Patrick's Story Pt. 02

"HOLY CRAP, IT'S A DOG!" Shawn exclaims and dives forward, throwing caution to the wind.

"SHAWN WAIT, WHAT IF HE BITES YOU!"

Too late, Shawn's in the hole, helping the dog up and pulling him out by the back of his fur, only to be greeted by a tongue the length of California. Dry. Not wet like a normal dog's tongue.

"He's thirsty, Pat, give him your water." Shawn motions, helping keep the dog standing as he is attacked by the dog's tongue and fore paws.

Pat laughs and brings his water jug near. Patrick's hardly had a drink all day, but that dog lapped up the entire liter, looking for more after.

"Poor thing!" Shawn exclaims. "We can't leave him here."

"We're not." Pat takes his friend's hand, helping him up. "Help me with him, Shawn."

Two boys create a makeshift hammock out of Patrick's beach towel, and coax the poor beast onto it. He lays down, resigning himself to whatever is happening to him, unable to hold himself up a moment longer.

Pat leads the way, carrying the front of the towel while Shawn takes the rear, bearing most of the weight as they struggle with boards and dog up the coastline.

It takes them over 2 hours to get home. Way longer than if they had jogged. And by the time they reach the top of the staircase, they are breathing hard, hands on knees, catching their breath. Pat runs into his house, Shawn can hear the excited chatter of him and his dad as they come out the back and onto the pool deck where Shawn has the hose turned on, feeding the dog more water.

"Damn, he's starving kids!" Chuck Jaxton's voice is soothing as he bends down to inspect the bone rack that was a dog at some point in his life. "Looks like a black lab!"

"Dad, what are we gonna do?" Pat is in tears, at this point so is Shawn, as the poor creature tries and fails to stand on his own feet. Even still, giving so many affectionate licks to Shawn and Chuck as they sit down beside the pitch black animal.

"We're gonna take him to the vet, son. Right now." Chuck Jaxton kneels, and gathers the bone rack in his capable arms. The dog weighs practically nothing. Just a bag of bones. It whimpers, as if in pain, and licks Chucks face.

2 boys and a starving dog pile into Chuck Jaxton's big, red 4x4. Only a year old and pristinely shiny.

"Where's Mom?" Pat asks finally, buckling his belt as Shawn holds the dog's head in his lap from the back seat.

"She went grocery shopping with Feline." Chuck replies, reversing out of the driveway. "Looks like that new place is almost done." he mutters, gesturing to the big house down the street from them as they drive past.

At the vet, they aren't given a good prognosis. But Chuck pays for the animal to stay the night and have intravenous fluids and other tests done.

"We can't take him home, Dad?" Pat whines, reluctant to leave the animal.

"Not yet, Pat. Let's see what the vet says tomorrow, ok?" Chuck ruffles the boy's hair as he takes Shawn and Patrick home.

"Patrick, I need your help with the dishes!" Kristine Jaxton hollers from the next room.

"Ya, MOM! I'll see ya tomorrow at school, Shawn!" Patrick slams fists with his best friend as he gets on his bike. "Maybe the dog can come home tomorrow!" as he and his best friend excitedly chatter about what his name should be.

In the driveway, Shawn mounts his pedal bike and turns, about to wave goodbye.

"Have a good night, guys!" Shawn yells, about to glide down the driveway when little Feline comes running out to him, throwing her arms around him.

"Thanks for the sleepover, Shawn!" she gushes, cute little chubby cheeks red with excitement. "I'm gonna make the doggy sleep in my room." she giggles.

"No, prob." Shawn smiles, hugging the tiny, raven haired girl. "I can't wait to come back and see him tomorrow."

It's then he thinks about the large quartz rock he found climbing around the quarry with Pat yesterday.

"Wait, Kitten. Here." Shawn digs in his pocket and takes Feline's hand, placing the large, shiny stone into her palm. "I heard that a boy is supposed to give a girl a big rock. Then they get married." he laughs, in a joking manner. "BYE!"

And just like that, Shawn is peddling away, past the new place being built a bit down from Pat's and then crossing the highway. Feline watches him the whole way, tiny hand gripping that stone for all it's worth until he's gone, and she turns back into the house with a giggle.

Chuck takes off from work early, to pick the boys and Feline up from school. The dog survived the night! And has been given the OK to come back to the Jaxton's, a litany of medications and instructions following.

When they pick him up from the vet clinic, Feline is elated. She squeals in delight as the poor thing is brought out to them in the vehicle.

"DADDY! PUPPY!" she giggles, in the back seat with Shawn as the emaciated black lab thumps his tail, happily laying a head in her lap and licking her face all over.

"Ya baby." Chuck laughs. "Looks like we have a dog now." he chuckles.

"REALLY DAD!?" Pat's incredulous expression.

"You betcha." his father ruffles his hair.

Shawn is beaming with joy. So happy that he decided to have a look at what the shadow was underneath that beach bush. He might not be alive if he and Pat hadn't taken him home.

After that, Chuck Jaxton takes the kids to a pet store. Shawn stays in the truck, comforting the dog, who can't really stand on his legs quite yet.

When they come out, all three are carrying bags of toys, food, dishes and a giant foam bed in a dark brown color. Feline's got a death grip on a camouflage leash and collar set.

"Really Chuck? A dog?" Kristine shakes her head as the three kids and her husband come into the house, carrying their new friend and family member, lovingly.

He manages to stand a moment, as Charles places him on a rug in the living room, regarding the beautiful woman, leaning against the door frame. He walks over to her, and places his face directly against her legs, looking up at her with a long whine and slow tail wag that has everyone laughing.

"O God, he's adorable!" Kristine leans down, and the dog licks her face. "Poor guy!" she cries, full of motherly concern.

That evening, Chuck shows Pat how to give the dog his medications, wrapped in pill pockets he bought from the pet store. He's to be fed small portions every few hours. He's severally underweight. A dog his size and breed should weigh about 80 pounds. The vet said he was closer to 37.

"He's lucky to be alive." Kristine sighs, fixing up another small meal for the pooch.

"Shawn found him." Pat nods, looking over at his friend. "He saved his life."

"Naw Patty, I couldn't've got him here without you! And Chuck paid for all the vet bills!" Shawn never liked being singled out for praise.

"What are we going to call him kids?" Chuck muses, stroking his chin in thought.

"Ollie." Feline pipes up, finally.

"Ollie?" Kristine wrinkles her nose at her daughter.

"Ya Mom. Like when Pat and Shawn ollie on their skateboards!" Feline is nodding, stroking the beast's head lovingly as she lays in his new, giant foam bed with him. Spooning him. "He's gonna pop right up again. Like they do. You'll see."

"That's really clever, Cat!" Pat nods, smiling. "Great name!"

"It's perfect!" Shawn grins, and he and Pat smash knuckles.

"Ollie it is then." Chuck Jaxton shrugs, and pulls his wife in for a kiss.

"Ew Dad! MOM!" Pat covers his eyes.

His parents laugh and continue their embrace.

That night, after everyone had fallen asleep, Feline creeps down the stairs, using dog treats and her own strength, she half coaxes, half carries poor skinny Ollie up the stairs and into her room at the top of the landing. She lifts him up into her bed, tenderly, and pulls the surrounding blankets around them both. Dog and child fall asleep together.

As her parents gaze down at her in the morning, wondering where the dog had gone, they smile, arms around one another.

"Guess he's found his home." Charles Jaxton whispers as they shut the door gently, creeping back down the stairs together.

*************************************************************

Shawn is back-to-back tumbling as Patrick pulls out a fantastic gainer, followed by a front tuck. Feline watches the boys carefully as they perform their floor routines for the regional competition coming up at the end of next month.

It's Shawn's birthday tomorrow and, also, coincidentally it was Halloween. And the practice space was decked out in pumpkins and Halloween banners all over.

Coach Eleany, an imposing middle-aged man with gray hair and eyes that never miss a beat, casually observes his charges.

Patrick just turned 12 at the end of September, and his best friend was about to follow suit. The two were inseparable. Competing constantly for top spot in the Cayucos Youth Gymnastics Team. Shawn, was already starting to become tall. Almost too tall for gymnastics. Still, Coach Eleany saw his potential and threw rules out the door. Hopefully, he wouldn't grow much more.

The boys had just hit puberty and their faces were a myriad of bad skin, voices cracking as they yelled encouragement to one another.

Feline giggled as she tried to concentrate on her math homework. Her brother and best friend were too much fun to watch. Even though she loved math and had straight A's, she couldn't tear her eyes away from the 2 as they competed against one another for best routine.

"He's sooooo cute!" the voice of one of the 12-year-old girls, dressed in her leotard, chalk all over her hands as she points to Patrick on the floor of the gymnasium.

"So cute!" another girl giggles. And a third comes over to see what the fuss is about.

"You guys watching Pat again?" a blonde this time. Probably 14 with strong legs, plops down next to the other girls as they titter and giggle about the boys.

"Yes!" both girls laugh now.

"Shawn's the clear winner." the 14-year-old says flatly. "I don't know what you guys see in Pat. Gingers are gross."

"HEY!" Feline stands up, books falling off her lap. "That's my brother!" she shouts as Shawn and Pat stop what they are doing and watch the scene in the bleachers up above them.

All three girls level their gaze over at Feline. The small 7-year-old with the wild black spiral hair in pigtails on top of her head is standing up, fists clenched, face red.

All three laugh.

"Ya. Ok, whatever, Feline." the oldest one dismisses her flippantly.

"THAT'S MY BROTHER YOU SAID THAT MEAN STUFF ABOUT!" Feline marches over to the girls, staring them down as they start to laugh, and smile, nudging each other.

"Shut up." one of them says quietly. "You're just a dumb, little geek."

Pat is up and off the floor and running over to the 3 tier seating to his sister, Shawn following.

"What's going on, Cat?" Pat's hands are on his sister's shoulders, looking at the girls on his team and knowing EXACTLY what was up.

The three girls were the mean girls at his school, and in the gymnastics team they were no different. They had picked on Feline too many times to count throughout the years. This time it looked like Feline was picking a fight with them.

"They said mean stuff about you." Feline's close to tears, and tense as a board as Pat tries to steer her away from the trio.

One of them sticks her tongue out at Feline as Pat takes her hand and walks her back down to where her books were all scattered.

"Really, Annie? You guys can be so immature. She's a kid." Shawn's voice now, as Pat and Feline leave the vicinity of the mean girls club.

"Hi, Shawn." the oldest of the group flirts, in a sing-song voice. Shawn says nothing to her as he shakes his head at his peers.

"Mean. Mean girls." he tells them and walks away, leaving the 14-year-old's mouth agape.

"Don't pay any attention to them, Cat. Just hang out over here, ok?" Patrick's giving his sister the pep talk.

Shawn rolls his eyes in the general direction of the girls on his team.

Feline is fighting back tears.

"Hay, Kitten. Fuck them." Shawn laughs, laying an already solid and calloused hand on his little friend's shoulder.

Feline dashes tears away and smiles up at the tall blonde boy.

"They said gingers are gross." she says at last. "They said Pat was gross!" she grimaces, little hands becoming fists at her side.

Pat throws his head back and laughs, looking at his best friend.

"Is that all? Shit, Cat. You going to fight three girls twice your age and size cuz they don't like my hair?" Pat smiles, hugging his sister. "Crazy girl."

"I will if they don't shut up." Feline glances past her brother's embrace to the mean girls staring over at them on the bench. She flips them all the bird, and Shawn starts to laugh at their shocked faces.

Quiet little Feline, 0-100 in.5 seconds if anyone ever said anything negative about her brother, Shawn or their friends. It was endearing.

After that, it's more gymnastics as Feline sits close to the floor mats and watches her brother and his best friend. Every once in a while, stealing glances at the girls as they practice their own routines on the balancing bar. They were good. All three of them. And it made Feline slightly jealous that she was unable to do the things they could do with their bodies.

It was Kristine Jaxton, Pat and Feline's mom who picked them up today in her cute, little Hyundai Genesis, trunk full of groceries.

"How'd you do kids?" Kristine smiles as Pat, Shawn and Feline pile into the car.

"GREAT MOM! Coach says Shawn and I are competing for top spot in his books right now." Patrick beams. Pumped about being tied with his best friend.

"HI Kris!" Shawn grins, laying a kiss on Kristine Jaxton's cheek before he gets in the back with Feline.

"Shawn you're getting taller every time I see you!" Kristine exclaims, returning the cheek kisses, as Shawn is now as tall as their mother at 5'10".

"Coach says I better not grow anymore." Shawn frowns. "Or I won't be able to compete."

"No way, Shawny Boy. Alexander Shatilov was over 6 feet! He reached the finals in the 2008 Summer Olympics." Pat mentions, knowing full well Shatilov was one of Shawn's heroes.

Shawn nods, chewing his bottom lip, thinking about the words his coach had told him last month. About his height.

"Maybe I won't grow anymore." Shawn mutters, looking down at his long, tan legs.

"I doubt that, son." Kristine smirks. "Your dad is a giant."

"Ya he is!" Feline says, eyes huge. "A real life one."

The car laughs and Kristine takes the kids home for dinner.

"They up there, studying?" Chuck asks his wife as he pours them each a glass of rosé wine and brings them into the living room. "I suppose they've got Ollie with them too."

"In Feline's room. As usual." Kristine shakes her head, smiling. "Thanks baby."

They clink glasses and Chuck smiles over at her.

"You should come with me." Chuck grins, that smile that lets Kristine know he has something planned.

Kristine wastes no words as she takes her husband's hand, and he leads her down the long hallway to their bedroom. Dozens of huge photos of the best 80s and 90s bands line the hallway. Framed and stunning. Lacey Jaxton's award-winning shots. Kristine takes a moment to admire the new ones her husband and Feline had just framed up and put on display.

"I love this one." she sighs, touching the frame to a color photo of Kurt Cobain as he wails into a microphone, guitar slung around his neck.

"Me too. She won photo of the year for that one." Chuck nods, wrapping his arms around his wife as she sips her wine and smiles.

"That one of Layne Staley is incredible, too." Kris motions to the Alice n Chains frontman, flanked by Jerry Cantrell lead guitarist, on stage, draped over a microphone. Thick, black sunglasses covering 1/3 of his face.

"You know they dated for a bit, hey?" Chuck lays a kiss on the back of his wife's neck.

"Really?" she turns in his arms to regard her husband. Her handsome husband. "Her and Layne?"

"Ya. About a year, actually. They were crazy about each other." Chuck nods, smiling down at his woman.

"I know that feeling." Kris sighs.

"The heroin ultimately spoiled their love." Chuck frowns. "Enough of that shit. Come with me."

Kris takes her husbands' hand and follows.

Through the grand master bedroom with the giant, California king-size bed, and into the en suite where a trail of rose petals leads up the dais where the gigantic corner tub sits. Filled, with steaming water and bubbles. A bottle of champagne chills in a bucket of ice on the floor by the tub.

"HONEY!" Kris covers her mouth as tears threaten the edges of her vision. "What's the occasion?"

"No occasion, woman. What, a man can't draw a nice romantic bubble bath for his wife?" Chucks fiendish smile lets Kristine know he's got a lot more plans than this.

"Chuck, the kids." Kristine sighs.

"Told Pat no bugging us tonight." Charles grins. "He and Shawn promised they'd take the dog out before bed."

Kristine's smile is immediate, and she begins shedding clothes lickety split.

"Oh GOD." she sighs, sinking deep into the tub in front of her mate.

"Ya. We don't use this thing often enough." Charles says, turning on the jets, then wrapping strong rock climbers arms around her.

By the time they are pruney and fully soaked, the champagne bottle is nearly empty. Both lovers, quite tipsy and giggly.

"Baby..." Charles whispers against his wife's ear. "You're the most beautiful woman that's ever lived, you know that?"

"Chuck..." Kristine blushes and laughs. "Fuck, you are sexy."

Wife turns in husband's arms, regarding her mate.

"Your arms..." she sighs, gripping the musculature found there. "Always loved these arms." she smiles

"I know." Chuck laughs. "I aim to please."

Kristine's light giggles fill the room as the lovers find a spot in the bed and begin kissing. Deeply kissing. By the time they break for air, Chuck is fully erect and his wife's nipples are as well.

Foreplay isn't something the couple gets to indulge in for long periods of time, but tonight they do. Tonight, both Charles and Kristine touch and lick and suck and spank and pinch and stroke and play with one another until they can't take it anymore.

By the time Charles takes his wife in his arms, she's ready. More than ready as he sinks into her hot, wet sheathe. Both letting out a sigh.

There's nothing fast about their loving making this evening. Nothing fierce. Only love. Soft, gentle love as Charles takes his wife to higher and higher heights.

Her whispers and cries and moans only fueling him forward until they cum together in unison, crying out, groaning, and collapsing onto the bed. Passing out in one another's arms.

*****************************************************************************

"Got your treat bags?" Chuck calls upstairs to his kids.

"YA DAD!" Feline comes bounding down the stairs, a face full of makeup, pillow case in one hand.

Chuck laughs hard.

"You look awesome, sweety!" he leans in to kiss his daughter, the vampire's cheek.

"DAD, YOU'LL RUIN MOM'S WORK!" Feline pulls away, scolding.

"Oops sorry Morticia!" Chuck smiles.

"That's Addams Family, Dad." Patrick, his 12-year-old son, comes down the stairs next. Dressed like a zombie, skin rotting off and grotesque.

"PAT!" Chuck's laughter is infectious. "Christ, you kids look amazing." he laughs and laughs.

Pat beams before getting into his zombie role, lurching after his little 7-year-old sister as she rolls her eyes at her big brother.

"Vampires are way stronger than zombies, Pat." she declares, making Chuck smirk.

"Not this zombie!" Pat lifts his sister up and pretends to bite her as she squeals and laughs.

Kristine comes down the stairs, still wiping makeup off her hands with a washcloth.

"Guess makeup school wasn't a total waste." Kris says, descending the staircase.