaching them some of the "tricks" of the detective trade to combat a campus crime. Will a little knowledge prove to be a dangerous thing?
(The characters of Simon & Simon/Six Millon Dollar Man/Bionic Woman are owned by Universal Studios and no profit will be made from them. All original characters are owned by me and no...you can't have them!)
"Two, four, six, eight….who do we appreciate…Simon, Simon, yeah, Simon!" The cheerleaders raised their voices and pom-poms as Ricky Simon came off the court, having played his last basketball game. Taking a seat on the bench, he turned red as he heard his name being chanted by the seniors in the student section.
"Yeah, Ricky!" The cheering section in the bleachers grew more boisterous as Linda and A.J. Simon took turns snapping pictures and wiping their eyes. As the clock wound down and the buzzer went off, the Phoenix Broncos celebrated another win.
"I can't believe it, our Ricky graduating in just a few months, A.J…." Linda put her camera down, then blew her nose. Her husband just shook his head, pretending he wasn't caught up in the moment.
"Honey, he's not leaving home just yet….we'll have his big feet and appetite around for a long time." He teased, provoking a chuckle from his brother.
"That's right, hon….here he comes…" Rick patted her back, then stood up to give a high five to Ricky. "Way to go, champ!"
"Thanks, Uncle Rick….but I spent more time warming the bench then playing…" the 17 year old protested…red staining his cheeks.
"Nonsense, you got some good time in….I'm just glad your class went out a winner…" Rick answered, throwing an arm around his namesake.
"I'll say, son." A.J. was so proud he felt he could burst at his son's modesty. "Can we take you and your friends out to celebrate?"
"They're all going to cruise, Dad….can we just go to Two's….I could kill for a Stinky burger." At that Linda burst out laughing. "I love it, Ricky..never change…of course we'll go there, let me find your Aunt and Ceci."
"Nah, you stay here with the champ…I'll find those two!" Rick snickered, knowing exactly where they were. Sure enough, as he left the school gym and stepped outside, he found his wife and niece in the school quad. Ceci was dribbling a basketball under Laurie's watchful eye, then pretending to zigzag around her to dunk into a wastebasket.
"Score!"
Both of them turned at Rick's call, then Ceci giggled as Laurie threw up her hands. "I give up, she's a better dribbler then me, Rick!"
"Nah, she's just had a great coaching!" he teased, hugging both of them. "Come on, we're taking the champ to Two's…I'm treating."
"Uncle Rick's treating…I want double onion rings!" Ceci laughed, running back into the gym.
"And I want a root beer float, double cherries.." Laurie added, dropping a kiss on Rick's cheek as she took his arm.
"Well, I want you….but I'll settle for a Stinky burger until we get home." He retorted playfully, returning her kiss.
As the Simon clan arrived at the popular family restaurant, Rick was grateful his brother had called in a reservation for them as the place was already packed. Several members of the team had bypassed the cruising party and were already at adjacent tables when Rick led their group into the dining room.
"Hey, Ricky….sit with us..." "Over here, Simon….we've got you a place!" came the calls from his friends. As Ricky started to refuse, A.J. told his son, "Go on…it's your last game after all….."
"Thanks, Dad." The relieved teen nodded, then slid out of his chair and joined his coach and some of the bench players at the other end of the room.
"That was nice of you, A.J….no wonder he turned out so good." Rick quietly told his brother.
"I had a lot of help…." A.J. replied, his eyes suspiciously bright. Before the moment got too sentimental, dinner arrived and Rick chuckled as his wife's root bear float came loaded with half a dozen cherries.
"Think you've got enough fruit on that, sis?" Linda teased, then burst out laughing as Laurie plucked a cherry out of the glass and fed it to Rick. "I'll have help finishing this off…thank you!" she said impishly, then kissed him.
"Auntie Laurie!" Ceci giggled, then grinned as her father shook his head. "Can't take them anywhere, honey!"
As tables slowly started to empty, Rick noticed his nephew take a trip to the bathroom, then disappear for a time. Several families had already said good night by the time Ricky reappeared, an upset look on his face. Nodding goodbye to the others at his table, he came to where the rest of the Simons were waiting.
"I'm ready, let's go." He said glumly, causing A.J. to do a double take. Wisely neither parent made an issue of his change of demeanor, so Rick refrained from asking any questions.
"Well, we'll say good night to you guys, " Rick told the others, helping Laurie into his truck. Pulling Ricky aside, he gave him a hug, then looked him in the face.
"Bench warmer or not, I'm proud of you….you did a good job. Now get some rest, champ."
A look of relief washed over Ricky's face, and he nodded. "Thanks, Uncle Rick….I appreciate it."
Over the next week, as Rick ran errands and helped paint his mother's condo, he didn't see much of A.J. and Linda or the kids. He got an earful from Cecilia when he stopped by to finish painting her mailbox.
"Rick, you need to talk to that nephew of yours, I've never known him to have a rough tongue toward me or his parents, but now..." She huffed, waiting for him to put his paintbrush down.
"Which one? The rodeo champ or the boy genius?" Rick grinned, waiting for the punch line. The frown he got told him there wasn't one.
"Ricky….he's become downright rude, son. I asked him to stop by after school and pick up some chicken I made for A.J.'s lunch, and he said he had better things to do. When I asked him to repeat himself, he hung up."
Rick was dumbfounded, even in his wildest days he'd never been mouthy to his mother.
"I'm sorry, Mom. Did you tell A.J.?"
Cecilia shook her head, and a worried look crossed her face. "No, son. I figured it might come better from you. You have a real connection with him, besides, I told Linda and she says your brother is worrying about something. I didn't want to upset him more."
Now Rick was concerned. "Sure, I'll talk to him, Mom. Maybe it's just hormones…you know he's always been so good. But that's no excuse."
As soon as he finished the mailbox, Rick drove over to his brother's, hoping to catch Ricky just as he came home from school. As he pulled up to the condo, he saw a tall figure slowly bouncing a basketball, his head down in thought. Under the portable basket A.J. had put up was Ceci, also with ball in hand.
Beeping his horn at them, he was startled by the look of naked relief on both teenager's faces as they glanced up and saw him.
"Whatever it is, at least he confided in his sister." Rick decided gratefully. Climbing out of the truck, he strode over to Ricky and Ceci and enveloped them in a hug.
"Uncle Rick…how did you know…" Ricky started, then Ceci finished, "That we needed to talk to you?"
"Instincts, and also your grandma has a bone to pick with one of you." Rick explained, then held up his hand as Ricky started to say, "Look, I didn't…"
"I know, I know you'd never be rude on purpose to her, but if you don't tell me what's bugging you, I can't keep her from giving you a good chewing out."
Ceci let out a breath. "You have to tell him, Ricky. If you don't, I will. I was there you know."
Seeing the trapped look on his nephew's face, Rick knew how torn he must have been to act up. "First, let's find someplace to talk, is your mom home?"
"No, she's at Grandma's. Melly's taking a nap and Robin's finishing his homework. We can sit in the patio." Ceci suggested.
Cutting through the condo, Rick saw that the younger Simons were occupied, so he followed the others outside and sat down in a patio chair, facing a nervous Ricky while his sister fetched some sodas.
"Okay, let's start at the beginning. Did something happen at the team party last week, or…at Two's?"