Kelli's Desire Ch. 01

"Mom, yesterday when we came back from our run, well, we, um, that is, we had sex during our run then when we went over to Kelli's house and her mother saw us when we came in and knew from the way we looked that we had been having sex. She then asked Kelli if we had been using condoms and Kelli told her she was on the pill. Her mom kind of went off, then once she calmed down explained that she had failed to tell Kelli that birth control pills don't usually work for the women in her family, hormones, or something. Look, mom, her parents want all of us to come over now so we can talk about this situation. Where is dad? I need to go break the news to him unless you would rather do it for me? Please?" I said.

Mom gave me her fed-up with me look and said, "Oh no mister, that's one talk that you're going to have to tell your father all on your own. He's out in the garage working on the mower. You go tell him the news and tell him I said he needs to come in, shower, and put on clean clothes so we can go over to the Thompson's for this lovely talk. Oh, Michael, this is going to be hard on your father. Please be gentle with him." She turned, pulling me out of my room, and sort of pushed me in the direction of the garage before heading towards their room. This was one talk with my father I wasn't looking forward to.

I got to the garage door and I heard my father gritching at the mower because he couldn't get it back together properly. I stepped in and watched him for a bit until he realized someone was watching him then looked up at me then said, "What's the matter Mikey boy. You look like you lost your best friend. You and Kelli have an argument?"

With my lips quivering, it took all my strength to say the words that I thought would kill my father, "Dad, Kelli's pregnant."

His eyes lit up, he jumped up, hugging me and twirling me around chanting, "I'm going to be a grandpa. I'm going to be a grandpa." He stopped then said, "Oh, son, it's going to be difficult for you two for a while but I'm sure you two can make it. I've seen the love you two have for each other and she's such a wonderful girl. I can't wait to have a little one that I can take fishing, to teach baseball to or if it's a little girl, have tea parties or take her shopping for dresses and dollhouses. Have you told your mother yet?" I nodded. "Was she as excited as I am?"

"Not really dad." I said, "She doesn't think the baby is mine but I know Kelli isn't that type of girl. By the way, we need to go over to the Thompson's and talk about this situation and mom said to get in there and clean up and put on clean clothes so we can go over there." He was off like a shot.

In the Thompson's front room the six of us sat, mom and dad on the love seat, Art and Sara on their couch, and Kelli and I sitting next to each other on chairs near both of them. Art stood as he started the conversation.

"Let's not beat around the bush here. These two need to get married. I'm not having a grandchild born out of wedlock. Don't you two agree?" he said pointing to my parents. They both told them they agreed with him. "Good, and I hope you two are willing to go along with this?" he said looking at us. We held hands and both nodded. "Good. I've called in some favors and we're going down to city hall today and get you two your marriage license and Friday evening Judge Bartholomew will be here to marry you two. You need to get your best man and maid of honor lined up and if you'd like, a few of your friends but I'd rather keep it on the down-low. Any questions?"

My father spoke up, "Friday is New Year's Eve. Won't that be rushing things a bit?"

Art smiled and said, "Well, Kelli has to go back to school on Monday and she said that Michael leaves for Colorado on Tuesday so that's not really rushing it now is it. Besides with that date for an anniversary, they will hardly ever forget if, will they? Judge Bartholomew has pulled some strings and gotten their marriage license backdated to a week before last so that they can get married on Friday. He understands the situation and is glad to help out. He really is a good friend."

My mother spoke up saying, "But Kelli is only what, 10 or 11 days pregnant, isn't she? Are you really sure she's pregnant? Shouldn't we wait and see and check with a doctor before rushing onto this marriage head first? What if the baby. . . " I was shaking my head no at her before she said what I knew she was going to say. She wanted a paternity test but I knew Kelli and trusted her implicitly.

Sara looked at my mom and said, "What did you mean what if the baby?" Mom just shook her head and told her never mind. We went with our parents and picked up our marriage license in Judge Bartholomew's chambers and on Friday, we were married in Art and Sara's living room. We didn't have any friends other than my best friend Paul who was my best man and Kelli's sister who flew in to be her matron of honor. General James was also there and it was hard to read him. I wasn't sure if he was pleased with me or pissed off at me. He really didn't talk to me much but he did talk a lot to Kelli and her parents. We were treated to a weekend stay at the Marriott honeymoon suite by our parents but saying goodbye to Kelli on Sunday evening was so very difficult that I cried after she left.

Back at the Academy, I poured myself into my studies. It helped me not think about Kelli and our baby. Kelli was busy working on her Master's program and theses so she seldom emailed me. Every once in a while, mom's emails would question the paternity of the baby and I'd always assure her it was mine. Kelli wouldn't send me any pictures of her because she said she was 'fat'. She wouldn't even see me if we had similar times off which hurt. My mother questioned if she was seeing someone else, maybe the baby's true father. The last time she said it, I yelled "STOP IT, MOTHER! You don't know a God damn thing about how much Kelli and I love each other." She jumped in fear, it was the first time I had ever yelled at my mother. I didn't come home when I had breaks after that, at least that year.

I did get time off and drive to Kelli's school on her last day for the school year and wait for her at her last class. When she walked out, she looked radiant and more beautiful than ever. Then I saw this dude come up and put his arm in her arm and start to walk with her. I became instantly pissed and quick marched towards them. He noticed me first and dropped her arm and made an immediate about-face when I yelled, "Hey dude, get your ass back here NOW!. Don't make me chase you." Kelli turned to see me and got this big smile and ran to me, her little belly bump poking out from her sweater. She threw her arms around my neck and kissed me hard but I kept looking for the guy who was holding Kelli's arm.

Breaking our kiss, I held her at arm's length and firmly asked, "Ok, Kelli, just who is that guy that seemed to be way too familiar with you when you came out of class? Be honest because I'm going to find out before I leave".

She smiled and said, "Oh, that's just Josh, he's another nurse. He's harmless really, just a good friend. We talk and he walks me back to my dorm. I feel safer if he walks me than if I walk alone."

"Since when did you start staying on campus? I thought you were driving home every day?" I asked.

She hooked her arm in mine and pulled me towards the dorms while saying, "Michael, with the baby, it was getting to be such a chore to drive every day so daddy sprang for a dorm room for me so I didn't have to drive during the week and he or mom will come up on Friday and pick me up then drop me off on Sunday night or Monday morning, depending on my class schedule. My counselor and instructors have been very considerate about my condition." Then she stopped in front of me and began to bounce up and down saying, "Guess what? Guess what?"

She was so cute, I had to ask, "Ok sweetness, I'll give, what's your secret?"

With a smile as big as Texas she said, "Next month, Doctor Gwen will do an ultrasound on me and we will get to find out the sex of our baby. Tell me, what do you want? A boy or a girl?"

I pulled her in and kissed her and said, "My love, as long as it's healthy, I really don't care. I will love him or her until my dying day." When we got to her room, her mother was there and boy did I get a cold reception. I tried to give her a kiss on the cheek but she turned away from me and went to help Kelli pack. I guess I knew where I stood. I went back to my car and headed back to the Academy.

My studies were going well, though my thoughts were really focused on Kelly and our child. Then Kelli sent me an email with a picture of the ultrasound with the caption, Can you see it? To be honest, all I saw was the outline of a baby with a bunch of squiggles and shadows. So I blew up and printed it out. I took it to the infirmary and asked the medic if he could interpret it for me and he and I took it to the doc. Doc smiled and said, "See this?" It still looked just like a shadow to me and I shrugged my shoulders and he said, "Is this your child?" I smiled and nodded. He stuck out his hand and he said, "Well then, congratulations, it looks like you have an airman about to join this world. Are you ready to be a father?"

The next thing I knew, he and an orderly had me in a chair and were waving smelling salts under my nose. I felt so embarrassed and jolted out of the chair. "Sir, I'm sorry sir, I've never done that before, sir."

He smiled and said, "What found out you were going to be a father or fainted?"

Shaking the cobwebs out of my head, I said, "Sir, finding out we were having a son, and fainting, sir.

Doc looked at my records and said, "Mr. Grant, your records don't show that you are married. Are you or are you going to wait until the baby is born? If you are married, you should have reported that to the commandant and the records office."

"Sir, I didn't realize I needed to report it to the records office but the General was at our wedding. My wife Kelli is his niece." I told him.

He lowered his classes and gave me 'the look' and said, "You married the General's niece. Was she pregnant when you got married?" I hung my head and nodded. Shaking his head he said, "Son, you really like playing with dynamite, don't you? Hell son, you might find yourself stationed in Antarctica, or most likely Eielson Air Force Base or Clear Air Force Station, both in Alaska, hidden away from everyone until your tour is up. You really screw the pooch." My gut told me he could be right.

It was the twelfth of October and I was on the firing range. It seems I had a natural affinity for hitting targets with my weapons, both pistol, and rifle. The range instructor had kept moving me to positions where the targets were further and further away and I kept putting them dead center though at first it took me a shot or two to get my distance and windage right but after that, I was dead on. I had just finished laying down a series of rounds at 1,000 meters when my cell phone went off with a picture of Kelli holding our new son. The caption was, What should we name him? I let out a yell that could be heard at the end of the obstacle course which brought a few officers to see what was all the commotion was about. Showing them the picture on my phone brought a bunch of slaps on the back and congratulations and the range instructor told me to head to my barracks as I had done well and he needed to send in a report on me.

I had been giving a lot of thought about a name for our son and I called Kelli and was very surprised when she answered. After telling her how much I loved her and our new son, I said, "My love, what would you think if we named him James Hal Grant, after your uncle?"

Kelli started to say something but stopped mid-sentence and said, "Michael, that's one of the reason's I love you so much. Do you have any idea how much my mother will love that name? Not to mention Uncle Hal. When do you think you can get home to see your son and me? I'm sorry I've been stand-offish but mother thinks that maybe you didn't turn that girl down or have been seeing another girl while you have been away."

Boy, I was really hating my mother-in-law about now. I said, "Kelli, you were acting so funny that I thought you might be seeing someone else and when I saw you walking arm in arm with that dude, it just about made me explode. I love you so much and losing you would be the worst thing that could ever happen to me. I know your feelings about cheating and would never do that to you because I value our relationship so much. Do you realize that?"

I could hear Kelli sniffle and I told her I never meant for her to cry and I loved her and would go see the general as soon as possible. I asked her to email me the picture she sent in a text of her holding James so I could take it to the general. She said she would and in less than a minute, I heard my computer ding that I had a new email. I opened my messages and there was the picture I needed. I used a photo editing program and added words to the picture: 10/12/99 Announcing the arrival of our future Airman, James Hal Grant, born to Michael and Kelli Grant. I then printed out several copies and ran to the general's office. His aid stopped me and at first, told me that the general was busy. I told him that his niece had just delivered a baby boy and showed him the picture. He got a big smile and said, "I'll tell him it's a special delivery. I hope he doesn't kick my ass. You know you pissed him off, don't you?" I nodded.

He opened the door, hollered 'special delivery' and I quick-timed up to his desk, saluted, and when he saw me, he jumped up and yelled, "Just what the Sam Hill do you think you are doing here?" I then handed him one of the pictures without saying a word. He started to throw it away without looking at it but then something caught his attention. He took a long look at it then fell back into his chair. His chin quivered and a tear slid down his cheek. Then he held the picture to his chest with his eyes closed for several minutes. When he opened his eyes, he said, "I suppose you are here to ask for some time off to go see your new son, aren't you?"

Taking a deep breath, I said, "Sir, I can't expect anything from you. I know you don't approve of our actions but we really do love each other and had planned on getting married when I graduate in June. When you called and told Kelli about me turning down that girl, she decided to, well, reward me by having sex with me. She had gotten on birth control pills but her mother never told her that the women in your family had issues with them not working for them. Sir, I tried to stop when I felt I was going to cum but Kelli wouldn't let me and, well, now we have James, your namesake. Sir."

The general chuckled and said, "Sounds like the James women. Art told me something similar as did my other brother-in-law, Chuck. When those women want it, they go after it. I guess I should have talked to you before I got in such a huff." He then picked up his phone and I heard him talking to someone. He said, "Jim, file a flight plan to Edwards A.S.A.P. Wheels up within an hour. I'm bringing a cadet with me. Yes, I know, just do it. I'll explain later. Thanks again." The general turned to me and said, "Michael, go pack quickly as our flight leaves within the hour. Meet me on the tarmac in 45 minutes. We've got a new baby to go see."

I ran to my barracks and threw some clothes in my ditty bag and caught a ride to the runway. On the way, I realized that I didn't know which plane the general was taking. Once we got there, there was this glistening Cessna jet warming its engines as the fuel truck was pulling away. I walked over and saluted the pilot. He looked at me then asked, "Are you the general's guest?"

Sir, yes, sir." I answered.

He shook his head and asked, "So what's so special about you that the general is breaking protocol to take you to Edwards AFB on such short notice? Did you catch him screwing one of his aids or something?"

"Sir, what are you talking about?" I asked.

"Well son, it's just that the general has been single as far back as anyone can tell and he never has shown any interest in women that anyone has ever seen so the rumor is that he might be gay," he said.

"Hardly," I said, "the general has several ladies he keeps on the down-low. He just never wants to get involved in a long-term relationship with a woman. When he was in Iraq, his beautiful wife was fucking one of his fellow officers on the base and almost everyone knew it, even the commanding officer but no one said anything to him. The guy knocked her up just before the general got wounded and then was sent to Germany to be patched up. The bitch was notified that he would be flying home within a week and she and the officer took off for the hills, taking the General's two young daughters with them. He was never able to find them. That officer went A.W.O.L. and the General is still hoping that he slips up one day and gets caught so he can find out where his daughters are."

Just then I spotted the big Chrysler with the two-star flags flying on the fenders heading this way. I told the captain, "Better get in the cockpit, here he comes now and it looks like he's ready to go." I followed him up the steps and stored my bag, and cover then took a seat across from what I assumed was the general's seat as it was larger and had several computers around it. The general flew in and saw me sitting there and smiled, then surprisingly, he headed into the cockpit. Two of his aides came in with luggage and quickly stored them and found seats and buckled in followed by the two guards. One guard went to the back of the plane while the other closed the steps. He took a seat near the entrance and hollered, "All secured and seated, Sir."

I heard the engines picking up their whine as we began to roll forward, faster and faster and when we turned onto the approach, I thought we might turn over, we were going so fast but as soon as we were straight with the runway, it was full power and we shot into the sky. The night sky over Denver was something to behold. I was so focused on trying to locate the places I had visited that I didn't realize that I was being called until one of the aides shook my shoulder. "Hey, Grant," he said, "didn't you hear the general over the intercom. He wants you up in the cockpit."

I couldn't for the life of me figure out what he wanted me up there for but I unbuckled and quickly went. As I entered, I had to squeeze past the Captain and he smiled at me. The general was in the left seat, flying the plane and he motioned me to sit in the co-pilot's seat. I sat down and buckled in. General James then said, "Go ahead Cadet, take over son." Now I had never flown an airplane or even been in a cockpit before. I grabbed the wheel and put my feet on the pedals like the general had had his. I was trying to hold the plane as steady as I could but the general said, "Come on, Michael, it's time you showed me what you got." And with that, he grabbed my left hand and yanked it down almost to my knee as he pushed it forward.

The airplane's nose dove towards the earth making a sharp turn to the left. I pulled the steering wheel (I was later corrected to call it the stick) back and to the right and got the plane at least heading level again. The general said, "Son, did you happen to notice what altitude we were flying at before we had that little interruption? That could have been a wind shear you know."

Sir, No sir." I answered. I looked at all the gauges then asked, "Sir, which one shows me how high we are?

The general laughed and pointed it out. He then took his time to point out all of the gauges and told me what each one was for. He also showed me how the controls worked and gave me some flight instructions. He had me play with the controls and get familiar with them. All too soon, I heard the general talking to the Edwards tower and getting landing permission and instructions. The general showed me how to set the flaps and to figure in the cross-wind. You know, this was pretty cool.