STORY FOUR:

BRIBES WORK

Eva packed the rest of the things she was taking to her brother's house for the annual Labor Day picnic. It hadn't taken much cajoling to get her husband to agree. A quick trip to Lucky's Lingerie and a night of passion had resolved his objections in a hurry.

Checking the cooler and the trunk one last time she was relieved that she hadn't forgotten anything. Now all she needed to do was wrangle her three boys into the car. Two were six and the other she would need an abacus to figure out his age.

When she walked into the house she saw that they were ready to go, clean clothes, freshly bathed and groomed, and her 'What the Hell Is Going On', senses went on full alert. That was when she noticed that Vergil and Dante were busy counting out a small stack of bills each. Glancing over at her husband he shrugged and said with a deep-throated growl, "I had to do something, and I learned from you, that bribes work." He gave her a lusty wink, and ran the tip of his tongue over his upper lip. Those not so subtle gestures, caused her cheeks to turn pink.

She was going to chastise her husband and children, but decided against it. If bribing her husband and sons was what it took to get through a family get together, she supposed that she could live with it. Vergil and Dante looked up at her and wondered if they were in trouble? There was no way that they would tattle on their father, that trait was not wired into their DNA, from either parent. Eva gave them an indulgent smile and said, "Please, please try and be good."

The cherub smiles that her sons flashed at her didn't fool her in the least. She could literally see the wheels of mischief turning. She knelt down in front of them and said, "Please, not because your daddy had to bribe you," she paused and smiled, "But to make me proud of you."

The mischievous thoughts deflated quickly not only in Vergil and Dante, but their father as well. Two sets of arms wrapped around her and Vergil said sincerely, "We'll be good mama. I promise."

Eva knew that her eldest son didn't make promises idly, and when they were made he would do his damnedest to keep that promise. She saw the nudge he gave his twin and didn't miss the, "Isn't that right Taye?"

Dante hugged her tighter and said, "Yes mama." He cocked his head to the side and asked, "Can we defend ourselves?"

That she couldn't deny them, "Of course you can my little loves, but try not to draw blood…this time." Pulling away she said, "Come on now. We need to get going. Your grandpa is going to be there." Her daddy might not care to much for his son-in-law, but he loved his grandsons, and spoiled them practically rotten.

Each time they saw their grandpa they left with pockets bulging either with some trinket he had made, candy, small flasks of moonshine which were confiscated as soon as they were found, some sort of gems or jewelry, and of course cash.

After they were loaded in the car and were on their way to her brother Beau, nee Beauregard, Vergil and Dante were sitting in the back seat, when a thought occurred to the elder of the twins, "Papa?"

Sparda turned in the seat and asked, "What is it Vergil?" It didn't bother him to let Eva drive, after all he didn't need to use, 'human transportation', since he could teleport to where ever he went, sometimes he would add a 'BAMF', like a certain comic book character from the Marvel Universe by the name of Nightcrawler. Along with the 'BAMF', he would leave the subtle scent of sulfur behind.

"How come we never go and visit your family?" Vergil asked.

He almost choked, how could he explain to his children that he was dead to those he once considered family. Oh, he had some very close friends from the underworld, that he would visit occasionally, but, he wasn't sure if they were old enough to meet them yet.

Before he could stutter out an answer, Eva saved him by saying. "Not now honey. We're here."

He smiled at his children and said, "I'll tell you later." And turned back around in the seat, missing Vergil mentally file the question away to make sure to ask it later.

Eva pulled the car into the driveway, and parked behind her daddy's pickup, as soon as she stopped the car, two things happened her daddy came barreling off the porch and the back doors opened and her sons piled out and met their grandfather at the halfway point.

Vergil and Dante were scooped up in their grandfather's burly arms and hugged so tight that it would have probably broken bones in a mortal child, but not them.
Squeezing them a little tighter Lucas said, sotto voce, "How are my favorite grandsons?" Not waiting for an answer, he sat them to their feet and gave them a wink that promised 'forbidden' treasures, and smiled fondly as they scampered off. He continued over to the car where his daughter was just exiting, he scooped her up and gave her an equally tight hug, and said, "I've missed you cher'. Now head on into the house. Me and the son-in-law will bring the stuff in."