Love Of Family (Revised) - 12. The Heart Of Levie

Levie & Rhett

The constant movement stirred the redhead. He slowly sat up and managed to keep from moaning or alerting the driver of the strange van to his awakening. Levie cautiously looked around and noticed the direction they were going. He knew they'd be passing the ranch if they continued in this direction. Looking down, he saw the man's gun and cell phone. The redhead pocketed them and made an escape plan.

Many thoughts ran through Rhett's head. The most prominent being how the hell he could be so stupid. Now to make things worse, he was a kidnapper. The brunet's eyes teared up as the possible consequences of his actions finally hit him. Rhett continued cursing himself for his idiocy. "Fuck! and on top of everything else, I'm almost out of gas. Just great, Rhett. What the fuck else are ya gonna fuckin' screw up in your life? I wish I'd never been born. Maybe I'll be killed during all this, then everyone else would be spared my wasting their space." Rhett pulled into the first gas station he saw. After making sure his wallet was in his pocket, Rhett got out of the vehicle, walked inside to use the bathroom, and get gas.

Levie came to a quick decision and giggled to himself. He got out, walked behind the van, and waited. The redhead resigned himself to trying to help this guy, and if he was a hopeless case, at least he could now protect himself and get home.

The Hospital

With the entire blended family assembled, the hospital room was much too crowded, so Stuart had everyone move to the family waiting room. Greg, Linda, Tom, Jayce, Brandon, Ev'lynn, and Lyle huddled together, physically touching a hand or embracing one another for emotional support and strength. Tears glittered in everyone's eyes as the family silently sent the same prayer to the higher power/being they believed in to carry them through the family's storm.

"Troy, Jayce, may I ask you guys something?" Linda softly asked.

"Of course, you can, Linda." The couple moved and sat beside the Wilmont matriarch.

"Greg started to tell me how you guys raised Levie. I had no idea you two did that. I was just curious about it."

Linda's question brought everyone's attention to the trio. Greg and Brandon looked at each other they smiled and chose a Bropop's lap to sit on. Brandon sat on Troy's lap and Greg on Jaycen's. The brothers giggled and laid their heads on the older men's shoulders. The innocence of the young men's actions made everyone chuckle. Jaycen smiled and hugged Greg as Troy hugged Brandon.

Jaycen wiped his eyes and started the story. "Mom and Dad were sick and older parents. They couldn't handle the midnight feedings, so we helped them out." He paused and gazed lovingly into Troy's soft eyes. "The two of us fell in love with Lev before he was born."

"We used walkie-talkies to communicate and alternate the feedings." Troy continued. He reached over and took hold of Jaycen's hand. "I still remember waiting in the maternity ward for Lev's arrival." He said and leaned over, kissing Jaycen. "Do you remember what I said to you when our boy was born, babe?"

Jaycen nodded. Greg and Brandon sensed the couple's need to touch and moved off the men's laps. The couple smiled at the brothers, and Troy moved over, taking Greg's place. Greg giggled and sat beside Jaycen, with Brandon sitting on him.

"You stood beside me, held my hand, and laid your head on my shoulder." Jaycen paused to collect himself. "You told me, "Jaycen Blake Stillman, I've met the two people I don't ever want to be separated from." Jaycen wiped his eyes and kissed Troy's forehead.

"I remember the fear in your eyes." The brunet said after he'd returned the kiss.

"I was afraid you'd met someone that wasn't me." Jaycen blushed.

"You looked into my eyes and asked me. "Who..who'd you meet?" Troy smiled.

Jaycen chuckled and continued. "You said. "You, Jaycen Blake Stillman, I met you and that beautiful baby in the nursery."

Linda gasped. "The two of you had feelings for one another and Levie that deep, at ten years old?"

"Yeah, we did." The couple responded in unison and then giggled.

"Linda, from the time Lev was born, Troy and I felt drawn to his spirit," Jaycen said, clasping her hand.

Troy continued. "He chose us, I know it sounds unbelievable, but it's true."

Linda, Tom, Ev'lynn, and Lyle giggled.

"What's so funny?" Greg asked as he looked at Brandon, and the two shrugged their shoulders.

"It's funny and amazing to see the chemistry and extremely rare bond between these two," Tom said, pointing at Jaycen and Troy.

"Rare bond?" The subjects of Tom's statement asked in unison.

"Tom's referring to how you guys can continue a story exactly where it was left off and how you can answer and question things in unison," Ev'lynn stated.

"Oh!"

Jaycen's and Troy's unified answer caused everyone to start chuckling and shaking their heads.

"Guys, I came as soon as I could." Sherrif Jackson came rushing into the room.

"Jacks, do we know who the guy is and why he kidnapped Lev?" Lyle asked as he held his wife's hand and kissed her cheek.

"Not yet, the guys are circulating the photo we have, but it's sketchy at best." Jackson paused and looked at Brandon. "I was hoping you could take a look at the picture and see if you could possibly id the perp."

Brandon gulped and slowly nodded. "I didn't even know anyone was behind me, but I'll do my best." The blonde broke down again. He still kicked himself for letting his brother get kidnapped.

Greg stood behind Brandon. He wrapped his arms around the blonde and kissed his cheek. "Brando, you've got five seconds to stop beating yourself up." He smirked when he saw Troy and Jayce approaching.

Brandon sighed. "I'll try, but..." He couldn't finish the sentence because he was now getting tickled by his red-haired and brown-haired brothers while being held in place by his raven-haired brother.

"Hey, soooo not fair." Brandon squealed and cackled as he wriggled and tried breaking free from his brother's grip.

"Just stop kicking yourself for something you couldn't stop or change, Brokid." Jaycen chuckled and kissed his husband. He and Troy continued their playful tickle assault on the helpless blonde's sides and ribs.

Brandon squirmed and stomped his feet against the floor while struggling and trying to jerk side to side. "Okay, you guys win. I'll stop beating myself up." He hollered and continued giggling as he was wrapped in a three-way brother's hug. "You three are sooo gonna get it when my brother comes home." Brandon squirmed and squeaked as Jaycen put him in a chokehold and noogied him.

"Lev's just as ticklish as you are, Bran." Jaycen chuckled and hugged the younger blonde.

Brandon sighed and wiped his tears as he let himself get lost in the older man's embrace. "I love the feel of your heartbeat, Jaycepop. It makes me feel safe and secure, just like Greg's and Dad's do."

Brandon's statement made Jayce, Troy, Greg, and Tom smile and beam with pride and love for their loved ones.

Looking over to Jackson, Brandon nodded his head. "I'm ready to look at the photo, Sherrif." He gasped when he saw the picture. "Th...That's the cashier from last night."

Levie & Rhett

Rhett walked back out of the store and started pumping the gas.

Levie quietly snuck up behind the brunet and stuck his index finger into the young man's ribs. "Reach for the sky, punk. No sudden moves." He said with a husky voice. He doubled over giggling when Rhett let out a high-pitched scream and jumped with his hands up. "Holy shit, I can't believe that worked. I've always wanted to say that." Levie said once his giggles subsided.

Rhett's breathing returned to normal. He turned to face his jovial attacker and gasped as he jumped again. "Holy fuckin' shit. How'd you get out of the van? When did you wake up?" He started reaching for his gun.

"Umm, ya looking for this, Rhett?" Levie asked as he produced the revolver.

"H...how'd you get that without my knowing?" Rhett asked in total confusion. "And, how'd you know my name?"

Levie started giggling again and made a show of emptying the gun. "If you're gonna continue with a life of crime, you should invest in a better gun, dude. This model sucks, it's known for the way its trigger sticks, and the ammunition chamber has a manufacturer's flaw, so the bullets don't really fit well. The chamber's just a bit too big. No offense, but this gun is just a pathetic joke." He paused and smirked. "I'm actually surprised you didn't shoot your eye out with this thing. Not that it's got that much power anyway." Levie threw the bullets in his pocket along with the empty gun.

Rhett sighed as he put his hands behind his back. "So, you've got me, now what are ya gonna do?" The brunet blushed as his tears started falling. He gasped and cried harder when he was on the receiving end of a signature Levie hug.

"Well, that's up to you, Rhett. What happens depends on if you want to turn your life around." Levie opened the van's passenger side door, then returned to the driver's side. "The first decision is probably the hardest. It's us, trusting one another." He paused and stood at the van's door.

Rhett took a deep breath and stared off into space. He closed his eyes and replayed every one of his bad decisions in life thus far, then compared his gut feeling to this one. Immediately, Rhett noticed a difference. With this situation, he didn't have a bad vibe to ignore. The brunet opened his eyes and, for the first time that day, or in a long time for that matter, genuinely smiled. He approached the redhead, pulled the slightly shorter redhead into an embrace, and cried on his shoulder.

Levie smiled, raised his eyes, and thanked the Goddess for using him and this situation to help turn this guy's life around. "Shh! It's okay, Rhett. Let the tears fall and your pent-up emotions out." He paused. "My Bropop's always saying that." Levie giggled when Rhett raised his head and looked at him quizzically.

"Umm, what's a bropop?"

"It's not a what, it's a who, and bropop is the nickname I gave my older brother and his husband because they're also my Dads. They basically raised me since I was born. Jaycepop and Troypop were ten at the time."

"That's a kickass name, and they sound like amazing people." Rhett's tears started falling again.

"C'mon, get in." Levie smiled and kissed Rhett's forehead.

"Where are you taking me?" The brunet asked as he climbed in and buckled his seatbelt.

"The ranch the Bropops and I own is just down the road, about two minutes away."

Levie buckled his seatbelt, started the vehicle, shifted it into drive, and drove toward the ranch. Rhett gasped when he saw the sprawling acreage and the horses.

"Holy shit! you guys truly own this place?"

Levie couldn't stop giggling. "Yes, we do." The redhead parked beside Troy's Sonata and shut the van down. He turned and faced the would-be kidnapper. "Look, from this point forward, you never kidnapped me. We took a road trip." He giggled when Rhett's mouth fell open in shock.

"I just realized I don't even know your name," Rhett informed his driving mate when he could speak again.

That was all he could take. Levie doubled over, leaning on the steering wheel, lost in hysterical laughter. "Wait!" He had to stop cause he was laughing so hard. "You kidnapped me, and you didn't know my name?"

Rhett blushed, and he even started to giggle. "Umm, all I knew was I shot you last night while chasing after the robber. I freaked out and couldn't go to jail. I was afraid of you testifying at my trial and that I'd be in prison for not meaning to shoot someone.

"Well, that explains a lot." Levie got out of the van. "Come with me, Rhett. We're gonna make sure you don't go to jail and that you start your new life part of the Stillman Ranch family."