"Little Britches" (ATF) Universe

Disclaimer: Not mine not making any money.

Note: This little ficlet got in my head and would not go away. Thank to Barbretta Hayden, Pat N and Nancy W for their stories which provided some of the background events to this one, and to Tina my proof reader.

One day a very important lady came to visit JD's class.

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"Hello Senator, welcome to our class. Today the children are drawing a picture of their families. This is JD, he's the youngest in the class, JD likes to put a lot of detail in his pictures."

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"Is that you?"

"Yes."

"So is this your father?"

"No that’s Buck, see there's his moustache and his gun, Buck is very big."

"Who is Buck?"

"He's my new Pa, Buck looks after me."

"Is that right? Is Buck nice to you?"

"Of course, Buck loves me and I love Buck."

"Why is Buck carrying a gun?"

"So he can protect people and help them, and stop the bad guys."

"So who is that?"

"That’s Chris."

"And who is he?"

"He's my other new Pa, but really Buck is my Pa and Chris is Vin's Pa but I love Chris too."

"Why is he all black?"

"'Cause he is."

"That must be nice, to have two Pa's, where is your mom?"

"There, see she's dreaming of angels, the angels are telling her all their secrets. At first I wanted the angels to hurry up and finish so I could talk to Mom but Buck told me she can't do that, she has to stay with the angels now 'cause she knows all their secrets. Mr Josiah said when you know the secrets you have to stay with God in heaven but she won't be to sad 'cause it's nice, but she might be a bit sad 'cause I'm not there but one day I will go to see her again. Buck says I will have to wait a very long time. I miss her sometimes, Buck says it's okay to miss her. He told me not to worry about Mom being lonely in heaven because she is watching me all the time and his mom is watching him, so his mom and my mom can be friends. An' Vin's mom and Chris' mom too."

"Oh I see… is that who is with your mom?"

"That’s Chris' other son and his wife an' his mom an' Buck's mom an' Vin's mom. I don't know what Vin's mom looks like 'cause we don't have a picture of her on the wall at home so I made her look like Vin; see she has long brown hair and blue eyes."

"That sounds like a good idea…is Vin in the picture?"

"'Course he is, look."

"Is Vin your brother?"

"Kinda, Vin took care of me when mom went to talk to the angels."

"How old is Vin?"

"He's a big boy, he's seven."

"Are there no Pa's in heaven?"

"No!"

"Why is that?"

"Chris said his Pa ain't in heaven yet and it will be a 'damn close run thing if he gets in at all' and Buck don't never have a Pa, I don't know where Vin's real Pa is and he don't neither."

"Where is your real Pa?"

"I'm like Buck I don't have a real Pa, he says we're two of a kind. I don't want one I only want Buck to be my Pa."

"So who are these people?"

"They are my hon…a…reed uncles. This is Mr Josiah, see he has a big smile and he's got his cross on, he knows lots of things, if we ask a question and Buck and Chris don't know the answer we have to ask Mr Josiah. Buck and Chris don't know the answer to some really easy questions.

"What questions?"

"I asked Buck how did Noah get all them animals in one little boat? He said I had to ask Mr Josiah.

"And did he know?"

"Uh-ha he says it was a magic boat that God helped Noah to build. This is Mr Nathan, he fixes owchies, there's his medi…can bag. Mr Nathan is very kind he don't never mind fixing you when yer hurt and he looks after the team and looks after them even if they never listened to him when he gives them good advice and he don't know why he bothers. When the bad man hit Buck on the head, he told Buck he had to stay in bed for two whole days after he came home from the hossipal but he didn't, he came outside and watched me and Vin ride our bikes. And Mr Nathan caught him and shouted at him and Buck pretended the shouting hurted his head so Mr Nathan would be sorry, but he said Buck should 'pull the other one' and get back in bed before he put him in it his self."

"When did this happen?"

"On Saturday."

"Is Buck alright now?"

"Yup he says he's as fit as a flea. Are fleas very fit?"

"I think so."

"But the mean old doctor won't let him do nothing but ride a desk 'till next week. I don't think Buck likes riding his desk, guess it hurts 'cause it can't be very comfortable can it?"

"No not very. Who is that?"

"Mr Ezra, he's nice he takes us shopping and once we went in his car, it's very fast, see, he talks funny, and he can do magic!"

"He talks funny?"

"He says things like 'young man would you care to in..dulg in a ori…ant…eel cul…an..ree ex…sper…ance?' you know what that means?"

"No."

"It means, 'Do you want some Chinese food?'"

"I see what you mean about him talking funny. And Mr Ezra does magic?"

"He's real clever he can make candy and money and even an egg come out of your ear! But Chris told him not to keep doing it with the magic candy, 'cause if he does he has to deal with the con…ser..kensis, and make me go to bed and hold Vin's head when he frows up. Why do grown ups make me go to bed when I'm not sweepy?"

"I don't know but my mom did it to me. Perhaps you should ask Mr Josiah that one."

"I did, but even he didn't know."

"Are there horses were you live, are those your horses?"

"Yup that’s Pony, he belongs to Chris, and that’s Beau he's Buck's horse he's all white but I don't have a white crayon so I made him grey but he's white really."

"I understand, it doesn't matter."

"And that's Peso he's Vin's, he's real mean and ornery, he bites people, I don't have a horse 'cause I'm too little, I get to ride with Buck and we go real fast 'cause Beau is so gentle and sure footed."

"You say Peso is a mean horse?"

"Yup he's the meanest, he bit the man who came to put his shoes on, that was rude."

Yes it was. JD if Peso is so mean how come Vin is allowed to ride him?"

"Oh Peso ain't mean to Vin, he loves Vin, he just hates everyone else."

"So you live with Buck and Chris and Vin and the horses, is that right?"

"And Miz Potter, 'sept she don't live with us really 'cause if you don't sleep at a place you don't live there and Miz Potter lives some where, I don't know where, but she comes every day to lookted after us when Buck and Chris are at work. I better draw her. Miss can I have more paper please?"

"More JD, goodness me this is turning into an epic!"

"What's epict?"

"It means something very long."

"Oh…good."

"JD?"

"Mmm."

"Did you live at the place with the horses…"

"Chris' ranch."

"Yes Chris' ranch, did you live there before your mom talked to the angels?"

"No me and Vin lived in the house with the trolls, then the trolls hurt Vin and Chris founded us and they took Vin to the hossipal and I went to stay with Buck 'cause I was a 'terial witness, it was fun."

"So when did you move to the ranch?"

"I don't know, Mr Ezra says it was about time 'cause a den of in…ik..ity is no place for a little boy. What's in..ik…ity?"

"Do you mean iniquity?"

"'S what I said!"

"It means a place where things happen that little boys don't like."

"What things? I like lots of things."

"Er well let me see, um parties."

"But I like parties."

"Well drinking beer and watching sport on TV."

"Buck an' Chris do that, an' Mr Josiah an' Mr Nathan an' Mr Ezra, 'sept he bringded his own beer 'cause doe…mesic beer tastes like horse pee. How does Mr Ezra know what horse pee tastes like?"

"He doesn't, it is just a saying."

"But if he doesn't know he shouldn't say it, that’s lying!"

"No it's not lying its making a point."

"What's the difference?"

"Ask Mr Josiah."

"Well I still don't see why I can't live in the den of in…ik..ity."

"Girls."

"Girls?"

"And kissing!"

"I don't like girls I ain't never gonna kiss one, Buck says one day I will but he's wrong, I ain't never ever gonna kiss a girl, girls are silly….'sept Casey, she's okay."

"Who's Casey?"

"She's Miz Nettie's niece, I forgot to draw her and Miz Nettie. Miss can I have more paper please?"

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"See there is Miz Nettie and Casey."

"Who is Miz Nettie?"

"She makes sure me and Vin is alright, she's very strict, Buck says her glare is even more scary than Chris' but I don't think so, she's nice."

"Is that Miz Nettie's husband?"

"No that’s silly, that’s the judge."

"What's his name?"

"Judge, I said that, he's nice too, he said me and Vin can stay with Buck and Chris forever and not no one can make us go away, and I ain't never ever gonna leave, not ever!"

"Well I think that is a very good idea JD."

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"Hey Little Bit!"

"Buck!"

"Wow you're getting heavy, what ya been doing?"

"I drew this look."

"Well looky here it's all of us, even Ma and your mom and everyone, that’s some picture, reckon we should put it on the wall back home?"

"Yup, I been telling Mrs Senator alled about my picture."

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"You must be Buck, I'm Senator Eastwood."

"Buck Wilmington."

"I take it you’re a lawman of some kind?"

"ATF."

"And you are this young guy's guardian?"

"Yup."

"That's two difficult jobs to take on in one go."

"Well I won't argue that but I ain't about to quit either one."

"Well it's an honour to meet you Mr Wilmington, and you too young JD, he's a credit to you."

"Nah he's a credit to himself."

"Can we go home now?"

"Yup we sure can Little Bit."

THE END

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