Devil Dawg Donnelly's
Standard disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to people or actual events is purely coincidental.
You may contact the author at ulfr57@gmail.com All comments, suggestions and/or observations are welcome if presented respectfully.
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Part Six:
Shit meet fan, that's the image that was now dominating Billy Donnelly's every thought.
How the hell was he going to explain this to his dad, in fact, what where any of them going to say.
JD just kept looking at him like he was desperate for guidance, needing his big brother to tell him what to do, while Timmy just whimpered on the bed, looking like he could burst into tears at any moment.
The only real answer that came to Billy's mind, was to own it, what else could they do really?
He turned to Timmy, the one person who seemed to be in more distress than either he or JD, this wasn't his fault, he was here because he had maneuvered him into beng here.
"Timmy?" Billy spoke softly, get your clothes and go to the bathroom and get cleaned up, and pull yourself together and join us out there, okay?
Billy knew he was terrorfied, and Billy was trying to be as comforting as he could be under the circumstances.
"This is my fault" He said: "And I'll take responsibility for it" He reached over and put his hand on Timmy's shoulder, trying to be as gentle as he could be.
Timmy looked into his eye's, looking into his for some kind of hope.
Billy understood what Timmy's fears were instantly: "Don't worry, I won't let anything bad happen to you" he assured him, pulling him toward him, hugging him then pushing him back by the shoulders and repeated what he had said before: "Pick up your clothes, go across the hall and get cleaned up okay?
Timmy caste his eyes downward but silently nodded his head and proceeded gathering his clothes from the floor.
Billy turned to JD who was already pulling up his sweat pants and looking for his T-shirt.
"Guess there's nothing else left to do bro" He said looking at his brother who looked back as hopelessly as Billy felt as he stuggled to pull his T-shirt over his shoulders.
"Time to face the music dude" Billy concluded pulling on a clean pair of board shorts from his dresser drawer.
Billy turned and was about to head out his bedroom door when his brother reached out an clasped his shoulder, stopping him, he turned back looking at him questioningly.
"Don't you think it's just a bit odd bro?" JD queried then clarified: "Was it just me or did he seem like he was cool with what we were doing?" He paused, then added: "Or am I just being crazy?"
"There's only one way we are gonna find out and it's this way dude" Billy stated flattly and turned back and headed out the door and down the hallway to go face their dad.
Max Donnelly stood at one of the counters in the kitchen, fumbling with one of the two pizza boxes he had picked up on his way home.
He had taken off early and had messaged Carl McGregor to join him here and was expecting him any moment. He'd already laid out a handfull of paper plates and some napkins on the table, getting things ready for his boy's when they worked up the courage to join him.
Max Smiled to himself, rather amused at the fear he could smell coming from the back bedrooms, that and the smell of sex, sperm, sweat and testosterone.
Was there anything better in life he asked himself, shaking his head no and laughing to himself.
He anxiously awaited his boy's joining him, and could hear them start shuffling their way down the hallway.
He quickly posed himself, arms crossed over his chest, feet apart and leaning casually against the counter with as stern a look as he could muster before his boy's came thru the kitchen door.
It took everything Max had not to laugh his ass off, barely being able not to giggle when they came shuffling themselves slowly into the kitchen, heads bowed, looking so forlorn, like they were going to their execution.
Just as he suspected, his oldest stepped forward, his youngest, head and shoulders bowed, looking very much like he was trying to collapse within himself and blink out of existance.
"D..d..dad?" His oldest stammered slowly raising his head to meet his fathers eye's.
"I... um... I mean we..." God Max thought, this was better than anything on comedy central, Max was struggling now, barely able to contain himself from a gut busting, doubled over laugh.
"Spit it out son" Max said as deeply and sternly as he could muster: "I'm waiting?" he added tapping his foot for dramatic effect.
Good god he thought the kid could blow chunks any moment now he was so scared.
"D...dad what we did....we, um...Billy trailed off, unable to find the words he wanted to say when just then Uncle Carl came through the back door toting a six pack of beer and a duffle bag, which he dropped on the laundry room floor then came into the kitchen and bellowed: "Howdy all, wuzzup, why is everyone lookin' so glum?"
Max strained now, he knew Carl wasn't up to speed on what was happening and Max decided to see how far he could milk it, this was just to much fun to pass up.
"Do you want to explain to your uncle Carl William, or shall I?" He taunted Billy trying to add to his distress by using his sons formal name, which he only ever used when he was in deep trouble.
Carl didn't know what was going on, but he didn't smell any anger coming from Max, if anything he sensed the exact opposite...what game is he playing at here, the smell of fear coming from both Billy and JD was palpable, that and the smell of recent sexual activity, but not with a female, but with a ho...He let that thought drop for the time being.
Carl looked instead at Billy, the kid looked terrible and his brother looked worse, what was Max playing at?
Carl crossed over to Billy and put his hand on his shoulder, comfortingly: "Whats up Billy, you can tell me."
Billy tried looking Carl in the eye's, tried lifing his head, he tried to get his throat to work, his lips to form the words, he just couldn't.
Carl swore he could hear a barely perceptable chuckle from Max and whirled around and confronted him.
"What's this about Max?" Carl demanded, certain now Max was just playing one of his silly games, toying with his sons.
"Dad caught us..." came the small voice behind him, it was Billy.
"Caught you what? Carl demanded taking both of Billy's shoulders in his hands, insisting on a response.
Without raising his face which was bright red from embarassment and shame he whispered: He caught us with a boy in my room"
Aww, Carl thought to himself, the missing piece...Carl just shook his head and muttered to himself: "Max you asshole."
Carl took his right hand and lifted Billy's chin, trying to look him in the eye's which Billy kept shifting, to ashamed to make contact.
"By caught" Carl mused:" I assume you mean you were having sex with?"
Carl just shook his had as Billy bowed his head even further and just barely nodded and whispered: "Yes."
Carl just threw his hands up and laughed: "Is that all, I thought somebody got hurt or died."
"Bu...but we..."Billy stammered confused why Carl was laughing at him.
"Seriously kid" Carl chuckled: "Your dads banged more than his share of guys over the years, it seems awfully suspicious he's going all puritanical on ya now."
"Boys?!" Carl boomed: "snap out of it, he's messing with ya."
Billy raised his head stared directly at his dad who just burst out laughing and walked over to him and put his arm around his son and gave him a noogie with the other.
"Damn kid" His dad laughed: "Relax and quit taking things so seriously"
Billy and JD just looked confused, not exactly sure how to take their dad at the moment.
Carl grabbed one of the pizza boxes and brushed pass them on his way to the table and jabbed Max in the abdoman: "That was cruel, funny but cruel" then he added: "I think you owe your boy's a beer for that prank." as he proceeded to shove a can into first Billy's then JD's hands.
"Sit boy's" Carl demanded as he openned the pizza box and took a slice.
Max came over and sat next to Carl, who high fived him as he sat down, still chuckling at his boy's.
Billy and JD still looked confused, not sure what to say let alone think and right now eating was the last thing they were thinking about.
Max saw this and finally took pity on his boy's and decided to put them out of their misery.
"Boy's!?" He began: "It's okay, I don't care how you get off, so long as you don't violate the code." He leveled a stare at JD, who chaffed under his fathers scrutiny.
JD so wanted to blurt out what really happened with Andrea and why, but in the end he knew it really didn't matter, he was still guilty, he still broke his fathers trust and he knew he'd always be trying to live that down, he just wished he could go back in time and tell himself to stay home that night, and to stay as far away as he could from Andrea Thomas.
Billy picked up on the change in his brothers mood, and ran his hand down his brothers back trying to comfort him, especially after everything else they'd been through today.
"It's okay dude" Billy whispered: "We'll work it out, we're still your family and we always will be!"
"Here Here" Carl added picking up on Billy's sentiment and raising his can in salute.
"To family" his dad echoed as they all raised their beers and clicked them together before swilling them down and slamming the empty cans to the table.
It was just then that a very timid and pale Timmy Anderson, as quietly as possible entered the room, head and shoulders down, his fingers clutching at each other, fumbling at the hem of his sweatshirt.
Max Donnelly stood up, followed by his right hand man and lifelong best friend and companion Carl and in full parade rest, cheerfully welcomed Timmy.
"Get up boys" Max demanded of his sons: "Have you no manners?"
Billy and JD looked at both their father and at Carl and turned their heads as they rose to their feet to look at Timmy, who just blushed and fidgetted from all the unwanted attention.
He had never felt so awkward and out of place.
Max pulled out a chair right beside him at the table and beckoned Timmy to sit down.
When Timmy didn't move his dad stepped forward and said: "We would be honored if you'd join us for lunch" He paused and then reinterated: "please Timmy, sit with us."
Timmy shuffled over and quietly sat down, they all watched as Max put his hand on the back of Timmy's neck and started rubbing him, like one does when comforting a child.
"Are you okay?" Max asked him: "I didn't scare you earier did I?"
"A little" Timmy offered meekly offering Max only the briefest of side glances.
"Then I apologize, that was not my intent." Max said still massaging Timmy's neck.
Timmy tentively looked Max in the eye's: You aren't mad about ....us?" he said looking furtively at Billy and JD.
Max beamed, and smiled ear to ear: "Why would I be upset with my boy's for enjoying themselves with someone who is so obviously beautiful as you?"
Timmy blushed even more, but Max's words had the desired effect, Timmy smiled and Max could feel some of the tightness and tension fade from Timmy's shoulder and neck as he began to relax.
"Do you like pizza?" Max asked Timmy.
"Sure" Timmy softly responded.
Max reached over and grabbed a paper plate and a couple of napkins and set them in front of Timmy and took a slice of Pizza from the box in the center of the table and placed it in front of Timmy.
"Can I get you something to drink" He offered: A Coke, milk or water?"
"Can I have a beer?" he asked demurly and smiled.
Max roared with laughter: "You got balls kid, I like that!" then turned and grabbed a beer from beside Carl, openned it and handed it to Timmy.
"Thanks." Timmy smiled and then batted his eye's, an action not missed by either Max nor his sons Billy and JD.
"Damn your beautiful" Max almost cooed, as he lifted a finger to the loose golden blond stray locke of curly hair on Timmy's forehead and brushed it back with the others on top of his head, before returning to the back of his neck and massaging his shoulders and neck and even stroking the very short hairs on the back of Timmy's head.
"Ahem." Carl interupted: "don't we have something to be discussing right now?" He asked trying to turn Max's attention to other matters (other matters meaning other than fawning over Timmy)
"Right you are Carl." Max's attentioned seemed to instantly refocus as he withdrew his hand from fondling Timmy's neck to fiddling with his other hand on top of the table.
"The reason I'm home early today" He began: "was to fetch my boy's and of course Carl here and then swing by and pick up Baxter" He looked at Billy who looked at him questioningly: "We're heading up to the lodge this afternoon to stay for the weekend."
Both Billy and JD could barely contain their enthusiasm, letting out a hoot or two and a bro double high five. They loved going up to the lodge and staying in the cabin or even going hiking and camping out under the stars.
"Don't get to excited" their dad cautioned: "We're going for a reason." Both Billy and JD imwardly sighed wondering what that meant.
They listened intently as their dad explained: "It's just three more weeks until young William here, comes into his Heritage and takes up the mantle of manhood."Billy could almost hear the pride in his fathers voice and Billy held his head up higher, hoping to live up to his fathers expectations, while he simultaneously wondered exactly what this cermony would entail and exactly what would be expected of him?
He remembered his older brother Mike coming back and how strained things became between him and their father after his 18th birthday, Billy could never find out from Mike what had happened but it was obvious Mike wasn't happy about it and as time passed, became more and more withdrawn right up to the time he graduated, he didn't even wait around a single day after before he was off to bootcamp.
Both Billy and JD felt his loss in their lives and they still missed him being around.
There were still things Billy wanted answers too, and he sincerely hoped those answers would be forth coming after his ceremony, his dad did promise him, that a great many things would become clearer after he came into his Heritage.
Billy had often asked his dad what that meant and he always got the same response, his dad would simply say it wasn't something that could be explained it was something you have to experience. That the cermony reveals everything and he promised Billy there was no need to worry, ever Donnelly man has gone through it and every single one survived.
Billy turned his attention back to what his dad was saying.
"We are taking some lawn mowers and weed eaters and other gardening tools with us, so we can do some clearing to make way for Billy's ceremony." His dad explaining the what, when, why's for their visit before smiling and adding: "Don't fret boys you can still all go skinny dipping at night and maybe have a little bit of time in the morning to go fishing." he reached over and ruffled both his sons hair as he stood up and said we all needed to finish up so we can get things loaded and head on out.
Baxter Whitmore was busily selecting items from his closet and dresser drawers and stuffing them into his military issue duffle bag, it was his dads at one time and his mom let him have it to use, it was one of the few things that Baxter had that was his dads; everytime he took it out to pack with he had this little ritual he'd perform in deference to his dad, he'd trace the letters of his fathers last name and then speak his name when he finished W.H.I.T.M.O.R.E. U.S.M.C. Sgt. Russel Whitmore United States Marine Corps.
Baxter knew his dad has been dead for 8 years, but it sometimes still felt like he could just walk right through the front door, a front door he knew nothing about, because his dad never lived in this house, but still, it was there, 8 years later and the memory of his father was still with him, he'd come to realize and accept it always would be, but he also regretted not really getting to know his dad as well as he wanted too, but even more so, he wondered what his dad would think of him, who and more importantly what his son was,
Baxter was certain his dad would be proud of his academic grades (straight "A's") and he was equally certain his dad would be proud of his wrestling skills and achievements, still, there was more to Baxter than those things, they were only part of the whole and no one, not even his lifelong best friend Billy Donnelly or his mom knew everything about him.
There were parts he kept locked away, that no one ever got to see, but to be truthful, it was weighing him down, it sometimes felt there was a caged animal clawing to get out, one Baxter was certain would rip his life to shreds and destory everything he has worked for, drive everyone he cared about away from him.
But then there was Billy, there was always Billy, everything in his life seemed to center around him, for as long as he could remember, even when his dad was still around, there was Billy, When his dad died, there was Billy, holding him, crying with him comforting him, reminding him how much his dad loved him, then there were the sleep overs as kids, there was Billy, laying next to him, the smell of his hair, the natural scent of his musk, the way he moved, with confidence, never a moments doubt in who he was and what he was capable of, and when Baxter was with Billy, he always felt the same way.
Every single moment of Baxters life the good, the bad, the highs and lows the only absolute, ever persistant constant was... Billy.
Yet, there was a creature that tore at him clawed to get out, but that creature wanted only one thing it was the same thing, the same constant that has always been there, it was Billy.
While Billy lives his life basically without fear and Baxter tries for the most part to do the same, emulating his life long friend his self declared brother, the one he's known all along is a lie, because Baxter knows the real truth, he knows the creature, he lives side by side with it every day, sometimes it takes every ounce of Baxters strength to hold back the onlaught, the fiery tempest that burns within the beast he knows while destroy his life and even more frightening, drive away the one constant in his life...Billy.
There have been so many times that Baxter fought himself over this and every time he has managed to fight it off, reason it away, hold it back, cage it up and take away it's voice. silence it. but all this effort, all his strength goes to caging the beast, and Baxter is tired, worn out from the constant never ending battle...no more!, It was less than three weeks until Billy's 18th birthday, the day his father and the man who has served in his own fathers stead, picking up the mantle in memory and duty to honor his birth fathers memory would guide his best friend into manhood and in less than a month afterward swore to guide Baxter on that same journey, to become a man, how can Baxter become a man when he can't even be who he is, when he's to afraid to tell the person that means the most in the world to him, the truth, how can he stand before the man who would steer him into manhood knowing it was all a lie?
Baxter was tired, tired of lies, tired of holding back, tired of not being wholey himself, tired of not saying the things that need to be said and said to the people that needed to hear it.
When Max Donnelly contacted Baxters mom this morning and told her to have Baxter gather clothes for a weekend stay up at their family lodge and cabin right as Baxter was totally focused on how he should proceed with his life, he took it as an omen, that omen being, to set himself free, let the beast out of the cage to reveal him to the one person that deserved to know the real him...Billy.
Now is the time, while he still had the chance to do so before Billy becomes a man, he wanted to do this, no... he needed to do this he needs to face his inner demons and he needed to honor the memory of his father by living it to it's fullest, with head held high, no regrets, to look the beast right in the eye and tell him the truth....I love you Billy.