Louise noted at dinner there were a lot of Connors and none of them looked old. John's mother Sarah didn't look like a grandmother, her husband Martin also looked too young to be a grandfather. The Connor clan also included the Young family. In fact, Cameron Connor and Allison Young looked identical. Louise asked if they were sisters.
Allison giggled. Pointing to Cameron she said, "That's Big Me. I'm Little me."
"Don't try to figure it out," JJ warned.
Louise heard Cameron call Claire Young 'Mom', which didn't seem right because they looked too close in age. She decided JJ was right. She didn't try to figure it out. At least Uncle Derek and his wife looked more normal. Sonya stuck out of course being so tall. What Louise got was they had saved Sonya from some terrible people who had kept Sonya captive. Although not truly related, they considered Sonya a cousin and a Connor.
Now, Louise was a Connor too. Somehow, she was becoming OK with that.
Dinner was early enough that before it got dry, the girls had to show Louise their tails. Louise had never worn a bikini before and was a bit embarrassed especially Jackie was wearing one to get into her mermaid tail. They swimming they did on those tails was fantastic, especially leaping like they were dolphins. They were also excited about the fact soon, they would have a whole lake to swim in.
.
Cameron could tell Louise wasn't very comfortable up on the hill, so that night she took her back home to sleep. Over the next week, she was getting a good idea of what Louise wanted to take for keepsakes. She also had an idea of what Louise didn't want.
The pendulum wall clock Misty though was so cool, Louise didn't care about, so she talked Louise into giving it to Misty as a Christmas present. The Ruger .22 and the nickel plated .357 that looked like it was never shot, Cameron kept with the single boxes of ammo for each. The jewelry she found she kept for Louise. Louise wasn't into jewelry now, but by what her mother had, she was sure some day Louise would be happy to have it. Clothes went to charity.
As Louise identified thing she wanted to keep, photo prints, a thumb drive with years of family photos on it, an old Cookie Monster cookie jar that her grandmother had handed down, a porcelain cat she called, 'sleeping kitty', a plastic statue of a gargoyle that looked down on the from the top of the refrigerator, and a piano keyboard, Cameron noted these things mentally figuring the sizes and numbers of boxes needed to move Louise.
Two days before Christmas, Cameron got a box and packing with wrapping paper. She and Louise carefully packed up the wall clock and wrapped it. Louise put a note inside. Cameron took it over and had her mother put it under their tree.
.
Bob was agonizing for something to give Joan. There was no way he could top the Birthday present she gave him. The best he could think of was one of those prismatic glass sculptures that spread colored lights in the room if the sun was shining behind them. It was in the shape of a heart. He managed to get it home and hide it until he could take it to Allison's house. Joan wasn't there, but Allison promised him Joan would get it.
The day before Christmas, there was a knock at the door. Bob heard his mother call, and went out to see Allison's beaming face. She was holding a suitcase sized wrapped present. "For under your tree," she told Bob. He looked, the card read 'to Bob'. His name was inside a heart.
"Not from me," Allison said with a smirk. Right, Joan had gotten him a present too. He put it under the tree that was on a stand in the corner of the living room.
Christmas day, Bob was eager to open up this present. He knew the ones from Dad and Mom were fishing poles. He opened Joan's to find it was a tackle box that was filled with hooks and different lures. On the inside top was an 8x10 picture of Joan in her mermaid tail and bikini top stretched out beside the pool on her back, her hair in a fan around her head. A lure hung out of her mouth. Joan wore a look of surprise as she laid there in the picture. Under the picture was the caption: From the mermaid that your caught.
Bob couldn't help but chuckle, Seeing his mother eyeing him, he turned the box so she could see the picture.
"OH dear," his mother said with a giggle. He noticed Dad saw it too. He wasn't amused.
"It is funny," Bob said. "Nice tackle box too."
"Complete with a pin-up picture," His dad noted dryly.
Bob wasn't going to take the bait. "We have any picture frames?" he asked.
"I'll get one," his mother assured him.
.
Bob hung his 'Mermaid Joan' picture in his room. After lunch, Charlie came over to show Bob the new video game he got. Coming into Bob's room, Charlie's eyes went straight to the picture of Joan.
"Damn, THAT's Joan?" Charlie asked. "She is friggin HOT!"
"Yes, Charlie, that's Joan, and no, I didn't catch her with a fishing pole. She staged that picture," he told Charlie before he asked.
"Still, I mean, wow, and you get to see her in that tail?" Charlie gushed.
"Saw more than that," Bob said quietly. Charlie spun. "Dude! I wish I have a girlfriend like her."
"Maybe getting off the computer and go meet girls and you might," Bob replied.
"But, she ... wow. I'm sooo jealous!"
"So, what game did you get?" Bob asked to get off the subject of Joan. It didn't work.
"So, where does she go swimming? Are there more girls like that there?" Charlie prodded.
Bob let out a sigh. "The first time I saw her in that tail was up at Canyon Park, up north. And yes, there were many girls up there in their mermaid tails."
"All of them have tops on?" Charlie asked.
"They did. About this game?" Bob asked pointedly.
Charlie looked back to gaze at Joan again. "I never knew how great she looks! I mean, I can see her as a model ..."
"Charlie, are you going to show me this game or what?"
"Yeah, yeah, I just want to look at ... how come I never noticed how good she looks before?"
"Maybe because she's half naked?" Bob guessed. He was beginning to think he should have hidden that picture.
"Might be, "Charlie said absently.
"Charlie! Can you stop drooling over my girlfriend and show me the damn game?"
"I'll try. It's gonna be hard," Charlie admitted.
"Let me help," Bob said. He went over, took the picture down, put it in his closet on the top shelf and shut the door.
"Man, that's mean," Charlie grumbled.
"Go find your own girl to drool over," Bob replied. Charlie really needed a life.
.
Two days before Christmas, Louise had made a couple trips up to the hill and finally decided she was ready to move on. Cameron had her packed with what she wanted to bring, and tags on everything in the house she wanted to save.
It was only a few days before this they had the funeral. It was closed casket due to the massive damage her parents had suffered. They did find their wedding picture to put up between the caskets. Cameron stayed by Louise as the well wishers came though, then through the service. Louise cried on Cameron's shoulder, Cameron did her best to comfort the girl. She also got Louise red roses to put on the caskets before they were lowered into the ground.
Louise was sad the entire day, but this was closure for her.
The loading party, John, Cameron, Delilah, Sonya, Joan and of course Louise, cleaned out her room except for the bed. Louise's new room already had a double bed made up and ready for her. Her stuff filled the back of the excursion and the Purple Jeep, bu they got it all in. Including all 26 stuffed animals.
One thing Louise was thrilled on Christmas day, was getting her own bicycle. Cameron and Delilah had asked her if she wanted a mermaid tail like the other girls had. Louise declined. She wasn't brave enough to wear basically underwear out in public. The tail would cover her bottom, but still, she wasn't slim like the other girls were. She had a bit of a belly, and didn't want to show it off.
Louise had a great time riding her new bike around the track the kids had created. Even though Joan and Jackie rode fast, JJ rode hear her as they rode at a more sane speed. That made her feel good.
"JJ, why do they ride so fast?' she asked.
"I dunno. I think they are both hyperactive," He told her. "I heard Gramma Sarah call them that. They always have to be doing something. If it's not riding, it's swimming, or practicing sword fighting. Did you ever see the movie, Princess Bride?"
"I saw that!" Louise agreed. "It's a very romantic movie! Poor Westley did everything to get his Buttercup back."
JJ chuckled. "Well the part they love is the Man in Black and Indigo sword fight on the cliffs. That and the scene were Indigo finally meets the Six fingered man. Or course, they have every bit of those scenes down perfect. Sonya and Delilah reenacted it first. As soon as they got swords, now Joan and Jackie do."
"BEEP BEEP!" Joan called from behind.
JJ moved over to the other side. Joan and Jackie raced by again, Joan a bicycle length ahead.
"When Allison is here, it's like the bike version of the Indy 500," JJ said with a grin.
Louise laughed. She also wondered if she should be a little more active. Actually, she was now. She was getting tired even at the slowed pace JJ was going. He was still moving along pretty good, constantly peddling.
Louise lost count of how many times they had circled the house. Rain clouds were coming in, so she and JJ headed for the garage to put the bikes away. Going inside, Louise asked JOan and Jackie about the sword fight on the cliffs scene. In the foyer, they happily go their wooden bokens and reenacted it for her at full speed. She was amazed at their speed and timing. It was just like what she remembered from the movie. She became exhausted just watching them.
At dinner, Louise was famished. She was also nodding off. She went to bed early and slept solid all night long.
.
New year's eve, Jake Tanner sat on the back porch with his wife, enjoying the fireworks show the town was putting on, drinks in their hands.
"Hey Jake? Are you sure it's a good idea to move?" she asked.
"It is. It's less expensive living in Texas and My wage will be the same as I'm making now. That means we'll be able to afford more things. Maybe even send Bob to college if he wants to go."
She winced. "Yes, it does make financial sense. I was thinking about Bobby. You do know he's real attached to Joan Connor."
Jake let out a sigh. "Hon, he'll find anther girlfriend. This is an opportunity we can't pass up. I'm getting the new house at a great price. For what we're getting, it's cheap even by the average price of housing in Texas. It's also right beside a lake! Usually those properties are more expensive due to the location. This is a great deal we can't afford to miss."
"Bobby is going to be devastated," she added.
"He'll be fine," Jake insisted. "Look high school boys usually have three or four girlfriends by the time they graduate. Bob will be upset for a while, sure, but he'll move on. He's already thinking about the new place too."
"He does like the idea of being able to go fishing whenever he wants," she agreed.
"That will get him out of the house too. If they have a football team, I'm sure he'll want to be on it. Hon, in a year or so, he'll look at that picture Joan gave him and think, yeah, I knew her. He'll keep it for the pin up value. Nothing else."
"I just hope everything will be fine," she said with a sigh.
"I'm sure it will hon. I'm sure it will," he assured her.
.
Taking advantage of the rain, Joan had an idea for a new game. She was at the end of the diving board and tying a rope to it when John asked, "Joan, what are you doing?"
"HI Dad! I got an idea for a new game I want to try out. See the slip and slide on the other side of the pool? I take the rope here over to this side. We run at the pool grab the rope and swing over the pool to land on the slip and slide, and slide to the end where I'm going to put a bar up. The object is to hit the slide and grab the bar before you slide off the end!"
John eyed the setup. The ramp looked sturdy and he could see injured kids that only cracked a body part against that ramp falling into the pool. "No, Joan. That's not a good idea."
"I'm sure we can do it," she complained.
John shook his head. "No. Maybe if you put the ramp at the shallow end, and have to sit up to catch the bar before to go in the pool?"
"Aww Dad, that will be easy!"
"You sure about that?" he asked. "It will be raining when you do it, right?"
"It will still be easy," Joan insisted.
"You think so. You're not going to swing off the diving board at this end," he told her.
"Awwww..."
"No Joan."
Joan let out a huff and untied the rope.
"I'll help you set up your game, AT the other end," John said.
"Hokay,"
The ramp wasn't very long. John knew they no longer used the slide with that swing set. He got some tools and unbolted the slide, then brought it over by the pool. The 14 foot long slide was free-standing. He and Joan put the ramp at the bottom of the slide backwards then tipped it up to meet the end of the slide so at the very end the device curved up. They then put the slip an slide over the slide and ramp. Some hung over the end, but that was fine. John also cupped up the slip and slide where the lowest point was on the slide so it would catch water. He had Joan sit in that spot and raise her arms. Making supports, he used the rope to hang between the supports and lowered the rope so it touched her wrists when she was sitting up on the slide.
"Next rainstorm, you can test it," he told her.
"OK, but it'll be easy-peasy," Joan said.
Rainstorms were forecast. Joan went in and told everyone about her new game. All the kids were eager to try, even Louise. She had a one piece bathing suit now and didn't feel so exposed.
It rained in a downpour. John went out long enough to see the large puddle of water where he planned it, then ran back under cover. Delilah had a video camera.
"It's all set," John announced.
"Watch, I'll do it!" Joan said and ran out into the rain. She climbed the slide and went to sit down and slipped. She got sat, then gave herself a push down the slide. She rocketed down the slide and in doing so, slipped to slide on her back. She was still trying to sit up when she hit the low point and splashed water everywhere. She yelped out as she flew off the end and into the pool.
Everyone watching laughed.
"I can do that," Jackie announced. Jackie climbed up and shot down the slide to suffer the same fate as Joan.
Joan tried again. Splash!
Jackie tried again. Splash!
Louise got her courage up and strode out into the rain. She got to the top and carefully positioned herself. Giving a push off the top, she slipped onto her back and screamed all the way down to splashdown. JJ then decided to give it a try.
The kids were soaked and having a ball. It was Louise who finally managed to stay sitting up by leaning forward almost in half. She timed it right to lift her arms up and grab the rope as she splashed into the puddle. Rope in her hands, she flew off the end with a yelp to splash down into the pool.
"Dad, the rope came off!" Joan cried.
John called back," I said you have to grab it. Never said it was going to stop you."
Louise stood up, the rope in her hands. "YAY! I DID IT!" she cried. She got applause for her achievement.
They put the rope back in place and kept sliding down, trying to grab it. Using the method of bending far forward, there were more successes. Soon afterwards they were going down the slide just to hit 'the jump' and land in the pool. The new challenge was who could fly the farthest. JJ won that challenge by leaning back with his legs lifted. He shot out into the pool so far with a skip on the water it was over his head. He had to walk back so he could get his head above water. Try as they might, none of the girls could beat his distance.
"What's your secret, how'd you go so far?" Joan prodded him.
JJ cast her a smirk. "I lifted my legs just a little on the way down. Plus, you're butt's bigger than mine, I have less resistance," he said and stuck his tongue out at her.
.
The first day back to school after the holiday break, Louise dragged JJ by the hand down to Misty's house. Meeting Misty outside, Louise yammered on non stop all the way to school about her new family and the crazy new game they tried. Misty thought they were nuts, playing outside in the rain in swim suits. Louise made a big think about JJ shooting off the slide the farthest. It wasn't until they were about to go in the school that Misty was able to get a word in.
"Can I come to your house too?" Misty asked.
Louise looked at JJ. JJ shrugged, "We'll ask mom."
.
The moving truck in the Connor garage was put to use. The first load to go in it was all the items in Louise's house that she didn't want to keep. Cameron arraigned a 'bulk' sale to a used furniture store. It wasn't a huge amount of money, but it beat trying to do a yard sale or auction. John, Cameron, Delilah, Martin and Derek, cleaned the house out. Martha, Misty's mother got a few things from the kitchen. everything else went in the truck. All the clothes Louise didn't want in the house went into boxes for Goodwill. John and Derek drove the truck to the store, Martin took the boxes of clothes to Goodwill. Cameron and Delilah cleaned the house to make it presentable to buyers, then Cameron got a Real Estate to sell it.
The second week of January saw trucks going to and from the mansion in the hill. First trucked out were sections and components of the TDE, bound for the sub basement in their new house. next, the EV-2 and the Bulldozer tank were trucked to the storage barn by the new house that was just finished. Sonya went on ahead to the new place to be sure things went where they were suppose to and monitor the house going up.
The second week of January also was when Bob was desperately trying to figure out how to return the favor Joan did for him on his birthday. Of course she loved the glass heart he got her, but to him that was nowhere close to how she totally blew his mind on his Birthday. He wanted to do the same for her, but he was had no idea what to do.
The source Bob finally decided to try was Charlie. Charlie knew porny stuff, like he called it. Bob was hesitant, but he didn't know who else to ask. He certainly wasn't going to ask his parents, any teachers or Joan!
Going over to Charlie's house, Charlie's mother let him in. Charlie was in his room. Bob knocked on the door, "Hey Charlie," he said as he opened it.
Charlie was on the computer, Bob got a brief glance at him, then Charlie quickly closed the top of his laptop and cast Bob a blushing, shocked look. Charlie then exploded on him.
"Damn it Bob! I thought you were Mom!" Charlie yelled.
Bob looked down. "Ahh, no." He shut Charlie's door. "I need a favor, I was hoping you could help me."
"You nearly give me a heart attack and now you want my help?" Charlie asked in shock.
"Charlie, this is serious," Bob said.
"So is dying from shock," Charlie countered.
Bob was beginning to think this was a bad idea. Still, he didn't know what else to do. "You know all about when you call porny stuff right? sex and all that?"
Charlie stared at him. "Don't even tell me Joan wants it but you don't know how."
"No!" Bob snapped. "Look, Joan did me a … huge favor, and I'd like to … return the favor, OK?"
Charlie perked up. "What did she do?"
Yup, this was a bad idea and embarrassing. Still it wasn't for him, but for Joan. "She … um ... made me … orgasm."
Charlie sat up a little farther. "Really! So, did she like stroke you with her hand?"
Bob shifted foot to foot. "She, ahh, used her mouth..."
"She gave you a blow job? for real?" Charlie asked intently.
"No, she sucked on it … hard. I think she was trying to swallow it, I knew I felt I was in her throat..."
"You really want me to die from jealousy, don't you?" Charlie asked. "She took you down her throat? She swallowed?"
"Yeah, everything."
Charlie slapped his hands to his face. "You lucky bastard! I so want to kill you and take your place!"
Getting to why he was here, Bob said, "I want to do something like that for her, but I have no idea how! Charlie, you gotta help me," Bob pleaded.
Charlie glowered at him. "You come to me and tell me, who hasn't even seen a naked girl in person yet, you had real sex with a hot girl and you want MY help? Are you sure you're not just here to gloat?"
"You know more about this stuff that I do. Charlie I just want to make Joan feel like I felt. I guess that's the best way to put it," Bob explained.
Charlie cast Bob a hard look. "So you can go have more steamy sex with your hot girlfriend while I am stuck here being forced to watch porn. Is that what you're saying?"
"Nobody is forcing you to watch that stuff," Bob told him.
"Then show me how to get a girlfriend like you got," Charlie replied.
Bob blinked. "Ahh it's not like I set out to make Joan my girlfriend…"
"But you DID!" Charlie said, stabbing a finger at him. "Yeah, I know, you went up to this park, saw these sexy mermaids, snapped one up and now you're in happy land!"
"It wasn't like that at all," Bob insisted.
"Then, what was it like?" Charlie asked.
"Charlie," Bob said in a groan, "You know I've been friends with Joan. Yeah, I found out the hard way not to do a bet with her. We're friends, and it has just gotten … much friendlier. Let me ask you this. Allison Young is pretty, why have you never even asked her to, I don't know, take a bike ride with you or something? We played some warships, but you never asked her to go anyplace with you."
Charlie frowned. "Allison's knida plain looking," he grumbled.
"In a mermaid tail she isn't," Bob told him.
"You saw her in a mermaid tail too?"
"And Joan's sister Jackie, Sonya, both Joan's mothers..."
"Her mothers? Dude, that's just not right."
"What's not right? they were swimming," Bob shot back. "And they are really good at it. My point is, If you want a girlfriend you need to show them you are their friend, first. Staying here in your room isn't doing that."
"OH, so I just walk over and say, Hi Allison, let's go someplace?"
Bob face palmed. "Charlie," he said into his hand. "Maybe offer to go do something with her? Ever think of that?"
"Like play football?"
"Like anything. Yes, Joan likes football, her mothers played it. OK, yeah I started because Joan did, because I liked seeing Joan. I also found out I like football," Bob told him. "We practice together too when we're not at school. Allison is usually there too."
"Ah, going for a threesome?" Charlie asked in sarcasm.
"Can you get your mind out of the gutter for a bit?" Bob asked him in a hard tone. "We don't do things so we can have sex. We end up having sex because we have done so much together. Because we are close friends. Because I trust Joan with my life, as I know she does with me. Ok, she's a little nuts sometimes, but maybe that's part of her charm. My point is, if you want a girlfriend, you have to go spend some time WITH GIRLS!"
Charlie was quiet for a moment, frowning. He then said, "Look up clitoris. what and where it is. That will give you an idea."
"You can't tell me?" Bob asked.
"Hey, if I have to figure things out, then so do you. besides, Joan's your girlfriend, maybe you should ask her what she'd like."
"K, thanks," Bob said and left. He got out in the hallway to see Charlie's mother looking into a closet not far away.
She glanced at him and cast him a tiny smile. "I didn't hear a thing, but thank you for being Charlie's friend."
"Ahh sure," Bob replied and quickly walked away. She didn't hear, right. He was sure she'd heard everything.
This had been a bad idea.
.
In school the next day, Bob sat in history class listening to the teacher talk about the battle of Gettysburg.
"... this was the biggest battle of the Civil War and the turning point! It's called the high water mark of the Confederacy. Can anyone tell me why the Union Troops won at Gettysburg?"
Bob noted Joan's hand was up as a couple boys also raised their hands.
"Because the Union had more men."
"That was a factor, yes, Mr. Morris."
"The Union had the higher ground,"
"That was also a factor, Mr. Perkins.
Joan then said, "Because Stonewall Jackson wasn't there."
A few kids laughed. The teacher quieted them. "Can you tell us why that made a difference, Miss Connor?"
"Stonewall Jackson was a tactical genius. In the Shenandoah Valley, he defeated and drove away 60,000 union troops with his 13,000 Confederates. In both battles of Bull Run, or Manassas, which was the nearest town, Lee and Jackson beat superior numbers of Union troops with pincer tactics so bad the union fled back to Washington. At Fredericksburg they decimated the Union troops who attacked them. At Chancellorsvile, Jackson took 28,000 troops around the union right flank without them knowing it and drove off 120,000 union troops to send them fleeing back across the river. At Gettysburg, it was a chance meeting. Both the Union and Confederate troops were arriving piecemeal. The initial advantage was with the Confederates. If General Jackson was there, he would have pushed that advantage hard and not stop to rest and let the Union troops gather up on Cemetery ridge and Culp's hill. He would have broken the line before it could form. At best the Union army would be arriving to find Lee atop those ridges. At worst the Union would have had to fight hard to gain control of those ridges for a stable position, which would afford the Confederates more opportunity to get between the Union troops and Washington, which was Lee's goal at the time."
"That is a very thoughtful assessment, Miss Connor. I take it you have studied the Civil War?" the teacher asked.
"Not in particular. My Mom has me study the Art of War, a book by Sun Tzu. It's the bible of warfare. I also look at various battles and Generals. Stonewall Jackson was one, Andrew Jackson was another. So was Alexander the Great, Erwin Rommel and... a couple others."
"The Desert Fox," the teacher said with a grin. "But he didn't win world War Two. He was on the losing side."
"He did win when he was supported," Joan said. "He made the initial thrust into France and cut the country in two within weeks. He moved so fast, no one, not even his superiors knew he'd made it to the English channel. His forward units were being supplied by French supply convoys who had no idea Germans were even around until a Panzer stopped them and made them surrender. His sudden dash caused so much confusion, French units were firing on other French units, believing they were German. When he got to Africa, his biggest enemy was not the British, but the lack of supplies and manpower. He pushed the British hard to grab their supplies so he could keep going. While the British tried to engage him in tank on tank battles, he's have his Panzers roll ahead to get their attention. When the Brit tanks came, his retreated to lead the brits under the guns of his 88's. While the 88's tore the British tanks up, his would run around the battlefield and attack the rear support troops. By the time the Brits gathered their wits to retreat, Rommel had most of their remaining forces surrounded or without supply. That was, when he could get the gas, food and ammunition to keep going."
The Teacher chuckled. "Miss Connor, there are many historians that agree with your assessment. Robert Lee himself said that when General Jackson was wounded and lost his arm, that he too had lost his right arm."
Bob was surprised that Joan knew so much about war and battles. Even the kids he knew that liked the subject didn't know half the things she knew.
.
While Bob was at school, his mother and Charlie's mother sat sharing intimate bits they had heard. Charlie's mother thank her for Bob trying to get Charlie out of the house, and told her what the conversation was about. They giggled a bit and hoped Joan knew to go on birth control if they were doing that.
It wasn't long after, Bobby's mother remembered Jake and Bobby's somewhat strained discussion about Joan. She could make her eyes glow, red or blue. It was then she realized Bobby never had a blue night light.