I will do my best to continue with this story, but I may not get to it as quickly as I would like. Please be patient with me. P.S. Here Come The Mummies are a real band, my very favorite band. I will hopefully, if the darn weather cooperates, be off to see them later this month. It will be my fifth concert and I have loved each experience. YouTube them… they will at the very least make your eyebrows arch upwards.

Apologies and Bonding

Raylan looked back at Nate and walked out the front door. He jogged a few houses down where Tommy met him at the door. "She's out now," Tommy said speaking of his mother who was doing her best to look calm and collected as she sat on the couch with a frozen bag of peas on her eye.

"What happened?" Raylan asked gently as he took a seat in a nearby chair.

"Oh it's nothing really," she began. "It was my fault really."

"No it wasn't Mom, tell the Marshal what happened," Tommy insisted.

"My brother-in-law has had a rough time, he lost his job several months back and moved in with us recently. Well his luck in finding a job hasn't been so good and he has been drinking a bit too much." Mrs. Morton explained.

"And he got mad and hit my mom," Tommy interjected.

"He came home having had a little too much to drink and instead of staying out of it, I called him out, told him if he spent as much time drinking as he did looking for a job he would find work."

Tommy acted as if he was going to interrupt again causing Raylan to wave his hand at the boy in an attempt to have him stay quiet. "Go on," he encouraged, once the boy relaxed.

"Well, as you can imagine, he didn't take too kindly to my words and yelled that he had been trying and that he deserved a break and that if he wasn't welcome here he would just sleep in his car where at least he could get some peace. I told him that he needed to get serious about his search and go out every day, all day looking, not bar hopping. He charged me and ended up shoving me, my face hit the handle of the refrigerator."

"Then my dad came home and him and my uncle had a fight and my uncle ran out of here to his car and my dad followed," Tommy finished.

"I haven't been able to get ahold of my husband and it's been nearly an hour. Tommy was so upset that he raced after his daddy and I didn't know where he went. I yelled out for him, but he didn't come back, so I went into the bathroom and just cried," she explained, her tears once again beginning to fall.

"I ran outside and told my dad to let my uncle leave, but he told me to go back to the house and take care of my mom, but I didn't, I ran over to the park and called Nate," Tommy said trying to hold back his own sobs.

"Wait a minute, you called Nate?" Raylan asked.

"Yeah, I told him I needed him bad, just to talk and calm me down, cause he can always do that for me, help me you know. He met me at the park and convinced me to go home and to call him again if I needed him."

"And this was about an hour ago?" Raylan asked.

"Something like that," Tom said.

"And Nate came out to meet you because it was an emergency?"

"Yes sir, and he didn't hesitate neither, came right out and calmed me down. Told me take deep breaths and asked me what happened. Then he told me that my momma needed me and walked me home. He was a great friend to me tonight Marshal." He then turned to his mom. "He was momma, I know you don't like him but he is the one kid that has always been nice to me and helped me whenever I needed it."

Mrs. Morton nodded and reached her arms out towards her son. "I see that son, I can see that now."

Raylan put his head down and blew out a mouthful of air as he realized that he had just disciplined his son for being a good friend. He wanted to go back home and check on both of his children, but wasn't sure if they Morton's were in any state to be left alone.

"Why don't you try calling your husband again," Raylan announced, more to give the woman something to do for a moment.

She nodded but before she could get up to look for her phone, the front door opened revealing what must have been Mr. Morton from the reaction of the rest of the Morton family.

"J.T. you're home," Lynn Morton said.

"Yeah, are you okay?" He asked looking at her eye.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she answered turning her bruised eye away from him.

"What happened Daddy?" Tommy asked.

The man finally seemed to notice Raylan standing there. "I'm Raylan Givens, your neighbor," Raylan said offering his hand.

"Oh, yeah, the US Marshal."

"I just came down to see how everybody was," Raylan stated beginning to edge his way towards the door.

"Well thank you, I appreciate that, my brother got a little outta hand. I chased him down the street, followed him in my car, can you believe he went right to another bar. I drug him out and put him in a motel down the street from the place and drove his car down there and pocketed his keys," he said as he pulled the keys from his pocket. "I think he'll sleep it off and I'm sure he'll be real sorry."

"I'm sure he will," Lynn said.

"I'll talk to him, he'll just have to find someplace else to live. I'm so sorry," he said reaching out for his wife.

"Well, I'll be heading home," Raylan announced. Tommy waved goodbye as his parents fell into an embrace.

Raylan had a million thoughts flying through his head in the short journey home. He walked into a quiet house, the TV was off and there was no sign of Nate. He went to the boys room but found that empty as well, but then he heard a quiet voice coming from Meghan's room.

"He really is a good guy, he just – well sometimes he jumps first and asks questions later. He has to do that on his job a lot and, well, habits can be hard to break. But let me tell you one thing, you want him on your side. I found myself in big trouble twice recently and both times he did what he had to in order to save me. The first time wasn't my fault…I was kidnapped, but the second time, well that one is on me. I did get in major trouble, but I deserved it. Bottom line little sister is that you can trust that he will do what he feels is right and everybody else better get out of the way. He may be mad at you, but he always love you," Nate finished as baby Meghan held tightly to his finger as she gazed up at him.

Raylan stood frozen outside the door, his hand resting on the knob. He couldn't believe what Nate had just said. He figured his son would have been pouting in his room full of anger over the unjust punishment, but instead he was explaining a very mature perspective to his baby sister. Raylan took a deep breath and opened the door.

"What's going on in here?" He asked gently.

"She was fussing a bit and had kicked her cover off and when I pulled it back up she grabbed my finger. I think she likes me," Nate said looking at Raylan.

"Of course she likes you, you're her big brother." Raylan said as he looked down at his daughter who suddenly didn't appear to be the least bit sleepy. "Hey, since she's awake now, why don't you hold her and let me get a picture. I don't have one yet of the two of you together."

Nate hesitated for a moment and then shrugged and bent over and reached for the baby. "Make sure you support her head," Raylan advised.

"I know, I know," Nate answered carefully lifting his sister out of the crib.

"Okay, stand over here by the wall," the proud father directed.

Nate did as he was told and shifted Meghan so she would be facing the right direction. Raylan feared she might begin to fuss, but she seemed quite content in her brother's arms. When they were both set Raylan aimed his phone and clicked off a couple of pictures.

"Great shots, if I do say so myself. Now let me have her so I can get her back to sleep and I want you to wait for me in your room."

"Why?" Nate asked.

"Because I told you to," Raylan stated with hint of severity in his voice.

But as Raylan reached for his daughter his phone rang and Nate hung onto the baby and shifted her once again so her head was against his chest. "Hey there, how's it going?" Winona asked after Raylan had answered.

"Hello Winona," Raylan stated as he looked at Nate. "We're all just fine, little Meghan has been bonding with her big brother." There was silence as Raylan listened to the other side of the conversation. "She settles right down when he holds her, he's great with her. We'll be fine, she's fine, you get some rest."

While Raylan was assuring the new mother, Nate had settled the baby back into her crib, patting and cooing her into submission. Her eyes had fluttered closed and Nate headed for his room as Raylan hung up. He checked on his daughter and was duly impressed with his son's baby skills. He then took a breath and headed across the hall.

Nate was sitting on his bed, scrolling through his phone. "Son, I believe I owe you an apology."

Nate looked up and said, "continue."

"I didn't have the whole story and I didn't give you a chance to explain it to me before I punished you and for that I'm sorry."

"I take it you found out what happened while you were over at Tommy's then?"

"Yes I did and I'm very proud of you for helping him out. And I am very sorry for disciplining you without knowing the facts."

Nate sighed and took a moment to gather his thoughts. "It's okay, I deserved it, not for tonight mind you, but for before. But I just get so mad for being pushed aside all the time. I have needs too you know."

"You're right you do and I've failed."

"Well there is a way you can make it up to me," Nate said looking up with a smile.

"And what would that be?"

"One of my favorite bands is coming to Lexington and I want to go."

"Who, where and when?" Raylan asked.

"Here Come the Mummies, at a place downtown, it's an all-ages show and it's in two weeks, general admission and tickets are still available and only $25 each."

"The group you listened to during your mummy project?"

"Yep."

"Never heard of them."

"Nobody has, but they're really good and a lot of fun, please Dad, please. We could bond and everything. They do small venues and if we got there early we could be up front." Nate said with hope in his eyes.

"I'll look into it, I promise."

"Please don't let it be an empty promise," Nate said as he set his phone down and climbed under his covers.

Raylan bent down and kissed his son on the forehead. "I'll do my best son."