No More

So, figuring that a little payback was in order, I quietly snuck up behind her placing my index finger to my lips in order to tell the girl she was talking to, which just happened to be Mark Henderson's girlfriend, Trish Mathis, not to say anything.

Then I reached over and lightly pinched Lucy's pretty little ass, which made her not only let out a loud shriek but also quickly turn around with her fist raised. However, when she saw that it was me, she began to smile, and after placing her arms around my neck, she gently hugged me and began to giggle like only she can.

"Hey you," she laughed, placing a soft kiss upon my lips, "Are you alright? I didn't mean to embarrass you earlier."

"You didn't," I lied smiling. "I just needed to get some fresh air for a minute, that's all."

"Michael Thomas Hanson," she loudly chuckled, "You are such a liar."

"Okay, you caught me," I laughed, my arm around her waist, "But I must say, that was pretty good. You really caught me off guard."

"I know," she impishly smiled, "You should've seen your Mom. I thought she was going to pee her pants because she was laughing so hard, Dad, too."

"Uh huh," I chuckled, "I can already tell that I'm going to have to keep you away from Mom, lest you pick up some of her bad habits."

"You leave her alone," Mom smiled, coming up behind me and lightly smacking my butt, "And any time you feel like trying to get into his pant, Lucy, I promise you that his father and I have no problem with it."

"Come on, Mom," I gasped, the red color beginning to return to my face, "Will you give it a rest already?"

"Oh, be quiet, Michael," Mom smiled, "I was only teasing you, ya big baby."

Lucy's birthday party turned out to be a huge success. She received a ton of gifts, and for those who we knew might not be able to afford to get her anything simply bought her a birthday card, which she appreciated just as much as the gifts she received.

"I gave her a pair of diamond earrings which I'd had the jeweler custom make so that they would match the necklace I'd given her for Christmas; and when she opened the box they were in and saw them, she placed her arms around my neck and whispered in my ear, telling me how much she loved me...

~~~~~~

After the party was over and all of our guests had gone, the only people that remained were, me and Lucy; along with my parents, Linda and Maggie, who all began to pitch in and help get everything cleaned up and the house restored back to its original condition.

As Linda made ready to leave, she looked at her daughter and asked her, "Are you coming with me, or id Michael going to bring you home?"

"It's Thursday and neither one of us have any classes tomorrow so, I'd like to stay here with Michael," she smiled, "But only if it's okay with Richard and Teela."

"That's fine with us," Mom smiled, placing her arm around Lucy's waist, "You can stay here as long as you want, pretty girl."

"Alright then," Linda smiled, and then a knowing smirk appeared on her face as she added, "But I don't want you robbing the cradle after the lights go out and everybody's asleep, young lady."

This time it was Lucy's face that turned bright red as a horrified look came across her face as she gasped, "Mother, I can't believe you just said that."

"Oh, hush," Linda giggled as she hugged me from the side, "That was mild in comparison to what you said to Michael earlier..."

~~~~~~

Mom and Dad had gone to bed, and after looking in on little Rikki, Maggie came out dressed in a pair of sweat pants and a tee shirt and sat down with us in the den. I could tell that she enjoyed being around Lucy and I so; with that in mind, I went into my bedroom and retrieved a tee shirt and a pair of sweat pants for Lucy to change into so that she, too, would be more comfortable.

While Lucy was in the bathroom changing clothes, I went back into my bedroom and put on an old pair of white ghee pants and a tee shirt, and then returned to the den to find Maggie and Lucy talking amongst themselves.

"What are you two talking about?" I teased, "Probably something no good I'll bet."

"I was just telling Lucy how cute you were when you were a little guy," Maggie sweetly replied.

"Speaking of which," I smiled, right before making my way into the living room, "I've got something I think you might want, Mags, the nickname I gave, and then I turned and walked away...

~~~~~~

I returned with a small handful of pictures that were taken, a couple of them when my brother was still in high school, the rest of them being shots of him and Maggie when they were together before Rick joined the Navy.

"Here, Mags," I softly smiled, as I handed the pictures to her, "I'm sure that little Rikki will want these when she gets older so that she'll know what her Daddy looked like."

Maggie silently looked through the pictures I'd given her, and as tears began to fill her eyes, she leaned over and tightly hugged me and softly sniffled, "Thank you, Michael. I'll cherish these for the rest of my life...and so will your niece once she's grown."

"Don't remind me," I playfully groaned, "I can already tell that she's going to have the boys eating out of her hand."

"She already has her Uncle Mikey eating out of her hand," Maggie began to giggle, as she told Lucy, "You should see the two of them together, Lucy; it's just the sweetest thing. And just so you know, your boyfriend is going to make a great father someday."

"I don't doubt that one bit," Lucy tenderly replied, snuggling next to me and taking my arms with both hands, "He's great at everything else he does."

"Can I ask the two of you a question?" Maggie softly smiled, "You can tell me that it's none of my business if you want to and I won't feel slighted, not on the least."

"Of course you can," Lucy sweetly replied, "You can ask us anything you'd like, Maggie."

"This is a little embarrassing," she uncomfortably began, "But I'm curious. Are the two of you sleeping together?"

"No, not yet," Lucy proudly replied, I wanted to wait until Michael was eighteen so that we aren't breaking any laws of any kind."

"That's a good thing," Maggie smiled, taking both of our hands, "Don't get me wrong, I love my daughter more than anything in the world, but I think you're making the right decision by taking your time."

:Oh, I want to give myself to Michael, believe me," Lucy quietly replied, "But I want it to be for the right reasons instead of just because my body is telling me to. And while I know that I could never love another man the way that I love Michael, I'm a little old fashioned when it comes to the kind of thing. Do you know what I'm talking about?"

"Of course I do, sweetie," Maggie tenderly smiled, reaching over and patting Lucy's hand, "What about you, Michael? What do you have to say about this?"

"Do you promise not to say anything to my parents about this, Maggie?" I uncomfortably asked.

"Just who do you think you're talking to, honey?" Maggie gently sked me, "I've never once repeated anything someone told me in confidence; and besides, you're my family, Michael honey. I would never say or do anything to embarrass you. You know that."

"You're right, and I'm sorry for even thinking that way, Mags," I smiled, leaning over and tenderly kissing her pretty cheek, "The truth of the matter is that I'm still a virgin; and to be totally honest here, I'm scared to death that I'll screw up, because I don't want to make any mistakes where Lucy is concerned, I'd wither away and die if I ever lost her. Hell, just the thought of that happening turns my stomach into knots."

"I love you, Michael Hanson," Lucy told me in no uncertain terms, "And the only way you'd ever lose me is if you cheated on me."

"I think you know better than that," I softly told her, "There is no one on God's green earth that could ever take me away from you, Lucy. Do you understand me?"

"With all my heart, baby," she triumphantly replied, "With all my heart."

"You two look so good together," Maggie softly smiled, "And if and when you two decide to get married, I think you guys are going to have beautiful babies one day."

"What do you mean by if we get married?" Lucy giggled, "I've found the man I want to spend the rest of my life with, and I don't care how long I have to wait."

Lucy's words suddenly put an idea in my head, an idea that, if everything turned out the way I planned, would let her know beyond a shadow of a doubt that we would always be together. But I was going to seek my parents' council long before I put my plan into action...

~~~~~~

When we went to bed that night, Mom had already put fresh sheets on the bed in the guest room right after Lucy had asked her permission to spend the night at our house. Of course that only reiterated that fact of not only how much she loved us, but also how much she and Dad trusted us to do the right thing. Plus it also told me how much responsibility Mom and Dad had placed upon me, and there was no way I was ever going to let my parents down and/or disappoint them in any way...

~~~~~~

When I opened my eyes the next morning, the first thing I heard ere the voices of Mom Lucy and Maggie, not to mention the delightful squeals of my niece coming down the hall from the kitchen and into my bedroom, which, for some reason, my door was open.

So, after taking care of my morning rituals, i.e. taking a morning piss, and then washing my hands and face as well as brushing my teeth; I put on a pair of pants and then made my way to the kitchen to get a cup of coffee that I could smell the moment I opened my eyes...

~~~~~~

"MIKEEE," little Rikki squealed, running toward me with her little arms opened wide and a bright smile on her pretty little face. Of course I scooped her up into my arms, and after hugging her, I blew a raspberry into the crook of her little neck making her giggle like only little girls can do.

"Good morning, Rik Rik," I smiled, using the nickname I'd given her while I was giving her a hug, "How is Uncle Mikey's baby doing this morning? I love you."

"Mikey," she sweetly giggled, "Wuv ooo too," she happily replied, her own little way of telling me that she loved me, the precious little sweetie."

"Good morning, my love," Lucy smiled, standing up from where she'd been sitting next to Mom at the table to greet me with a hug and a kiss, "It's about time you got your lazy butt out of that bed."

"Gimme a break," I grinned, "It's only eight-thirty, for goodness sake. You act like it's four o'clock in the afternoon or something."

"Oh hush," she giggled, "I'm not going to let you sleep your life away, especially once you're married to me, handsome."

"Uh huh," I teased her, "You've been listening to Mom again."

"That's right," Lucy grinned, turning her head to wink at my Mom, "And let me tell you right now, Mister, that great women all think alike."

"Jeez, Louise," I chuckled, "Now that you're eighteen you think you're a woman, but I've got news for you, love of my life; you're still a shirt tail girl."

"Is that right," Lucy indignantly replied smiling, placing her hands on her hips, "Don't forget that I'm still older than you are, boy," which of course made both Maggie and Mom fall into fits of girlish laughter.

"Oh, that's right, I almost forgot," I began to laugh, pulling her back into my arms and kissing her, "Because you most certainly are."

"You're right again, sweetheart," I gently replied, holding her tightly against me, "But that doesn't change the fact that I still love you more than life itself."

"I know you do," Lucy softly replied, tenderly returning the hug I was giving her, "And I love you just as much."

Just the phone rang, and because I was the closest to it, I reached over and picked the receiver of the hook, holding it to my ear as I said, "Hanson residence, Mike speaking."

"I could tell it was Linda the moment I heard her voice say, "Michael, honey please," and then I heard the sound of a male voice in the background yelling, and then I heard Linda screaming, "NOOOO," and then the line went dead.

As I was hanging up the phone Mom could tell by the look on my face that something wasn't right, as she asked me, "Michael, what's wrong honey?"

"Call the police and give them Lucy's home address, Mom," I said, and then looking at Lucy, I told her, "You need to hurry up get dressed, baby. That was your Mom and it sounded to me like she was in trouble."

"Oh, no," Lucy began to cry. "It's my father...he's probably drunk again, and God only knows what he's up to because I'm not there," and then she made a mad dash down the hall to get dressed...

~~~~~~

The moment pulled my car onto the main highway that ran in front of our house, I buried the gas pedal into the floor, making my Corvette's powerful 427 engine roar to life, propelling Lucy and I forward at a frightening speed. Of course I'd made certain that we'd put our seatbelts on and that they were securely in place before I even started my car up. And once Mom had called the police, she and Dad weren't too far behind us as I sped toward Lucy's house, terrified at what I was fairly certain we were going to find...

~~~~~~

The moment I pulled into the driveway at Lucy's house, I heard the shattering of glass followed by the frightening sound of Linda's voice as she cried, "No, please don't do this...please," and then the front door of the house flew open followed by Linda, whose face was a bloody mess. With Lucy's asshole father hot on her heels yelling, "GET BACK HERE, DAMMIT, I'M NOT DONE WITH YOU."

"OH, MY GOD, MOM." Lucy cried releasing her seat belt and flying out of the car to go to hr mother.

"LUCY, NO," I yelled, following closely behind her...

~~~~~~

The moment we were within reach, I pulled Linda and Lucy behind me, making Lucy's father stop dead in his tracks. I could tell he'd been drinking because of the fat that he smelled like a brewery.

"It would be best if you turned and walk away, you long haired motherfucker," he drunkenly slurred, "This doesn't concern you."

"Oh yes it does," I angrily sneered, trying my best to maintain my temper.

"No, it doesn't," he laughed, "Get the fuck outta here, now."

About that time my parents showed up making me rest easier knowing that Dad was there to watch my back, and so I decided right then and there that I was going to put a stop to this crap once and for all.

"Does it make you feel like a big man to beat up on and terrorize a woman?" I angrily seethed, "You're a coward, and that's all you'll ever be."

"I already told you once that this is none of your business, boy," he growled, "So, I'd back the fuck off if I were you."

"Or what?" I taunted him, "What're you going to do?"

"This," he drunkenly spat, taking a swing at me.

"You just screwed up big time," I angrily spat, blocking his punch, and then delivering an extremely hard, but lightning fast, roundhouse kick to the left side of his face, "How does that feel, asshole?" as he fell backward and landed extremely hard onto his drunk ass.

I wasn't really trying to hurt him because of the fact that no matter what the man had done, he was still Lucy's father, and I felt in hurting him, I would hurt her. Boy was I wrong, because when he rose back to his feet it was apparent that I'd only sobered him up and now he looked like he was going to try and seriously hurt me.

"I want you to beat that piece of shit's ass, Michael," Lucy angrily cried, "I don't care if you kill the son of a bitch."

Of course I knew that she didn't mean what she was saying just then, she was simply angry with him for what he'd done to her mother. So, keeping that in mind, I made certain that I didn't hurt him too badly. But I want you to notice that I said I wasn't going to hurt him too badly.

"I'll kill you," he growled, taking a defensive posture, while out of the corner of my eye, I saw Dad pull out his weapon, keeping it close just in case.

"Come on then," I laughed, "You fucking coward," and then the fight was on.

Granted, this man had been trained in basic hand-to-hand combat, but he was still no match for me, because of not only my size, but also my training and my youth. I tried as hard as I could not hurt him by simply blocking any and every punch and/or kick he threw at me. However, not only was I getting tired of playing around with him, I could also hear the sirens of more than one police cruiser getting closer as they were making their way to Lucy's house.

All of a suddenly I saw him pull a knife, and then he made the mistake of trying to stab me with it. I was momentarily distracted when I heard my Dad pull the hammer back on his firearm. And then aiming at Lucy's father, he said, "Drop the knife asshole," and that's when Lucy's father used the knife to slice me across the chest. However, while it was a fairly shallow cut, I'd lost my temper, and in doing so, I quickly grabbed his wrist with both hands using my right hand to break his thumb which in turn made him not only drop the knife, but also howl in pain.

And then as soon as the knife hit the ground, I turned my back to him, like I'd done only once before, and with all the strength I could muster, I yanked his arm straight down, hearing a loud snap accompanied by the sound of him screaming at the top of his lugs, and then I kicked him in the head as hard as I could, as the police were pulling up in front of the house, getting out of the car with their weapons drawn.

"On your knees, now," one of them told me, "I said do it now."

"Hold on a minute, officer," Dad said, having placed his weapon back into his car right before the police arrived, "You've got it all wrong."

But before the officer replied. One of Dad's friends, named David Cage who was also the watch commander for that shift pulled up and got out of his car to find me on my knees with my hands locked behind my head as my chest was profusely bleeding, making me dizzier by the second. And the last thing I remember hearing before the lights went out was the sound of Lucy's voice screaming my name.

"OH, GOD, MICHAEL, NOOO..."

~~~~~~

When I opened my eyes again, I was in the emergency room of the hospital with sixty-seven stitches in my chest with a big bandage across it, and Lucy's head lying on my shoulder as she very bitterly wept.

"Please, God," she softly cried while she prayed, "Please don't let Michael die. I'd be lost without him, Lord. I don't ask this for just me, I ask this for everyone who knows and loves him," and then she got so choked up that she could no longer speak.

"Don't cry, baby," I softly told her, making her lift her head as her eyes snapped open and gazed at me, "I'm not going anywhere, I promise."

"Thank you, God," she quietly wept, looking up toward the heavens

~~~~~~

All I'd received was a shallow cut across the chest, whereas Lucy's mother, Linda, had not been as fortunate. She lost a couple of molars, as well as chipping one her left lower canine tooth, which, thank God, her dentist was easily able to repair.

However, her left eye was swollen shut and very deeply bruised, not to mention that she'd received a small hairline fracture to the left side of her jaw. Her right shoulder had not only been jerked out of socket, but she had also suffered a broken humerus on the same arm, bless her kind heart. Worst of all, because of the blows she'd taken to the stomach, her gall bladder had been ruptured and her spleen had been severely bruised. And the moment that the doctor release me, Lucy and I made a beeline to Linda's hospital room, to be there the moment she came out of surgery...