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Levie & Troy
Levie's tears fell as he was cradled by Troy in the ambulance. Despite his insistence that he didn't need to be checked out, the older brunet's firm stance won out. Once Troy put his foot down, things were not discussed or argued anymore, and Levie wasn't in any condition to take any chances with his Bropop. "Dad, I..."
"Shhh! It's okay, baby boy. Just rest now, and we can talk later. You need to conserve your energy and stay strong for your son." Troy whispered. "Here, let me hold my Grandson." The brunet smiled when Levie handed him the sleeping angel. "I'm still sooo not used to saying I've got a Grandson."
Levie softly chuckled. "Join the club, Bropop. I'm not used to saying I've got a son."
"Sorry for interrupting your moment, but did he call you Dad and the baby your Grandson?" The EMT asked.
Levie and Troy looked at one another and chuckled.
"It's a bit of a long story. However, the short version is..." Troy spent a few minutes explaining how Levie became his son and Tracey his grandson.
At the end of the short story, the EMT was wiping his tears. "Wow! I wish the world was full of caring people like your family. I've heard about you guys, but I always thought y'all were too good to be true."
"I'm just sorry, I wasn't strong enough to protect my kid. I feel like a failure." Levie hung his head.
Troy asked the attendant to hold Tracey for a moment. He turned and gently placed his fingers under Levie's chin and raised the younger man's head. "Levie Michael Stillman...shit, Stillmont. I want you to open your eyes and look at me."
Levie immediately did as Troy said. He knew better than to try to ignore the tone in his Bropop's voice.
"You're not a failure. What happened isn't your fault." Troy paused as he gently wrapped his arms around Levie and hugged him. "Baby boy, what was the first thing you did when your tire was shot out?"
Levie thought back. "I told Tracer to hold on. Then quickly scanned the sides of the road for a place with the least amount of trees so it would minimize the risk of physical injury for both of us, but more for my son."
Troy and the EMT smiled.
"Okay, what did you do then, Levie?" The EMT asked. He found himself drawn into their parent, son dynamic as he softly talked to the little boy in his arms.
Troy looked up at the man, smiled, and nodded his agreement to the attendant's participation.
"After the impact, I did a quick body scan to make sure I could still move. I got out of the Jeep, then checked on Tracey to make sure he was okay and at least visibly unharmed." Levie paused. "After that, I dialed you," He said, pointing to Troy. "And, that's when I got attacked by Maddox or Burt, or whatever the bastard's name is."
"See, you did everything you could to protect your boy." Troy kissed the redhead's cheek. Then he reached out and retrieved Tracey.
"Logically, I know that, guys. I just can't emotionally admit it yet." The redhead softly admitted. "That guy played with my head, bad. Before you got there, he had the sound of screaming babies playing through the speakers. Then, he made me piss myself. I've never felt so useless and helpless in my life."
Troy leaned over and kissed Levie's forehead. "Baby boy, you're tougher and braver than I could ever be in that situation. I love you, and you've always made me proud to be your brother and parent."
Levie smiled and wiped his tears. "Any bravery or strength I have came from Mom and Dad and learned from Mama Ev, Papa Lyle, you, and Jayce. All six of my guardians make me proud."
Because of the weather, the ambulance had to go slower than usual. Finally, the emergency vehicle reached the medical center, and Stuart was at the doors waiting for their arrival. He quickly rushed Levie and Tracey into an examination room. Levie looked over and gasped when he saw Jaycen's smiling face.
"Are you okay, baby?" Jaycen asked as he carefully leaned over and kissed the younger redhead.
Levie smiled and kissed Jaycen's cheek. "I'm okay, Jaycepop. I'm better knowing I'm back with my family and my kid's safe." Levie squirmed and giggled his way through Stuart's physical examination.
Burt
The weather was almost impossible for the deputy's SUV to maneuver. The heavily falling snow blinded the driver, despite the slow speed he drove along the curvy side road. The young man had to pump the brakes to keep the vehicle from sliding into a snowdrift or the ditch. Sensing the inexperienced reserve cop's nervousness, Burt created a commotion in the backseat. When the driver took his eyes off the road and looked into the mirror, admonishing the criminal to settle down, he failed to notice the twelve-point buck standing in the middle of the road. The deputy let out a panicked yelp as he jerked the steering wheel to the right. The wheels hit black ice and crashed into a tree. The young driver was knocked unconscious, and Burt managed to get himself into a perfect position to reach the keys from the deputy's belt. He fumbled a bit but finally worked the key into the cuffs lock and freed himself. The fugitive rubbed his wrists, got into the passenger seat, grabbed the moaning reserve deputy's gun, and slammed the butt into the injured man's head. Burt opened the car door and ran into the woods. The man grew up in the area, so he knew he was somewhere near the ranch. He trudged through the continuously falling snow, hoping he reached somewhere to hide out and wait out the storm. Luck was on his side that night cause he came across Oakridge. Burt broke the window, so he could reach in and unlock the front door to the barn. The man walked inside, turned the heat on, and started scavenging for something to eat.
The Ranch
The closer he got to the ranch, the harder it was for Brandon to keep his car on the road. Now, he was seeing the wisdom of the other guys in needing a 4wheel drive vehicle during the winter. "C'mon, baby girl, just get me home, and I'll make sure you get some rest." Brandon was grateful for the winter weather driving tips Levie, Troy, and Jayce gave him. The blonde breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the ranch's driveway coming up. Brandon looked at his phone after turning into the ranch's entrance. Another relieved sigh left him when he saw that Tracey and Lev were safe. Brandon sent Rhett a text and asked if he was at the rach house or Oakridge. A second later, the response said ranch house. Smiling, the blonde carefully drove up to the house. He parked his Sonata and walked into the warm house and his boyfriend's open arms.
"I'm glad you're home, Bran." Rhett wiped his tears and got lost in the blonde's loving embrace. He giggled and squirmed as Brandon's fingers lightly stroked his back.
Brandon chuckled at his mate's ticklish response to the loving strokes along his soft skin. "I am too, sweet boy. I missed you and the family." He leaned in and placed a soft passionate kiss on the brunet's warm lips. "Damn, I missed that too." He giggled and squirmed as Rhett's fingers had worked under his shirt and were wiggling between Brandon's ribs. Brandon's boyish squeals and unrealistic protests echoed through the ranch house. "C'mon, baby, let's go upstairs and truly enjoy this reunion." The giggling pair ran upstairs with Brandon squealing as Rhett smacked the blonde's ass and chased him into their room.
Bill was finishing his patrol of the ranch. With everything that's happened, the fifty-year-old foreman was doing what he could to keep his boys safe. The foreman was heading to his truck when his phone sent him a message, saying there was a disturbance in the barn at Oakridge. He'd already checked in with everyone, so he knew the only ones on the property were Brandon and Rhett, but they were in the ranch house and wouldn't have gone to the barn. He made a quick call to Jackson, who told him he'd be there soon as he could. Bill put the phone in his pocket, got in his truck, and headed for Oakridge.
Burt licked his lips as he stood outside of the ranch house. He knew Troy and Jayce weren't home, and neither was Levie. However, that didn't matter to him. The two-tone-haired man broke the window above the kitchen doorknob and let himself in after making sure all the glass was out of his way. He started dousing the kitchen area in gasoline, then moved to the dining room. After doing that, he lit a match and ran into the living room, where he threw gas over the furniture, ignited the flammable liquid, and then ran out the door. He froze when a double-barrel rifle was cocked and pointed straight at his chest.
"Hands up, Burt." Bill's voice was emotionless and edged with steel.
Brandon and Rhett were just getting out of the shower. The couple dried off and walked into the bedroom. They'd just gotten into a pair of Levie's boxer/briefs when they smelled smoke coming from downstairs. The young men quickly pulled on their shirts and jeans. Then slipped barefoot into their shoes and ran down the hall. That's when they noticed the living room on fire. They quickly decided whether or not they could make it to the door. Brandon and Rhett looked at one another and nodded. The couple made a dash for the door, flung it open, and ran right into Bill and Burt.
"What the fuck?" Bill exclaimed as he and the other three men toppled down the stairs.
Burt jumped up and grabbed the fallen rifle. He cocked it and held the older man and two younger ones at bay. "Alright, you three are gonna stay right there." He looked behind him. "Bill, toss me your keys."
Bill sighed but did as requested. The fifty-year-old kept Brandon and Rhett behind him the entire time. If Burt was gonna do something, he'd have to go through Bill first. Burt caught the keys and backed up towards the truck.
"Drop the weapon and slowly turn around with your hands up, Burt."
Burt turned to the voice and took a shot just as one rang out. Both shooters fell to the ground. Only one of them wasn't breathing. Brandon, Rhett, and Bill ran over to Jackson, who did his best to stem the bleeding.
"Is he dead?" Jackson asked before he gasped and pointed at the house. "Holy fuckin' shit, the place is on fire."
Bill, Brandon, and Rhett turned and beheld the ranch house going up in flames. With Burt's holding a gun on them, they'd completely forgotten about the burning home.
"I need a firetruck over to the Stillman ranch." Jackson hollered into his phone.