You Ain't Santa

When Dan and I arrived at the little house, Vince and Alex were sitting watching television without having the sound on.  Vince pointed to the seven sleeping boys and pointed upstairs.  When we were upstairs in Dan's and my bedroom, Alex started, "Bosses' dads, the three Samples boys have decided they aren't going home.  They don't like their nanny very much."

Vince grinned. "Lenny wanted to know if we couldn't go be their nannies.  I tried to explain that we already had two boys that we were the nanny for."

I was concerned and looked at the two guys, "Do you two gentlemen think we're taking advantage of you by asking you to take care of the boys, so often?"

Alex answered, "Hell no, Nate and Ryan are as close as we'll ever get to having a son."

Dan chuckled, "Be careful what you say, Alex.  We'll just have to have you play Santa Claus next year and see if you can't come up with a son or a couple of daughters for the two of you."

Vince stood, "A son or two would be fine, but no daughters, please.  We wouldn't know what to do with them."

After Vince and Alex left for Nathan's room, Dan and I took advantage of the private time.  We were just about asleep when we heard, "Dads, I'm still scared that something bad is going to happen."

I sat up, "Ryan, nothing bad is going to be happening.   We know who your mother was, and she's not going to take you away."

"But Daddy, there are still mean people out there who will try to take us away.  They don't know that we know who our mother was.  Maybe we should go away, so the bad people won't keep trying to take me and Nathan away from you and Dad."

I hugged Ryan, "Son, we'll take care of this in the morning.  Now go back and make sure that Lenny, Denny and Kenny don't get scared."

After Ryan had departed, Dan rolled against me, Dan leaned over. "Ryan is right.  We need to make it clear that the boys are our sons, and there is no reason they should be taken away from us."

When Dan and I went downstairs in the morning, we were greeted by a sight.  Seven pre-adolescent boys were sitting at the table in their briefs, eating.  One of the Samples' sons was complaining, "But, sirs, we never have real eggs for breakfast.  We only have things that come out of the freezer like French toast or waffles.  Most of the time we just have cereal, because that's all our nanny knows how to fix."

Ryan responded, "Kenny, we eat anything these mean people fix for us.  We don't want to make them unhappy or they might not feed us at all."

Dan and I sat down and had our breakfast before Dan departed, so he could deliver his teenage passengers to the high school.  I stopped at Homebase to talk, before I went to the campus. 

Fortunately the parents and the other adults were eating when I arrived.  I looked around, "Ryan is still concerned that there are people who are going to pirate them away because they don't know that we know who the boys' parents really were."

Bruce nodded in agreement.  "I think we should call a news conference to make sure that there is no question in anyone's mind that you are the legal father of Nathan and Ryan.  While we're at it, we should announce the establishment of the Bryce T. Holloway endowed chair for child psychology at the university, which you will be occupying."

My Dad laughed, "We could also have a baptism of Nate and Ryan at the same time.  Bruce, do you know if the boys were ever baptized?"

Mother frowned, "Stan. Be serious."

Bruce had a funny look on his face, "Stan, as a matter of fact, the boys have probably not been baptized.  We were scheduled to have it done the Sunday after the accident.  But I agree with Mary, we need to make it special when it is done.  Maybe you could do it at your church if you don't think your parishioners would object to the boys having two dads."

Dad Thornton laughed, "Bruce, why should Stan's parishioners care if the boys have two dads?  It's the boys who are going to be baptized, not the dads.  It's too late to do anything about the dads, and besides, the dads have already been baptized."

I turned to the door, "On that note, I'm leaving.  I can be free anytime after three this afternoon."

My Wednesday classes went well.  Brandon and Will stopped to talk and told me they had been in the courtroom for the fireworks the day before.  I informed them, "Ryan, is still apprehensive that someone is going to try and take them away.  You need to visit the boys."

Brandon laughed, "There aren't many free hours, now that we have a house to take care of in addition to carrying full academic loads and working a couple nights a week.  We'll make time to see them this week, after your and Doctor Thornton's parents leave."

Lanny stopped in the office after class, "Dr. Richter, Lance said for me to tell you that you were right on several counts."

"Could you give me a clue what you're talking about."

Lanny laughed, "Well for starters, his class yesterday let him have it because he was moving too quickly through the material, and not allowing them time to ask questions.   The other thing is that he's a tad bit sore today from the pounding he took last night."

I chuckled, "So, you lost control and took advantage of an invalid?"

"No sir, he got his casts off yesterday while you were teaching your jammed packed seminar class.  I heard about how you have everyone eating out of your hands.  I think it's great that you know who the boys mother is."

"Lanny, the operative word is was.  The Samples aren't going to try to take advantage of the boys.  In fact, when I left the little house this morning, Vince and Alex were eating breakfast with Nate, Ryan, Evan, Chase and the Samples' three young sons."

Lanny smirked, "Just so you know, I may have to take a vacation day tomorrow, to go see Doctor Thornton after Lance retaliates tonight.  I'll see you Friday."

Sandy entered as Lanny was leaving, "Dr. Richter, Mr. Holloway called and said you were to be at Belle Monte at four o'clock for a news conference."

"Thank you, Sandy.  I guess I need to get my act together."

Sandy laughed, "When you're a working parent, you need to be organized at all times."

"I'm finding that out."

When I arrived at Belle Monte, there were three television trucks parked in front of the big house. I thought to myself, 'I hope the news conference isn't going to be held inside the house.'

I should have known better.  I was to find out that Bruce had the news conference orchestrated, but a lot of good that did.  When I got to the front porch.  Bruce looked around, "I believe that we're ready to begin."

"Ladies and Gentlemen, for those of you who do not know me, I'm Bruce Holloway.  I'm the Uncle of Nathan and Ryan Holloway.  We would like to make it clear, once and for all times, that we know who the father and mother of Nathan and Ryan were, to stop any more of these attempts to take the two boys away from their adoptive father Dr. Kirk Richter."

"Their father died a little over six years ago in an aircraft accident.  I honestly didn't know until yesterday who the boys' mother was."

A female reporter asked, "Isn't that rather odd?"

Dr. Yvette Samples answered, "Not really, I had no idea that I carried Nathan and Ryan in my womb until yesterday.  I never met their father nor had I ever seen the two boys until yesterday."    

A young male reporter shook his head, "Mrs. Samples, that makes no sense to me.  How can you have two children by a man and never had seen him?"

Doctor David Samples nodded, "It's quite simple, young man, Nathan's and Ryan's father deposited his sperm in a sterile test tube like container, and it was implanted by a tube into my wife's vagina.  It's a process similar to having sex and conceiving a baby without ever meeting your partner."

"Why would anyone want to have children that way?"

Dr. Yvette Samples answered, "I can not say why Mr. Bryce Holloway felt that he wanted to do it that way, but I needed the money to finish my college degrees.  I was surprised when I was approached to do it a second time.  The money was right, so why not.  I was technically a virgin when I was married, even though I had borne two children.  To be honest with you, I didn't have any idea if the children were boys or girls until yesterday."

"Why did you feel compelled to appear yesterday?"

Mrs. Samples answered.  "We saw what happened when people tried to kidnap the two boys, but it didn't dawn on me until we saw the news about what happened in court last Friday.  We felt that I should appear, in case I could be of assistance to Nathan and Ryan.  Let's say it was a gut feeling on my part that I needed to be there."

The questions were interrupted by the arrival of seven horses with ten boys on board, two cats and two dogs.

Nate was on the lead horse, "Hi Daddy, what's happening?  Why are these television people here again?"

I went to help Nate dismount, "They came to see what you own.  You have Snatch and Podge with you so you have everything that you own with you.  Ladies and gentlemen, this is my oldest son, "Nathan Holloway."

Nate went to shake the reporters' hands.  One of the reporters asked, "Nathan, do you live in this big house?"

"Nah, Ryan and me live with our Dads at the little house."

Another reporter asked, "Nathan, where's Ryan?"

Ryan spoke, "I'm right here.  Daddy, help me down, please."

Ryan shook hands with the visitors, as Nathan had done.  A reporter asked "Ryan, who are all the other people, and do they live in the little house with you?"

Ryan giggled, "None of them really live at the little house, but they have all spent nights there.  The two boys at the back are Evan and Chase Fort.  Their Daddy takes care of the money for the cooperation and makes sure that the house and yard looks nice.  Their mother is our teacher.  They have an apartment in this house"

A female reporter asked, "Where do you go to school?"

Ryan pointed at the house.  "We go to school here.   We're being home schooled, so we can catch up when we go to school next year.

Ryan pointed the Samples triplets, "The three boys with the big guys are Doctor and Dr. Samples' sons.  They're visiting from Houston.  The first big guy is Jacob Masters.    He lives here with his Dad who is Uncle Bruce's nurse and chauffeur.  They have an apartment below Evan and Chase.

The other two big guys are Shane and Shawn McTavish.  Their Daddy manages Belle Monte.  Their Mother is a really good cook.   They have an apartment on that side of the big house."

A reporter asked, "Is that everyone who lives in the big house?"

Nathan answered, "Nope, Uncle Vince and Uncle Alex have an apartment above the McTavishes."

"Who are Vince and Alex and why do they live in the big house?"

Nate looked disgusted, "Uncle Vince and Uncle Alex are the foremen of the farm and make sure that everyone does their work.  They're sorta like our nannies."

Ryan volunteered, "They have another job at night and own a new white Corvette.  They own the company that made Nate's and my sweat shirts."

Nathan interrupted, "Right now, Grandpa and Grandma Richter and Granddad and Grandmother Thornton are visiting and they're staying in two bedrooms."

A reporter asked, "Could we possibly see the little house where you live?  I find it difficult to believe that you wouldn't choose to live here."

Vince and Alex took that opportunity to appear.  Nathan saw them "Hi Uncle Vince and Uncle Alex, could one of you take us to the little house in the Belle Monte express, please."

Vince moaned, "I suppose so, if we have to."

Alex laughed, "Don't mind him; he was just run over by a cow.  I'll take care of the horses while Vince escorts you and your visitors to the little house.  Sorry we didn't clean it before we had to go to work this morning."

Vince arrived with the Belle Monte express, and the only people who were going were the reporters and their camera people, the Samples, since they hadn't seen the little house, Bruce, Ryan and Nathan and me.  Of course that meant Hodge, Podge, Snitch and Snatch were also going along for the free ride home.

The ride up the mountain was entertaining, to say the least.  When we stopped at the gate, Nate explained what happened the night that Mr. Bates and his friends tried to kidnap the boys.  The reporters and camera people were taking pictures of everything.

When we arrived at the little house, the boys took the animals and made sure they had everything they needed.  Bruce explained, "Everything that you see belongs to the Belle Monte Corporation which is being held in trust until Nate and Ryan reach the age of 21.  Their father was a very meticulous person.  He made it so that not even the boys adopted father, Dr. Richter, could lay claim to it.  That is one reason I was so glad it was someone like Kirk and Dan who would be in charge of rearing my two nephews."

One of the reporters asked, "If you're they uncle, why didn't you adopt them?"

Bruce took a deep breath, "I didn't know where they were until Christmas time.  By the time I arrived back from Phoenix, Dr. Richter and Doctor Thornton had stolen the boys hearts.  Look at me, there is no way that I could take care of two active boys, and believe me, they are active.  I had planned to make my home in Phoenix my primary residence until the lost boys were found."

The Intercom sounded, "Little house, this is Homebase, dinner is going to be ready shortly.  You need to make your descent." 

Nate answered, "We'll be there as soon as we can get these big people loaded on the Belle Monte Express.  We need to find where Uncle Vince is sleeping this time."

Vince punched the Intercom.  "Homebase, Ryan and Nathan won't be joining us for dinner.  They'll be standing in the corner crying from the way their Dad is spanking them.  We'll be there in fifteen minutes."

When we pulled up to the front of Belle Monte, Nate and Ryan jumped out, Nate was saying to the visitors, "Thank you for joining us on our tour today.  We usually charge $20.00 a person, but since Uncle Vince is being so mean to us, it is on the house."

The head technician was laughing, "People, I have no idea what the station manager is going to do with the footage we obtained today.  But I'm guessing there may be two or three shows coming out of today's tapings.  I'll keep you advised."

Editor's Notes: 

I believe that should take care of the publicity necessary to keep the greedy creeps from trying to claim parenthood of the boys.  As I said, perhaps a bit prematurely, last time, now, maybe the boys will have a better chance to live their lives the way children should. I do have a feeling that there will be interesting times ahead.