***

Nosedive was given his lunch box and two dollars for his friend's' lunch. Dive really didn't care all that much about lunch today; all he cared about was getting to school and playing with the girls. The other boys didn't tease him about playing with the girls. They actually joined in on the fun. Now Nosedive didn't play with the girls because he was trying to be different, he only played with them for one reason, Rita. She was turning out to be a good friend, dare I say best friend. Whatever she was, she was someone he definitely didn't want hating him, considering that Josh WAS her older brother. Dive worshiped Wing. He thought that his older brother could take anyone on, but after meeting Josh he began to doubt that Wing could take the kid.

As the day wore on Dive forgot about Josh's threat. He was having too much fun to be concerned with an empty threat'. Lunchtime quickly rolled around, thankfully. Dive couldn't wait to munch on his special' sandwich that his mother had prepared for him. She had also packed a special treat for his friend'. Dive planned on giving that to Rita instead since she had shared her lunch with him the day before.

Rita's mother had once again given Rita money to buy lunch today, as was her custom. She hated packing lunches for her seven children. Besides her youngest son, who was only an infant, took up more of her time then anything else. Her mother helped out around the house and with her many other children as much as was possible.

Dive didn't want to sit by himself waiting for Rita to bring in her lunch, so he waited with her in the hot lunch line. Rita looked around the hall nervously. She remembered Josh's threat, but by now, Dive had forgotten about the threat.

"So, Wing wanted to make me laugh and. Rita stop that."

"Stop what?"

"Looking like that. You're giving me the heby geebies."

"What if I don't stop?"

"Then you're going to keep looking stupid."

"I don't look stupid."

"Yes you do. My Mamma would say that you pairoid."

"What's that?"

Nosedive shrugged. "I don't know, but Mamma is always telling Daddy that he is when he looks at the TV during dinner. Mamma makes him turn it off when we are eating, but he tries to look anyway when Mamma's not lookin'. I don't know why he does when the TV is off."

"I like your family. They sound nice."

"Your Grandmamma is nice."

"I know, but I like your family better. I wish my family were like yours. I hate my brothers."

As the conversation progressed, so did the line up the narrow hallway. As they moved up they stopped in front of a dark hallway that led to the janitors closet. The pair never saw the foreseen attack until two groping hands flew out at Dive's neck. Rita knocked Dive out of the way, sending him to the floor and his lunch went spilling across the hall floor.

"Where's my money, girly boy?"

"Leave him alone, Josh!"

Josh pushed Rita against the stone wall, "stay out of this Rita! Where's my money runt?"

Nosedive, laid on the floor, fumbled through his pockets looking for the money.

"Come on I haven't got all day!" Josh said getting irritated.

Dive found the money and began to tug it out of his pocket. Josh, loosing his patients with the blond yanked him to his feet and slapped him upside the head. "Come on blondy, where's my money!" Dive pulled his hand out his pocket. The money within his trembling fist he held out his hand and placed the wad of cash in Josh's extended hand. "Finally! One. Two. Two? Two! That's it? Two dollars! I told you I wanted four! Can't you count?"

"Yes."

"No you can't you stupid little"

"Josh!"

"I said get lost Rita. I told you girly boy that I wanted four not two. Four Dollars!" Nosedive shrank away from the verbal assault. "What's wrong with you! Why didn't you bring me my money?"

"I brought you"

"Two dollars, not four! Your two dollars short, just like you are short in height, brains and nerves. I should beat some sense into you numbskull." Josh shoved the money into his pocket before grabbing Nosedive's shoulder and slugging him in the mid section. As he slugged him he counted out loud. "One, two, three, four. Bring me four dollars tomorrow or ELSE!"

"Stop it, Josh!"

"And as for you," Josh spun to face Rita, pointing his index finger in her face. "If you say anything to Mom or Grandma, I'm going to not only make you suffer, but your little boyfriend here will not be seeing you for a VERY long time. Do we understand each other?"

Rita nodded, terrified by her brother. Josh dropped Nosedive to the floor and he assumed the fetal position. Josh stepped over his trembling body to retrieve Dive's scattered lunch. "Mmm cupcakes."

As soon as Josh was out of sight, Rita ran to Nosedive's aid. "Nosedive, are you okay?"

"My tummy hurts." Dive looked up at his friend and tried not to cry. Dive looked over at his squashed lunch and found that his cupcakes had been stolen, again. "He took my cupcakes!"

Rita placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "At least he didn't kill you."

"But my cupcakes."

Rita was surprised that Dive was not too terribly hurt. At least he could complain about the cupcakes. She had thought that Josh had inflicted considerable damage on Dive's young frame, since every blow resounded through his body. She even thought that one of the blows had caused something to crack and break. As she contemplated this Dive salvaged his ransacked lunch. He may have lost his cupcakes, but at least today he didn't go hungry. His jelly bean, olive, banana, chocolate, strawberry jam and peanut butter sandwich had never better. (Ha I'd like to see Josh try to eat that with a side dish of anchovies, avocados and halepino peppers!)

***

Nosedive was relieved to go home. Unfortunately, Wildwing and Canard got into another fight and Mrs. Thunderbeak had sent Wing and Dive home early. So early in fact that they had to wait outside their home in the cold till their parents arrived home an hour later.

"I want you boys to go upstairs and take a warm shower to get warmed up. I'm going to prepare dinner," their mother instructed.

"Sure Mom," Wing said.

"I don't wanna shower!"

"Nosedive, you need one,"

"But I don't wanna, Mamma."

"Nosedive, please stop this."

"No shower!" Dive said obstinately, folding his arms across his chest in defiance.

"Nosedive Jamie Flashblade, you are getting a bath and that is final!"

Nosedive fell to the ground kicking and screaming his protests. He refused to follow Wing and take his shower. Wildwing didn't stick around to watch the protest; he went up and did what he was told, as his mother wrestled in the family room with Dive. George Flashblade walked into the house and found Anna on top of Dive, restraining his futile efforts to escape.

"What's going on?" George laughed.

"He won't take a shower."

"No bath!"

"No bath, no dinner," Anna threatened.

"NO!" Dive wailed. "Me hungry. Don't make me starve, Mamma!"

"Don't worry, Anna. I'll take care of this little man. You go ahead and go get dinner ready. Come on, Ace, we have to go take a bath."

"No Bath! No Bath!"

"Yes bath, with lots of bubbles and your rubber ducky."

"BUBBLES!"

George took Dive by the hand and walked him upstairs. Wildwing was coming out of the bathroom, washed and refreshed. "Hi, Dad."

"Hey there, Sport. Ready for dinner?"

"Yup."

"Why don't you go help your mom in the kitchen. I'm sure she could use another pair of hands."

"Daddy, I want bubbles," Dive tugged on his father's sleeve.

"Yes, Sport. Bubbles."

Wildwing smiled at his brother, ruffled his hair and headed downstairs. Dive straightened his hair before bounding into the bathroom. His father was on his knees preparing the bath. He didn't want the water to be too hot or too cold. George poured a few bubbles into the bath as Dive stripped his clothes. "Okay, Ace, bath time."

"More bubbles, Daddy!"

"There are enough bubbles, Nosedive."

"More bubbles!'

George added some more bubble bath, "fine look, more bubbles."

"Yippee!" Dive exclaimed throwing his arms up into the air, victoriously. George lifted Dive and placed him in the tub. Nosedive immediately dove into the water, splashing his father. As George scrubbed Dive from head to toe, Dive splashed around the bath happily. The rubber ducky bobbed up and down amongst the floating suds and the three men in the tub had to abandon their sea weary craft from the typhoon named Nosedive. Once the men were safe in the raging sea, Dive used their tub as a hat as he played with his toy boat.

"Dinner!" Anna called from down stairs.

"Okay, Ace, it's time to rinse off."

"No, bubbles," Nosedive stood up and lifted a hand full of suds and placed them on top of his head before dancing around the bathtub.

"Come on, Ace. It's time to eat."

"No, bubbles," Dive bent over and lifted another hand full of suds and placed them on his father's head.

"Thank you."

Dive laughed at his father and began to dance around some more. Both, unaware of Anna's presence in the doorway, were surprised when the camera SNAP! Dive and George turned to the doorway, astonished by the intrusion. SNAP!

"Anna!"

"Mamma!"

"Look, it's my suds men," she laughed. "Come on sweetie, time to get dried off."

"Okay Mamma," Dive climbed over the tubs edge and ran over to her. Anna held open a towel in which she folded around his sopping wet body. Anna proceeded to dry Dive off as George sat watching.

"Are you squeaky clean?"

"Squeak, squeak."

"What about here?" Anna asked rubbing behind Dive's ear.

"Squeak."

"Are you sure?"

"Squeak, squeak, squeak."

George laughed at the pair. Their traditional after bath ritual was humorous as well as touching.

"Daddy, no laugh," Dive stomped his foot.

"What's that," George continued to laugh, pointing at Dive's chest. Dive looked down in time to come in contact with his father's finger as he lifted it up. "Made you look."

"Daddy," Dive laughed.

"What is this?" his mother asked pulling the towel aside looking at his chest.

"Mamma," Dive laughed, not wanting to fall for the same trick.

George leaned closer and opened the towel up further. As he moved the towel away more of the bruise on Dive's chest and abdomen was revealed. The shear size of the mark was astonishing. How did Dive ever get a bruise that size?

"Go get dressed, Baby," George tried to keep his voice in the same jovial tone he had been using seconds earlier.

"Okay, Daddy," Dive dropped the towel wrapped around him and ran out of the room. His bear bottom being the last thing his parents saw as he ran to get dressed.

"What was that?" Anna asked when she was sure Dive was out of earshot.

"A bruise, I think. Maybe we need to have a little discussion with Wildwing."

"What about me?" Wing leaned his head around the corner of the bathroom door. He had been passing by when he heard his father say his name.

"Why did you hit your brother?"

Wing frowned. "I didn't."

"Just like you didn't hit Canard."

"Canard deserved it! And I didn't hit Dive!"

"No excuses Wildwing, you know better then to hit Nosedive. He's smaller and younger then you. He has no way to defend himself against you. You are suppose to protect him not hurt him."

"But I didn't."

George glared at Wing and pointed his finger down the hall. Wing took the cue and went to his room with his head hung. He was going to be punished for something he hadn't done. George marched behind Wing, determined to make his punishment meaningful.

"I'm sorry for having to do this to you Wildwing, but you are grounded. You are not getting dinner tonight and no hockey for a week."

"But, Dad"

"Wildwing!"

"Yes sir," Wing whispered, backing away.

Anna shook her head in dismay. She didn't like what had just transpired, but she had agreed with her husband that the next time Wing acted out. George took his wife by her arm and led her downstairs.

Wing stayed in his room for the rest of the night. He spent the night doing his homework and crying. How could Dive have told a lie that he had hurt him? The next morning Wing was awoken by a very cheerful Dive. Wing's seriously empty stomach reminded him of Dive's lie and his punishment. He was NOT in the mood to smile back. Instead he wanted to kill Dive for lying. But if he did then the punishment would have been worse, much worse. So instead of killing him, Wing pulled Dive into a bear hug and gave him a mighty squeeze.

"Ahhh, Mamma!"

George and Anna came running at Dive's cry for help. They half expected to find him crying, not laughing in his brother's arms.

"Mamma, tell Wingy let go."

"Not until you let go first."

"No, you."

"You."

"You."

"Boys, that's enough," George smiled.

"Okay," the pair tried to sound disappointed as they released each other. They crawled off the bed on opposite ends and walked up to their parents. Dive exited the room first and Anna followed him down the hall. George stopped Wing by putting his arm across his path. "I hope you're not mad at me, Sport."

"I'm not, Dad, but I didn't hurt Dive. I would never hurt him no matter how much he gets on my nerves. He's my little brother."

"I'm glad to hear that." There was a long dramatic, awkward pause that seemed to last forever. "I'm taking you off restrictions. You can play hockey."

Wing smiled his reply, but he was still hurt that his father would think so little of him. Wildwing left the room, leaving his father alone in the room. George stood in the silent room and looked around the room. A picture of the brothers sat on the nightstand next to the head of Wildwing's bed. Maybe he had been wrong,