Thanks for all the good reviews! Also: I know that when Alex was fifteen it
would be during World War II and he couldn't be flying around everywhere,
but just pretend it's an alternate universe or whatever you want. Here's
Chapter Three.
CHAPTER THREE: Bargaining
"But Mum, Dad, I'll be responsible! I won't crash into anything . . . please?" Alex O'Connell pouted as he begged his parents to let him take flying lessons.
"Absolutely not," glared Evelyn. "Your father nearly died in a plane. And may I remind you that you came pretty close to dying yourself eight years ago, Mister Tries-On-Every-Ancient-Cursed-Bracelet-In-Sight. Two near-death incidents in the family are enough."
"Three," corrected Rick, turning away from the scroll he was looking at and smiling.
"Yes, thank you," she huffed. "Three. Anyway, you see my point."
"What was Dad doing in a plane?" inquired Alex, swinging on the door to his parents' study.
Evie was about to respond with a that's-besides-the-point response when Rick cut in.
"Saving your mother," he replied.
"SEE?" shouted Alex. "It's a useful life skill."
"Your father was an adult."
Rick let go of the scroll and let it roll up. "Evie, darling . . . "
"No!" insisted his wife. "He's only fifteen."
"Exactly. I was only twenty-one. What's that, a six-year difference? The times are changing, Ev. Kids are growing up faster, and we have to acknowledge that whatever we say, he still considers himself an adult."
Evie smiled. "He's not going on a date, you know. This is even more dangerous."
"Yes, but . . . please?" Both O'Connell men pouted adorably.
Laughing, she relented. "All right, I suppose he can take a few lessons. But there are a few conditions -"
Alex was cheering and out of the room before Evie could finish her sentence.
~*~*~*~*~
Alex bounced up and down in the back of the car as the family headed to the hangar where the brother of their late friend Winston would teach him this "useful life skill." Evie was worried and purposely made several wrong turns in the hope that the young adventurer would be discouraged, but to no avail. When they finally arrived, Alex's hyperness was as present as ever.
Wilbert, Winston's brother, approached their car as the family got out. "Hello, O'Connells. Pleased to meet you. Now which one was the cause of my brother's death?"
Evie hadn't expected this bluntness, and stopped Rick from saying anything. "While I suppose you could say it was my husband's fault, I'd blame my brother Jonathon. So. . uh, yes, we'll go now. Bye, honey-we'll pick you up in a few hours!" The couple rushed to the car, leaving Alex with the hardened warrior, who sneered at the teen as his parents drove away.
"All right, you smart aleck," he growled. Alex cut in.
"It's Alex," he corrected, "not aleck. And how can you know how smart alecky I am when you haven't even been asked 'are we there yet?' fifty times?"
"Yeah, well, I've heard of you. You and that murderous family of yours. Gallivanting across the globe, raising undead crud and killing innocent people, then selling the movie rights."
"We haven't done that!" protested Alex. Wilbert glared. ". . . yet."
"Sure, kid, whatever you say. Get in the plane." He gestured towards a none- too-sturdy looking plane.
"Now?" inquired Alex. "I haven't even had any training yet!"
A smirk spread across the old man's face. "Training, shmaining," he scoffed. "You learn by doing."
CHAPTER THREE: Bargaining
"But Mum, Dad, I'll be responsible! I won't crash into anything . . . please?" Alex O'Connell pouted as he begged his parents to let him take flying lessons.
"Absolutely not," glared Evelyn. "Your father nearly died in a plane. And may I remind you that you came pretty close to dying yourself eight years ago, Mister Tries-On-Every-Ancient-Cursed-Bracelet-In-Sight. Two near-death incidents in the family are enough."
"Three," corrected Rick, turning away from the scroll he was looking at and smiling.
"Yes, thank you," she huffed. "Three. Anyway, you see my point."
"What was Dad doing in a plane?" inquired Alex, swinging on the door to his parents' study.
Evie was about to respond with a that's-besides-the-point response when Rick cut in.
"Saving your mother," he replied.
"SEE?" shouted Alex. "It's a useful life skill."
"Your father was an adult."
Rick let go of the scroll and let it roll up. "Evie, darling . . . "
"No!" insisted his wife. "He's only fifteen."
"Exactly. I was only twenty-one. What's that, a six-year difference? The times are changing, Ev. Kids are growing up faster, and we have to acknowledge that whatever we say, he still considers himself an adult."
Evie smiled. "He's not going on a date, you know. This is even more dangerous."
"Yes, but . . . please?" Both O'Connell men pouted adorably.
Laughing, she relented. "All right, I suppose he can take a few lessons. But there are a few conditions -"
Alex was cheering and out of the room before Evie could finish her sentence.
~*~*~*~*~
Alex bounced up and down in the back of the car as the family headed to the hangar where the brother of their late friend Winston would teach him this "useful life skill." Evie was worried and purposely made several wrong turns in the hope that the young adventurer would be discouraged, but to no avail. When they finally arrived, Alex's hyperness was as present as ever.
Wilbert, Winston's brother, approached their car as the family got out. "Hello, O'Connells. Pleased to meet you. Now which one was the cause of my brother's death?"
Evie hadn't expected this bluntness, and stopped Rick from saying anything. "While I suppose you could say it was my husband's fault, I'd blame my brother Jonathon. So. . uh, yes, we'll go now. Bye, honey-we'll pick you up in a few hours!" The couple rushed to the car, leaving Alex with the hardened warrior, who sneered at the teen as his parents drove away.
"All right, you smart aleck," he growled. Alex cut in.
"It's Alex," he corrected, "not aleck. And how can you know how smart alecky I am when you haven't even been asked 'are we there yet?' fifty times?"
"Yeah, well, I've heard of you. You and that murderous family of yours. Gallivanting across the globe, raising undead crud and killing innocent people, then selling the movie rights."
"We haven't done that!" protested Alex. Wilbert glared. ". . . yet."
"Sure, kid, whatever you say. Get in the plane." He gestured towards a none- too-sturdy looking plane.
"Now?" inquired Alex. "I haven't even had any training yet!"
A smirk spread across the old man's face. "Training, shmaining," he scoffed. "You learn by doing."