A/N- Hello guys! Chapter 13 here! Loads of fluffiness in this chapter, I'm pleased to report. I hop you all like it. I'd like to say a big thanks to everyone that reviewed: jendarra, black4minister, err... who am i? and especially Little Miss Bump! Your reviews are always so lovely and I hope that you all like this chapter and that all requests are fulfilled :-D
Disclaimer- I own nothing.
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9th July 2006
Gordon squealed, breathlessly, "Licked me!"
He stamped his feet, excitedly, and reached out again to stroke the soft, golden coloured fur of the puppy in front of him. His other brothers were also crowed around the puppy, patting and stroking the excited Golden Retriever.
"That means he likes you, Gordy." Scott grinned at his younger brother while tickling the puppy under his chin. "Don't you?"
The puppy licked at Scott's hand, eliciting a laugh from the oldest Tracy brother, "He likes me too!"
"Do you think he likes me?" Virgil asked, nudging Scott out of the way so he had better access to the puppy's head. He felt at the puppy's ears, "They're so long and floppy! I wish my ears were like that!"
"You'd look silly." John told him, perfectly content with stroking the dog's back.
"I wouldn't!" Virgil protested, outraged. "I'd look good! Wouldn't I, Scott?"
"Sure you would." Scott shared a grin with John before turning and looking at the youngest Tracy brother who had been up to this point quiet. "Are you okay, Allie? Do you like the puppy?"
Alan shook his head and took a step back from the dog, "No."
"He won't hurt you." Scott told him, holding his arms out to Alan and the 15 month old toddled into them, letting Scott pull him into a loose hug. Scott held out his hand to the puppy who sniffed at it before licking it again, "See, Allie, he won't hurt you."
The puppy stood and moved closer to Scott and Alan, sniffing at the toddler and nuzzling at his hand.
Gordon reached out again and patted the puppy on the top of his head, "See, Allie? Nice."
Scott sat down on the grass and pulled Alan to sit on his lap; the toddler didn't resist his brother's actions, he was scared and so found it comfortable to be so close to his older brother. Scott always made Alan feel safe, just like Mommy or Daddy did.
"He's a good doggy." Virgil tried to convince his youngest brother, not liking that he was scared. "He likes it when you stroke him."
John moved to stand next Scott and gave Alan an encouraging smile, "He's real nice, Allie." The blonde took one of Alan's small hands in his own and stroked the puppy's fur with it. The dog's tail began to wag crazily and he nudged Alan's hand with his head.
Alan let out a surprised laugh before reaching out and patting the puppy again with perhaps a bit more exuberance than needed but the puppy didn't seem to mind as his licked at Alan's hand.
"He likes you!" Virgil grinned, shoving his hand in the puppy's face. The puppy licked him too and Virgil let out a loud laugh, "It feels funny!"
Gordon rubbed his head against Scott's shoulder in imitation of the puppy and barked.
"Are you a doggy, too, Gordy?" Virgil asked.
Gordon barked again and nodded his head, vigorously.
Scott grinned, reached out and patted Gordon on the head, "Good dog."
Lucille grinned as she watched her sons interact in the garden from her position on the large porch. She had initially been against getting a pet but the combination of both Jeff and the boys' moaning and pleading had finally broken her down.
She had to now agree with her husband, getting a dog had been a good idea. Even if she was the one that was going to end up caring for it and cleaning up after it, just to see all the boys playing together nicely for a change, it was worth it. Not that she'd ever admit that to her husband.
She took a couple of pictures of the boys and the puppy playing together in the bright sunshine and let out a soft sigh. Life was just so perfect at the moment.
She didn't turn as she heard the soft creak of the floorboards behind her and didn't start with surprise when strong arms wrapped themselves around her waist and a kiss was planted on the top of her head.
"I told you it was a good idea." Jeff murmured.
"No you didn't." She said, just as quietly. "You were totally against it, it took months of convincing before you finally gave in."
She turned and stuck out her tongue at him. He grinned at her and then pulled her into a long kiss which they only broke away from when the urge to breathe became overwhelming.
"That was nice." She said, tuning into his warm embrace and laying her head against his chest so she could hear his heart beating, wildly.
"Just nice?" He asked and she could hear the grin in his voice.
"Yeah." She teased, lightly. "Not as good as it used to be but that's expected, I suppose."
"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?"
She looked up at him, her eyes twinkling with mirth, "You know what I'm getting at, Jeff. You're old, past your prime."
"I'm only 35!"
"I think it's about time I swapped you in for a newer model." She laid her head against Jeff's chest once again and wrapped her arms around him so that he couldn't escape. One of her hands squeezed at him bum, "Not as firm as it used to be," she said, morosely.
"Hey, that's not very nice." He told her. "I don't complain about your bum."
"That's because there's nothing to complain about." Her words belied the sleepy tone in her voice. "I'm perfect."
Jeff smiled, remembering meeting Lucille for the first time. Her willowy figure had been stick thin and the envy of her friends and was in Jeff's mind just perfect. But now, 12 years and five children later, he still thought Lucille was as beautiful as she had ever been. She had put on weight which clung to her curves in the most appealing manner and Jeff just loved it. She had talked about dieting and losing the weight but Jeff had argued against it, he loved her the way she was and didn't want her to change.
"You're right." He whispered in her ear, making her shudder. "You're breathtaking."
Their lips met once again.
"I love you."
"I love you, too. More than anything."
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4th September 2006
"Come on, Virgil." Lucy coaxed. "It's not that bad, I promise."
"I don't wanna go to school." Virgil sulked, crossing his arms across his chest and looking up at his mother sullenly. "I won't like it."
"How do you know?" Lucille asked, adjusting Alan on her hip and keeping a close eye on Gordon who was playing in the sandbox just inside the gate to the school's grounds, moved closer to her middle child and ruffled his hair. "Scott and John go to school here and they like it."
They were stood at the gates of one of the two school buildings in their town, this one catered for children from Kindergarten age until the end of Middle School. The High School was a five minute walk further up the road and could be clearly seen from most points of the lower school's grounds. It was a large building, old with peeling paint but it looked cheery and a place of fun. Both Scott and John liked it and all the teachers that Lucille had talked to seemed to be trustworthy and competent. There was no reason, really, for Virgil to be refusing to go but Lucille understood why he. School, with all of its new people, was a very scary place, indeed. She was surprised there hadn't been tears yet.
Scott had disappeared into the school grounds upon arriving and Lucille hadn't seen him since. She realised that it was the first day after summer and Scott would probably want to catch up with all of his friends but she had expected him to at least say goodbye.
John, on the other hand, had stayed with her and watched as she argued with Virgil. His blue eyes had been fixed on his younger brother the entire time, full of sympathy.
"Please, sweetheart, just go into the playground." Lucille pleaded. "I'm not going to leave yet and you never know, you might find somebody to play with."
She had realised that they were blocking the entrance to the school but while no one else seemed to mind, having gone through the same situation with their own children, Lucille was beginning to get slightly frustrated.
"Please, Virgil, sweetheart. Just move, all these other boys and girls want to go to school." Lucille adjusted Alan on her hip once again and glanced in Gordon's direction just to make sure he was still where he was two minutes ago. "Please."
"No." Virgil scowled and shook his head. "I don't want to go to school. I want to stay at home with you and Sparky and Gordy and Allie."
A smile tugged at Lucy's lips then, remembering the Scott had said something very similar on his first day of school, but she managed to keep it from her face. She needed to be firm with her vocal son.
"Come on, Virge, you can come and play with me." John held out his hand to his little brother then and gave him a bright smile. "There are some swings and a slide we can play on."
"Is there a climbing frame?" Virgil asked, his face still set in a scowl but it had softened somewhat.
John nodded, "It's really, really big. I've never gotten to the top before but Scott has."
"I'll get to the top, I'm better at climbing than you." Virgil said, taking John's hand in his own and letting himself be led into the playground. "Aren't I, Johnny?"
Lucille didn't hear John's reply as they disappeared into the school yard but she knew that her quiet and kind son would have said something to appease his younger brother. She let out a soft sigh as she adjusted Alan once again on her hip and walked through the gate and to the sandbox where Gordon had been only the minute before.
Only, the red-head was nowhere to be seen.
"Gordon?" Lucille called, her eyes looking around, wildly, and her heart in her mouth. "Gordon?"
She couldn't see him anywhere. She tried to stop herself from panicking but she couldn't help herself and her breaths soon came in short gasps. She clutched Alan closer to her and sensing her panic began to cry.
"Excuse me?" She felt someone tap her on her shoulder and she turned to face them. "Is this your son?"
And there was Gordon, a bright smile on his face, holding the hand of the kindly looking woman who had just spoke.
"I saw him make a run for it while you weren't looking." She explained, a soft smile on her face. "He's crafty, I'll give him that."
"He does this every time, I swear, I take my eyes off of him for one minute and he makes a dash for it." She smiled at the woman before fixing Gordon with a stern stare as he came to stand next to her, "What have I told you about running off like that? You scared Mommy to death."
Lucille looked back up at the woman and gave her a grateful smile, "Thank you so much."
"It's no problem." The woman smiled, wildly. "When my son was his age he was exactly the same. I didn't have a single grey hair until he started walking, now I spend half of my life dyeing it to cover them all up. "
Lucille laughed, "I know what you mean."
"I'm Helena." She said, holding out her hand to Lucille who shook it.
"Lucille."
"You're new around here, aren't you?" Helena asked.
"We've been here a while, since last November but we tend to keep ourselves to ourselves so you probably won't have seen me around much." She smiled.
Helena laughed, "Same here, I can't stand these small towns for gossip and everyone knowing everyone else's business but my husband refuses to move."
"Have you always lived here?" Lucy asked, quickly grabbing Gordon before he could take off again.
"Unfortunately." Helena smiled, ruefully. "I mean, its a good town to grow up in but I want more from life. Do you get what I mean?"
Lucille nodded, "Yeah."
Gordon struggled against his mother's grasp of his arm, obviously fed up with the adult conversation and Alan, too, was beginning to bore and was wriggling in Lucy's arms.
"Sorry." Helena grinned, sheepishly, noticing the boys' boredom. "I'm talking your ear off, these guys probably want to go home and play."
Lucille laughed, "Don't worry about it, staying still for longer than two minutes is too much for them."
Helena smiled, "I'll see to you later, Lucille."
"It was nice talking to you."
Lucille set Alan down on the floor and took his hand in her own and began the slow walk home. Once they reached the gates she grinned down at her sons, "Did you see that, boys? Mommy made a new friend."
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14th October 2006
"You know, I think getting Sparky was one of the best ideas I've ever had."
"Don't you mean the best idea I've ever had?" Jeff asked, raising an eyebrow, but decided to drop it, knowing he'd never win that particular argument. "How do you mean?"
"I've never seen Scott smile so much." Lucille told him, turning to give him a soft smile before returning her attention to the stove. "And he's really stepped up to the responsibility of looking after him, I don't have to remind him to feed him or take him for a walk or anything. He's really grown up."
"I've noticed it too." Jeff agreed, moving to stand behind her and placing a kiss on the side of her neck, underneath her right ear. "I don't think I've seen a scowl from him in months."
"I guess we can't call him 'Scott the Scowler' anymore." Lucille's smile widened but she ignored Jeff's proximity as she continued to stir the contents in the pan. "I don't know, he's like a totally different kid."
"I like the new Scott and I think the other boys like him too, the younger two think the world of him." Jeff wrapped his arms around his wife's waist then and laid his head on her shoulder.
They stood together in silence for a long while before Lucy let out a long sigh.
"What's wrong?" Jeff asked her, nuzzling at her neck.
"Our babies are growing up." She murmured, sadly. "Soon Gordy and Allie are going to be starting school and then Scott'll be at high school and then college and then-."
"Lucy." Jeff cut her off. "Scott is only 10."
Lucille grinned, sheepishly, "I'm being silly, aren't I?"
"Just a little." Jeff let out a soft chuckle. "But you're a Mom, all Moms are a bit crazy."
"Crazy?" She asked.
"You know what I mean," he shrugged.
"Is your Mom crazy?"
"One of the craziest." He told her, earnestly. "When I told her I was joining the Air Force she refused to talk to me for two months and then, the night before I was supposed to leave, she cornered me in the kitchen with a ladle and gave me a huge, long speech about being stupid and not thinking about how she'd feel if something happened to me and a load of other stuff that I forget before bursting into tears and hugging me so hard I couldn't breathe. I swear she cracked a couple of ribs."
Lucy laughed, "I like your Mom."
"I know you do." Jeff sniffed over Lucille's shoulder at the food. "What are you making? It smells beautiful."
"Helena gave me a recipe yesterday for her mother's pasta sauce." She told him. "She and the kids are coming over for dinner."
"What? Again?" He groaned.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing, its just that I was looking forward to a Saturday alone with my family."
"Yeah, right." She moved out of his grasp and to the fridge. "You don't like her."
"I do." Jeff protested. "It's just-."
"Just what?" Lucille asked, yanking the door of the fridge open while fixing Jeff with a steely stare. "You don't like the fact that I have a friend?"
"No, its not that, I swear. I'm happy for you."
"Then what is it?" She demanded.
"Her kids are monsters."
Lucille fixed him with a long, hard look before her bottom lip began to wobble, "Monsters?"
"They run around screaming and crying and making a mess and- well, they're just horrible, Lucy. And I swear they bring out the worst in our boys. Just last week that little minx-."
"Dana."
"-Persuaded Scott to climb to the top of the tree in the yard and then left him up there when he couldn't get down."
"She's just a kid."
"He was stuck up there for an hour."
"He was okay in the end."
Jeff shook his head, "She's evil."
Lucille couldn't help herself, she burst out laughing, "You're impossible."
He stuck his tongue out at her, "You wouldn't have me any other way."
They met halfway between the fridge and the stove and engaged in a short but passionate kiss. When they broke apart Lucille shook her head at him, "You're going to make me burn dinner, you bad man."
"What if I told you that I was going to take you and the boys to England? Would that make it up to you?"
"Are you joking?" Lucille asked, her eyebrows almost disappearing into her hairline and her mouth open.
"I'm deadly serious." Jeff grinned. "We're setting up some offices up in London after Christmas so I need to go over there. I thought I'd take you and the boys with me, I know you've always wanted to go."
Lucille let out a small squeal before taking a running jump at her shocked husband who barely had time to think before he had his arms full of her.
"Oh my God! Oh my God! I can't believe it!"
He laughed and twirled her about, not caring that they were acting like kids again.
"Mom? Dad?"
Jeff and Lucille came to a swift stop, their eyes were wide like they had been caught doing something they shouldn't have.
"What are you doing?" Scott asked, Sparky at his side.
Lucille moved quickly to the stove, picking up the wooden spoon she stirred the contents of the pan, "Nothing, your Dad just gave me some good news."
"O-kay..." Scott looked to his Father. "Do you want to go play catch, Dad?"
Jeff looked at Lucille and she nodded, he then turned back to his son, "Sure, son. Have you got a ball?"
Scott nodded, "The football's outside."
They headed out into the backyard together, a comfortable silence between them only broken by the soft panting of Sparky, the still-growing Golden Retriever.
"Are you okay, son? You're a bit quiet today." Jeff asked as he gently threw the football at his oldest son.
"I'm fine, just been thinking." He threw the ball back with my force than he had received it.
"About what?" Jeff noted the puzzled look on his son's face.
"Well, there's these kids at school and they're really horrible, Dad."
"Have they said or done anything to you, Scott?"
"No." Scott drew out the word and refused to meet his Father's eyes.
"But?"
"They're mean to Johnny, they hit him and say horrible things to him."
Jeff felt worry for his second son stab at him and guilt for not noticing what was happening to his quiet child, "Why?"
Scott shrugged, absently stroking Sparky's golden fur as he waited for his Dad to throw the ball back, "He doesn't say anything or try to stop them or anything. But, Dad, it just makes me so angry. I try and stop them when I see something happening but its hard to help John when he won't tell me what's happening." Scott let out a long suffering sigh, sounding older than his 10 years, "I just don't know what to do sometimes Dad."
"Have you told the teachers?" Jeff asked.
Scott nodded, "They don't believe me 'cause they haven't seen them doing anything to John."
"But you're looking out for your brother?" Jeff asked.
"Yeah. But-."
"You can't do anything more than that, Scott. He has to be able to stand up for himself."
"But he's my little brother, Dad, I just can't leave him to get bullied."
"You're not, Scott. You're helping him out when you can, aren't you?"
"Yeah, but I'm scared. What if I'm letting him down?"
"Scott, all of your brothers adore you. You could never let any of them down. Trust me."
Scott smiled, "I do, Dad."
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A/N- What do you think? I know, how exciting! The Tracys are going to England! Woooop! Please review and tell me what you think of this chapter and any requests as usual!