"Hey, batter, batter, batter, swwwwing!"
A.J. cupped his hands and yelled, "Come on, Ceci, you can hit it!"
Confidently his oldest daughter stood in the batter's box, then smacked the next pitch, sending it sailing for a double. Behind the dugout the Simon family cheered, with Cecilia and Laurie screaming encouragement.
"Come on, bring Ceci home!" Laurie called, then grinned as an arm went around her shoulders.
"Here, my cheerleader, one Root Beer float." Rick put the treat in her hand, then was rewarded with a kiss. Ignoring the persistent pain in his knee, he pulled her closer and held the straw for her to sip as she jiggled A.J.'s youngest on her knee.
"Thank you, love. You're just in time, ohhhhh run for it, Ceci!" Laurie shouted, nearly spilling her soda in her excitement. Everyone applauded as Ceci scored the winning run and was instantly mobbed by her teammates.
"That's my girl!" A.J. crowed, then his wife elbowed him, teasing, "Our girl, if you don't mind!"
As the team threw their hats into the air, A.J. and Linda hightailed it down the bleacher steps with the other parents. Laurie and Rick followed with Robin and Melly in tow.
"Okay, sis, good game!" Rick's namesake came running from the announcer's table, where he had helped keep score. Immediately Ceci broke loose from her friends and ran to her brother.
"Did you see, I used your bat, Ricky. It did have a couple of hits in it!" she told him, then gave him a hug.
"Yeah, but you're the one who swung it!" Ricky grinned, then A.J. put an arm around each of them.
"You guys both did a great job, just for that we're going to Castleland, you've earned it!" he said, then pretended to cover his ears as his children cheered.
Rick started laughing as Melly clapped her hands. "Candy!"
"No, honey, games." He told her, then handed her off to her father for a piggyback ride. As the family approached the parking lot, Laurie suddenly grabbed Rick's arm.
"Rick…..no…." She began, then her knees gave way and she collapsed. At once he caught her then scooping her up in his arms, limped with her to a nearby bench. "Sweetheart, just breathe." He said, trying to keep calm as he saw her closed eyes. Rick gave a glance to A.J..
"I'll get some water for her." A.J. said over his shoulder as he turned and ran back to the field's snack bar. Ricky had his brother and sisters sit on the ground as his mother pulled a cleaning wipe from her purse and gently wiped her sister-in-law's face. Almost immediately Laurie's eyes opened.
"I'm, I'm alright, sis." She told them, then her eyes widened. "Darling, don't let the children near the truck, it's going to explode."
Linda gasped then clutched at A.J. when he rushed up with a bottle of water in his hand. "A.J., call Ron, Laurie saw that Rick's truck's going to blow."
As his brother used his transmitter, Rick helped Laurie to sit up. "Here, darlin', take a sip." He urged, holding the water bottle to her lips. Within minutes her color was better.
"Thank you, love. I'm all right, it was so bad though…." Laurie's voice trembled. Just then a police cruiser pulled up, followed by the bomb squad. As they blocked off the parking lot, a dog emerged from the squad's van, then was led over to Rick's pickup.
As the dog's handler gingerly examined the underside of the vehicle, Chief Ron Johnson emerged from huddling with the officers, then came to the Simons.
"Laurie, what happened, what did you see?" he asked, then frowned as she replied, "I saw Rick open the camper for the children to climb in, then it exploded. There was blood everywhere, I couldn't find Rick…then… someone was laughing….."
"Chief! We have a problem!"
Everyone looked up as Ron ran to the squad leader, who pointed at the truck, then pulled out a bag and cautiously crawled under the truck's undercarriage.
His heart in his throat, Rick wrapped his arms around Laurie and held his breath. A moment later the officer emerged slowly with a device in his hand, wires protruding from it.
"Thank God-if Laurie hadn't seen the explosion….." A.J. started, then hugged his sister-in-law.
"A.J., I'm alright." She sighed, then smiled when Ricky and the other children got up and embraced their aunt and uncle. "You make me feel better, guys." Laurie told them, then tears filled her eyes when Ceci mournfully said "I'm sorry you get sick when you see things, Auntie Laurie. It's not right."
"Oh, honey, I can handle it. As long as my Ceci, and Robin and Ricky and yes, Melly." She kissed each of them, "are safe. And my Rick." she added, as he wiped her eyes with his handkerchief, then kissed her.
Instead of the usual "yuck", a cheerful "Yea!" came from Melly, and everyone laughed.
"All right, Melly, you're going to be a romantic just like your uncle." Laurie giggled, then sobered quickly as Ron approached the group.
"The truck is okay now, guys. It looks like a professional job, but we got some good prints off the materials in the bomb. I'm afraid Castleland might not work today." He added, then Rick offset the disappointment for the kids by saying "Well, Ceci, we'll have our own "Castleland", why don't we go for a carriage ride and picnic instead?"
"Could we? Thanks, Uncle Rick, you too, Auntie!" she replied enthusiastically.
As they once again headed for the truck, a car came screeching into the lot, then Rick saw their friend Rudy Wells come tearing out. "Laurie, Rick! Everyone okay?" he panted as he ran toward them.
"We're okay, Rudy. Let's just say my "Light" here," Rick tightened his arm around Laurie, "saw something and saved me and the kids. We're headed for the ranch now."
"Good, cause there was a phone call to the house, you might want to hear this too, Ron." Their friend nodded to the Chief Detective.
Rick felt his wife shiver against him, and cursed inwardly the coward who'd caused this.
"It's all right, darlin', it'll be okay." He whispered as he led her to the passenger side and helped her in.
"I know, love." She put her arms around his neck and kissed him. "I'm fine as long as you're with me."
Heartened, Rick kissed her back, then added, "I'll be with you always, my princess. Now let's go home and enjoy our "Castleland".
"Yes, my prince." She let go of him long enough for him to climb into the cab and buckle up, then snuggled against his shoulder as he draped an arm around her.
"Both hands on the wheel, Uncle Rick." Ricky's teasing voice came from the back. "Just wait until you go on your first date, son." Rick pretended to growl. "I'll volunteer to chaperone you for your folks." "And I'll help." Laurie seconded, to the children's laughter
At the loud groan from the rear of the camper, A.J. chose that moment to stick his head in the window. "Who needs a chaperone?"
"Never mind, Dad." Ricky answered with a sheepish grin. 'Uncle Rick's got that covered."
As his niece and nephews giggled, Rick pulled out of the lot and led a procession of cars onto the highway toward home.
As they drove onto their driveway, their friend Sheriff Rob was waiting on the porch, a worried-looking Oscar Goldman behind him. Both men smiled as A.J. and Rick unloaded their excited cargo from his truck, then Linda and Rudy herded the children into the house.
"Laurie, are you okay?" Oscar hugged his daughter as she stepped onto the porch.
"I'm okay, Dad. Just…well, I'll never get used to these premonitions, but at least Rick was with me." She replied, dropping a kiss on his cheek then embracing Rob.
"That's what I've been worried about, baby. You having a vision without one of us around." Oscar said, then he turned to Rick. "Are you okay, son? Ron said there was a bomb underneath your pick-up."
"Yeah, there was, Dad. The bomb guys disarmed it, and they said it was loaded with enough explosive to hurt us pretty good." Rick left unspoken the thought that not only he and Laurie, but the children would have died.
"Then that explains the phone call that came in a few hours ago. Rudy and I were putting fish in the freezer when I heard the answering machine pick up." Oscar explained, leading the way into the house and past the children in the living room.
When they reached the kitchen, Rick took Laurie's hand in one hand and reached for the answering machine with the other. "Okay, Sweetheart?"
"Okay, love." Laurie replied, raising his hand to her lips.
It took a minute for their recorder to play its incoming message, then an eerily familiar voice sounded.
"Sorry, Mrs. Simon. Hated to make a widow out of you, but he asked for it. Too bad all those children had to die. Don't worry, though. After the rest of your family is gone, you'll get all the company you need."
Click.
"God no, oh please, not him again." Laurie gasped, then Rick put his arms around her.
"Darlin', it's okay, all that creep did ……wait a minute, isn't Tony Wolf and his brother in prison for the next 20 years?"
Oscar nodded. "Wolf is supposed to be at a maximum security prison, with Andrew Bear in a lockdown psychiatric facility. Let me call Ron and check. In the meantime, Laurie, I want you to rest."
"Yes, Dad." She managed a smile at him then gave him a hug as Rick loaded a tray with some sandwiches and salad then led the way to their room.
Once his wife was settled on their bed, Rick pulled up a side table and the two of them had a cozy meal. Every few minutes one of A.J.'s children would knock on the door then climb on the bed and "share" dinner with them.
"Darling, every time I think we did a pretty good job with our children, A.J. and Linda's kids just amaze me." Laurie said, snuggling against Rick as he finished off the last sandwich.
"Even as young as Melly is, she knew something happened today, and her wanting to be with us…."
"Sweetheart." He kissed her hair, then fed her one last bite. "Ricky and Ceci and Robin and Melly have had so much love from everyone in our family, they couldn't help but turn out this good."
"Well, I know someone else who's good." Laurie put her arms around Rick, then kissed him until they both ran out of breath.
"You're better then good, sweetheart." Rick managed, then a child's voice at the door caused him to groan.
"Hold that thought, love." She giggled.