Chapter 3

Second Chances

Ft. Stockton...

The wheels of the jet touched down hard as the hot thin west Texas air refused to support the jet any longer. The roughness of the runway under the airplane was enough to jar Nelda from the blissful state that Meredith had taken her to as she suckled at her breast. Meredith was asleep, but still gently mouthing Nelda's breast. Nelda looked down at the precious baby in her arms and worried once again if Meredith would be taken away from her like everything else in her life that she had ever loved.

"We're here, I'll take the car seat if you would like to carry her in your arms. Just be careful of the steps," the attendant said as she stood beside Nelda's seat.

"Yes, thank you," Nelda's fingers trembled as she tried to button her blouse back up. The attendant sat the car seat down and buttoned the blouse for her. Nelda's hands seemed to be getting more unsteady by the second as she tried to wrap Meredith where her face would be protected from the hot sun. She was sure that the precious baby in her arms, the baby she had come to love so much, would be taken away and that she, would be out on the street once again.

"It's going to be alright," the attendant tried to comfort the young woman who was getting more and more distraught by the minute until she just collapsed in a sobbing heap.

"No it won't, they are going to take her away from me. I love her and everyone I have ever loved has been taken away," Nelda cried.

Jim and Sara had been so anxious to see little Meredith they had run up to the plane waiting for the door to open. When it finally did open they hurried into the plane just in time to hear Nelda's sad statement. "Nelda," Sara was so glad that Fred had told them her name, "Nelda we would never take her away from you. You're the only mother she's known according to what Fred told us." Sara got down on her knees and reached up to move a curl of Nelda's hair away from her eye, "Nelda will you come live with us and give us a chance to love you and Meredith?"

Nelda looked up through tear stained eyes to see the face of the voice. "Are you Sara? Do you really mean that?"

"Yes and this is my husband Jim. Come on let's go get out of the heat. Besides there is a whole house full of people waiting on us." Nelda looked panicked, "Oh no, we have their supper," Sara giggled which pulled a nervous laugh out of Nelda, "Jim, can you get the bags?"

"Yes dear," Jim responded in a voice that caused Sara to turn quickly and look and then they both burst out laughing. They walked to the van with Jim on one side of Nelda and Sara on the other.

Houston Texas...

Reagan Penn had screwed up. Nothing new really, his life's story had been one misstep after another. His last one had landed him in the Federal detention centre in Houston Texas. His lawyer had told him he would more than likely do some time. That was yesterday's good news. Today's news began at lunch when he had heard something that had bothered him. The man behind him was trying to find someone to kill someone a person on the outside. Any other time Reagan would have just let the information slide right past him. Some things were just too dangerous to hear, but this time the victim's name was someone he knew. Jim O'Daniel, Reagan tuned in and listened as the man complained that the last three hit men he had hired had failed. The last one got caught with a bunch of papers he shouldn't have kept and a Texas Ranger had found them. Reagan listened as the man told the man next to him how those papers had put him in prison but that he still had some money hidden away ... Since he was going to rot in prison anyway, he saw know no reason why not to use his money to get even with O'Daniel. There was just no way O'Daniel should be allowed to live.

Reagan wasn't sure what to do but he had to do something. Getting up with his tray he walked towards the biggest guard in the cafeteria and threw the remains of his lunch in his face. Reagan wasn't disappointed in the reaction he got as the guard threw him to the ground and subdued him, not that Reagan was putting up anything but a sham of resistance. "Get me out of here. I have important information. Lock this room down and don't let any one out," Reagan whispered to the guard who grabbed his radio and gave the code the locked everything down right where they were.

The guard gave Reagan what looked like a hard shot to the kidneys. Reagan used that punch to go limp and was pulled from the room. Down the hall in the guards break room, "Okay what was that shit all about?" the guard asked.

"The gang banger with the tats that was sitting next to that older guy, did you see them? They are planning a hit on Jim O'Daniel. The older guy had just given him a piece of paper with an offshore bank account number on it. You have to get that paper."

"Okay, what kind of deal are you looking for?" the guard asked.

"No deals. I owe O'Daniel, he's the only man to ever give me half a chance and I couldn't sit there and listen to them plan the death of Jim, his wife, and their baby."

The guard got on his radio and a few minutes later every individual in the cafeteria was being thoroughly searched. The piece of paper with the bank account number was found along with six others just like it in Nagel's pocket. He protested that they were phone numbers for his lawyers. Unsurprised, the guards were met with silence when it was suggested that one of the numbers be used to call a lawyer.

The guard looked down at Reagan, "What are you going to do? They are going to know you did this."

"Yeah," Reagan cocked his head and then smiled, "You're real pissed at me ain't you? I mean I messed up the sting you guys were trying to catch the gang banger in didn't I?

"Yes you did. Who needs to know?" the guard was smiling now.

"There's a guard, Ibanez in 'D' section, if he hears, the gangs will know." Reagan hoped that would solve another problem.

"That's liable to get Nagel killed you know."

"That I can sleep with, that's a whole lot better than Jim and his family being dead."

"We're taking you to a holding cell, you'll be safe enough there for a few days till we see what falls out." The guard stood and got the shackles ready, "You did a good thing in there. I don't know how it's going to turn out but it was a decent thing and I'm sure it will help you some."

"It already has, it's partial payment for all he did for me." Reagan stood up and the guard cuffed his hands behind his back and urged him towards the door.

"Thanks" Reagan wondered if the guard was going to get in trouble for not trussing him up hand and foot.

Ft. Stockton...

This was Nelda's first time out of Ft. Worth. The landscape around Ft. Stockton looked to her like it belonged to another planet. They had been driving for thirty minutes before Jim turned off the highway, "Is it much farther?" Nelda asked.

"Well, Jack and Beth's house is just over that next hill, and then it's what Jim, six miles to Don's place?" Sara explained.

"About that, I think," Jim replied.

Sara took Nelda's hand in hers, "Nelda when we get there I'm afraid you are in for some shocks. First the house we are staying in is underground. Jim's cousin Don built the house because of a recurring dream he had. In this dream he meets four girls and they would all fall in love. He had even drawn pictures of the girls. Those girls showed up last month and they then asked another girl to join them. And then there's Ann. They rescued her yesterday from what was basically a slavery ring, so their family is now complete. I know that may seem strange but all seven of them really love each other. The other thing is that Ann has five sisters and an Aunt that were all kidnapped at the same time and they are living at Don's too. Well, all but the two youngest. Those two have adopted Uncle Jack as their Grandpa so they are living with him and Aunt Beth."

"Won't it be crowded?" Nelda was getting back that feeling she was going to be sent away.

Sara smiled broadly and shook her head, "Oh no, wait till you see this house. I don't know how many could live there before it got crowded, but with all that are in there now it's not. Just wait till you see it, the girls, that's Don's wives, call it the Hobbit Hole."

Nelda was amazed. Wives? As in more than one? Jim had stopped at a big round door that went into the side of a big hill. Sara opened the door and Nelda and Meredith were mobbed by girls anxious to see and hold the little girl until Amber, seeing the look of panic on Nelda's face, shooed everyone into the living room. "I'm Amber, these are Kiesha, Kim, Missy, Ann, Rose and this is Don our husband. We will have supper on the table in just a few minutes. Nelda do you need anything right now?"

Nelda felt a familiar wiggle in little Meredith, "Yes, I think I'm about need a place to change a diaper."

Don jumped up, barely ahead of his six girls, "I know just the place follow me," Don started down the hall towards the master bedroom.

"Sara said you built all this because of dreams," Nelda couldn't get over how big the house was as they walked down the long wide hallway.

"That's right and I made plenty of room for friends and relatives to visit." Don walked up to a door and it slid open automatically and they walked into a huge bedroom. On the other side of the room another door slid open on its own. "It's a nursery," she gasped.

"The girls thought we should buy some of the basic stuff to have on hand for when we might have a wee guest like now." Don showed Nelda where everything was, "You love that little girl a lot don't you?"

"Just like she was mine. I told myself that I wouldn't get so attached but now I live in fear that she'll be taken away..." The tears were forming in Nelda's eyes, "Everything and everyone I have ever loved has been taken away from me. Why should Meredith be different?" Nelda changed the diaper mechanically as the tears fell.

Don touched Nelda's shoulder with one of his bandaged hands, "Nelda, Sara could never hurt you like that. You're going to find that the people here will take you in and love you if you let them. I know it will be hard but if you will open your heart here I promise you that no one will hurt you."

Lufkin Texas...

Jessie Miller had been just another engineer until he had met Don Phillips. Jessie had met Don when they were building Don's house. Don's ideas had inspired Jessie to design over one hundred different houses and businesses. For Jessie these underground houses and businesses were the answer to lots of problems. Jessie's problem, people weren't beating a trail to Pre-Cast's doors wanting underground houses and businesses. Jessie had sold exactly two buildings, one house and one business. They had created some additional interest but it always came down to being more expensive to build and too different in concept. Anyone trying to tell Jessie that humans weren't herd animals could expect reams of data indicating the opposite.

Jessie had been stuck on designing drainage systems ever since he had finished the two buildings and he was bored out of his gourd. Plopping down at his desk, he turned his PC on and let it go through start up. Checking his day planner for no real reason he thought about taking some of his vacation. He thought maybe getting away for week would help his attitude. He was pretty sure his co-workers would appreciate it. That reminded him he needed to call the flower shop and order the secretary something for the unearned ass chewing he had given her yesterday.

With his PC up, Jessie checked his email and saw one from Don Phillips. He opened it up and read the first two sentences and screamed "WAHOOOO!" at the top of his lungs.

The secretary from yesterday came running in, "What is it?"

"Don Phillips' cousin wants to build an underground house," Jessie exclaimed excitedly.

"Thank you god," the secretary said to the ceiling before turning and walking back to her desk.

Ft. Stockton Texas...

July was half over and that meant that August was fast approaching. Don had managed to talk to Scott Miles when they were in San Angelo. That discussion was about the possibility of having the wedding at the feast of Lughnasad. Don had just got word that all the pieces were in place, the last being Tom Masters getting out of a trip to Denver.

Don had called the girls together in the library. As he walked in, Amber asked, "Well?"

"We're on. Tom was able to postpone his trip to Denver. How are the dresses coming?"

Amber smiled and took her usual leadership roll, "I took Ann by when we went shopping with Ann G. That day they lacked a little bit on Kiesha's and Missy's of having the first five done. The lady assured me that by the end of this week they would all be ready."