Lancer Round-Up

by StarGzer

This is intended to be a repository for new or more recently written 'short-shots' that don't have a home of their own. Each chapter should stand alone. Some may be serious, some may be silly…. Like a ride on the range you never know what you're gonna get. Enjoy, StarGzer

10. Legacy of a Name

A/N: The series never gave us middle names for the boys, this is one scenario. Thanks to L. for the prompt! Mexicans have two surnames. The first name is the father's last name and the second the mother's last name. This way, the surnames exist at least through two generations. Parents of the child can choose either the father's or the mother's last name as the surname of the child. Thinking that Madrid is one of Maria's surnames, Johnny's full name would be: John (Juan) Adalberto Lancer Madrid. See below for what his middle name means ;-).

Also, we don't know of any backstory for Johnny's grandparents in Lancer. It was fun for me to imagine at least one alive in his earlier years.

Legacy of a Name

Juan Adalberto Madrid—only Madrid, for Lancer would never cross his lips—had grown up to be a handsome man. Lots of dark hair left loose and wild, tight muscles in his arms. The last he clearly remembered of Juan was when he tripped and fell into the dirt as a child wearing too-big boots when Maria showed up unexpectedly at his doorstep. The sorrow of what went before was still too great. The shame. He demanded for a second time she leave. And so she did.

Ah, but that was many years ago. He kept track of the boy through hearsay for he already had a reputation. His only namesake. Then his sources brought disturbing news. Mexican officers had captured him at some remote village. He spat. The pigs.

Did he know of his abuelo? He had Maria's wild blood running through him and of that gringo, too. He spat on the ground again—this time it was bright red—and tried to quell his shaking fists. They shook from age and illness, as the anger had simmered and finally died with his daughter.

Foolish old man.

It would not be long before he was under the ground himself. At least the boy had a part of him, his blood was mixed in there too. And a name—first and middle and last. As his own father had given him and those who came before. A name fit for a king: Juan Adalberto Madrid. Did the boy care?

He hoped the boy cared.

The End

(The meaning of Adalberto is Noble, Bright)