Dean just stared.
“What?” Frank asked. “You don’t look happy.”
“You saw her and I didn’t. I’m supposed to be happy about that?”
“Yeah. I mean, she’s our wife. Right? OK.” Frank clapped. “Just thought I’d let you know. You can go back to molesting the rabbit and sulking.” He walked to the door. “Oh. How long are you gonna be? It’s Christmas Eve. There’s ton to do.”
“Not too much longer.”
“Can I feed the kids or you want me to wait?”
“Feed them.”
Frank nodded, took another step, and then stopped. “Dean? I have to fly that surveillance again day after Christmas. You know, I can use someone to chart out Savage progress. If you want to do the flight with me, that’s fine.”
Slowly Dean looked up. “Really?”
“Yeah. Maybe we’ll see Ellen.”
“I’d like that, Frank. Thanks.”
Frank gave a nod, then snapped. “One more thing. That rabbit . . . she’s fucked up. Can I have her for my pet when you’re done?”
“Um, sure. Why not.”
“Cool. It will be a fuckin blast me and her in the killer baby region.” He took another step, another stop, and Frank turned back round. “Me and her aren’t related are we?”
Dean shook his head. “No, she’s not a jackrabbit.”
“Good. See ya.”
After Frank left, Dean had to chuckle. He guessed in Frank’s own demented way, he did cheer Dean up. With a partial smile still on his face, and the song, ‘Keep on Loving You’ playing, Dean went back to Majestic’s cage to retrieve her for another hug.
^^^^
There was just something so fitting about that moment as Ellen stood in the kitchen pouring the wine. Like peanut butter and jelly they went so well together. The hint of the drunken slur that flowed with the Dean Martin Christmas music playing in the living room seemed to grant permission for the evening drink.
Wine glasses in hand, Ellen walked to the living room and stopped upon entrance. Shocked and perhaps a tad mad, she looked at Robbie. “Hey. You put up all the ornaments already.”
Standing by the tree that he had brought in, Robbie retracted his hand from the last ornament he hung. “El, there were only twenty. I had them up before you opened the wine.”
“You should have waited.”
“Sorry.” Robbie bent down. “You can do the angel honors.” He lifted the limp angel.
“Nah. I have to jump to reach the top. You do it. I don’t want to knock the tree over.”
Robbie smiled and reached to place the angel on the tree. “There. Done. What do you think?”
Ellen handed him his wine. “Looks good. Now I can sneak out when you’re sleeping and put your gift under the tree.”
“Cool.”
“Actually, you have a couple. I bought so many gifts. I did the rummage for Danny Dollars. That was cool. You wouldn’t believe the treasures I got.”
An odd smirk hit Robbie’s face as he brought his wine to his lips. “What’s that?”
“The rummage? Oh, when Danny and the men cleaned out New Bowman, Joe ordered him to get rid of all the junk and keep what was salvageable. Well, to Danny, you know him, everything is salvageable, so he packed stuff randomly in boxes and stored them in the old tool and dye. There was so many boxes to choose from. He sold them at ten Danny Dollars a box but you couldn’t peek. You had to take what you got. I bought three boxes.”
“Sort of like a grab bag?”
“That’s it.” Ellen sipped her wine. “You look very Christmas like wearing that turtleneck.”
Robbie peered to the black shirt he wore. “It’s not a turtleneck. It just has a high collar.”
“It’s nice.”
“It’s warm.’
“Are you mad at me?” Ellen asked.
“Huh?” Robbie was confused. “Why would I be mad?”
“About today. I was afraid to ask. You know, with the circuit box and all.”
“Nah.” Robbie picked up the fire poker and stirred the fire. He then sat down on the floor. “It was fun.”
“Glad you thought so.” Ellen sat down next to him.
“Just, uh, remind me not to let you help again.”
“Don’t worry about that. It was too much pressure. If there’s a next time, I’ll just stay clear.”
“Good.” Robbie winked.
“It was nice seeing Frank, wasn’t it?”
“Even though it’s only been a couple days, yeah it was.” Robbie stared into his wine.
“I’m glad you are here with me.”
Robbie looked up from his wine. “Me too.”
“It feels different being out here with you.” Ellen shrugged. “Weird.”
“Not in a bad way, I hope.”
“No. More in an old world way,” Ellen said with a tilted head.
“Speaking of old world.” Robbie softened his voice. “You know, we’re way out here.” The corner of his mouth raised. The fire’s roaring. Dean Martin is singing and we have little wine. You could let me take advantage of you right now.”
“I could, could I? What do you have in mind?”
If possible, a more ornery grin hit Robbie. Setting down his wine, he turned his body quickly with excitement. “Scratch my back,” he said like a child, “because this shirt you like so much is driving me nuts.”
Chuckling, Ellen took another drink of her wine, set it down, and obliged to his innocent request. She scratched his back.
^^^^
Frank’s mannerisms at the dining room table were so much like Joe’s that perhaps Frank himself didn’t even realize it. Cigarette burning in his left hand, Frank sat with his elbows on the table. His face was propped in hands while he rubbed his temples simultaneously in irritation as he looked at the chessboard. “Sometime today please.” He took a drag from his cigarette.
His hand hovering a piece, Billy gazed up. “Good strategy takes time.”
“No, good strategy takes good war gut instinct.”
“I’m gonna be eight. How good can my gut instinct be with war strategy?” He shook his head and retracted his hand to think more about it.
With a loud ‘uh’, Frank sat back. “Sometime today.”
“Please.” Billy held up a hand while he concentrated.
“Dean . . .” Frank shifted his eyes to Dean who sat at the table with his dinner. “What’s wrong with your food?”
“Nothing.” Dean shook his head and trailed his fork through it.
“There,” Billy said proudly.
Frank grinned. “You suck.” With a move of his rook, Frank took Billy’s bishop. “I’m kicking your butt.”
Billy grunted. “Why are you so good at this game? It’s supposed to be an intellectual game.”
“It’s still war.” Frank winked. “Now, it’s your move again, sometime before you’re twenty, please.”
With a huff, Billy stared at the board.
Again, Frank looked at Dean. “Why are you playing with your food?”
“I’m not,” Dean responded.
“You are. Don’t you like it?” Frank asked.
“No. That’s not it. I don’t feel like eating.”
“I feel bad,” Frank said. “Is it my cooking?”
“No, Frank. I told you it’s not that. Why would you feel bad?”
“It’s just that I worked so hard on that. It’s like I’m not appreciated around here.”
“I appreciate you. Trust me,” Dean stated.
“Then eat or I’m . . .” Frank shut up when the tiny slap of a hand landed on the table.
“God!” Billy stood up. “Do you know how weird you two sound? Geez, I’m done.”
“Hey!” Frank called out. “Where are you going?”
Billy stopped before disappearing down the hall. “Aside from the fact I cannot concentrate with you two doing the demented domesticated bit, it’s Christmas Eve,. I want to get to bed so I’m good and asleep when
Santa comes.”
Dean blinked in curiosity. “Billy? You still believe in Santa?”
“Um, yeah, Dad,” Billy replied. “I’m seven, why wouldn’t I?”
“It’s just that it’s . . . . it’s you,” Dean answered. “And the concept of Santa . . . you know.”
“No. I don’t.” Billy folded his arms. “The concept of Santa?” He chuckled. “Dad, please. We have microchip enhanced soldiers. Bub the lobotomized savage, Majestic the one eyed, three legged rabbit, a time machine, and killer babies running around. Now really, with all that is one jolly man in a red suit passing out toys really that farfetched?”
Frank’s mouth dropped open as Billy walked out. “Oh my God.”
Dean quickly looked at him. “What?”
“He has a point.”
Dean had to laugh. “What? A point?”
“About Santa. Do you think the secret is that you have to believe?”
“In Santa?” Dean asked.
“Yeah. You have to believe in order to get toys.”
“No, Frank. When you’re a kid, you automatically get them.”
“So when you’re an adult, if you don’t believe, you won’t and if you do, you will?” Frank stood up.
“What in the world are you talking about?”
“Um, Dean? Santa. Get with the program.” In a daze, Frank looked around. “Bet me that’s the reason I never got it.”
“Got what.”
“Dean.” Quickly and as if he were sharing a huge secret, Frank pulled out a chair and sat down. “I wanted this Bionic Man doll so bad. You know, the one with the retractable skin? Did you know they had those?”
“No.” Dean shook his head.
“I always wanted one for Christmas but never got one.”
“Why didn’t you ask Santa?”
“Dean,” Frank stated, “think about that. Can you see me sitting on Santa’s lap?”
“No,” Dean said seriously.
“There you have it. Then again, maybe the fact that I used to set traps for Santa may have had something to do with it.”
“Probably, Frank.”
“Man, I wanted that Bionic Man doll.” Frank stood back up. “I saw it once at a flea market when I was an adult. The price was too high, but I got the money, went back, and guess what?”
“It was gone?” Dean asked.
“How did you know?”
“Lucky guess.”
“I’d say. So the trick is to believe. What more reason to believe than to be in Beginnings? I mean, hey, anything is possible in Beginnings, right?”
“Frank, this is . . .” Dean stopped. He watched Frank close his eyes. “What are you doing? Are you reading my mind?”
“No. I’m sending a telepathic message to Santa.” Frank looked at his watched. “I’m going to bed.”
“Frank.” Dean stood and tried to stop him. “There’s a ton to do. It’s Christmas Eve. Um, the toys?”
“Exactly, that’s why I’m going to sleep. Night.” He walked to the hall, paused, and turned around. “You might want to get to bed soon too. You heard Billy. Santa’s coming.”
Dumbfounded, Dean stood in the living room as Frank walked down the hall. “No,” he spoke softly to himself. “He’s just messing with me to get out of doing everything. He can’t possibly be that dumb.” Dean closed one eye in a wince. “Scratch that. Santa’s coming.” Dean nodded, walked back toward the dining room table, and sat back down with his dinner. “Yeah, Frank, Santa is coming and I’m doing all the work.” Exhaling, Dean noticed the chess board. He reached over, picked up one of Billy’s pieces, and moved it. “Check Mate, Frank. Man, Bill, how did you miss that one?”
CHAPTER FOUR
December 25th
“Santa wrapped pretty fuckin pathetic, didn’t he?” Frank made reference to the toys that laid upon the floor. The kids didn’t notice. They were too engrossed in playing with the things they received. However, not much of the new wrapping paper was there since Dean decided to only lay a cover sheet over the present in lieu of wrapping it entirely.
Dean looked at Frank. “Call it paper conscious.”
“El wrapped her gifts to us.” Frank nodded then picked up one of his gifts from Ellen, a bright blue and gold tie. He placed it around his neck. “She was generous. Man, did she get a ton.”
“She was generous with all of our Danny Dollar cards.”
“It’s the thought, Dean.” Frank finished tying his tie and let it drape down over his tee-shirt. “Looks good.”
“Yes, Frank. You certainly needed that. Just like I needed that big wooden monk style crucifix.”
“Yeah, that’s right. You’re atheist.”
Dean rolled his eyes. “I am not atheist.”
Joey peered up from his amusement of his toy truck,. “What’s an atheist?”
Billy explained. “It means he doesn’t believe in God.”
Alexandra’s eyes widened. “You don’t believe in God, Daddy.”
“Yes!” Dean yelled. “I mean, no. I mean. I believe in God. I could kill whoever started this.”
Billy rolled his eyes slightly. “Oh, yes. That’s a sure sign of Christianity.”
“Oh!” Alexandra’s tiny voice screamed out and she jumped to her feet. “Oh!” She raced from the room.
Seeing Dean’s wondrous look, Frank shrugged. “Maybe she gave up the pee dance for something new.”
Billy decided to add his comment, “Or perhaps, she started the atheist rumor and you frightened her.”
“I forgot!” Alexandra raced back in. She held a gift in each of her little hands, perfectly wrapped in paper that was different than the rest. “Here.” She handed one to Frank and then to Dean. “I forgot. Sorry.”
Dean smiled. “Thank you, Alex.”
“They aren’t from me.” She sat on the floor. “Santa left a note and said give them to you and Uncle Frank on Christmas.”
Frank’s eyes widened. “Santa.”
“God, Frank,” Dean winced.
“No, Dean,” Frank corrected. “Santa. Open yours first.”
“Fine.” Dean unwrapped the box shaped gift. “Oh, shit. Oh . . . shit.”
“What?” Frank asked.
When he was finished with the unwrapping, like a child, Dean tossed the paper and nearly shrieked out. “It’s an Albert Einstein lunch box!”
Billy perked with excitement. “Whoa. Look at that. That is cool.”
“Yeah.” Dean grinned. “Tell me about it. I always wanted an Albert Einstein lunch box, but my dad refused. He said I was weird enough. I didn’t need to carry an Einstein lunch box so he made me carry Scooby Doo.”
Billy let out a thinking, ‘hmm’. “So you were mentally abused as a child as well?”
Dean stared in awe at his lunch box. “Something like that. My father was torturous.” His hand smoothed over the box. “What a gift. Wow.” He grinned. “Frank, open yours.”
“Ok.” Frank tore the paper off his gift and no sooner did he do so, he jumped straight up with the loudest of screams. “A Bionic Man doll!”
“No way!” Dean stood up.
“Yeah!” Frank held up the old doll. “Look, Oh fuck. Retractable skin.”
Dean stepped over the coffee table. “Like we’re gonna do with Robbie.”
“And, Dean, look.” Frank held the doll to his own eyes. “You can peer through the back of his head and use his bionic eye.” Frank made a mouth music sound.
“Like me.” Dean smiled.
Billy slumped in annoyance. He gave a twitch of his head in a point at them as he spoke to Alexandra. “And they’re supposed to be the adults here.”
The grin couldn’t have been wider on Frank’s face. “This is really cool. My doll. Dean, Santa really came.”
Dean was ready to rebut, but stopped. He looked down at the lunch box in his hand and really had to wonder at that moment.
^^^^
The older Skipper doll was in mint condition and it fit perfectly in the pal
m of Robbie’s hand. On the floor of the living room, he grinned ornery at the doll and grasped her arm. “Like this?”
“Just wind it up,” Ellen instructed. “Watch. She’s called Grow-up Skipper. She was a huge hard-to-find collector’s doll in the old world. Go on. Watch.”
Robbie wound the arm counter-clockwise. He shrieked when the doll not only expanded an inch in height, but her breasts popped out as well. “Oh my God.”
“As soon as I saw her, I knew she was your special gift.”
“This is so great.” Robbie made her small and then big again.
“Did I or did I not tell you I hit the rummage jackpot. The whole box was nothing but collector item toys. It was almost as if the box was handpicked for me. I found a doll or toy for everyone in there. The grownups I mean.”
“You’re joking about the Bionic Man doll, right?” Robbie asked.
“No, I’m serious. When I saw that I almost died. Do you know how hard it was not to tell Frank?”
“He always wanted that doll.”
“Don’t I know it.” Ellen smiled. “I bet he’s in his glory. I left it with a note in Alex’s room saying it was from Santa. He’s probably loving me even more right now.”
“That’s a great gift. And this . . .” Robbie held up his Skipper doll. “Is awesome.” He leaned to her and kissed her on the cheek. Returning to his doll, he turned her arm and snickered like a boy when she went through instant puberty. “Great.” His fingers touched the doll. “I’m getting an erection.”
“Robbie.” Ellen smacked her hand out to him.
“This is . . .” Instinct immediately kicked in and Robbie sprang to his feet when the perimeter alarm went off.
“Robbie?”
Robbie ran into the dining room where the set up was placed. After setting his doll on the table, Robbie grabbed his M-16 and gazed at the screen.
“What’s going on?”
“There’s one, only one.”
“Do you see anything else?”
“It’s clear. You watch this.” Robbie turned. “Whoever it is, is heading straight for the front door.”
“Should I turn on the fry beams?”
The Next Ten: Beginnings Series Books 11 - 20 Page 263