Chapter 5

Ft. Stockton, Texas...

It was just after four pm when Tammy and Jackie drove up to Beth and Jack's house. Their cars were there but no one was at home. Assuming that they were at Don's house Tammy drove there, "What the..." Jackie was looking back and forth from the door in the side of the hill to Tammy.

"It's the Hobbit Hole. This is the house that Don built for the girls." Tammy parked in the circle drive and got out and walked to the door. "Can I help you?" a voice from the speaker asked.

"I'm Tammy Peterson, Beth and Jack were expecting me. This is Jackie Jones, he's Matt and the girl's foster brother." Tammy replied.

"Please put your hand on the screen to the right." The voice said. A small door raised on the wall revealing a screen. Tammy put her hand on the screen, "Identity confirmed. Mr. Jones please step forward." Jackie stepped forward, "Stop there please. If you have identification please press it against the screen," the voice said. Jackie held his military ID against the screen, "Identity confirmed. Within current protocols you both may enter." The door opened and Tammy and Jackie walked in.

A door ahead of them slid open and a wet headed Jim O'Daniel walked out, "You must be Tammy, I'm Jim O'Daniel, sorry you had to deal with the computer for getting in, Sara and I were swimming and neither of us had our clothes with us.

Tammy smiled and then motioned towards Jackie, "Your Don's cousin, this is Jackie Jones,"

"That was a computer that let us in?" Jackie asked amazed.

"Yes Don has the most incredible security system I have ever seen and that was my business." Jim replied

"Where is everyone at?" Tammy asked.

"Odessa, Amber is getting her braces today after having the doctor put them off twice. They were loading up on food and such ... They should be here any time now. Computer, have you had any contact from Don and the girls?"

"ETA twenty three minutes," the computer responded.

"Would either of you care for something to drink?" Jim asked. The door to the turbolift opened and Sara, with Nelda carrying Meredith, stepped out. "Ah, Tammy, Jackie this is my wife Sara, her little sister Meredith and Nelda. Nelda was hired as a wet nurse but Sara and I are trying to figure out how to adopt her." Jim put his arm around Nelda's shoulder making her blush. "Let's go in the kitchen, we can sit down and visit." They walked down the hallway to the kitchen Jim with one arm around Sara and one around Nelda as she carried Meredith.

Sara looked up at Jim and mouthed 'thank you' as they walked into the kitchen. "What would y'all like to drink?" Sara asked.

"Iced Tea if you have some?" Jackie asked.

"That sounds good to me too." Tammy added.

"Tea sweetie?" Sara asked. Jim nodded his head, Nelda handed him Meredith and went to help Sara.

"How about I make some nachos?" Nelda asked no one and then went to work sprinkling the grated cheese on the tortilla chips and putting sliced jalapenos on half of them and then popping the plate into the microwave. In less than two minutes Nelda was sliding the first plate onto the table.

Jackie found them delicious and attacked them with a vengeance. The home-made nachos were far better than the soggy, soupy mess found in fast food joints. As Jackie started on the third plate, "Did you not feed this young man today?" Jim asked.

"Yes and he ate like he had a hollow leg then," Tammy laughed.

Jim had been playing with Meredith since Nelda had handed her over but she was starting to fuss, "Nelda, I think someone is getting hungry." Jim laid Meredith on his lap and checked her diaper, "She's clean and dry so she must be hungry." Nelda sat in the chair next to Jim and unbuttoned her blouse and opened the flap on the nursing bra. Jim handed her little Meredith who took no time finding what she wanted. Nelda looked up to see Jackie wide eyed,

"Oh I'm sorry, I've gotten so use to no one here being bothered I can go in the other room if you want."

"Oh no ma'am you go right ahead." Jackie had got over the shock and renewed his assault on the nachos causing Sara to go make two more plates. "I promise if you'll stop making them I'll quit eating them."

"It's no trouble and when that crew gets back we'll all be busy unloading the trailers." Sara explained.

The alarm went off indicating that someone was approaching. Jim reached over and turned on a touch screen on the wall close to where Jackie was sitting. Jackie watched as the computer displayed that two vehicles were coming. A few minutes later it reported their speed and time to arrival. The next report left Jackie staring open mouthed at the screen as the computer identified the two vehicles and who was driving them. The next report told how many people were in each vehicle and that the identified driver was under no abnormal stress and set the threat level at five percent. Jackie watched as a new screen showing the garage doors popped up. "Touch the end two doors please?" Jim asked. Jackie touched the screen and it started showing what percent the door was open. "Touch the camera in the lower right hand corner." Jackie followed Jim's instructions and a view of the trailer backing up was displayed.

"That is absolutely amazing, I've never seen anything like that," Jackie exclaimed.

"Well don't feel bad, neither had I and I have been on and around some of the most secure bases the US has. Come on your sisters are going to be surprised to see you."

"Jim will you take Meredith a second?" Nelda asked.

Jim held out his hands, "Sure," he whispered quietly. Nelda did up her bra and buttoned her blouse back and then took Meredith and put her in the carrier. They walked into the garage area just as the girls were getting out of the Topkick. Kiesha was the first to spot Jackie and her squeal would have awakened the dead. She ran to him and was about to launch into his arms when she saw the bandaged hand and pulled up short of tackling him and just wrapped her arms around him hugging him for all she was worth.

Jackie was almost panicked. It was the very first time that Kiesha had ever hugged him. He looked around for Tammy. When he found her she just smiled, "I told you he changed them."

Jackie hugged Kiesha as Amber and Kim came up to him. Kiesha finally turned him loose and when Jackie went to hug Amber the old Amber smile was gone, "You have braces, let me see," Amber smiled big for him and Jackie saw something else. He looked at Kiesha and yes, she had it too. "Let me look at you Kim," there it was, she had it too, "Rose, where's Rose?" Rose stepped from behind the trailer and as soon as he saw her Jackie broke down, "Oh God, Rose you've changed so much," They ran into each others arms and held each other crying. Ann, Missy and Don watched the five as they held each other for all they were worth.

"Okay, where is he? Where's the man that turned my sad little sisters into these beautiful vibrant women?" Jackie was wiping his eyes when Missy pushed a blue bandana into his hands.

"I'd shake your hand but," Don smiled broadly.

Kiesha had Jackie's left arm around her shoulder and Rose had his right, "Jackie," Amber began, "this is Don Phillips, he's the man that healed us, and our husband, and these two, are Ann and Missy our sister wives."

"How did you hurt your hands?" Jackie asked.

Rose put her arm around both men, "Come on, it's a long story Jackie. Let me fix Don something to drink and the two of you can talk while we get the trailers unloaded. This way Don doesn't take a chance of hurting his hands again and neither do you."

Sitting at the kitchen table Don told Jackie the 'Reader Digest version of the last four years. He had just finished telling how he had burned his hands when the girls came into the kitchen carrying a big box. They unloaded it into the kitchen refrigerator except for the two big frozen pans of Lasagne that they slid into the oven. "Now," Rose said, "Let's show him the house that Don built for us. After seeing the whole house Jackie was nothing if not stunned. "Don I see what you've done and I still can't hardly believe it." Jackie turned to Ann, "That painting, they were in your dreams too?"

"Tell him about the night that Andy tried to rape you," Susie had come around one hundred and eighty degrees in her opinion of the dreams. "Our step dad was going to rape her and they came in to my dreams trying to get me to wake up to go help her." "They were all screaming at me to wake up," Ann shivered remembering that night. "Susie was already headed to my room. When I woke up I screamed and he was about to hit me," Ann giggled, "then pingggg! One aluminium softball bat up side his head."

"I was trying to put that one out of the park," Susie giggled.

Jackie reached over and pulled Don into a hug, "Thank you, I have no doubt that you have saved my sisters from the misery that was eating them alive. I can't even believe they are the same girls I once knew. I don't know about Matty but I'll be damn proud to have you for a brother in law." The two hugged again. With three bad hands between, them it was all they could do."

"All right you two lets go eat. Supper should be close to ready," Rose escorted two of the most important men in her world to the table.

In the kitchen Amber was trying to get everything on the table, "Where are Kiesha and Kim?"

Beth laughed, "They're in the den trying to root Shelley and Jill out of Jack's lap long enough for them to remind him they have him wrapped around their fingers as well." Everyone in the room burst out laughing just as Jack came into the room with a little girl in each arm and a big girl plastered to his side.

"What's so funny?" Jack's bullfrog voice croaked.

"You Dad, you and your girls," Don replied.

"Oh, that's okay then, laugh all you want. I wouldn't trade 'em for a box full of freckled pups." Jack's face glowed with pride for the new family he'd gained over the last month. He looked up at Shelley, "Right sweetie?"

"You betcha Papa." Shelley said beaming a blinding smile, then turning serious, "Papa I'm hungry."

Jack looked over at the very flustered Amber, "Amber sweetie, are we going to eat?"

"Some of us are," Amber turned and looped her arm in Don's and headed for the dining room with a room full of laughter behind her. Everyone followed Amber and Don into the dining room, "Please circle around the table. Jack you are the elder."