Forever and Ever and Ever Response to the Vin Fanfic and Discussion Group Sept Finish the Story Challenge (1498 words) Vin walked away from the open door hoping no one had noticed him standing there. While he knew eavesdropping was wrong, it had been an accident. Now he needed a place to think things through. It had to be a mistake . . . surely he had heard incorrectly.
“Hey,” Nathan complained as Josiah leaned from the back seat to change the radio station. Nathan was driving Ezra and Josiah back from court.
“Tell Dr. Betsy’s on,” Josiah stated. “Love listening to her advice.”
Ezra rolled his eyes. “A demented man listening to a demented woman giving advice to the demented.”
“Your vocabulary lacks its usual flair. Tired, brother?”
“Exhausted.”
“And who do we have on the line?” Dr. Betsy asked. “Hello?
“Hi.”
“You sound young. What’s your name?”
“Vin.”
Ezra shot a look at Nathan and then turned to Josiah. “That sounds like...”
“Why are you calling, Vin?”
The child spoke softly and slowly. “The judge says my dad can’t keep me no more and I have to go into foster care.”
“It’s Vin,” Josiah agreed.
“What’s he talking about?” Nathan murmured.
“Chris and Buck have lost custody?” Josiah asked incredulously.
“Not to my knowledge.”
Ezra pulled out his phone. “Ranch phone is busy.”
“Chris’ cell’s busy... so’s Buck’s,” Josiah stated, snapping his cell closed.
“Sometimes parents can’t look after or protect their children and...”
“My Pa can protect me! He’s got a gun. He’s shot people before.”
“Are you telling me fibs, Vin?”
“No.” The child’s voice echoed such innocence it was clear he was telling the truth. “Pa’s real upset. I can hear him shouting at the Judge. My Pa needs me real bad. Uncle Josiah says I’m his soul and Pa can’t live without that. I don’t want my Pa to die.”
“Where are you, Vin?”
“At Pa’s house. The Judge’s here.”
“And your father has a gun?” Dr. Betsy’s voice rose with concern.
“He needs it because of drugs and stuff.”
“Drugs?! Pete, get the police and trace this call. This kid’s in trouble. Vin are you still there?”
“Nathan, put your foot down. Chris is about to experience turbulence,” Josiah ordered, attacking his phone.
Nathan spun the car, Ezra holding on to the dash for dear life.
“I called Billy to get your number because you fixed his sister’s problem. Can you help my Pa keep me? I don’t want him to die.”
“Vin’s spoken more tonight than I’ve heard him speak in the last month,” Nathan commented quietly.
“He has a reason to speak. He’s trying to save his father’s life,” Ezra murmured. “Brave little boy.”
“Don’t worry, Sweetheart. Help is coming.”
“Really?”
“Is your mum there?”
“She died.”
“Is there anyone in the house besides your father and the Judge?”
“No. Uncle Buck and J.D. are camping. I couldn’t ‘cause I’s got a cold. Can you help Pa?”
“I’m going to help you, Vin. There’s a policeman here to talk to you.”
“Call the local uniforms,” Ezra snapped, as he rang the radio station. “This is getting out of hand.”
“Hello, Vin. My name’s Sergeant Wilson. Where in the house are you?”
“Bedroom.”
“Does the door have a lock?”
“No.”
“Vin, we’re going to play a game. I want you to go and hide in the closet.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s a game... Vin?”
“I’s in the closet... now what?”
“How old are you Vin?”
“Seven.”
“Oh, you’re a big boy.”
“I can’t get through to the station. The lines are obviously jammed with calls about a drug dealing father with a gun who is about to shoot a judge who is trying to place his seven year old in foster care,” Ezra ranted. “Josiah?”
“...The place you are surrounding is an ATF agent’s home....My badge number is... What do you mean the computer’s down?!” Josiah ended the call. “Chris is about to be visited by a SWAT team all fired up to rescue a child and a judge! Someone’s going to get hurt if we don’t stop this!”
“Chris is still on his cell. Damn it, where’s Buck?”
******** Chris ended his call with Buck, glanced at the clock, frowned at the sound of knocking on the front door and then looked out the window... moving shadows.
“Judge,
get down.” “Chris?”
“We’ve got visitors.” He tossed his cell to Travis to call for help. “Vin, get into....”
*********
“Vin, get into your closet and stay there. You hear me son? There may be some shooting! There’s no need to be afraid.”
“Yes, Pa. I’s in the closet.”
“He’s spotted the police, he’s armed and he’s willing to shoot. Let SWAT know. Vin, stay in the closet!”
********
“This is the police.”
Chris frowned. Travis lowered the cell phone. Larabee moved to the wall near the window, his revolver drawn. “Police?”
“We know you are armed and have hostages. Let the boy and Judge go.”
Chris shot a look at Orrin. “Tell me this is a practical joke.”
Moments later, Travis stepped onto the patio with his hands raised. “I’m Judge Orrin Travis. Inside...”
Before he could finish, a SWAT officer tackled him and dragged him off the porch.
“Wait!”
A white sedan rocketed up the driveway. Three armed ATF agent’s sprung from it, their badges held up.
“Stand down,” Josiah shouted. “You are at the home of ATF agent Christopher Larabee. Stand down you damn fools!”
Rifles were lowered. “Sanchez?” one men barked.
Chris stepped outside, his face set like thunder. “Would someone tell me what the #$$@ is going on?!”
Ezra jogged across to his leader. “In a nutshell, Vin called ‘Tell Dr. Betsy’, told her his drug buying, gun wielding father was arguing with the judge who is going to put the boy in foster care... and this was heard by every person in Denver until they took it off the radio about five minutes ago.”
Chris blinked. “What?”
Ezra shrugged. “We’ll deal with this, Sir. I suggest you find Vin. I believe he’s hiding in his closet on the phone with a policeman.”
Chris blinked again, then turned and dashed into the house. “Vin?!” Larabee entered the bedroom and opened the closet. A set of very large blue eyes greeted him.
“Pa?”
“Vin, run to the policemen outside!”
Chris leaned down and picked his little boy up, removing the phone. “What are our rules about using the phone?”
“Only in an emmmmerency,” Vin stated. “This was, Pa!” Tears trailed down his cheeks. “I heard, Pa. I don’t want to go back to foster care. I don’t want you to die.” The child buried his face in his father’s neck.
“Shhh. Shhh,” Chris soothed, his face blanketed with confusion as he sat on the chair he used when reading stories to the boys at night. He rubbed his sobbing son’s back. “Shhh. Vin, no one is taking you away. I’m not going to die.”
“BBuut.. I... heeearrd you say. The Juuudgge said there wassss nothing you could doooo,” the child hiccupped.
Chris exhaled slowly, suddenly understanding. “No, Vin. We weren’t talking about you. Today Buck and I arrested a man and woman selling drugs. They have three little boys. I wanted those kids to be allowed to stay with the neighbour who usually babysits them but the Judge said that they had to go into foster care tonight.”
“Not me and J.D.?” Vin asked, tears spilling from his eyes.
“No,” Chris assured, his own eyes becoming moist. “Never.”
“But the Judge said that there was nothing you could do. What if he says that about me and J.D.? What if he says I can’t stay and you can’t do nothing? I don’t want you to die ‘cause you lose your soul like Uncle Josiah said. That’s why I rang Dr. Betsy ‘cause she helps people.”
“Vin, the Judge would never....”
“But what if he did?!” Vin shouted hysterically. “You’d die.”
Chris looked down on him, a lump in his throat as he remembered the day Josiah had spoken the words Vin was referring to. A bully had teased Vin that Chris wasn’t his ‘real’ father. Josiah had assured him, ‘You are your Pa’s soul. A man can’t live without a soul. If he loses his soul he will die. Chris’s your dad and he needs you real bad, son.’
“Pa?”
“If the Judge said you couldn’t stay, we’d pack a bag, get on the horses and ride until we got to our secret camp site,” Chris whispered emotionally.
“And we’d stay there forever?” Vin asked, wiping his face with the back of his hand.
Chris wrapped Vin in his arms and rocked him. “Forever and ever.”
Ezra appeared in the doorway, smiled and then shut the door.
“Chris has things well in hand,” Chris heard him inform unseen others. “I suggest we find out who is responsible for the blaring over-reaction.”
“Pa?” Vin asked, looking up into his father’s face.
“NO ONE is taking you away from me, Vin. We’re a family and next month we’ll have a piece of paper that says you are my son and J.D. is Buck’s. We’ll always be together.”
“Forever and ever?” Vin asked drawing away, love shining from his crystal blue eyes.
Chris smiled, wiping away a leftover tear running down his little boy’s cheek. “Forever and ever and ever.”
You can drop me a note here.  © Sept 2008 Aussie Lass : This relates only to the creative property in this story. The distinctive way the story unfolds, the specific dialogue and unique situations are mine. I acknowledge that some of the characters and settings belong to the owners of "The Magnificent Seven" and I thank them sincerely for turning a blind eye so I can borrow them. (g) No infrigement of copyright was intended and no profit has been made from this story... so, please don't sue me. It wouldn't be worth your while. |
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