ATF Alternate Universe
TWENTY-TWO
"Mr. umm..Davis," Joey smiled, happy he remembered not to call him Larabee."Yeah Joey?" he asked, not turning.
"You mind if we go hide the candles?" Joey asked, all three boys rubbing their chests.
"Might be a good idea" Chris said, his serious tone unmistakable, as he rubbed his chest.
"Candles?" Vin asked, casting a sideways glance at Chris.
"Yeah. She prefers bare and smooth."
"That's the sacrifice you were talking about?" Vin asked, he voice raised a few notches, as he too began to rub his chest.
"Yup," Chris winced at the thought.
"Think we should tell Buck?" Vin asked.
"Bout what?" Chris asked, turning an evil grin to Vin, who shared the look.
"Hopin' you were gonna say that".
+ + + + + + +
Everyone sat in the living room, Vin relieved Ezra of sitting with JD; Ezra had been warned by Vin and then introduced to Cosette and Joe. The three boys still busied themselves searching and disposing of anything that could be melted into a liquid as Chris and the others filled Cosette and Joe in on why young JD ‘Davis' looked the way he did, Cosette had yet to see him and thought for sure they were over reacting.
"Surely he can not look as terrible as you say," Cosette smiled, knowing they were exaggerating.
"You want proof darlin'? I video taped it all..I tell you it was the funniest thing in the world!" Buck stated, getting up from his cozy spot next to the almost neon colored form Buck called a woman, to retrieve his video camera.
"No!..okay..who has it?" Buck yelled as he opened the cassette chamber and found it empty.
"What's the matter Buck?" Chris asked.
"The cassette's gone!"
"Mr. Wilmington, are you certain in your conviction that there was, in fact, a cassette at the ready at the time of your attempt to record, for future reference of course, the distress of our young friend Mr. Du..avis, I assume you checked prior to filming?" Ezra covered, never missing a beat.
"Well.. I..ha...AHH DOO DOO!!" Buck yelled, he sent a sarcastic smile to his fellow agents for his self control at not saying ‘that' word.
"Pardon? But what did you just say?" Cosette asked, pointing to Ezra.
"He asked Mr. Buck if he checked if there was a cassette in the camera before he taped JD," Joey said.
"Oh..Well..why did you not just say that?" Cosette asked.
"Cause he's Ezra, ‘everything' he says is complicated," Buck winked as he returned to sit next to the woman.
"Hey, how ya feelin?" Chris asked JD as he slowly entered the living room his head hanging, Chris stood to go to JD, looking behind the kid for Vin to be somewhere.
"Like shit," JD stated quietly, but not quietly enough.
"There..he did it again!!" Buck pointed out.
"Shut up," the boys, Chris and Ezra all said turning towards the man.
"Chris!! Chris!!..I can't find..." Vin said urgently running into the living room, only to stop short as he saw Chris helping his missing charge sit down, really slow and finished his sentence "....the soap".
"Hurting bad kid?" Chris asked softly, Cosette and Joe hidden from the scene, as the boys and other agents created a wall around the young agent, sitting in the chair, in obvious pain and holding back tears.
JD just nodded his head.
"Maybe we should take him back to the hospital," Buck suggested, in a very low and serious tone.
"I don't wanna ride, just wanna sit here," JD said quietly.
"Okay.."Chris said, putting a reassuring hand to the young agents shoulder.
"Is there a problem?" Cosette asked, making her way to the group.
"Oh.... no, Cosette..JD's just feelin' a bit poorly at the moment," Buck smiled, escorting Cosette back over to the couch again.
"Is that... ?" JD asked half his question softly, not hiding the tinge of panic in his voice.
"Yeah, sorry son," Chris answered softly with a sigh.
"Don't worry, the boys hid all the candles,"Vin smiled.
"Don't, it hurts to laugh," JD said, a tear escaping from an eye.
"Maybe we should call Nathan, maybe he knows what to give ya' so you don't hurt so bad," Vin suggested.
"What do you think JD?" Chris asked, he knew if they called Nathan that he would suggest something, but he'd also come back.
"No, he'll just come out here," JD answered quietly, he paused to catch his breath a bit. "The bandages came loose again is all."
"Let's just wrap him back up," Vin said. "Had it done enough, pretty sure I can get them tight enough."
"Without making him hurt anymore than he already is?" Ryan asked.
"It's gonna hurt no matter what," JD gave Ryan a half hearted attempt at a smile.
"How's he doin?" Buck asked Chris quietly.
"I am fine," JD answered for himself quietly, through gritted teeth.
"Kid, you could be missing the lower part of your body and you'd still say you were fine," Buck said leaning into the younger man.
"That's cause my brain sits on top of my shoulder, not below my waist like y.." JD wanted to finish, but he moved slightly causing him to muffle a cry.
"Ezra and Vin are in the kitchen, we're gonna tighten his bandages," Chris revealed the plan.
"Hmm..Boys," Buck looked and patted Joey on the back. "You ever chase pigs around?" he asked.
"Ahhh..no..why..are we creating a distraction?" Joey asked, his face lighting up.
"Yup," Buck smiled.
"Sounds like fun," Robbie said.
"What are we gonna do when we catch them? We ain't gonna kill.." Ryan started.
"No, no, no..I'm gonna let them out, we just got to round them up..you boys get a hold of one, you keep a hold of it, make it squeal real loud," Buck grinned, and nodded as he saw the lights click on in the boys head. "You need a hand Chris?" Buck asked as he saw Chris trying to get JD up from the overstuffed, very comfortable chair.
"No..ones..enough," JD said as he stood painfully, not able to stand straight without feeling a painful tug.
The boys watched as JD slowly made his way, with Chris's help, to the makeshift first aide station in the kitchen.
"He's not gonna be able to do the show tomorrow, is he?" Robbie said quietly to Buck.
"JD? Sure he will. All he needs is a good nights sleep..hell he played the drums the night after he busted his arm..he'll be fine..you wait and see," Buck assured.
+ + + + + + +
"You okay for a minute? I have to go and forget to close a gate" Chris said to Vin and Ezra.
"Pigs," Vin guessed with a smile.
"No..no, no..Mr. Larabee, not the ‘running of the ham' plan again?"
"Sorry Ezra, it'll keep them busy," Chris said, nodding his head back into the living room, heading out the door.
JD sat slowly on the edge of the table. "Should be a sight seein' her chasin' a pig around" JD smiled.
"Until she gets a hold of one," Vin laughed out.
"Chris will have the ‘barest and smoothest' pigs around," JD chuckled, but stopped painfully.
"All set," Chris smiled making his way back into the house.
"Let's get your shirt off and get ready," Chris said seriously.
"Guess," JD said. Not all that excited by the fact that he had a t-shirt on and not something that had buttons.
The shirt was removed, not as painfully as he expected, JD came to the conclusion that it was due to the fact that the men helping him didn't have the initials PA or MD after their names. PA's and MD's were skilled people, but they obviously don't teach them how to remove a t-shirt from someone with broken ribs.
"How long we gonna have to wait?" JD asked, Ezra and Vin carefully undoing the loose bandage, Chris looking out the window, a small group of pigs made their way around the front of the house, on the porch, going to where the living room was.
"You can start in a few minu.." Chris started to say.
"EEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!" The woman's scream echoed loudly through the house, causing the windows to shudder a bit.
"Now," Chris finished with a smile, all pain and discomfort almost gone from the young agent as he heard the noises and voices from the other room.
"You didn't lock the gate!!" Buck yelled, grabbing Ryan by the shirt collar, bringing him close to his face, giving the boy a wink.
"I..It ..I...forgot!! I'm ssssssorry!!!!!" Ryan pleaded.
"Oh my ..heavens..it's coming into the house!!" Cossette screeched, it was such a high pitched screech Buck figured 10 miles down the road there was a poor dog cowering in fear at the pitch.
"Cut him off!" Buck yelled, pushing Robbie to the pig.
Robbie grabbed the pig easily, this hadn't been this particular pigs first journey into the living room, he was generally used when Chris entertained people he really wanted to leave. JD had even managed to train this pig to lay still on a platter, apple in its mouth, and when a key word or a certain action was given, remove itself quickly from where it was. Course the pig was to big for that anymore, but it had been quite the sight Buck remembered.
"I got him!!" Robbie yelled over the piercing squeal of the pig, the pig still had nothing over Cosette.
Ryan was next to grab a pig who'd ventured into the living room, he too smiled proudly at his loud capture.
A pig headed for Cosette, like it knew that the woman craved attention, she screeched again, jumping onto the couch, the pig was not deterred as it pursued Cosette, easily getting on the couch as well.
Ryan did the only thing he thought to do, he handed his pig off to Cosette and grabbed the other off the couch.
"BWWWWAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!" The image consultant screamed.
"Hold on there darlin'!" Buck said , trying to be serious, inside laughing his ass off.
"I got him," Buck said as he handed the pig off to Joey.
"Did you see that thing!! He was after me!! I don't even eat pork!!" Cosette screeched, her now carefully applied make up running down her face in colors of bright blue, yellow and black.
Cosette's knight in shinning armor came back to her rescue, he looked to where Ryan had stood holding his pig with a questioning look. Ryan then turned his head into the kitchen, got a nod from Chris as they put JD's shirt back on, and passed along the nod to Buck.
"Come here sweet thing," Buck said sympathetically to Cosette, who was more than willing to jump into his arms.
"You're my hero," she said ever so softly, well, as softly and as seductively as she could with the romantic squealing background.
"I been called worse," Buck smiled broadly, then turned his head to the boys. "Boys, herd them pigs back where they belong, Miss Cosette here needs some special comfortin'," Buck said in a low forceful voice.
The boys headed out with their pigs, and easily herded the others back to the barn.
Buck put Cosette back on the floor, steadying her with a strong arm, Joe still sat in the chair...in shock.
"Joe? You alright?" JD asked worry in his voice as he made his way into the living room.
"Joe?" Chris asked, getting closer, he tentatively took his hand and waved it in front of the mans face, trying to get him to blink, nothing. Chris moved his hand to the man's neck, feeling for his carotid pulse...nothing.
"No." JD gasped "He's no..he ain't..he can't be..No"
"Something wrong guys?" Joey asked, seeing the looks on the faces in the living room.
"Joey, guys..I..ah..you need to..sit ..down.." JD said seriously.
The boys complied.
"Boys, I'm sorry..Joe..Joe's..dead," Chris said evenly.
"What! How!" the boys asked, all at different times.
"I dunno..guess it was the shock..the pigs I mean," Chris said.
"Or maybe her screeching," JD whispered to Vin. Vin smiled and gave a sideways nod.
"Probably scared him to death by it," Vin whispered back. JD nodded.
"That's too bad, I was just starting to like him," Joey said to the others.
"Yeah, me too," Robbie agreed.
"What are we gonna do for a manager now?" Ryan asked.
"Ah..fellas, I don't mean to sound..well.. I mean..Joe's dead and everything..I thought you'd be a little more upset than you are," JD said.
"We only met him 2 weeks before you did," Ryan said.
"..And to be honest..we were gonna dump him..he wasn't all that good a manager," Robbie said.
"Really? He have any family?" Vin asked.
"Just his dog, I do feel bad about that..he has.... he had a cool dog," Joey said.
"What kind?" JD asked, just out of curiosity.
"Llapso Apso," Joey smiled.
"Kid that ain't a dog, that's a dust mop on a leash," Vin said.
"Works pretty good as a buffer after washing your car too," Robbie said.
"Well, guess we better get him taken care of," Chris stated grabbing his cell phone.
+ + + + + + +
"Thanks," Chris said to the mortician as Joe's body was put into the hearse and driven away.
"That's the second time we've lost someone because of the pigs," Vin sighed out.
"Really?" Joey asked.
"Yup. JD trained this pig to look like dinner. We had it sittin' on the table, old lady Wilson stuck her fork into it, it squealed and jumped off the table," Chris smiled.
"Yup, gave Stuart James a bad fright and he fell over in his chair deader than a door nail," Vin smiled at the memory.
"‘The' Stuart James, that cattle smuggler?" Robbie asked.
"Same one," Chris said.
"You know, I hate to be the one to point stuff out, but..what are we gonna do with her?" JD asked the group, pointing where Buck was ‘comforting' the she devil of wax.
"He seems to have her pretty..um.. ‘occupied'," Vin said.
"So she stays?" JD asked, his voice a few notches higher than normal.
"Might I suggest that everything stay status quo for the duration of the day; perhaps Mr. Wilmington would escort her back to the city after breakfast," Ezra suggested.
"Sounds reasonable," Vin said.
"There ain't nothin reasonable about that....whatever she is, Vin," JD said. "I'm lockin' my door..maybe she brought some wax with her," JD said, heading up the stairs to the room he'd be staying in.
"Sounds like a good idea," Chris agreed.
"Retiring for the night? The night has hardly made an appearance," Ezra said.
"No, locking my bedroom door," Chris said, rubbing his chest as the vision of wax danced in his head.
"Think I'll sleep in the barn," Vin said.
TWENTY-THREE
"Ooooooohhhhhh!!"JD pushed the small button that lit up his wrist watch, 2:46 a.m., he rolled his eyes, again, and sighed heavily.
Ezra rolled over in his bed and looked at the digital clock. 2:46 a.m. and rolled over again, bringing the covers over his head.
Chris looked at the clock on his dresser next to his bed, 2:46 a.m., he turned his head to the other wall and admired the winchester rifle that hung there.
Vin, the smart one, had suggested he and the boys go and ‘sleep among the stars' next to the barn, JD had really wanted to go, but knew he'd be worse off.
"OOOOOOWWWW!"
Maybe not, JD thought again.
"Ohhhh!! Mmmyyyy!"
All three men grabbed their pillows and covered their ears.
"Ha-ha- howwwllll!!"
The silence finally came.
+ + + + + + +
"Mornin fellas," Vin smiled cheerfully, pouring a cup of coffee. "You all look like hell"
"Who said to let her stay?" JD snapped.
"For the hundredth time..I'm sorry."
"May I ..ah hell..where are the boys," Ezra asked ..he wasn't in the mood to be charming.
"They're still sleepin', hell Ezra..it's only 5 in the mornin'."
"Uhhhhggg," the agents said collectively.
"We slept great, hell didn't even here one coyote..nice cool night too, can't understand why," Vin said, a little concerned.
"The screaming banshee scared them all off for 100 miles most likely," JD said, taking a sip of his coffee, he didn't even notice he hadn't put any sugar or cream in it..and he didn't seem to care.
"She have nightmares ‘bout them pigs chasing her around?" Vin laughed out, remembering how high pitched her voice was.
"Something was chasing her around, but I assure you it was not a pig," Ezra said.
JD and Chris turned to the man with a questioning look on their tired faces.
"Well at least not of the farm variety," Ezra said, also taking a sip of his coffee.
"Glad I slept outside," Vin said.
"I'm just glad the boys slept outside, she woulda scared the hell out of Joey," JD said, smiling a bit at the thought.
"Yup, then we'd have to explain it all to him," Chris said, a smile crossing his face as well, as all the men nodded their heads in agreement. "How the ribs this morning anyway?" Vin asked.
"Better, thanks," JD said.
"Goooooood mornin!" Buck smiled widely, coming into the kitchen with just his flannel pajama pants on.
The men all stared, mouths hanging open.
"What's the matter boys, didn't get any sleep? Hah...me neither!" Buck smiled proudly.
"You and half the state of Colorado," JD said, noticing that Buck had no idea what they were all staring at.
"She was something wasn't she?" Buck smiled, wiggling his pinky finger in his ear. "Gonna take me some time to get my hearing straight," he smiled still.
"You...ah..feel any different Buck?" Vin asked, realizing the same thing JD did, Buck didn't have a clue.
"Oh yeah..I tell ya' that woman has some pret-ty wild ideas..if ya' get my meanin," Buck said with a smile and a wink.
"I must say you look....Have you lost weight?" Ezra asked.
"Noooooo," Buck smiled as he sung out the word.
"You do look different, get a hair cut?" Vin asked.
"You guys lost your minds?" Buck figured.
"Nope, definitely somethin' different, don't ya think JD?" Chris asked.
"Yup," JD stated.
"You guys are just jealous," Buck said.
"Ah..no," Vin laughed out.
"Hardly," Ezra quipped.
"Not me," Chris said.
"So tell me Buck, what's it like to be ‘bare and smooth'?" JD asked, a grin crossing his face.
"What the hell are you talkin' about boy?" Buck asked.
JD just nodded his head a bit towards Buck and pointed to his chest.
"AAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Buck screamed as he looked down to his now hairless chest.
"What's..the..owe..matter..owe owe..Buck..owe?" JD laughed out, causing his ribs to tug.
"I'm gonna kill her!! Look at me!! It's gone!! I never ..ever told her she could...Oh ..I'm gonna kill her..I didn't say she could do this!" Buck yelled out.
"Dunno boys, I know I heard ya' say ‘yes' more than once last night." Chris said. "You hear it boys?"
"Ah-huh," Vin smiled, holding back the laugh.
"Assuredly," Ezra said.
"Oh yeah, least a dozen or so times," JD offered, still smiling.
"Good morning," Cosette said innocently as she entered the kitchen, wearing the other half of Bucks flannel pajamas.
"Morning ma'am, sleep well?" JD asked with a positively honest face.
"Oh, yes my dear boy, thank you for asking," Cosette smiled.
"Glad to hear that, thought I heard coyotes real close to the house, I figured they mighta kept you awake," JD smiled with a nod.
"Buck," Cosette sauntered over towards the man, reaching up to put her hand on his chest.
"Uh-uh..no way..get away from me you ..you..you She Devil!!" Buck said, moving away from the woman.
"What ever are you talking about?" she asked
"THIS!!! Look..nothin's there..you..you," he yelled, then he lowered his voice like it was a big secret that no one knew, "you waxed my chest!"
"Well, I told you I liked hairless chests..and you said you did as well," the women pouted.
"I meant yours!!!" Buck explained.
"It'll grow back Buck" Chris stated.
"I only came back down, to see if you wanted to.." Cosette leaned over and whispered in his ear.
"I ah.." Buck stuttered.. "no..uh-uh..who knows what you'll rip off next!"
Two hours later, Cosette was packed up, and leaving the ranch; Buck chauffeuring the woman back to her office, alone..under great protest. The others telling him how bad they felt, but JD had to think about getting ready for the concert that night, Vin had left an hour earlier to help the roadies, Ezra had been appointed the boys manager and of course Chris couldn't go..after all he was the father.
TWENTY-FOUR
"Yes..Thank you," Ezra folded his cell phone and put it back in his pants pocket."Well?" Chris asked, JD and the boys looking at Ezra as well.
"Everything is all arranged and the news should be spreading like wildfire," Ezra smiled.
After Buck had left for the city, Ryan had asked what they were going to say, not only about Joe but JD's condition, to the others at the concert. Ezra came up with the idea that there had been a car accident, where Joe had been tragically killed and JD had been injured; it was better than saying JD was accident prone and pigs had killed Joe.
"Okay..well, we have two hours before we have to leave I suggest you get some sleep," Chris said to JD.
"I'm fine, sides I can sleep on the way..I really think we need to practice," JD said, they hadn't done any since coming to the ranch; not that they would have been able to in between trips to the clinics and jailhouse.
"Um, JD..we have no music, how are we supposed to practice?" Robbie pointed out.
"A capella," JD said matter of factly.
"I suppose, but how is that going to work tonight?" Ryan asked.
"We can do it the same way, it doesn't matter to me," JD said.
"Sounds okay to me," Joey nodded.
"Well..A capella it is then," JD smiled, leading the way out to the barn.
Chris turned to Ezra as Joey shut the kitchen door.
"Aca- who?" Chris asked.
"Pella..it means they'll perform without music," Ezra smiled, a hint of pride in his stance.
"Sounds hard," Chris said.
"It is very difficult, perhaps we could eavesdrop and get a ‘sneak peak' if you will," Ezra smiled.
"Cool," Chris said, I've been hanging around these kids to much he thought as he caught the surprised look on Ezra's face.
They made their way out of the house and and onto the porch, when they heard a familiar truck followed by a cloud of dust.
"What the hell?" Chris said, glancing at his watch just as the truck stopped.
"Mr. Wil..." Ezra began.
"Don't say a word!" Buck said as he slammed his door shut.
"You break the sound barrier getting her back into the city?" Chris said, ignoring the warning.
"Nooo," he said sarcastically. "I found her a cab to take her back," he said, hands on his hips.
"Why?" Chris asked.
"She was gonna get us both killed is why..She kept goin' on and on about..well.. ‘stuff'....and I was havin' a hard time keepin' my attention on the road," Buck said in an exasperated tone.
"That exciting, huh?" Chris said dryly.
"No..that scary! She was talking about diapers and bottles..ewwhh," Buck said, over exaggerating the shiver that ran down his back.
"She has a peculiar fetish," Ezra smiled.
"Fetish? I can handle a fetish..Hell..she was talkin' bout gettin' hitched and havin' kids!"
"Oh, yes, well, I can see why you would be disturbed," Ezra smiled.
"So, ah..where you boys headed?" Buck changed the subject.
"Barn," Chris stated.
"Why?" Buck asked.
"Eavesdropping," Ezra smiled.
"Ahhhh," Buck smiled back, understanding.
The three leaned against the barn wall, under a empty stall window, listening to the boys exchange ideas and handing out instructions and suggestions..then it happened.
Snap, snap, snap, snap. They heard the fingers snapping to a beat, once that was established the harmonizing began.
"Bap bap badahda, bap bap badahda Like a flower to a tree that's how close I wanna be..... to your heart"
The three eavesdroppers listened intently, smiles on their faces as they listened to the group who sung the song, never missing a beat.
"How was that?" JD asked, poking his head out the stall window with a smile, happy to see the men jump a bit.
"Fine," Chris said sternly, he didn't like being surprised and walked away.
"Very well done," Ezra smiled his approval, following Chris back to the house.
Buck just smiled and enthusiastically gave JD two thumbs way up, joining the other two men at the house.
+ + + + + + +
"All set to go?" Chris asked the three young men, who nodded. Chris sent his glance over to where Buck and Ezra had just finished wrapping JD's ribs, they had come loose and uncomfortable while they were practicing.
"Good as new," Buck smiled as JD gingerly put his shirt back on.
The men all left the house and managed to pile into Chris's truck, Chris, Buck and Ezra sat in the front, the four group members managed to fit quite comfortably in the back, Joey and JD were of small statures and shared the middle.
15 minutes into the ride the older men could hear whispering coming from the back.
"What are you talking about?" Bucks curiosity finally got the better of him. He hated not knowing something was being talked about, especially if JD was doing the talking.
"Nothin'," the four answered, innocent smiles crossing their faces.
"Ah-huh," Buck said doubtfully.
The boys just smiled, waiting for Buck to turn around, they could see Chris shake his head back and forth at Bucks curiosity.
The four looked at each other as Buck finally turned his head forward, Joey held up his hand and silently counted off to four with his fingers.
"Now....this is a story bout a man named Jed. A poor mountaineer barely kept his family fed, went out one morning huntin' for food when up from the ground came bubblin' crude," the four sung.
"Oil that is, black cold, Texas tea," Robbie's bass voice sang solo.
"Well the next thing you know ole Jed's a millionaire, kin folk said," the four continued
"Jed move way from here," Joey and Ryan.
"So they loaded up there truck and they moved to Beverly," the group.
"Hills that is.." Robbie sung again.
"Okay..okay..very cute..I thought we got rid of those pills of yours!" Buck interrupted the song.
"Sorry Buck. Could help it," JD smiled.
Chris and Ezra silently laughed, but both their shoulders shook.
The boys were silent , but not for long..
"Who is this super hero?" Joey asked.
"Sarge?" Robbie asked.
"No," JD and Ryan answered.
"Rosemary, the telephone operator?" Joey and Robbie.
"No way man," JD and Ryan
"Penry, the mild mannered janitor?" Joey and Robbie asked.
"Could be!" JD and Ryan sang out.
"What the hell are you talki.." Buck began to ask, again turning around, and was answered.
"Hong Kong Phooey, number one super guy. Hong Kong phooey, quicker than the human eye," The four sung out.
"So this is the way it's gonna go the whole way there is it..fine..you just keep on singing and I ‘ll just keep on ignorin' ya'll," Buck said turning around, the group never stopping.
They finished one song, Robbie started them right into another.
"Hello boys and girls this is your old pal stinky wizzleteats..." Buck refused to listen to the gibberish but hung his head as the boys all began to sing and he couldn't block it out.
"Happy happy Joy joy, Happy happy Joy joy, Happy happy Joy joy, Happy happy Joy joy, Happy happy Joy joy, Happy happy Joy joy, Happy happy Joy joy joy....."
"What in Hell is that from?!" Buck asked turning around again to face the source of his aggravation.
"If I am not mistaken that is ‘Happy Happy, Joy Joy' from the Ren and Stimpy show," Ezra smiled his answer, shocking almost everyone.
"Ren and Stimpy? Please tell me why you know that," Buck stated.
"I have had the pleasure of enjoying many an episode in the company of young JD," Ezra smiled.
"How'd he trick you into watchin that?!" Chris asked.
"On the contrary, I introduced the show to him," Ezra smiled, turning to face the men seated next to him.
+ + + + + + +
The rest of ride had remained silent after Ezra's revelation about the ‘Ren and Stimpy show', Buck trying to figure out exactly what a ‘Ren or a Stimpy' was; giving up as his head began to hurt.
"Here we are," Chris announced, pulling to the back of the arena the boys would be performing at.
"Holy..." JD gasped
"Bigger than what you're used to playing at, huh?" Chris asked with a smile.
"That ain't it," JD said, still dumbfounded.
"What is it then?" Buck asked.
"Them," JD pointed out to a large group of different aged females, waving posters with different pictures of the boys ..and JD on them.
"Happens where ever we go JD," Ryan said matter of factly.
"Fine for you..but I haven't ..I mean..it's only been a week or so," JD said, knowing he hadn't made any appearances, interviews or had any pictures taken.
"It would appear that your recently deceased manager did a bit of ‘promotion' before his untimely death," Ezra admired.
"Hey JD..Look at that one!" Joey said, pointing to a young lady waving a sign with his picture on it.
"‘JD..let me kiss your boo boos..Leslie'," Buck read. "Look at that kid, you got your own nurse!" Buck laughed out.
"This is a nightmare," JD sighed out.
"Nope, this is the entertainment biz," Ryan smiled.
"Okay..plug your ears guys," Chris instructed, JD figured out why the minute Chris opened his door. It was like a thousand screeching Cosette's out side of the truck.
Buck poked his head back into the truck and his most scoundrelous smile JD had ever seen he said, "Ready Mr. Big Shot?"
"No, but what the hell," JD said, taking as deep of breath as he possibly could, the three boys made there way out of the truck, waved at the screeching and screaming fans, JD slowly scooted across the bench seat to the door, trying hard not to wince when his ribs tugged.
JD hung his head, making his way to where the boys stood.
"Ya gotta wave or something JD, just look up..they'll go nuts. Come on..it's kinda fun," Ryan advised, leaning to JD.
"Really?" JD said back.
"Yeah, and just think of what Buck will think..all that magnetism bull ain't gonna fly with them," Robbie smiled as he pointed to the fans, who were calling his name and the the others.
"Well, that's worth it!" JD smiled, lifting his head to the crowd, still smiling.
"Ain't that sound pollution?" Buck said, noticing the decibel level increased when JD finally acknowledged the crowd.
"Nope, that's called adolescent female hormones," Chris smiled, and began to usher the four into the arena.
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