THE KELLY'S COME TO AMERICA Chapter 41 "I wonder who that could be?" David thought when he heard the doorbell ring early the next morning. After making sure his robe was closed enough to conceal the diapers he had on he opened the door. "May I help you?" he asked through the still closed and locked storm door. "Yes, we need to speak with your mother," the vaguely familiar looking man said. "I'm sorry. You'll have to come back later. She's still asleep." David told them, as he started to close the door. "You'll let us in right now, young man!" the lady said firmly with a bit of any ugly look on her face. "I'm sorry. My mother is still asleep. You'll have to come back later," David replied while still trying to keep his voice down. About this time David's mom called down from the top of the stairs. "David who's at the door so damned early?" She asked in a bit of an irritated tone. "Some people looking for you. I was trying to tell them that you were still asleep and to come back later. "Keep them there and I'll be right down," came the tired reply. Less than a minute later David's mom turned the corner and found herself looking eye to eye with her parents. "Go ahead and let them in." David heard his mom tell him in a cold voice he only heard when she was really mad about something. With a nod, David did as he was told. Stepping away from the door he allowed the couple to enter the house. David felt like he was being looked at under a microscope with the look he was getting from the lady. "You look just like your father," she told him a more than slightly disgusted tone. "That's what I've been told. What about it?" David replied calmly. Before an argument could start, Mrs. Kessler quickly stepped between them. "David, please go start some coffee and then go up and get dressed." "OK." David replied as he gave the other lady a bit of a withering look. Once David's mom saw him head upstairs she turned on the older couple sitting on the couch in front of her. "OK, What the hell are you two doing here?" she said, starting what was going to be an ugly family reunion. "Don't use that tone with me young lady!" the older woman shot back. "Seeing how this is my house, I'll use whatever type of tone I like. Now answer the question." "We heard from Ann Franklin that you were going to get married and thought that we would come by and over to help you plan it. Seeing how we didn't get the chance the first time around," came the casual reply. Carol ignored the not so subtle barb from her mother concerning her first marriage. "Translation, You wanted to have another chance at telling me how to run my life, and get a chance at the wedding you didn't get a chance at either. Right." "How dare you!" Carol's mom fairly yelled. "Don't even start, Mother. You have no right to try that 'high and mighty' crap with me. Not with all the shit you put at my feet in the past." "You name one thing that I have wrongly laid blame on you for," came insulted reply. "David," Carol said coldly to her mother. The effect this one word had was like dropping a bomb. Up until this point, Carol's father had remained silent. On hearing his son's name, he let out a dry sob. "I'm sorry, Dad. I didn't mean to hurt you," his daughter told him softly. A slight nod of the head was the only response she received. "Don't you ever try to use your brother's memory like that again!" The older woman screeched as she slapped her daughter's face as hard as she could. "What is going on down here?" Tim asked, entering the room just in time to see his future wife get slapped across the face. "It's nothing, Tim. I'll explain everything in a little bit," Carol told him, as she turned to her parents again. "I think it's time for you to leave," she said more to her mother than anyone else in the room. "You couldn't be more right. Let's go, Adam." While the two were getting their coats on Carol had gone over to a stack of envelopes and pulled one out. "Dad, I want you to know that you'll always have a place in both my heart and home if you should ever need it. I would also like you to have the honor of giving me away at my wedding next month. If for some reason you can't, please let me know, and rest assured that I understand," she told him gently while handing him the envelope. She then turned to her mother for the last time. "Mother, I'll say this as plainly as I possibly can so there is no miscommunication. Once you step through that door, I never want to see you in my house or life again. Is this understood?" Without waiting for any type of reply she opened the door to let them out. Less than a minute later they were gone. "Now would you like to tell me what that was all about?" Tim asked softly as he placed a comforting hand on Carol's shoulder. "Let's get some coffee, and I'll tell you." "Mom? Is it OK for us to come down now?" David's disembodied voice called out. "Yes. It's safe now." she called back. The boys joined them at the table a few minutes later. "Who were those people? They looked a bit familiar to me but I couldn't place them." David asked. "Those people were your grandparents. Neither of us have seen them for seven years." Carol started. "What I'm about to tell you all, I haven't told anyone before. I just ask that you hold any questions 'til after I'm done telling this to you." Carol asked her sons and soon to be husband and step-son. After getting nods from all of them, she started telling a story she had kept secret for almost fifteen years. "My mother and I have never really gotten along, I think this had been because her first child turned out to be a girl instead of a boy. My father told me that she had medical problems all the time she was carrying me, and that the labor had nearly killed her. The doctors had warned her against having any more kids. Of course five years later she did become pregnant again and this one resulted in the birth of my brother. All the time up to that point my mother never hesitated to tell me how disappointed she was that I was a girl instead of a boy. When I found out that my brother had been born, I thought that maybe things would change and I would start to get the love I wanted from my mother. That never happened. I think the only thing that kept me sane during that time was the love and support that I got from my dad. The biggest turning point came just after I had turned 18. As a belated birthday present to my brother, I offered to take him and a couple of friends to a local water and amusement park. On the way home it really started to rain and visibility was down to just a few yards. About five miles from home, the car I was driving was involved in a near head on collision. I was the only survivor from our car. I found out later that the driver of the other car was high on drugs and trying to get away from police when he crossed the center line and hit my car at over sixty miles an hour. I was in a coma for almost a month. The parents of the other boys came to visit me in the hospital to let me know that they didn't hold me responsible for the accident. One of the fathers was a local police officer. He explained to me that if I hadn't tried to swerve out of the way like I had, we all would have been killed. As you can probably guess, my parents were totally devastated over the loss of my brother. My mother, however, laid all the blame on me for my brother being killed, and kicked me out of the house the same day that I was released from the hospital. My father tried to talk her out of this action, but it came to nothing. It even went so far that my mother told me that if she ever saw me in her house again she would have me arrested for trespassing. While I knew my father had done all he could to change my mother's mind nothing worked. I always knew that my brother had been my mother's favorite, but this never stopped my loving him. If it hadn't been for the support of my friends and father, I doubt I would be here right now. As planned, I left for college in the fall and met you boys' father. Before today, I last saw my parents just after the James's funeral. My mother was still bitter over the loss of my brother. When I introduced her to you David everything came back to a head. That was the last I had seen of them. Though I still kept in periodic contact with my father." As she finally finished up, all the grief she had been holding back over her brother's death finally came out. Tim, and all the boys gathered around her in a group hug as she let go of the past. "Mom, why was your mother so upset about meeting me? I kind of remember that day, or all the yelling anyway, but what caused her to go off like that?" David sensed that something was being left out of the story with the way his mom kept referring to his uncle as her brother and not by name. "It's simple, David. She got so upset because I named you for my brother. She felt that I had no right to do that without her permission. What was never said is that I had told my dad about what I was planning when I called to tell him you had been born. As strange as this my seem, you do look a bit like your uncle, but you look even more like your father," Carol told her eldest son. This whole morning was like a bomb on the entire family. After sending the boys up to get showered and dressed, Tim and Carol sat down for a talk of their own. "Tim, I'm sorry never to have told you all this before. It's just that it was to painful a subject to handle at the time." "After what you told us, I can understand completely. Caleb's mother had similar problems with her family. I'm not sure if this is the right time to ask or not, but I would like you to at least think it over before giving me an answer OK?" Tim asked nervously. "That depends on the question." "After the ceremony next month, I'd like to adopt the boys." "I think it's a wonderful idea, but there is just one catch to your request. "And what would that be?" "It's the boys you should be asking not me. I'll back up ever they decide to do. I just want you to be prepared for the possibility that they may say no at first." Tim just nodded to this. He and Carol headed up to their own room to get started for the day a few minutes later. Once everyone was ready for the day, it was decided to go out for breakfast that morning since no one seemed to be in the mood to cook. "David, Brandon, Tyler, I have something I need to ask you. I'll understand though if you need time to think it over." Tim asked as the group finished their meal. Seeing that he had their attention Tim continued. "After your mom and I get married next month, I want to adopt you boys as my own." "You mean you want to become our dad?" Brandon asked. "Yes. I already talked to your mom about this and she thinks it's a good idea, but she felt that the decision should be left up to you boys." The boy's mom nodded when they looked at her on hearing this. "I'd like that a lot." Brandon and Tyler announced nearly in unison. "David?" Tim asked softly. "I think I'm going to need some time this over." David responded in a shaky voice. It was clear to both of the adults that the older boy was overwhelmed by everything that had happened so far that morning. "It's OK, David. Take all the time you need." David nodded softly at this. The ride home was a bit subdued. Most of the talking came from Brandon and Tyler as they asked questions about what all the adoption would mean. As expected, David was quiet through all of this. "I'm going to go and take a short nap." David said quietly as he headed towards the stairs. Caleb started to follow, but was stopped when his father placed a hand on his shoulder. "David has to sort this out for himself, and I need to talk to you about something in private. "You need any help there?" David jumped slightly as his mom started speaking behind him. "I just don't know what to make of everything that's happened this morning." David stated quietly as he sat on his bed. "I know that we dropped a lot on you all at once and it'll take some time to sort it out. Just don't try to rush things. OK?" David was told by his mom as she finished undressing him. Seeing that his GoodNites were still dry, she had David crawl under his covers and handed him his teddy bear. David smiled at this since he realized that his mom knew he only curled up with it when he was under some type of stress. "Caleb, I need to tell you something." His dad told him as he closed the den door behind him. "Is this about us moving in here, and selling the old house?" Caleb asked a bit bitterly. "How did you find out about that?" "David told me about it last night when I saw the changing room you and Carol had set up for us." "I see. I'm sorry you had to find out about it that way. I want to let you know that I didn't mean to keep it from you this long, and deciding to sell the house wasn't an easy decision to make." "I know, but I don't see why we couldn't sell this house instead?" "Caleb, do you think it would be fair to the others to try and fit everyone into our house?" "Not really. I just don't want to move." "I'm not really thrilled by it either, but I feel that it was for the best for both of us." Caleb just started crying as it sunk in that the decision to move was final. Tim moved and took his son into a hug and just let him cry things out. Chapter 42 The next several weeks were hectic for both the Kesslers and Jansens. Aside from try to finish up the planning of their wedding, Carol and Tim also had to finish up with Tim and Caleb moving in as well as Tim getting the arrangements made for him to adopt David, Brandon, and Tyler once the wedding was over. "Mom, we might have a bit of a problem," David announced as his mom walked through the door. "What now?" came the exasperated reply. "Brandon's and my diapers didn't show up like they were supposed to." "Great, I wonder what else can go wrong today? Okay. You and Brandon will have to use your GNs for tonight. Just make sure that both of your beds have the plastic sheets on. I'll give the place a call in a few minutes, and find out what is going on." David nodded at this and headed up to his room to give his mom some space so she could cool down. "Hey honey, The boys already in bed?" Tim asked as he gathered his wife to be into a hug. "Yeah, they turned in about an hour ago. How was your day?" "Not bad. The home office finally wised up and gave us the green light to can T.J. today. I figure with him gone we should show a marked improvement in productivity. How about your day?" "It could have been a good deal better. The new washer won't be in till Monday. Tyler is going to need glasses, and wear an eye patch for the next year to correct a lazy eye. The bank misdirected that deposit I made yesterday, so a couple of checks may bounce. And to top all this off, David informed me, when I got home, that his and Brandon's diapers didn't show today like they were supposed to. When I called to find out what was going on with it, I was told that the order had been accidentally canceled and that they are currently out of stock on the sizes the boys use." "I don't think I want to even try and top that. Do the boys have enough diapers on hand to last them till we can get to the store tomorrow?" Tim asked as he looked at his watch. "I'm having them use their GNs for the night. Hopefully this will get them through till tomorrow morning. I've already placed an order with another company. Bev said they were pretty good when she used them while Dev and James had their problem. So I thought I'd give them a try." Tim nodded at this. After a light dinner and relaxing for an hour or so, Tim and Carol headed to bed themselves since they knew the next day was going to be a long one with having to get the boys fitted for their tuxedos. "Mom, my GoodNites leaked last night." Brandon announced as he entered the kitchen. "Have you pulled the sheets yet?" "Yeah. I put them in the hamper already." "OK, go get David up, and see if his sheets need to be washed also. If they do, have him strip his bed and place both his and your sheets in here." Brandon was told, as his mom handed him a trash bag. "You're not mad about this, are you?" "I'm a bit mad, but not at you. We both know this was something you couldn't help. Now run along and do as I asked." As Brandon ran back upstairs to do as she was told she heard the front door close. "Tim, is that you? "Yeah, it's me." "Were you able to find the right sizes?" "I found the right sizes, but I had to go with a different brand." "Oh?" "They were out of the Attends, and I felt the Thickies would have been way too obvious under their pants so I picked up some of the Dipes brand. The sales person said that they were the next best brand to the Attends." "I guess we'll find out. You can take them up to the boys. Brandon is awake, and needing a change, and I figure David will to once we can get him up." Carol said with a laugh. Tim chuckled at this as well, and headed off to get the boys changed and ready for the day. "Brandon, why don't you go into the changing room and strip off that GoodNite. I'll be there in just a moment to get you diapered." "OK, Tim." With a smile, Tim gave Brandon a slight slap on his rear as he walked past, and then turned his attention to the still sleeping boys that occupied the room. "OK boys, You have 'til the count of ten to get out of bed before I remove you from them myself!" Tim announced loudly as he started counting down. Before he had hit five, both boys were scrambling out of their beds. As Carol had expected, David's GoodNite had leaked. "Damn!" David muttered to himself as he looked at the damage. "It's OK, David. We both know that the GoodNites can't keep up with your night-wetting any more. Go on into the changing room and strip those off. We'll take care of your sheets after we get you into some dry pants. "OK, but I'd really like to know why all of a sudden I seem to be wetting more at night." David said glumly. "It's probably just because you're starting to hit puberty. We'll ask the doctor about it later this week during your appointment." David nodded at this as he headed off towards the changing room. Brandon was just finishing up with Tyler when the older boys and Tim walked in. "Tying to take over my job there, Brandon?" Tim asked lightly. David and Caleb started to laugh at how Brandon jumped at this. "Easy there, I don't have any problem with you helping out on this end." Tim laughed as Brandon tried to stammer out an explanation. With a sigh of relief, Brandon helped Tyler off of the table and sent him on his way with a slight slap to his diapered rear. With that done, Tim helped Brandon up on to the table and placed him into a clean diaper. Just as Tim finished closing the tapes on Caleb's diaper Carol called up that breakfast was ready. "Don't worry about putting any clothes on boys. We don't want the food to get cold waiting for you to get dressed and it's not like we haven't seen you going around in just your diapers before." Tim told them with a chuckle. With laughs of their own, Brandon, David, and Caleb tore out of the room and head down to eat with Tim bringing up the rear at a bit more leisurely pace. "Hold it right there you two." David's and Brandon's mom called out as they passed by. "Is there a problem, mom?" David asked "No, I just want to see how those new diapers fit you guys." They were told as their mom walked over to them and started to inspect their Dipes at close range. "I have to say, they seem to fit a lot better than the Attends. Especially with the waistband and extra set of tapes." Carol mumble to herself. "How do they feel to you two?" she asked her sons. "I think they feel a lot better than the Attends. They feel softer, and not as noisy." David replied. "Yeah, and like you said, the extra tapes and waistband gives them a better fit. It doesn't seem like they're going to fall off after one wetting, and I think the tape panel is a lot cooler looking, too." Brandon added with a smile. This got everyone laughing. Carol decided right then to see about changing her order from the Attends over to Dipes once she saw how they stood up to the heavy wettings Brandon and David were prone to. "OK guys, go up and get dressed we need to be on the road in fifteen minutes if we want to make sure to finish with getting your tuxes fitted before the movie. And I don't want to hear any grumbling about it either." Tim told them before any complaints could be raised. "May I help you folks?" the sales clerk asked when they entered the tux shop twenty-five minutes later. "Yes, we need to have the boys fitted for some tuxes." Carol said. "OK, what size pants and shirts do they wear?" The clerk asked, writing down the sizes as the boys parents called them out. "I'll be back with the pants in just a moment. If you boys want to step into the changing booths, I'll hand them over to you." Doing as instructed, the boys each stepped into a changing booth. With the exception of Tyler, and Brandon who decided to share a booth. Several minutes later the boys stepped out of the booths and each saw an immediate problem. This being that each of them had a prominent diaper bulge due to their parents forgetting to factor in extra bulk of their diapers when giving their sizes to the clerk. "Anytime you boys are ready." Mrs. Kessler called out. "I think we'll need some larger sized pants." David stated as they rounded the corner to let their parents see what the problem was. The boys couldn't tell which was worse, the shocked look on the clerks face when he realized that each of them were wearing diapers or the obvious effort their parents were showing to keep from laughing at the sight the boys presented. "Uh, I hope you don't get offended by this, but I'm going to have to ask your sons to drop their pants so I can get a measurement to save time in trying to find the right pant size." The clerk stammered. It was clear to everyone that he was uncomfortable in having to do this, but was clearly trying to keep a professional tone to things. David was the first to drop his pants. The clerk seemed very hesitant while trying to figure out the best way to take the needed measurements. David swore to himself that he had never seen anyone more so fast in his life. It was almost like the guy though he was going to get burned if he came into contact with their diapers for more than a few moments. The Kessler-Jansen party left the shop a little over Forty minutes later, getting to their movie with just a couple of minutes to spare. Chapter 43 "Boys, it's time to get up! And no horsing around we're running late," Tim called through the door after pounding on it a few times. "OK, dad. No need to break the door down," Caleb called back while rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "I get a feeling it's going to be one of those days." David mumbled to himself while climbing out of bed. Without further comments to each other. David and Caleb walked through the door that had been recently added so they had direct access to the changing room. Tim was already in the process of changing Brandon when they walked in. Seeing at how fast he was moving told the boys just how much of a hurry he was in. To help speed things up, David and Caleb decided to strip off their soaked night diapers and plastic pants while they were waiting for their turn on the table. "Did you boys get your showers last night like I had asked?" Tim asked as he lifted his son onto the table. "Yeah, we did." David responded. "Good. Once you get done here. Just get dressed in some regular clothes. We'll have you change over to the tuxes after we get to the church. You ready for everything David?" "Yeah. I still wish my grandfather had decided to come. I know how much it would have meant to my mom to have him be the one giving her away." David said somberly. "I know, and I was hoping for the same thing. But it just wasn't possible with his health being what it is right now. At least he did set things up so your mom was able to settle things with him while he still knew there was time to do so." Tim told his son to be. David just nodded at this, but was still a bit depressed over the sudden change in plans. Soon it was his turn on the table. Twenty minutes later the boys and Tim were leaving the house and after a brief stop to grab a quick bite to eat arrived at the church. "I'll take this to my mom." David announced while taking the food they had picked up for her. "I've got it David." Tim started to say before being cut off. "Oh, no, you don't. You know it's bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding." the assembled groomsmen and ushers started laughing at this. "Mom, it's David. Open up, I have some breakfast for you." "Just a moment." a voice called out. A second later the door opened and Bev took the offered food. "We'll be ready in just a little bit. Now you run off and get dressed." David smiled a bit at this as the door was closed in his face. David reentered the room all the male party members were and saw that Caleb, his brothers, and Caleb's cousins were all in various states of dress. After closing the door behind him, David started removing his own clothes so he could get his tux on. "Five minutes everyone." Tim's father called through the closed door about thirty minutes later. "Mom you look terrific." David announced as their part of the wedding party got ready to enter the chapel. "Thanks." Came the nervous reply. "Just try to relax, and have a good time." Carol chuckled a bit and gave her eldest a smile at his attempt to calm her nerves down. As the music started, Tyler started down the aisle carrying the family bible that his mother had gotten from her father just a few days before, followed by Brandon and Caleb as ring bearers. As the bridesmaids had finished walking down the aisle, the music changed, and David and his mother started down themselves. Ninety minutes later it was over, and David found himself part of the receiving line hoping that it would be over soon so he could change into a dry diaper and clothes that were a bit less confining than the suit he currently had on. This, of course, turned out to be a false hope as he soon found himself having to join in for all the wedding pictures. "Man, I'm glad that's over." Caleb sighed as he pulled off a rather well used diaper. "Tell me about it. I don't think this could have lasted much longer." David chuckled as he held the Dipe he had just removed. The rest of the diaper group laughed as they nodded their agreement to this statement. "You boys need any help in here?" Caleb's grandfather asked as he stuck his head through the door to the room the boys were using to change in. "Nah, We have it covered gramps. Thanks, though." Caleb responded. with a slight smile, Mr. Kessler nodded and closed the door. Four freshly diapered and clothed boys left the room fifteen minutes later and rejoined their parents. "I don't want to hear about you boys giving Bev any trouble when we get back." Carol said to her sons several hours later as she and her new husband finished getting ready to leave for their honeymoon. "We'll be good mom. You know us." David answered with a mischievous smile as he gave his mom a final hug. "That's what I'm worried about." the assembled kids and adults laughed at this. After a few last minute instructions to Bev, Carol and Tim headed out. The boys were sent off to bed several hours later. Due to the amount of activity they had been through, there was very little arguing over this. Before David drifted off to sleep he wondered what Josh was doing at this moment. Chapter 44 "So are you all ready for the big day?" Josh's uncle asked him as he walked into the kitchen still half asleep. "I guess so. But, I'm still nervous about it." "I know what you mean. I was nervous before my qualifying jumps also. Just remember your training and you'll be fine. Besides, you still have that little shooting match going on this morning, remember?" "Oh, yeah. You don't think Col. Anderson is still upset about the incident that prompted this do you?" "You mean the one where you came within two inches of shooting him in the head when you saw that he had a snake about to bite him?" Mr. Chamberlain asked with a smile. "Uh, yeah. That would be the one," Josh replied turning bright red from embarrassment. "I think he might still be a bit shook up about it at times, but I doubt he's mad at you. Now grab something to eat and then get your tail back upstairs and get dressed." Josh's uncle chuckled while messing up his youngest nephew's hair. "So, Mr. Kelly, are you ready for this little match?" Col. Anderson asked as Josh walked over to his assigned position on the firing line. "Yes, Sir." "Good. Don't feel like there is any pressure on you to do well. Just because the honor of your Uncle's Battalion is on the line doesn't mean a thing. And that they've lost to my team for the last five years running." Josh was told as the older man walked off. "Don't let him get to you, Captain. He's still burning over the little incident you two had. He probably put your name in just to see you fail. But, you aren't going to fail. You're going to go to do your best in this match, and you ARE NOT going to fail. And do you why you aren't going to fail?" Sgt-Major Henderson asked. "No sir, I don't." Josh responded. "Because I don't want you to give the prick that satisfaction. Besides, think of how much it would piss him off to see you succeed." Josh smiled at this and gave a nod in reply. While Josh didn't seem to realize what was happening to himself, the Sgt-Major noticed an obvious change in Josh's eyes. Several hours later, Josh was presented with the 2nd place trophy for the competition that had just finished. As Josh expected, Col. Anderson blew a gasket stating that the competition had been rigged to allow Josh to place as well as he did. It was clear to everyone from the 1st Battalion who saw the match that their C.O. couldn't accept the fact that an 11 year old boy could out shoot his best marksman. For their part, Josh's Uncle and the Sgt-Major couldn't have been happier. Until this point, their team had never placed any higher than Third place and that distinction was held by Sgt-Major Henderson. "Damn, Captain, that was some of the best shooting I've seen in quite some time. You even managed to beat my score from when I shot this competition last." Josh was told a short time after the trophy presentations. "Well, I actually owe my doing so well to the little bit of advice you gave me before it started." Josh commented, not seeing that his uncle and Col. Anderson had come up behind him during this time. "And what advice was that?" James asked his nephew. "Uh, I don't think I should say. I doubt that Col. Anderson would like it." Josh answered. "I don't remember hearing your uncle ask if I would like the answer or not, I heard him ask you what the advice you were given was!" Josh was told by the 1st Battalion's C.O.. By this time a group of other officers and competition participants had gathered with in earshot. Drawn by Col. Anderson's loud voice. With a shrug, Josh answered the original question. "The Sgt-Major overheard your comments to me before the match about how the First Battalion's team had lost to yours for the last five years running, and that he had a feeling that you had placed my name on the list due to that little incident a few weeks back so you could see me fail in a highly prolific way. Anyway, the Sgt-Major's advice was for me "Not to give the prick that satisfaction" Sir." Josh announced. On hearing this, Col. Anderson stormed off, especially after seeing the crowd that had gathered behind him. Josh's uncle, the Sgt- Major, and several other people in the area started laughing once Anderson was out of earshot of them. "Jeez, Josh, hadn't anyone ever told you about a little word called 'diplomacy'?" James asked once he finally managed to get his laughter under control. "Yeah, but I figured that if I tried to fudge things any, Col. Anderson would have been able to tell and would have been even madder once he found out what was said. Besides, I did say "Sir" at the end so I was being respectful of his position. Anyway, he did ask what the advice was." Josh replied with a small smile of his own. "You do have a point. Well, we need to get you to the airfield for the last of your qualifying jumps." James announced on looking at his watch. "Captain Kelly?" a voice called from behind Josh. "Yeah? I mean, Yes, Sir?" Josh stated, and saluted, after turning and seeing a Major standing behind him. "There's been a change of plans for your last jump. You'll be going up with a section of the Second Marines. They're using the other side of the base. I've been ordered to escort you over there." "Has my Commander been informed of this change?" Josh asked figuring that it wouldn't be wise to let everyone know he was related to the battalion commander. "Your Colonel has already been informed and told me to tell you "Happy Landings" and that he would be on the ground waiting for you." The major received a nod to this and was motioned to lead off. Josh got to the flight line for his last qualifying jump just as the last Marine was boarding the plane. Josh was quickly handed his equipment and shown to the plane. "STAND IN THE DOOR!!" Josh heard over the howling wind as the back of the plane was opened. As he had been trained, Josh started checking the chute of the person in front of him. Like in every jump before this, Josh had to force himself to keep from puking into the air mask he had on. Less than five minutes later the Jumpmaster started screaming again. Two seconds later Josh was flying through the air like a lead balloon. Almost Five minutes later, Josh checked his altimeter and just as it hit the right altitude, he pulled the ripcord to his main chute. Less than three seconds later, he felt the "Gotcha" tug letting him know that his chute had deployed as it was supposed to. Once he got his bearings he started to look around and see where everyone else was in relation to himself. Out of the corner of his eye he caught a glimpse of something falling past him. Looking in that direction he saw that one of the jumpers chute had failed to deploy. Seeing that he was the closest person to the jumper in trouble, Josh cut away his main chute and dived towards the other person. Time seemed to slow down as all this took place. Josh knew that he was risking both of their lives if he miscalculated what he was doing, but knew in his heart that it was the only possible thing to do. They were less than two thousand feet when Josh caught up to the other person. Reacting quickly, Josh grabbed a hold of the drag chute on the other jumpers reserve chute and while holding it tightly in his left hand he reached down to deploy is own reserve chute. While all this was going on in the air the crowd that had assembled on the ground looked on in shock and horror at what was taking place in front of them. The jumper, whose chute failed, landed two minutes later safely and was quickly escorted away. Unfortunately, a gust of wind came up unexpectedly, causing Josh to misstep on his landing. Instead of a perfect two-point landing, the gust of wind caused josh to cartwheel into a stand of trees several yards away. "Where am I?" Josh mumbled late the next afternoon as he regained consciousness, and started to sit up.. "You're in the hospital." his aunt told him, while trying to stop him from sitting up to quickly. She didn't make it. "UHHNNN!!" Josh moaned reaching for his head as he slumped back down to the bed. "How's the other guy?" Josh asked a few moments later as the pain faded a bit. "He's fine. I think he plans on coming by later on today to see how you're doing." About this time, Josh raised his head enough to look around and saw the cast on his leg. "Oh boy, mom's going to be pissed about this." Josh mumbled. Before Josh's aunt could respond to this the door opened up, and Josh's uncle walked through the door. Josh could tell that he wasn't very happy right now. "Emily, would you excuse us for a minute please?" James asked his wife. Seeing the look in her husband's eyes, Josh's aunt nodded and excused herself. "All right Captain, you want to tell me what the hell you were thinking yesterday?!" Josh hearing his uncle call him by his rank was a shock as was the tone of voice behind it. "I wasn't thinking." Josh started and was interrupted. "That much is certain. Do you have any idea as to how big a chance you were taking with that damned stupid stunt?" "So what was I supposed to do let him die, when I knew that there was a slim chance to do something to prevent it?" "Slim is right. I don't think there are more than a hundred parachutists in the world that could have done what you did. You should feel damned lucky that you only got a slight concussion and broken leg out of this." "Uh, Uncle James, Correct me if I'm wrong, but these injuries happened as a result of having a gust of wind blowing me around. Not because of the decision I made. I know you're upset about what I did, and I can understand it. But I made a call that I thought was correct at the time, and I'd do the same thing if I had to go through it again." Josh told his uncle firmly. "I know. I just shudder at the thought that I was the one who put you there in the first place. And if you had died, it would have been my fault." "Don't even go there. I was making those jumps of my own free will. I wouldn't have been up there if I didn't think I could do it, and you wouldn't have let me for the same reason. Now that all this is settled, there is only one final question. What are we going to tell my mom when she comes to get us next week and asks how this happened?" "I'll have to tell her the truth. With all the publicity that this is going to generate, there's no way I could even begin to cover this up." "Well, I know something like this would be good for the local papers and such, but given the fact that I'm a minor, it shouldn't be to hard to cover up my identity." This earned Josh a laugh. "What's so funny?" "Josh, we're talking National and International papers here not just local." "Uncle James, I know what I did was stupid enough to land me in the papers, not to mention the hospital, but I would hardly think that something like this would be enough for international papers." "Josh, haven't they even told you whose ass it was you saved yesterday?" His uncle asked in surprise. "Not yet, no. Who was it?" Josh asked, feeling like he had a sandbag heading for him. "How does Prince Harry strike you?" His uncle replied with a smile at the look on his nephew's face, and wishing he had a camera. "Are you shitting me?" "Not at all. I knew he was on that flight. Speaking of which, You'll be having some Marines coming by later on to interview you for the inquiry that this is going to generate. I'll be in on it as well." "Could you ring for the nurse? I think I'm going to need some aspirin after all this." Josh mumbled as he laid back down. "Not to mention a diaper change as well. You're smelling a bit ripe at the moment." James joked as he left the room. The nurse came in a few minutes later a gave Josh some Tylenol and got him into a dry diaper. As she was walking out the door, Emily came back in, trailed by John, Kevin and Vicky. After reassuring John that he would be fine, Josh drifted back to sleep. Chapter 45 "Josh, the inquiry team is here to talk with you." James stated after checking to see that his nephew was properly covered up. "OK, I'm ready." Josh replied after shifting his covers a bit to make sure that the bulk of the diaper he had on wasn't to noticeable. James nodded and opened the door further to allow the men behind him into the room. "Captain, before we begin, I'd like to introduce the officers running the investigation. The taller gentleman is Major Fairbain. The other one is Lieutenant Sykes." Josh nodded to both men and motioned for his uncle and the Major to take a seat while Lt. Sykes set up a tape recorder. Over the course of the next 45 minutes Josh was grilled over exactly what he had seen and done from the time he had stepped onboard the airplane till he hit the ground. For his part, Josh was a bit surprised at how clearly he remembered things. "I think that about covers everything." Maj. Fairbain announced as he closed the notebook he had with him. "Captain, you've been very helpful, thank you for your time." he continued as he rose from his feet. Josh nodded as he started to feel the effects of the medication he had been given just a few short moments before. As he started to drift off he could have sworn that his uncle and the two Marines had jumped to attention when a few other people had entered the room. Josh didn't get a chance to make out who it was because the medicine was acting to quickly. "Well, young man, all your tests have come back normal and I think it'll be safe enough to release you tomorrow morning." Josh was told later that evening. "You will need to have some therapy for your leg once the cast comes off. And right now you're looking at it being on for about twelve weeks." the doctor informed his charge before the obvious question could be asked. Josh slumped back in his bed at hearing this news. "Just be glad it wasn't much worse than it was Josh." his uncle commented. "Quite right." The doctor agreed before giving some more last minute instructions. "Uncle James?" Josh asked as his uncle, aunt and everyone else was getting ready to leave. "Yes, Josh?" "Who came in earlier? I mean, as you and the inquiry team were getting ready to leave after I had my afternoon meds I thought I saw all three of you jump to attention before I fell asleep." "Oh that, it was just Prince Harry and his father coming in to thank you for what you had done." James responded with a slight smile at the shocked look on his nephew's face. "Uh, what did they say?" "Nothing much. We chatted for a bit on what you had done and some other things. And it seems that Harry and his dad had talked things over and it's been decided to bestow a Knighthood on you." James added seriously. This comment made the room go deathly quiet, since James hadn't mentioned it to anyone else in the family yet either. "This is just going to be honorary, right?" James was asked by his wife. "Not from how I understood things." "But Josh is American, I thought there were laws stating that things like this would be considered strictly honorary." "You're only partly right on that Emily. Since his dad is an American, Josh is an American citizen. However, Janet is a British subject, and so is Josh, to an extent, since he was born over here. Therefore, the knighthood would be considered real both over here and in the U.S.." The stunned silence was broken a moment later when John spoke up for the first time. "Boy, mom is really going shit a brick over this one Thumper." Everyone started laughing hard at this comment. Of course, James knew that John's comment wasn't to far off the mark. "Did they happen to mention when the ceremony was going to take place?" Josh asked after he got his laughter under control. "They said it would be in about two weeks." Josh nodded to this and after one last round of hugs he found himself alone with his thoughts. Before Josh's release from the hospital the next morning he found himself in the middle of a press conference. Even though it only last a short time, Josh realized afterwards that he was more scared going through it than he was doing the event that prompted his being pushed into the limelight like he was. "Well, Josh let's get you home and into some different clothes before your mum and dad get there." James said as he helped Josh into the car. The ride back to the base didn't take that long since rush hour had already ended for the day. Just as Josh, James, and Emily got to the house another car pulled up and Josh saw his mom get out of the car. "oh, shit." Josh mumbled as he headed for the kitchen since he knew he didn't have enough time to make it upstairs before his parents entered the house. "James, you look ravishing in uniform, and a Colonel now I see." Janet stated as she gave her younger brother a hug. "Thanks Janet, I have to saw that all that fresh air as done wonders for you. You look Ten years younger. "Well, I guess that after everything that has happened these last couple of months I really need the time away from all the worries." "I can certainly understand that. You look rather more fit as well Arthur." "Thanks James. You look a bit more haggard than last time we saw each other. I hope the boys did cause that much trouble." Arthur told his brother-in-law jokingly. "Nothing I couldn't handle." "Where are the boys James? I figured they'd be down here to meet us." "John's upstairs getting changed at the moment and Josh is standing right behind you." James told his sister knowing that she was going to be shocked at the changes that had taken place over the couple of months. "Josh?" "Hello, mum." Josh said with a smile. He could tell that his mom was having a hard time adjusting to the changes that had taken place. Since last she had seen him, Josh had grown about Five inches, and gained about 15 pounds worth of muscle. He now looked more like his older brother than he did the little boy she had dropped off a short two months ago. On looking him over she noticed the cast on his leg as well as the Major's insignia he now sported. "What happened to your leg, and how did you manage to get promoted?" Before Josh could answer the questions John entered the room and started greeting his parents. The got Josh off the hook for just a couple of minutes. "Well? Let's hear it." Janet told her youngest. James came to the rescue after Josh shot him a pleading look. "Uh, how about we let Josh have a seat first and then we can discuss what happened. Janet turned a bit red at this realizing that she had her son standing on a broken leg while waiting for an explanation on how it happened. "OK, now that we're all sitting down and comfortable, would you mind telling me how Josh managed to break his leg? And get the promotion to Major?" James decided that getting right to the point would be the best way to handle this situation. "Josh broke his leg jumping out of an airplane Janet." James started before getting cut off. "Did you just say jumping out of an airplane?" "Yes, I did. Josh had been taking jump lessons while he was here." "I see. And why don't I see you with any broken bones? I assume that if Josh was jumping out of airplanes he would have been with you at the time." James was asked coldly. "He was with me for his first couple of jumps. Once he decided to go through with lessons, he started doing them solo." "And why wasn't I consulted to give consent for these lessons?" "Because I knew you'd say no and that would be the end of it. Instead I talked to Arthur about it, and he agreed to give his consent for this. However he left the initial judgment up to Josh and finally with me." James told his sister before a fight could start. "And you know me well enough Janet, that if I thought for a moment that there was a danger to Josh and that it was over his head I would have pulled him in a heartbeat." James stated in the tone of an Army Colonel ending a discussion. "Fine, but how did he break his leg?" Janet asked coming back to her original question. "On his last jump three days ago, he caught a gust of wind and it blew him into some trees. And before you say anything, nobody else would have fared much better in a situation like that." "I see. And now about the promotion. Surely you didn't make him a Major for breaking a leg on a training jump?" "No, the decision to make him a Major came from far above my pay scale. That happened due to something that happened just before he broke his leg." "And what was that?" James knew that this was going to be the sticky part. "I think it might be better to show you." James said as he pulled a CD from the pocket of his coat. After he had the CD in the family's DVD player he explained some things first. "You'll be seeing the incident in question from two different view points. The first will be from the camera we had mounted on Josh's helmet. The second one will be from the camera we had on the ground." On saying this, James hit the PLAY button and moved so everyone could see the TV screen. "AS YOU CAN SEE WE'RE CURRENTLY ABOUT FIVE MILES UP AND ABOUT TO JUMP OUT OF A PERFECTLY GOOD AIRCRAFT, AND PROBABLY HOPING THAT OUR CHUTES OPEN LIKE THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO OTHERWISE IT'S GOING TO BE A LONG WAY TO FALL. AND MUM IF ANYTHING SHOULD HAPPEN TO ME ON THIS JUMP I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I AM WEARING A CLEAN DIAPER!" John and Kevin both laughed at this last part of Josh's pre-jump commentary. Even Josh's dad smiled a bit at this. The view on the camera soon changed as Josh put his helmet back on. Soon they could see the back of the plane open up and Josh yelled one last time from inside the airplane. "AND AWAY WE GO! YYEEEEHAAAAHHH!" "You can really see now why we hope that we don't have our chutes fail!" Josh's voice stated as the camera angled to a shot that was pointing straight down. The next several minutes went by without a word being said. "OH SHIT!" Josh's voice stated before a few second's of static. A moment later the view changed as Josh was looking up to see that he had cut away his main chute cleanly. Mrs. Kelly gasped loudly at this and Josh softly put his hand on her shoulder to comfort her. By the time he looked back to the TV, Josh saw that he had caught up with the other jumper and was fumbling to get the flap open for the reserve chute. A moment later he saw the camera jerk like it had when he had deployed his main chute. Once the other jumper's chute started to deploy normally, the picture moved again as Josh moved out of the way. Seconds later the picture showed the other jumper land and being hustled away and then Josh's landing. "And now you'll see it from the ground camera's point of view." James announced. After a few moments of static the picture changed again. This time there wasn't any outburst from Josh's mother. Twenty minutes later the film ended. "Mom, Dad, I know that was hard for you to see. And I'm sorry for any problems watching that may cause you. I just want you to know that I did what I felt was needed at the time and that I would do it again if the need ever came up again." Josh told his parents. The could tell from the look in his eyes that he wasn't kidding about doing it again if the need arose again. "I just want to know who the other jumper was so I can send them a letter telling them about how they nearly cost my son his life." Janet said with tears in her eyes. Josh looked at his uncle and nodded. "Janet you'll be able to met the other jumper at an award ceremony for Josh in about a week." "I see can you tell who the jumper is and why he would need to be at this ceremony?" "Josh, I think you better handle that one." James said as he got up and left the room. "Mum, I don't want to hear anymore talk about you going of on the person I saved. If you want to yell at anyone about my nearly getting killed then you better yell at me. I'm the one who made the decision to do what you just saw. This is nothing more or less than a variation of what happened to John a couple of months ago." "It most certainly is different." "In what way? John nearly gave his life doing something he thought was right at the time, and you never faulted him for it. The same thing played out here. The only thing different about it is the fact that had I done nothing, I would have had to live with the knowledge that I had a chance to possibly save a life and I choose not to. And since you asked, the other jumper was Prince Harry." Josh stated a bit heatedly as he grabbed his crutches and hobbled off to his room. Leaving his parents and other family members in stunned silence. Several days later, Josh got the notice of when the award ceremony was going to be. After the bit of a blow-up Josh had with his parents, he had asked that no mention be made about what the award was going to be, or where it was to be held. "OK Josh, I want you to be on your best behavior tonight. That goes for you two John. I figure the place they'll be handling the award will take up by surprise and be more than what you're used to seeing so I'll ask that you not gawk like tourists while we're there." Mrs. Kelly stated. "I also don't want you boys to stay up to late once this is over since we have a bit of an early flight. "Yes, mum." John and Josh stated in unison holding back laughs until their mother was back downstairs. "God. She is going to freak when she sees where this is going to be taking place." John said between laughs. "Tell me about it. I can't wait to see what she looks like when she finds out what the award actually is. Hey, I just thought of something. When I get married, I can honestly say that I'll be making an honest 'Lady' out of her." Josh and John both laughed at this as they finished packing. "You know Josh, it's to bad Erin couldn't be here for this." John said as he was getting ready for the big event later that night. "Oh I wouldn't be to sure about that. I made some arrangements on that. Of course, mum, and dad don't know about it yet. Erin's been staying with Aunt Maureen for the last two days." Josh said with a smile. "You know, I was right, mum is going to freak." John laughed. Just then his dad walked into the room. "Boys the front desk just called to let us know that the cars are here. You'll need to hurry it up a bit." "I'm ready." John nodded after straightening his tie. Josh nodded after doing the same. "Oh, God." Mrs. Kelly murmured as they pulled through the West Gate of Buckingham Palace. "Surprise." Josh said with a smile. He got a withering look in return. They pulled up to the door a moment later. After a brief receiving line the Kelly Family was handed off to an usher that escorted them on a tour of the Palace. For this, Josh was offered a wheelchair that he accepted. The tour ended about an hour later in the Throne Room. It was then that Mrs. Kelly noticed that Josh was no longer with the group. Before she could say anything the Head Usher came out and Rapped a staff on the floor before beginning his proclamation. "Presenting our Sovereign Lord Charles the Third. King of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Head of the Commonwealth and all her other realms and territories. Defender of the Faith." As all this was being said the assembled group bowed or curtsied in respect. Mrs. Kelly ignored most of things that followed this as she was trying to see if she could get a glimpse of where Josh might be. Twenty minutes later she got her answer as to where her son was. "Ladies, and Gentlemen our last honoree tonight as you all know has performed a deed which this house certainly cannot let go unnoticed." Charles said as he motioned off to the side. Mrs. Kelly was shocked to see Josh being pushed towards the King of England. "Major Kelly, for an act of heroism to this house at possible cost of your life I hereby dub thee Knight Commander of the British Empire." King Charles intoned as Josh lowered his head. "Arise, Sir Knight." Josh was then commanded. Josh lifted his head in response to this to the sound of applause. The ceremony was ended a short time later. Though before the Kellys left, Josh was presented with a personal gift from Prince Harry a Gold ring bearing his coat of arms. With a final word of thanks the two parted ways. Though this would give Josh something to tell his kids and grandkids someday. Josh and his family headed home the next morning and several months later Josh was still hearing about his exploits from his mom. Chapter 46 "C'mon Josh. Mom is waiting for us in the car." John called "I'll be right down." "Man, I always did hate this time of year." Josh commented to his brother as they walked to the waiting car. "I know what you mean. But with how much you grew at Uncle James's house you don't have much of a choice. Besides you know that mom always seems to get us new clothes for school even when we don't need them." John told his brother. Out of all the family members, John seemed to be taking Josh's growth spurt the hardest. "I was wondering when you two would make it down." Their mom told them as John helped his brother into the car. "It took me a little longer in the bathroom than I thought it would with this leg." Josh answered as John closed the hatch on the car. Mrs. Kelly smiled at this as John climbed into the seat behind her. Once John had his seatbelt on the car was put in gear and they started off. "You two go on over to the boys section and start looking at things while I talk to Erin for a moment about an order." John and Josh were told as they walked into Klothes for Kidz a short time later. "Hello John. When did you get back in town?" David's mom asked when she saw him walk into the Boys' Department. "Hey Mrs. Kessler. We got back a few days ago. Mom was screening all the calls to give us a few days to get readjusted to being back home." "I can understand that. You certainly look like you're doing better. Did you have a nice Summer Break?" "Thanks. I am doing a lot better now. Yeah, we had lots of fun." John replied with a smile. About this time Josh caught up with him. "And who would this young man be?" Mrs. Jansen asked before she realized that she was looking at Josh. "Well, Josh, I certainly have to say that you had a bit of a growth spurt over the summer. And what happened to your leg?" "Yeah, I did grow a little bit. Thanks for noticing. I kind of broke the leg after jumping out of a perfectly good airplane." Before a reply could be made, David came out of the dressing area. "How does this look mom? Hey John. Is Josh around here too?" David asked not noticing that he had walked right past his friend. "Yeah, David. You just walked right past him." David turned on hearing this and took a double take when he saw that his friend was just a few inches shorter than he was now and a few pounds lighter. "Dang. I didn't even recognize you standing there. I guess I should have with you having that cast on your leg." David quipped. "Yeah you should have." Josh laughed as he punched his friend in the arm. David winced a bit as he found out that the extra weight his friend had packed on was mostly muscle. "So, what happened with the leg?" David asked while he modeled the clothes he had on for his mom. "Had a bad landing on my last jump." Josh said plainly. "I bet that must have been exciting." "David, that doesn't even begin to cover it." Came the chuckled reply. This comment got a Josh a strange look from both David and his mom. "You guys find anything you like yet?" Mrs. Kelly asked a short time later as she joined her two sons. John and Josh both nodded in reply and showed their mom what they were looking at. "We'll have to see about getting a snap crotch fitted into those pants for you though Josh." Mrs. Kelly told her youngest as they took the pants over special desk. "Yeah, I kind of figured that we would be." The Kelly's walked out of the store about thirty minutes later after having made their purchases. "Mom would it be OK for me to have David and Caleb sleep over tonight?" Josh asked on the way home from the store. "Well, John and Erin have plans to stay over with some of their friends, so I don't think it would be a problem. You could have them come for dinner to if you'd like." "Cool, thanks." Josh replied with a smile. "Of course after you give them a call to see if they can I want both you and John to take a nap." Hearing the tone that their mom used for this part of the conversation the boys knew that this wasn't open to debate. "That's strange," Josh stated as he hung the phone up. "What's strange, Josh?" His mom asked. "I just called Caleb's phone number and got a disconnect message." "Maybe they had it changed over the summer." "That must be it. I'll give David a call and see if he knows what's going on with that." "Hello?" A young voice asked. "Brandon? This is Josh. Is David there?" "Yeah, he's here. Let me get him." Josh smiled a bit as he heard Brandon yell out to David that Josh was on the phone for him. "Hey Josh. I did think I would be hearing from you this soon." David joked. "Well, if you'd like, I could put the sleepover I was going to ask you to on hold for a few days till it's not as soon." Josh shot back. "No, that's OK. I think I could force myself to come over for the night." "I didn't think you'd have a problem with it. And since I have you on the phone, my mom wanted to know if you'd like to join us for dinner as well." "Let me ask my mom real quick about all this." "OK, I'll hold on while you ask." Less than a minute later David was back on the phone. "Josh, my mom said all this would be fine with her. What time would you like me over?" "About 5:30. Also do you know if Caleb had his number changed. I tried to call and see if he wanted to sleepover as well and all I got was a message saying the number had been turned off." "Yeah he did. Since he'll be here a few minutes from now I'll ask if he wants to join us. Is the dinner invitation open to him as well?" David asked with a smile. "Yeah, he's invited to dinner as well." "OK. Go ahead and let your mom know that we'll both be there about 5:30" "I'll see you guys then." Josh said as he hung the phone up. "And what's the verdict?" Josh was asked by his mom as he walked into his room. "David and Caleb should both be here about 5:30." Josh informed he as he took his shorts off. Once his shorts were on the floor, Josh was helped up onto his changing table and his mom started untaping the Attends he was wearing. After wiping Josh down, she pulled out several cloth diapers and folded them together and an placed them under her son's raised rump. Once the diapers had been snuggly pulled up between his legs and securely pinned in place, Mrs. Kelly pulled out a pair of snap-on plastic pants, and fit these over her son's diapers. Josh just smiled through this entire process. Once the Plastic pants had been snapped shut and all the diaper material was inside of them, Josh was helped off the table and over to his bed. "You have a nice nap." Josh was told as his mom handed him his teddy bear. "Thanks mom." Came the smiled reply as Josh accepted the offered item. Chapter 47 "May I help you?" Mrs. Kelly asked. "I have a package for a Joshua Kelly." The UPS driver replied. "I'll accept the package. I'm his mother." "Sign here please." The driver replied as she handed over her clipboard. After checking the signature she handed the box she was carrying over to Mrs. Kelly. "I wonder what this could be." Josh's mom thought to herself as she noticed how heavy the box was and that the return address was for an engraving shop in London. After giving a mental shrug, Mrs. Kelly went back to getting the dinner she was preparing ready for the oven. "Josh, Caleb and David are here." Mr. Kelly called. "I'll be right down Dad." Came the disembodied reply. "Well, you two can have a seat on the couch. I'll take your bags on up to Josh's room. "Thanks." David and Caleb replied in unison as they handed their bags over. Just as Josh came downstairs his mom announced that dinner was ready. "So what have you two been up to these last couple of months?" Mrs. Kelly asked. "Well, I got chosen for the New GoodNites commercial that'll be airing in another week or two." David told them. "That's great David. I knew you were hoping for that slot after they held the trials. I'm glad that worked out for you." Josh replied. "Thanks. I just hope those and the print ads I was in turn out OK. Speaking of which, I saw a couple of the Thickies ads you had done as well. I think they turned out pretty good." Josh blushed at this since he was never one to accept praise over things he might do well. "Thanks." Josh mumbled in embarrassed acknowledgement. "What about you Caleb? What all did you do?" Mr. Kelly asked to change the subject away from his son. "Well, I spent a couple of weeks at a camp specializing with kids that wear diapers for one reason or another. I also got to join David while he was doing the GoodNites ads. The best thing though was my dad getting married." Caleb replied with a smile. "I'll agree with that. Especially since it gives me someone new to beat on." David replied with a smile of his own. "Caleb's dad, married my mom." David clarified when he saw the confused looks his comment had made. "I'm glad to hear that. I had seen them together a few times and I felt that they would make a great couple." Mrs. Kelly stated. The rest of dinner preceded with the usual small talk of people trying to get caught up on things. "Hey Josh, I was wanting to ask what happened to your leg?" Caleb asked. "I had a slight accident jumping out of an airplane." Josh replied dryly, while shooting a look to his parents to let things stand. "That must have hurt." "It did a little bit. But it could have been worse." "That reminds me Josh, a package came for you earlier today." Mrs. Kelly said as she got out of her chair to get the package. Josh paled a little when he saw the return address. He had been hoping to intercept this so he wouldn't have to listen to his parents go off. "Thanks mom." Josh stated as he set the box aside. "Aren't you going to open it and see what's in it?" Mr. Kelly asked when he saw the expression that flashed quickly over his son's face. "I'll do it later dad. I don't want to cause any problems with guests here." This strange response got both of Josh's parents wondering what the box contained. With no warning Mr. Kelly picked up the box. "Well, I'll promise to hold any comments till after they leave then." Josh was told as his father opened the pox and remove the bubble wrap that was covering the plaque inside it. "Well, what does it say Arthur?" Mrs. Kelly asked seeing the shocked look on her husband's face. After Taking a few deep breaths, Mr. Kelly started reading what the Plaque said. "Twenty-Second Special Air Service Regiment Shoot-Out. Second Place. In Presentation to, Sir Maj. Joshua Kelly, A Co. 2nd Bn. 22nd SAS Reg." Josh could tell that both of his parents were torn by equal amounts of pride and anger over what he had managed. "Were you planning on letting us know about this Josh?" Mrs. Kelly asked. "I was planning on trying to keep it a secret." "May I ask why?" his father asked. "Because I know how you and mom feel about guns. Especially after what had happened to me and John. Uncle James felt that if I learned how to treat guns with the respect they deserve then I would overcome what ever fear I had over them because of what happened." "I see. And did you learn anything?" "Yes. I learned that if they aren't treated with the respect they deserve then great harm can come from them. But if treated with care and respect they can be a useful tool and can do some good." Josh replied honestly. "I see. And did they try this with John as well?" Mr. Kelly asked. "It was offered to him, but he declined. John said that he had already learned about what can happen when guns aren't given the proper respect. He did however take a firearm safety course that was being offered, but he never fired a gun to my knowledge." The senior Kelly's nodded at this. "I'd like to hold on to this for a while longer if you don't mind. Why don't you boys head upstairs for a bit." Josh nodded and lead David and Caleb up to his room. "Boy, Josh, you don't do things in half measures do you?" David stated once Josh had closed the door behind him. "You could say that." Josh replied a bit glumly. "What was the "Sir" thing about though?" Caleb asked. "I, uh, kind of got Knighted over the summer." Josh told his friends turning a bright red as he did so. "Did you say Knighted? You mean like from those books and stuff about medieval times and such?" Josh just nodded, and pulled out the certificate he had gotten stating this fact, but hadn't had the chance yet to frame it. "Cool." David said. "Wicked." Caleb announced as he handed the paper back. "So how did that happen?" David inquired. "I'll show you." Josh answered has he pulled out the CD of the event in question and placed it in his computer. Forty minutes later the CD ended. "Damn, and we though we had an exciting Summer." David said with a laugh. "Believe me David. I would have gladly traded with you on some of this stuff." Josh stated as he turned his computer off and started up the game console he had in his room. "OK boys, time to get ready for bed." Mrs. Kelly announced several hours later. "Who needs to be changed first?" Caleb stood up first and took his place on Josh's changing table. He was more than a little surprised when Mrs. Kelly reached for some of Josh's older cloth diapers and used these on him. Thirty minutes later David and Josh were dressed the same way. "You boys can stay up a bit longer, but I want you to keep the noise down." "OK, Mom. Have a good night." Josh replied as he accepted the goodnight kiss from his mom. David and Caleb agreed to this also and Mrs. Kelly left the room. Within Ninety minutes all three boys were sound asleep. Chapter 48 The remaining weeks of the boys' summer went by in a blur of activity. John had finally finished with his physical therapy and was able to start taking part in his normal summer activities. John seemed most thankful that he had been able to get control of his bowels again after having lost control due to his being on bed rest for most of the summer. He still needed to wear diapers during the day since his bladder hadn't fully healed yet. He was just glad that most of his friends were cool about this since they knew how it happened. Josh also was nervous, since the new school year would mean that he would be starting out in middle school and back to the bottom of the heap when it came to respect and harassment. He knew for a fact that his wearing diapers would cause more than his fair share of abuse from the upperclassmen. Josh, of course, planned on taking it in stride and unless it started to get physical he would ignore it. "Josh! Get your butt in gear! Mom wants to leave in five minutes!" John yelled from the bottom of the stairs. "All Right! Don't get your diapers in a knot! I'll be right down, after I get my shoes on!" Josh yelled back with a slight smile. Not two minutes later, Josh came hobbling down the stairs. "OK, boys. I just want to let you know one last time that while you're getting enrolled, I'll be talking to the school nurse about how they want to handle your situations." John and Josh were told as they walked over to the car. "Mom, if it's ok, Could Josh and I walk home after getting signed up? I figure Josh will have to get used to it some time." John asked. Mrs. Kelly took a minute to think about this before replying. "I'd prefer that Josh get that cast off his leg first. I'm also wanting you to get some more time to recover as well. I already have it set up for you and Josh to get bus passes for the year." John accepted this, but bristled a bit at the fact that his mom still felt that he needed to be babied over what happened. "You boys go on and get in line to enroll. Meet me in the office once your done." Mrs. Kelly told the boys as they headed off to the cafeteria to enroll. Since it was still a bit early, John and Josh were on of the first in line. They happened to bump into DJ and his brothers on their way out. After spending a few minutes to chat, John and Josh headed off to meet their mom. "Everything set up mom?" Josh asked as they walked up to her. "I'm still waiting on the nurse. she had another meeting in front of mine. It shouldn't be to much longer, though." "Since we have the time, I'm going to show Josh around a bit. So we can find our lockers, and I can show him where his classes are." John told her as he led his brother off. "Don't think I'm picking on you, but before we leave today, I want you to be able to find all your classes, and be able to get to them in under five minutes." Josh nodded at this, as he consulted his class schedule. By the time John decided to meet back up with their mom he felt that Josh would be able to find all his classes and get to them with little or no problem. Mrs. Kelly was just walking out of the Nurse's office as John and Josh were walking up the hall. "Did Josh manage to find his classes OK?" "He'll still be a shaky till he learns to get through the halls when they're filled with other people. But he should do OK." John got an approving nod to this. A few minutes later they were back in the car. "How about we stop off for some lunch, and you guys can show me what your classes are going to be like and I'll tell you what the nurse and I had come up with to handle your situations." John and josh smiled as they pulled up to the restaurant they were hoping for. Once they had their orders placed, Mrs. Kelly started filling her sons in on what had happened during the meeting with the school nurse. "OK, First off both of you will be excused from gym for the first semester. You'll be allowed to help with equipment and such, but nothing strenuous. You will still be required to dress down for class, though. As for your diaper changes, you'll be getting special passes to allow you extra time needed for that. All your changes will be done in the nurses office so the used items can be disposed of properly. You'll be required to check in with the nurse when you do this during and between classes so they can make sure that the passes aren't being abused. I was told the passes would be pulled if the school finds out that they are being abused." Any questions?" "Will we have to carry the diapers with us, or will they have a spot for them?" Josh asked. "I was told they would have a spot for you to store them, and that it is up to you to keep track of when you need to bring more in." Both boys nodded at this and turned the conversation to what teachers they had as the meals showed up. "Who do you have for World History?" John asked. "McThorton." Josh replied, after a quick look at his schedule." "'Thorny' McThorton? You have my condolences." John said with a slight chuckle. "John, I don't want to hear you talk like that about a teacher." His mother told him sternly. "I take he's not a good teacher?" Josh interrupted. "I've heard he's really good. It's just that he gets to be a bit prickly with students of Irish descent." John told his younger brother. Seeing the frown on his mom's face, John clarified what he had heard. "I want both of you to lay down for a while when we get home." John and Josh were told as their mom started up their street. "Aww, mom. Don't you think I'm a little old to be taking afternoon naps?" "Not at all, John. Emily told me you were taking naps all the time while you were staying with them. Besides, even though you feel OK, your body is still recuperating from your injuries." John nodded at this knowing that it was a losing battle. Chapter 49 "Time to get up boys!" Mrs. Kelly yelled as she walked down the hall a week later. "You each have Twenty minutes to get showered and dressed." she added while knocking on both of her son's bedroom doors. Josh and John stumbled out of their rooms a minute later. "You can brush your teeth and stuff while I'm getting my shower." John stated through a yawn. "All right." Came the same half asleep reply, as Josh joined his broth in the bathroom. "Ten minutes left boys!" Mrs. Kelly yelled as Josh walked out of the bathroom. With a brief smile, Josh's mom slapped his bare bottom to hurry him on his way. As expected, Josh found a fresh diaper and clothes laying out on his bed for him when he re-entered his room. John found a similar scene awaiting him when he walked back into his room. Just over the twenty minute deadline, the boys walked into the kitchen and took a seat at the counter. "Have you both got your bags stocked and ready to go?" the boys were asked as their mom handed them over a plate of hot cakes that she had been making. "Yes, mum." John answered. "Yep." Josh echoed as he attacked his food. "Good your bus will be at the corner in about thirty minutes, so don't take to long eating. Be sure to rinse your plates off and place them in the dishwasher." Both boys nodded in reply since they both had their mouths full. "I'll see you tonight. You both have a good day." Mrs. Kelly told her sons as she gave them one final hug before she left. "Thanks mom. You have a good first day to." John told her with a smile. John and Josh left the house themselves twenty minutes later. "Hey John, Hey Josh." Came the chorused greetings from their friends. While they waited for the bus to show up, John kept getting the feeling that the kid leaning against a nearby pole was watching him and Josh. Figuring it was just his imagination, John ignored the looks the kid was giving him. "I'll meet you in homeroom in a few minutes DJ. Save me a seat OK?" John called out to his boyfriend as he steered Josh off towards the nurse's office. "I'll be with you boys in a minute." the nurse stated as she walked out the door John and Josh just entered through. With a shrug, John walked over to a chair and sat down. "Won't we get in trouble of being late?" Josh asked after taking a glance at his watch. "Nah. We'll just get a pass from the nurse before we leave and that'll clear things up. Besides, they expect a couple of stragglers the first day." John replied indifferently through closed eyes. Josh accepted this, but still glanced at his watch every few minutes. Five minutes after the last bell rang the nurse walked back in. "You two should be in homeroom right now." "Yes, ma'am. We needed to drop of some supplies first though and get some Special Access passes set up." John replied. "OK. Let me have your names then." came the tired reply. "John and Joshua Kelly." John told her. "Ah, yes." The nurse stated a few moments later. "OK. Follow me." Josh and John were told as the nurse led them into a smaller room. "OK, your locker numbers are 34 and 35. You can place your items in them now if you'd like as I go over a few things. First, You'll get your access cards in your homeroom along with your school ID. The card is the only thing that you can open these lockers with so don't lose them. Second, you'll need to sign in with either me or whatever office aid is here at the time you come in. After taking care of what you need to do, you'll sign back out and get a pass back to your class. If we find that you're using the pass to get out of classes early and not needing to then you will have the pass revoked. Any questions?" Neither John or Josh could think of one and said so. "OK, the best time to do this with the least amount of trouble would be during your lunch period. Just show the pass and say that you're headed here and they'll let you leave." They were told while the nurse got them late passes to their homerooms. "May I help you?" The teacher asked as Josh Came in 15 minutes after the bell rang. "I'm supposed to be in this homeroom." Josh replied a bit nervously as he handed the teacher his pass from the nurse. "OK, take a seat." Josh was told. after finding an empty seat, Josh sat down, and listened to the teacher recap a few minor points. "All right, when I call your name I want you to come forward to receive your school ID, Information booklet, and class schedule. Fifteen minutes later the last person sat down. "They'll be ringing the bell in a moment. I just want to remind you that you'll have only five minutes to get to your next class so I advise you not to waste any time. Have a good day." The teacher stated as the bell rang. Josh was slowly getting adjusted to the new pace he would be going through for the next six years. He felt the day was going pretty well 'til his fourth hour class. "Let's take our seats Ladies, and Gentlemen." a commanding voice called just after the bell rang. "I'm Mr. McThorton, your World History teacher. Please take a moment to look at your schedules to make sure that you're supposed to be in this class. If not, step forward for a tardy pass. A couple of people laughed softly as three people went forward to get the offered pass. "You can stop the chatter, Mr. Williams. I remember this happening to you a few times last year." Mr. McThorton stated coldly. The laughter died quickly after this. "Now then, starting with the first row I want you to come up and get a text book. After getting a book I want you to sit back down, and once you all have a book I'll start calling roll. When you hear your name called, I want you to reply with "Here Sir", and then give with the number on the inside cover of your book. Josh received a piercing look when he responded after his name was called. "May I have a moment Mr. Kelly?" Mr. McThorton called as the bell rang. "Yes, sir?" "I just want you to know that I'll be keeping a close eye on you so you better watch how you act in my class." his teacher told him coldly. "Yes, sir." Josh replied just as coldly. Knowing that this confirmed what John had been telling him about. "So how is everything going so far?" John asked as Josh joined the table that he, DJ, and a couple of their friends and their brothers shared. "Not bad. You were right about Mr. McThorton though. He does have a thing for the Irish." Josh informed the table and told them about what had happened at the end of his class. This started a round of horror stories to be told about him. "You still in good condition Josh?" John asked about Ten minutes before the end of the lunch period. "Not really." Josh stated with a nervous glance at the others at the table. "It's OK, Thumper. Everyone here knows about it. So you don't have to worry about letting anything slip." John said with a chuckle as he stood up. After dropping off their trays, the Kellys showed the lunchroom teacher their passes and headed off towards the Nurse's office. The boys signed in like they were supposed to and went to their lockers to get their supplies. they were a bit shocked to find that all three changing rooms were occupied. Two of the doors opened and the occupants looked down and walked past in a rush when they saw John and Josh standing there. "Scott." John said tersely as the tried door opened and he recognized the person walking out of it. "Kelly." Came the equally cold reply as the other boy pushed past without another word. Seeing how short time was John pushed Josh into one of the now vacated rooms and with little fanfare pulled his shorts down. "It's a damned good thing you no longer have any bowel trouble Josh or it would take forever to do this." John stated as he wiped his brother down. Josh just nodded at this as he opened the diaper he placed on the chair next to where he was standing. John had the new diaper on him in just under five minutes. Josh proved to be just as expedient when it came time for him to change John. The rest of the day went by smoothly for Josh, and John. Though the real fun was going to be the next day when they had Gym for the first time. Chapter 50 "John, could let mom know that I'm over at David's and will be home about 4:30 or 5?" Josh asked as he and John got off the bus. "Sure, I'll let her know, but you know she won't be to happy about you not asking first." "I know. David wanted to talk to me about something from one of our classes," Josh responded as he headed off with David. John just shook his head as he headed home. "Mom, I'm home!" John called a few minutes later as he walked through the front door. "And how was your first day of school?" John was asked as his mom came out of her office. "It's wasn't too bad. Mostly just got the usual welcome-back spiel and class rules. That sort of thing." "Did you have any trouble with leaving class to change?" "Nah, with them being on the heat schedule I just need to change during lunch." "How about Josh? Speaking of which, where is Josh?" "He went over to David's and said that he would be home about 4:20 or 5." The look John saw confirmed that he was right about Josh making a bad move by not checking in first. "Do you know if Josh had any homework to complete?" "I'm not sure. I doubt it though, if his classes were like mine." "OK then. Before you go and do anything I need you to go change into the gym clothes I picked up for you today to make sure they fit." "What's wrong with the clothes I wore last year?" "Nothing, except for the fact that last year you weren't wearing diapers during the day," John nodded at the logic of this as he answered. "OK, I'll be back down in just a minute." "She's got to be kidding," John thought to himself as he saw the box for an athletic supporter sitting on top of the other clothing. With a shrug, John took the item out of the box and pulled it on over his slightly damp diaper. "How does it fit?" Mrs. Kelly asked when she was John walking into the kitchen. "Not bad. I don't understand why you picked the jock strap up though?" "I figured that you'd need it once you got over your daytime problems. And that it would be less embarrassing to you wearing that then it would be a onesie to help keep your diaper in place with all the running around I'm thinking you'll end up doing once the doctor takes you off the limitations he has you on." "You do have a point there. I'm going to be in my room if you need me," John said with a smile as he grabbed a couple of cookies from the nearby cooling rack. "How did classes go for you today?" David's mom asked the boys as they walked into the house. "Not bad. A couple of the teachers seem like they might have a problem about my problem, but I'm not sure yet," David replied. "Let me know if you have any problems with them about it, and we'll get something worked out." "OK, mom. Josh, and I will be in my room if you need us for anything." "So what did you want to talk to me about?" Josh asked once David closed the door behind them. "I was just wondering what classes you have this semester? And, if you had heard anything about some of the teachers." "Well, these are the classes I have this term. As for the teachers, if you let me know which ones you have and I can ask John about them when I get home," Josh stated as he handed over his class schedule. "This'll be cool," David said a minute later, after comparing his and Josh's classes. "What'll be cool?" "We both have the same gym class." "Great at least we will have each other for some type of support against any shit we get over our diapers." "Or in our diapers for that matter," David said with a chuckle. "Hey! I haven't had that problem for a couple of weeks now," Josh stated only half seriously while punching his friend in the shoulder. Before David could respond A knock came at his door. "Yeah?!" "Mind if I come in?" Caleb called through the closed door. "I guess so," came the laughed reply. "Hey Josh, I didn't know you were here." "Well, now you know," Josh replied with a smile of his own. "So, what were your classes like?" Caleb asked as he sat down in the empty chair at David's desk. "Not too bad, but tomorrow will be another story when Josh and I have gym," David told his older brother. "Yeah, I know what you mean," Caleb said glumly. Even with all the strides that Caleb had made in the past year he was still a bit self-conscious about others seeing him in just his diapers. While David and Josh had both helped him over come this, they both knew that it was something Caleb was going to have to work out on his own. "Look on the bright side Caleb, at least Seamus won't be able to give you a hard time about them if he happens to be in the same gym class as you," Josh said with a chuckle. "That's true. In fact, I'm going to love the look on faces of Pike's old group when they see you next," David told Josh with a laugh of his own. "Yeah that will be something," Josh said with a smile of his own. This was even more true with all the extra stuff he had learned over the summer while watching his uncle work out with the Battalion's Hand- to-Hand Combat instructor. As well, as what he had been shown himself. Josh just hoped that none of it would be needed. "I need to get going, David. My mom is probably going to be a bit mad about my not checking first," Josh told his friend as he grabbed his backpack. "OK, I'll see you at school then," David replied as he walked to the front door with Josh. "Well, it's so nice of you to join us," Mrs. Kelly announced as Josh walked in the front door Ten minutes later. "Didn't John let you know that I was over at David's?" "Yes, John did let me know about you going over to David's. And I hope you had a good time because you can consider yourself on ground for the next two weeks." "What?! Why?!" Josh almost yelled. "Because you didn't come straight home like I had asked you to do this morning. And I would watch your tone unless you want it to be longer," Josh was just about to add something when he heard the last part. Biting back the response, Josh just nodded and started to head for his room. "Once you drop your books off, and get cleaned up, I want you to come back down and tell me how your day went," Josh's mom called to the retreating back of her youngest. "Man this really sucks," Josh mumbled to himself as he tossed his backpack on his bed and then limped over to his changing table. "What really sucks?" A voice called. Josh jumped a bit at this since he didn't think he said it loud enough for anyone to hear. Turning around, Josh saw John leaning against the from to his bedroom door. "Keep your ears to yourself. And so you know, mom grounded me for two weeks because I went over to David's after school," Josh sulked as he dropped his shorts so he could get to his wet diaper. "Well, what did you expect? Mom asked both of us to come straight home after school and you decided to head off to David's instead. You should be glad that all you got was two weeks. Maybe next time you'll know better," John stated as Josh changed into a clean diaper. "I thought this looked different," John said a moment later as he picked up the wet diaper Josh had placed on the top of his changing table. "I figured you would. David's mom insisted on changing us when David and I got there. He switched over to that brand during the summer." "Well, I have to say that the design looks better than the Attends we use now." "Tell me about it. It didn't even want to fall apart on me after the first wetting. I'm thinking of asking mom to check into getting some of these once we run out of the Attends we have now," John nodded in agreement at this. After taping on a new diaper Josh headed back down stairs without bothering to put his shorts back on. "Are you ready to tell me how your day went?" Josh was asked as he cam back downstairs. "I guess so. It wasn't much different than in the past. I got the passes I needed to change when I need to and got the normal booklet on the school regulations. It was a bit hectic trying to get to my classes on time," Josh told her skipping over the run in with his history teacher. "John mentioned that you told him you had a bit of a problem with one of your teachers. Do you want to tell me about it?" "There isn't must to tell the guy seems to have something against the Irish. Until something actually happens there isn't much that can be done about it." "How about if I go in and have a chat with the teacher about?" Josh's mom suggested. "Yeah that would go over really well. The first day of school and I need to have my mommy come and talk to one of my teachers about something that at this point may or may not be a problem." This turned out to be the wrong thing to say, as Josh soon found out. "Josh you better go to your room and cool down, before you say something that you'll really regret," Mrs. Kelly told her youngest son as she gave him a hard swat to his diapered rear. Josh for his point stormed off for his room slamming the door in the process of closing it. Even with Josh having cooled down some by the time he was called to dinner, everyone could tell that there was a bit of underlying tension between his mom and him.