Holding Up The Sky - Thuban

(Six)

Dinner was somewhat rushed. Everyone one seemed to have their own agenda. Conversations were truncated and in the shorthand language common to tightly knit families.

McQueen had agreed to spend New Year's with Kylen and her family based upon her solemn oath that it would be a small quiet affair - nothing like Thanksgiving. Many members of the tribe would be celebrating elsewhere. She had promised that the 'little' kids' had their own party planned and wouldn't be a bother. Well, it was now 2100 and the kitchen was starting to fill up with teenagers and college kids - about a dozen all told. "Promises. Promises," he thought ruefully as he entered the living room eager to get away from the growing mirth and confusion. He walked into the middle of a bargaining session between Allston and Emrys and their father, Ewan, and Kylen.

"We didn't think of it 'til we saw the Colonel's maps," Allston said.

"We can just turn on the power. It'll warm up fast," Emrys interjected.

"NO," the three adults answered together.

"But Dad," Allston tried again.

"Don't even think about it," Frank answered in the universal tone of the irritated parent.

"It's just out there empty." Emrys chimed in.

"And that is the way it's going to stay. Forget it."

"Give it up, guys. You can party at my place or you can sit around in the kitchen with us." Ewan gave his younger brothers a choice and the choice was obvious. Emrys and Allston turned away in defeat.

"The door is unlocked. Take a good look around. It had better look the same when I come home," Ewan called after them.

Frank looked mildly embarrassed that McQueen had walked in on the confrontation. "Ewan offered them his cottage for a party - now they want to move it over to Connor's project.'"

"Maybe the college kids, but not Allston, Eithne and their crew. No way," Kylen chimed in.

"Oh? So speaks the voice of wisdom and experience?" Frank teased her.

"The cottage is here," Ewan said crossing into the dining room and indicating it on one of the maps. It was a small structure on a side road across the road and only about fifty yards from the main house. "And here is The Dream." Ewan pointed to the indistinct area of the map that McQueen had questioned earlier. It was a good half a klick (kilometer) from the house.

"I want to check in on them during the evening, and frankly, I don't feel like walking that far," Frank admitted.

McQueen gave a low laugh of amusement and recognition. "I learned that trick from one of my old C.O.s. Let your people blow off some steam every now and then. Check in on them - be a reminder - but don't hang around."

"Do you do that with Nathan and the 58th?" Kylen asked, mildly shocked.

"They haven't needed that in a while. They know their limits," McQueen told her. His pride in the group was obvious.

Kylen was becoming increasingly frustrated. The small disk with the greetings from the Wildcards was still undiscovered, resting in the branches of the Christmas tree. "I should have known that he wouldn't spend time looking at the tree. That he wouldn't feel curiosity about the decorations. It really isn't his style."

"Let us clear out the 'wrecking crew,' Kylen said referring to the gang of kids in the kitchen. She pushed her brother and father toward the noise in the other room and spoke to McQueen over her shoulder. "You go into the living room. We'll join you shortly." A few moments later Bride, wearing the Marine Corps sweatshirt, appeared at McQueen's side.

"Kylen said that I was to show you the tree." She gestured toward it. "Well, there it is," she said, just a touch sullen, clearly not happy with being dismissed from the activity in the other room.

"Why does she think I need to be shown a tree?" he asked.

Bridee, to his surprise, carefully considered his question. "Maybe it's because our ornaments all mean something. Birthdays, vacations, big events and we made a bunch of them too. They are pretty neat."

"OK, I'll play along," he thought. "Show me," he said.

Bridee began to point out different ornaments - explaining the history and significance of each. The one Christmas that Amy and McQueen had spent together - really together - she had put up a Christmas tree purchased already decorated by a designer in Mobile.

McQueen thought about his earlier conversation with Bridee. "I never thought of changing my name. Have you?" he asked.

Bridee gave him a shy smile. "Sometimes. Sometimes I think it would be nice to have a prettier name - something more exciting or musical - like Aislen - but my name is pretty good. It is who I am. Besides it can change all on its own. I can be Bridee or I can be Bridgid. So that is kind of neat. I mean my nickname isn't something silly like Push, or Dozer, or Mouse."

"Or 'The Rookie,'" McQueen teased.

Bridee turned crimson. "You weren't supposed to know that."

"I'm not stupid." He gave her a half smile.

"Yours was the first. The first nickname I ever gave anybody. I didn't do it on purpose."

"I know."

"It just sort of happened ... Colonel McQueen? ... What is your first name? ... If I may ask?"

McQueen took in a deep breath. People had ridiculed his name for his entire life. "Get ready," he thought and then he told her. "It's Tyrus."

"Whoa," she whispered.

McQueen waited for the usual why-did-they-do-that question, but Bridee did not go that route.

"That's an old name. It might even be older than mine."

"It might be, at that," he agreed and turned again to the Christmas tree ornaments.

The two people with the ancient names - a bond now shared between them - went through another half dozen explanations before McQueen finally spotted the disk. He snatched it from the branches and turned to see Kylen, grinning like an idiot, standing by the doorway to her fathers study. With a theatrical sweep of her hand she gestured him into the study.

"It took you forever to find that," she whispered as he passed her. "The viewer is on," she said, closing the door behind him, leaving him alone with the 58th.

Bridee came up behind her older sister.

"He knew about 'The Rookie.'" Bridee whispered, horrified.

"Of course he did, Baby." Kylen smiled and gave her little sister a hug. The two went out into the kitchen.

McQueen's hand was poised to insert the disk into the viewer when he hesitated. He pulled back his hand and looked at the bit of plastic, turning it over in his fingers, hating to admit to himself that a lot of personal weight rested in the small silver grooves.

"Screw it," he thought. He pushed the disk into the slot and punched 'play.'

There on the screen was Cooper Hawkes, which was a bit of a surprise. There was a determined expression on his face. Vansen, Damphousse, and West were arranged like a human halo around Hawkes shoulders. They all looked eagerly into the monitor.

McQueen heard Kylen's voice. "Cooper? Cooper Hawkes?"

Hawkes' expression changed to one of delight when Kylen recognized him.

McQueen hit 'pause'. He wanted to take a moment to read their faces. It was something he had always done when they had returned from a mission - examined them all for signs of stress and fatigue. Who looked strong? Who looked fried? Did anyone look high and to the right? "I'd order Damphousse back to sick bay for the once over though," he thought to himself. But the Wildcards looked centered. Tired, but generally good to go. McQueen felt his emotional response growing. "Don't just sit here staring at the screen," he ordered himself. He decisively hit the 'play' button.

End chapter six