Give Them Hell

Tar Heel State

The fifteenth of October is my grandfather's eighty fourth birthday so Dakota, CC, June, Nikki, and I decided that we were going to fly down to North Carolina to surprise him. Dakota hasn't been here since summer of eighty three, Gramps hasn't seen June in a little over a year. Gramps has never met CC or Nikki so I'm excited for that.

"So has anything changed?" Dakota asks from the backseat as I drive,

"Not really." I say simply. "Gramps couldn't take care of the horses anymore so he sold them to the Millers about five miles up the road. Broke his heart but he knew that's what was best for the horses."

"So what? That big old red barn is empty now?" She asks and I smile.

"Uh, not exactly." I say and I can't hide my grin which makes Nikki chuckle.

Well sitting in that big red barn isn't horses anymore but there's some horsepower, actually a lot of it. There's a couple of very fast cars sitting in that garage that I didn't have room for when I moved out to LA. I mean I don't have a garage in my apartment building so Gramps let me keep the cars in the barn.

My first car is a '68 black Chevy Impala with a big block Chevy in it. The car is in mint condition and has been babied the entire time I owned it. I just drove it around Clayton, it didn't even go back and forth to NC State (that was my Dodge Charger which is in Los Angeles).

The second vehicle sitting in the old bar is my old GMC truck. It's in really good shape but it was never really put on the road. I used it mainly to get around the giant property that my Gramps owns and to go mud bogging. It was strictly an off road vehicle.

"So what does that mean?" Dakota asks. "What's in the barn?"

"You worry too much." I say. "Look." I say and point out the window.

"Home!" My cousin squeals as we pull onto the property.

The driveway in itself is about a mile and a half long before you even get to the house. Once you see the house you know we weren't just some country hicks. The house is absolutely huge, I think it's like eight bedrooms. It was big enough to raise my grandfather's family and he had twelve brothers and sisters, Dakota, Mackenzie, and I were the third generation to live at this house at some point or another. The big red barn is back in the field and the field seems to go on forever.

I look back at Dakota in the rear view mirror, she's happily explaining everything to June who doesn't remember the last time she was here. CC looks around with big eyes. I glance over at Nikki who smiles at me.

"You miss it here?" He wonders and laces his fingers through mine.

"A little bit." I admit. "I missed my Gramps." I say and nod towards the house. "Come on."

We walk up to the front door and CC goes to knock, Dakota shakes her head and just walks into the house. I follow pull Nikki behind me, Dakota puts June down on her feet and she looks around the house.

"Nothing has changed, huh?" I ask as I follow her gaze.

"Not even a little bit." She agrees.

It's just about that time that Janet walks down the stairs in her scrubs. She takes one look at my cousin and I before smirking and crossing her arm.

"Hey Warren, might want to grab your guns." The nurse yells up the stairs.

"And why is that, Janet?" Gramps yells down the stairs as sassy as every which makes me smile.

"There's some strangers in the house, I mean they look like your granddaughters but one of them hasn't been here in over a year." Janet calls.

"Dallas was here in April, Janet. Are you sure you're not the one that needs all the medication?" Gramps asks.

"My God in heaven, Warren, get your sorry ass down here before I beat your ass until your nose bleeds." She calls back and laughs before walking down the stairs. "Dallas, Junie, Dakota....I don't know the rest of you."

"This is Nikki, he's my boyfriend." I say and pull him up beside me. "Nik, this is Janet, Gramps' nurse."

"Hi, it's nice to meet you." My boyfriend days politely and I smile.

"How long have you been together?" Janet wonders.

"The first time or this time around?" Nikki wonders and I laugh while Janet looks confused. "We dated for nine months in high school while she was in Seattle but we've been together since April this time around."

"Oh, and you are?" She asks CC.

Janet continues to talk to CC, Dakota, and June but I honestly don't pay that much attention. I just happen to look up the stairs and see my grandfather walking down the stairs. He's shrunk with old age but still stands taller than me, for nearly eighty four years old he gets around really well.

"Dolly." He smiles when he reaches the foot of the stairs.

"Gramps." I beam and hug him. "I missed you."

"I missed you too, Dolly." Gramps says and looks past me. "Who's your friend?"

"Oh! That's Nikki." I say and motion my boyfriend over. "He's my boyfriend. Nik, this is my Gramps General Warren Monroe, 30th Infantry Division."

"You stormed the beach at Normandy too?" Nikki asks. "I mean with Dallas' father? He was in the same division if I remember correctly."

"Yeah, how in the name of hell and sunny Jesus did you know that?" Gramps asks. "Her father has been in the ground for years."

"I dated Dallas for a little while in high school, when she was in Seattle." My boyfriend explains and I lace my fingers through his and smile.

"So you're Frank? The guy she didn't shut up about for eight damn years?" My grandfather wonders and I drop my gaze quickly when Nikki looks over to me smiling.

"I guess I am." Nikki says and kisses my cheek. "General Monroe it is an honour to meet you, Dallas and Dakota both speak very highly of you." He says turning back to my grandfather.

"To hell with that General Monroe crap." Gramps says while shaking Nikki's hand. "I'm Warren and I won't say that again so don't test me boy or I'll give you an ass kick--"

"Gramps." I cut him off and my grandfather touches my face.

"Break my Dolly's heart and I'll break you in half." My grandfather says matter of factly and I close my eyes.

This is my Tar Heel bloodline. This is going to be an interesting visit.