O's AN: Alexis and Riley Hauser are my creations, but I'm willing to share. Just drop me a note. Heather Falcone is Scarlett Phoenix's creation, and I have obtained her permission to use this character. Thanks SP.
A big thank you to Alison Hart Burnett for her beta reading services and other words of encouragement, etc. Thank you, Alison.
O's Disclaimer: General disclaimers apply. I do not own the GI Joe characters.
Chapter One
The birds were chirping, and a light wind was rustling the curtains. The distant voices from the television echoed through the two-story, Cape Cod house. Continuing to rock the sleeping little boy in her arms, Shana's thoughts wandered back to how lucky she was that she had a loving husband and two wonderful kids. She had the opportunity and honor to serve and defend her country, meeting the man, who eventually became her husband. The tiny baby gurgled and sighed heavily, content against his mother's chest. Shana knew that as soon as she would lie Riley down, he would wake up. Just a few more minutes of steady breathing and the gentle rocking motion, then she could assuredly put him down for his nap.
Downstairs in the family room, Conrad sat at his makeshift desk, sifting through a mountain of junk mail. Frustrated at all the credit card applications and other nonsense, he looked over at his daughter, who was mesmerized by the big purple dinosaur, dancing around on the TV screen. 'What ever happened to the good cartoons?' Conrad wondered. Letting his eyes wander past his daughter to the warm, early summer day outside, he had an idea.
"Alexis, honey," he began, "Why don't you turn off Barney, and let's go play outside."
Alexis squealed with delight and immediately bounded out the double French doors, ignoring her father's request to turn off Barney.
Smiling to himself, Conrad grabbed the remote, switched off the TV, and followed his blond-haired daughter outside into the beautiful day.
"Sing, daa-ddeee, sing," Alexis pointed enthusiastically.
Conrad laughed, "Do you want to swing, Princess? Well, go on. I'm right behind you."
Father and daughter crossed the backyard towards the big Oak tree that shaded the swing set. Eventually, when the kids were older, Conrad planned to build a jungle gym in this spot. It was the perfect location, not too far away from the house, and shaded from the sun during the hottest times of the day.
Lifting Alexis onto the swing seat, Conrad gently pushed the swing, relishing the giggles and laughter coming from his daughter's mouth. 'The twos were not that terrible after all', Conrad sighed, alluding to her age and the horror stories that Dash and Allie had told him and Shana about their twin's terrible twos.
Alexis' attention span was not lengthy; but if she was swinging or watching TV, she was content for hours. Dad was content too, just to spend some time with his family. He had been gone a lot over the past few years because of his Army job, so this reprieve from traveling was a welcomed relief, for him as well as his wife.
Shana had been handling all the duties of the house for the past few years, in his varied absences. She had been raising a rambunctious two-year old, caring for their colicky newborn, helping his brother's wife at her dojo, and countless other duties associated with being a wife and mother.
A whinny echoed across the Hauser homestead, followed by a high pitch whoop. 'Heather's back', Conrad thought as he glanced towards the stables. Sure enough, a beautiful, jet-black gelding streaked across the meadow that was adjacent to the Hauser's property. Within minutes, the horse and its rider trotted up the path, towards the barn.
The rider saw her stepbrother and niece out by the swings, so she altered her horse's direction and headed towards the father and daughter. "Hi ya, Bro an' Alexis. Did ya see the speed Wind Rider has? He is awesome fast. I think you oughtta race him, Con," Heather said as she dismounted and stretched her legs.
"Etter, horsey," the little girl anxiously pointed at her Aunt and the horse, which was grazing on some grass beneath the big Oak tree.
"Yes, Sis," Conrad said, disapproval apparent in his voice, "I saw how fast you rode him. Didn't your father teach you anything about horses? You can't ride at a full gallop and then stop. You need to cool Wind Rider down."
Rolling her eyes, Heather rebutted, "I know how to take care of horses. Blade Runner and I have won several Equestrian championships. He's Wind Rider's older brother, you know. There is championship blood in Wind Rider." She rearranged her ponytail and flipped her dark, reddish-brown hair back from her shoulder, before replacing her riding helmet. "Here. Let me take Alexis for the cool down lap then," she said, raising a challenging eyebrow.
Alexis was squirming in her swing and clamoring for a "horsey ride". Heather was a capable rider, so Conrad gave in, not worried about Alexis' safety. "Alright. Heather, go get mounted on Wind Rider. I'll bring this little June Bug." Conrad grinned as he swept up his wiggling daughter, carrying her over to the horse and his sister.
Wind Rider pointed his muzzle in Conrad's direction, watching the two approach him. He whinnied quietly in anticipation of another walk around the property. For such a young horse, Wind Rider was the gentlest horse that Conrad had ever seen. Which was good since Alexis was enamored with them, and Shana loved the four-legged beasts as long as they were gentle and calm. Wind Rider's sire, Midnight, could almost be considered a wild stallion by the unruly attitude that the horse had. Midnight resided at the Falcone's farm, and Heather occasionally tackled the task of riding Midnight but had been thrown off him more than once.
"Okay, rider up," Conrad announced as he placed the now stiff-as-a-board child between the saddle's horn and Heather. Patting his horse's nose, he warned his stepsister sternly, "You be sure to hang on to her securely. Nothing faster than a slow gait, stay on the main path, and within my eyesight."
"Yes, Sir," she smartly snapped back at him. Her brother treated her as if she was still in middle school, or worse, as if she was one of his soldiers, instead of approaching her junior year in high school. With a crisp salute and a roll of her eyes, she squeezed her knees gently, prodding Wind Rider to move forward. She securely held onto Alexis and the reigns, whispering into the little girl's ear something that caused Alexis to giggle.
'Smart-ass', Conrad thought with a grin, watching his sister and daughter meander down the driveway towards the walking trails.
Conrad walked back to the deck and sat down on the steps to watch his offspring and sibling enjoy their nice, slow ride. Immediately upon sitting himself on the step, Conrad felt the familiar arms surround his neck and shoulders. He tilted his head back and glanced up at the beautiful redhead, gazing down at him.
Shana bent down and gave her husband's forehead a kiss before she took a seat on his lap. "Where are the girls?"
"Heather has Alexis on Wind Rider," Conrad said as he pointed to the backside of the retreating horse.
Chuckling, Shana said, "I wondered why Heather was going so slowly. I didn't think that girl knew the difference between a walk and a trot, let alone a canter."
Shaking his head, Conrad replied, "She loves speed. Reminds me of a certain someone I know, who is currently crushing my knees," he teased.
Playfully slapping his arm, Shana met her husband's blue eyes and gave him a deep, passionate kiss. "Well, maybe she should join the Air Force to get her fill of speed. I'm sure Brad would be able to send out some Air Force recruiters," she retorted with a devilish grin.
"Don't even mention that," Conrad warned. "If my sister joins any military unit, it will be the Army if her father, brother, or myself has any say in it," Conrad said with a grunt.
"You guys are incorrigible. I really, truly feel sorry for her," Shana said with a laugh before leaning her head against her husband's broad chest. "Hmm, this is nice. I'm glad Heather could come spend some time with us during her summer vacation. The kids love her, and I'm sure the horses love the extra attention."
"That they do, Red, that they do," Conrad stated, giving the top of his wife's head a kiss. "Did it take long for Riley to go to sleep?" He asked with concern.
"Not too bad this time. I think the new formula Doc has him on is agreeing with him more than my milk," she grinned, stifling a yawn. Riley's colic started a few weeks after he was born, and now, he was eight weeks old. Doc's medical advice reassured them that the worst was over. Conrad seriously hoped so, since Shana was now feeling the effects of sleep deprivation, added to her many other duties.
Listening to the peaceful sounds of nature, Conrad soon felt a small sigh come from his wife, followed by the slow steady sound of her breathing. He glanced down at her face, noticing she was fast asleep. He slowly wrapped his arms beneath her as he stood up, holding her close to him. Grabbing the baby monitor from the banister, Conrad carried his wife into the house, placing her on the sofa. He laid an afghan across her legs, and just stared at her beauty. He asked himself, 'How did I ever get so lucky to have this woman fall in love with me?'
Smiling, Conrad walked back out to the deck, observing Heather and Alexis returning from their ride. Conrad headed off to meet one of the other greatest achievements in his life. 'Life was good.'
O's Ending Note: I hope you enjoyed this. I had this idea after I wrote this to add various other summertime activities in this timeframe but not sure what else I'll think of. If anyone has any ideas or suggestions that you would like to see, let me know in an email or your review.