A Jaxton Family miniseries.
(Here's a little back-in-the-day story focussing more on Feline Jaxton's brother Pat and their parents lives that take place before the events of My Brother's Best Friend. I hope you all enjoy!)
Part 1: Moving to a new town.
"PATRICK! WHERE'S YOUR SISTER?!" a deep man's voice startles the young boy. It's angry, and it's his father's, Charles "Chuck" Jaxton.
"I..." the 6-year-old (well, six and three-quarters is what he would brag) turns and looks behind him. "Dad! She was right here! I swear!"
Chuck Jaxton storms over and takes his young son's shoulder, worry furrowing his brow. "Where did you see her last?"
"I HEERE DADA!" an adorable, raven haired toddler peaks her head from behind the Budget moving truck and giggles, tossing a riot of black spiral locks all around her.
"Honey, don't do that to your brother! Come over here, please." Chuck sighs, shaking his head at his youngest child, turning to his son. "You gotta pay more attention, Pat. She's the only sister you get to have. She adores you. Look at her. She thinks you bring the sun."
Little Patrick turns, brushing a stray auburn curl out of his face. There's his annoying little sister, staring up at him with a look that makes him roll his eyes. Those gigantic cornflower blue peepers, the same as his, the same as their father's, filled with adoration.
"Ugh. Dad! Why can't Mom be here!" Patrick whines, resigning himself to the task of looking after his baby sister, taking her hand and holding it tight.
"I told you Mom's getting us dinner and groceries. I can't do all this by myself, Pat! I need your help, son. How about you take Feline and go check out the backyard. Let me unload our stuff from the apartment without tripping all over her. Pool guy comes tomorrow. You excited about that?" Chuck nods towards the front double doors of a house that Patrick had been in a hundred times.
"C'mon, Cat." Patrick tugs on his sisters' hand, and she follows him into a house she doesn't remember.
"New hou' Pad? New hou'?" Feline asks in awe as Patrick steps her into the sprawling, split-level, contemporary rancher.
"Ya Cat. New home. Blah Bl..." Pat stops himself as his little sister tugs on her big brother's shirt.
"Pat mad me?" little Feline looks up at her big brother with the saddest eyes. "I sowwy Paddy. I sowwy."
Patrick immediately feels guilty over how he had been treating the little girl before him. She was just tiny and still in diapers, after all.
"I'm not mad at you, Cat." Patrick bends down and hugs his sister. Her squeal of delight as he embraces her makes him feel better about the situation. "I'm sorry. Big brother is a scary bear today!" Patrick shapes his hands like claws and the toddler takes off through the living room squealing and giggling, her brother hot on her heels, baring his teeth and laughing.
Feline rounds a large corner and almost runs into a lovely, carved, white oak 12-person table and chairs sitting in the center of the room, before her brother grabs her, stopping the accident from happening.
The dining table is impressive furniture. A set that would never fit in their little 2 bedroom 1 bath 848 square foot apartment in Baldwin Hills, L.A.
There's a no less impressive set of French doors leading out onto an expansive cedar wood deck.
Pat follows his sister now as she slows down and inspects the new surroundings.
After the dining room, the next room is the incredible kitchen. Gleaming white quartz counter tops. A gigantic 21-foot island in the center topped in the same gleaming slab of stone. Stainless steel appliances adorn the space.
Off to the side, in a bay window, is a breakfast nook and surrounding the large island, 6 high stools. There's a back door leading to the yard and the pool. And Patrick knows there is a 70 something step staircase leading down to the beach and ultimately, the ocean as well.
Pat takes his sisters' hand and tries the door. It's open and they step outside.
The backyard is large. Exceptionally so. Which is great for Pat and his sister because the frontage is nothing but a big, paved, roundabout driveway and nothing else.
Directly in front of them is an empty pool. Large. Very large. Probably 50 feet in length. With an equally impressive pool deck, wrapping around the entire thing. And then behind the pool is a small but magnificent carriage house that Patrick knew was off limits.
Beside the pool is a huge grassy area to play, complete with 2 large palm trees off to the side, a tire swing hanging from one of them and a large quarry garden behind that.
"C'mon Cat!" Pat grasps his sister's hand, and together they run over to the lawn to play.
"Pad! Is Grass! Is real?" Feline asks her brother, picking a handful of lush, green lawn to show him.
"Real grass Baby Bear!" Pat jumps up and down, Feline copying him.
Together they race all over the backyard and Pat even pushes Feline on the tire swing before their Mother arrives with Kentucky Fried Chicken and calls the children in for dinner.
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"You finally got them down?" Kristine is laying in bed, a disarray of boxes all around the room, clothing strewn about.
"God, I hope so." Chuck rakes a hand through his thick, dark auburn hair. It was finally starting to grow out again, after he shaved it off 8 months ago, in solidarity with a cancer fundraiser. 98 long dreadlocks, gone. Just like that.
"Feline's never been any other place, in her mind." Kristine calls from the bed as her husband enters the large en suite adjacent to the room.
"Mmm Hmm." Chuck reenters the bedroom, brushing his teeth. "Poor lil thing." he mumbles around his toothbrush. "I can't remember the box I put her shark in."
"My poor Baby Bear! I was wondering what the problem was! Why wasn't it with her diaper bag? Really, Charles. You know, that thing is her lifeline. Is Patrick with her?" Kristine sighs, about ready to go check on them.
"No, Honey, wait! Give them a bit. You're too soft, you'll have them both in here with us tonight! Then we'll never sleep alone again." Chuck laughs, and goes to spit. "And yes," he reemerges from the bathroom, completely naked, tan and handsome. "Pat's with her."
Chuck jumps in and slides into the sheets with his wife, tickling her.
"You've got to find Bruce tomorrow!" she breathes, as he releases her.
"Ya Honey. You betcha." Chuck grins, kissing Kristine's shoulder.
"Chuck. Promise me you'll make the damned, stuffed shark a priority. It's 1 in the morning. The kids are going to be all messed up and cranky tomorrow. I don't want a redux tomorrow night!"
Charles sits up and gazes into his wife's eyes tenderly. She rarely curses, well, unless he's pleasuring her. Then his wife has the mouth of a sailor!
"Promise. First thing. Even before coffee." Charles whispers, leaning in to kiss his beautiful wife's neck.
