Chapter 7

The first thing Face was the smiling face of his Mama. "How did you sleep sweet boy?"

"Fine but it would have been better if I wasn't awakened every hour and asked my name and age. Maybe I can get some more uninterrupted sleep later on. What's for breakfast, I'm starving?"

"What are you hungry for?"

Face only thought for a moment before requesting his favorite breakfast. "What about some of your famous blueberry muffins, sausage and scrambled eggs and a cup of coffee?" He added the last part in a whisper. Mrs. B pretended she didn't hear and smiled as she went out.

After breakfast and while Hannibal was enjoying the last sips of coffee and Face was finishing his hot chocolate Hannibal asked.

"Are you feeling better, kid?"

Face nodded.

"Then what about we adjourn to the family room while you tell us about this plan of yours."

"Okay."

The family then got comfortable as Face began to talk. "It all started on the first day of school during gym when Jake fouled me several times whenever I tried to score in basketball and when I retaliated with fouling him back. During showering, he called me a 'pretty boy' and to watch it. Jake didn't like it when I talked back. I took it that he had been having his way for some time. I got out of there before he could do me any harm. But it was during lunch that he got back. I was sitting with three of the girls I had seen during homeroom, Kathy, Cindy and Debbie and Timmy and Neal and we were getting along…talking and laughing. It was like we had been friends for a long time. It seems that Jake had been trying to get Kathy to go out with him for some time, and she always turned him down and then seeing me, the new kid sitting and enjoying her company must have been the last straw for him. He tripped me, on purpose, I may add as I was taking my empty tray back. He then pushed me hard against the wall. I took it as the beginning of a fight and …." Face paused as he realized that he might be in trouble if he says more.

"What's wrong Facey? What happened next?"

Face was thinking hard…how can he keep himself out of trouble and continue to tell his family what happened.

"Are you okay, dear?" Mrs. B asked with concern as she went to this side to lay her hand on his forehead checking for fever. "He's not feverish…"

But Hannibal, BA and HM recognized the signs. "He's okay Mama. He's just afraid that if he continues his butt might be in trouble."

"What did you do, kid…hit him?"

Face looked shocked that he figured it out and nodded as he looked at Mrs. B is near panic.

"Mrs. B what do you say that we let him off this time?"

"You hit him and didn't tell us after I told you what I would do if you got into trouble in school?"

Face nodded but explained quickly. "I didn't get a paddling so I thought I wouldn't mention it."

Mrs. B took in his bruised face at the hands of Jake and just couldn't bring herself to punish him. "Yes, we will let him off this time…but next time Templeton I won't be so lenient."

"Yes, Mama."

"Okay after you hit him what happened?"

"The vice principal saw the push and my striking back and was about to take me away to be paddled, but Kathy spoke up for me and told Mr. Matthews that Jake had started it with his tripping me and he gave me the benefit of doubt and let me go with a warning."

"I didn't know Jake was bullying anyone until the next day before school when I saw both Timmy and Neal give Jake some papers. I asked them about it during lunch, and they admitted that they had been doing Jake's assignments since the seventh grade. Jake had told them that if they didn't, he would give them a beating. It was Kathy who volunteered the information that his father had given him an ultimatum…either improve his grades and behavior or he would be sent to a Military Academy. With that information, I came up with my plan and asked Timmy and Neal if they were interested. They were. They were tired of spending so much of their free time and late nights doing two sets of homework, but they were still afraid of what Jake might do to them so I told them that I would protect them."

"You did WHAT?!"

"Hannibal, I had to or they weren't have agreed. Anyhow I have seen you take a pounding for your plan to work the way you wanted. Anyhow all it turned out was me getting hit in front of the vice principal for me to get Jake off of Timmy and Neal and it did work in the end."

"Hannibal, you have rubbed off on my little brother…you have to do a better job of teaching him about plans…this way is too dangerous for the Faceman." Murdock remarked seriously.

"But what was your plan?" Asked Hannibal.

"I told Timmy and Neal to screw up Jake's homework to such an extent that his father would take notice and hopefully make sure he was doing it and doing it right. I figured with his father taking an interest him in he would start doing his own homework and it worked. But the best part the part that got him expelled came in Spanish class when Mr. Hernandez, our teacher, assign a class project where we would write a small biography about ourselves in the Spanish language and place out signature at the bottom. Jake wanted Neal to write about how he was such a great football player, but I told Neal to tell what a bully he has been for the last two years and how he has threatened two students with a beating if they didn't continue to do his assignments. Neal handed him his homework just before school began the next day so he could copy it in his handwriting. After he did that he signed it and handed it in. There was his confession in his own hand that he was a bully. He had cooked his own goose." Face finished proudly. "Our school has a low tolerance for bullying, and that should be enough to get him expelled, and it did."

There was silence as his family took in what their youngest member did to a bully tormenting friends. They didn't know whether to congratulate him for a great plan on spank him for putting his life in danger…a danger that he didn't realize in time. Finally, Hannibal cleared his throat and said,

"That was a great plan, kid. You only forgot one thing…you didn't have us to back you up. It would have been nice if you had told us what you were up to before Jake struck back. Didn't it occur to you kid, that Jake might be angry at you for getting him expelled and might go after you or Timmy or Neal? Fortunately for you, he only attacked you but look at you. Because of your plan, you are now sporting a shiner, have bruised ribs, suffered a concussion," and taking a deep breath, "have had your car wrecked and your mother worried sick when your car was found wrecked at the bottom on an incline."

"My Corvette?"

"Sorry kid, but it seems that besides beating on you Jake or his cousins decided to wreck your car."

Not my 'vette. How hurt is she?"

"To tell you the truth, kid I don't know or really care. You were our only concern and getting you medical help as soon as possible. I know that your car is your pride and joy, but you have got to know by now that you are our pride and joy. BA can give your car the once over later, and if it can be fixed he will take care of it, but if not it will be sold as scrap metal.

Face nodded not at all happy with the way things were going. It was a perfect plan, but he hadn't reckoned on payback. He should have known that Jake would want revenge. "Do you know what happened?"

"I have my suspicions but don't know if they are fact. The sheriff is looking into that now. "I'll give him a call and see what he has learned."

Hannibal was only gone for a few minutes before he returned with more news. "It seems that Sam Davis decided to take his frustrations of not being able to beat on you on your car. You must have managed to escape him just in the nick of time, Kid."

"I did. I was heading to see you guys off but got there before you did. Jake and his cousins were waiting for me and before I could even try and protect myself I was yanked from my car and held as Jake pounded on me. It was then that I pulled a con on them and went limp making them think that Jake had knocked me out. They were unprepared when I attacked, kicking Jake in the jaw and knocking him out. I threw dirt in Jim's face, blinding him and punched Sam but it wasn't enough to knock him out or slow him down, and we fought but eventually I was able to knock him to the ground and stagger to the plane. I was in it in a matter of seconds locking the door before Sam could get in. I hid in the back of the plane when he started shouting and kicking the plane. I guess Sam decided then to take my car and wreck it."

"I would seem so. Now Face we don't know the full damage that was done to the car. It is at the bottom of Gould Mesa Road. The only way to get there safely is by helicopter. If HM doesn't mind, he can fly there and take pictures. BA can then view the photos to see if your car is worth fixing."

"Can I go with HM…after all it is my car?"

"Nope. Face you had a concussion, and I don't think you are over it enough to do much more than sleep, rest and eat a little. Leaving this house is strictly forbidden. Do you understand?!"

Face nodded and turned away. He paused for a moment before adding with attitude, "I'm going to my room to rest…if that is okay with you?"

"Don't push it kid or you might be resting on your stomach." Hannibal threatened.

Face went wearily to his room with the intentions of sneaking out and hiding in HM's helicopter to see his car, but the lure of the bed caused him to close his eyes and drift off. When he awoke a few hours later, he found HM there waiting for him to wake.

"W-what time is it?" Face was still a bit groggy as he fought to stay awake.

"Four o'clock. You've been sleeping for at least three hours. Do you feel any better?"

Face shot up when he realized that he lost his chance in viewing his wrecked car. He got up too quickly and became dizzy as he fought to stay upright. Fortunately, HM was there to help him sit back down….and then to lay back down. "Take it easy Face. Are you dizzy?"

Face nodded and groaned as the movement caused his head to hurt. "I feel sick," and started to retch. HM was able to get a trash can there in time and bring him some water to rinse out his mouth afterward.

"You stay here and don't move. I'll get Hannibal and Mrs. B."

Face did just that. He felt too bad to want to even breathe.

Hannibal and Mrs. B. were there moments later with the medicine the doctor had given him. "Here kid, take this for dizziness," and held out a table with a glass of water. Face dutifully took the medicine and laid back down.

"I'll stay with him until he feels better." Hannibal said as he sat in the rocking chair.

After a moment Face spoke up. "I was going to sneak out but fell asleep before I had a chance. I wanted to see how bad my 'vette was hurt. But now I'm glad that I didn't because if I had a dizzy spell while HM was flying, I could have hurt not only myself but HM as well. I just wanted you to know."

"Your conscious keeping you from going back to sleep, kid?"

"Something like that. How bad is my car damaged and can BA fix her?"

"I'm sorry kid, but she is totaled. The best we can do is get you a new one once you are well. I'm going to be talking with Sam's and Jim's father and make him a deal that will keep them out of jail just as long as he pays for you to have a new car and his sons join the army for a four-year tour. The army will do them a world of good. Jake will be at The Army and Navy Academy starting Monday. I would say that your plan, except for some unforeseen developments, worked out reasonably good. Only next time you run any plan past us first, okay Face?"

Face nodded and drifted off to sleep mumbling "I love it when a plan comes together!"

The End

Epilogue:

It was two additional days before Hannibal and Mrs. B decided that Face was over the effects of his concussion and that he could go back to school where he was treated as a returning hero by Neal and Timmy for his plan that rid the school of the bully, Jake and giving them peace at last. High school was tough enough without having to do Jake's work as well.

It was a week later that Face parked his new Corvette, a splitting image of the one that Sam and Jim had wrecked, at Parker's Bakery. This one had all new features that weren't available in the old. His bruised face was healing, and he felt more like his old self.

As Face left for school Hannibal couldn't help but wonder about what trouble Face would get into next. He didn't go looking for it, but trouble always seemed to find him, but knew that he would survive because he had a family that would always be there for him.

I wish to thank my beta, Chrissysmiles for editing my story; her help and suggestions were most appreciated.

AN: In the next story Face will be seen in another way. He will be younger and wearing a totally different uniform. Hannibal, Murdock and BA will be in their current rank. I hope you will enjoy this one like you have my others.