Mythical Link ▸ Link Neal {Book One}

Thirty Three

     When Link opened the door and stepped into the house, he was nearly knocked off of his feet by a child. It was a blur at first, so he didn't know which child it was. Given by the height and size, it was his precious Lily. She barreled herself right into his chest. He couldn't help the smile that plastered his face as he wrapped his arms tight around her. He lifted her off of her feet and spun her around. She giggled and he set her down, brushing her blond hair out of her face before he held her face in his hands. He knelt to the ground so he could be level with her.

     "I'm so sorry I scared you baby. Is there any way I can make up for it somehow?" 

     Lily made a face while she gazed up at the ceiling. He couldn't help but be reminded of Christy when he looked at her. Rhett had stepped in behind Link and chuckled. Suddenly the thundering of footsteps sounded through the hall as Locke, Shepard, Lando, and Lincoln bolted toward them. Link's eyes widened as the four of them piled into him and Lily, and they fell into a heap of Neals and McLaughlins on the floor. 

     Link laughed as he was bombarded by hugs and shrill laughter from the kids. Of course, Rhett being the big man child that he is, had to join in on the fun and was the icing on top of the cake. Link couldn't breathe, but he was okay with it because he knew how much everyone missed him.

     "We should have a Nerf gun war," Locke suggested between giggles as Rhett tickled him.

     "Yeah!" Lily and Lincoln chorused.

     "We can have a sleepover too!" Shepard added, earning a warble of contentment from Lando. Lando was a shy boy and didn't typically say very much. Link made a bunch of sounds but couldn't put a string of words together from his chest being crushed. Rhett pushed himself from the kiddie pile, and he removed each kid off of Link one by one underneath the armpits.

     "I think that sounds like a great idea," Link breathed, and he found himself in hysterical laughter afterward. The two families were one huge family combined. They did a lot of stuff collectively as one family.

     They prepared for an epic Nerf gun war right in Link's spacious living room. Rhett and Link set up a fort with the couch cushions, blankets, and other things they could find around the house. The two of them were up against all five of the kids, who worked on loading their guns. Locke was the only one with a vest where he could fit spare darts and clips to reload into his guns, and Lily favored her purple Rebelle crossbow while she eyed her dad with a playful gleam in her eyes. Lando and Shepard laid on their bellies in the crevice they'd made out of the blankets, and they made shadow puppets with the flashlight they'd taken from the television stand.

     After everything was all set up, Link stood in the middle of the room and called for everyone's attention. Rhett snickered as he found it hard to take a guy still in his pajamas seriously, although he felt relief flood through his chest to see Link in charge again. Even if it was over something as simple as a Nerf gun war. "Listen up. This a game and there are going to be some rules," he held his hands up as he spoke and the kids groaned. Lily loaded her crossbow up with darts and cocked it before she pointed it at the small of her dad's back. Lincoln and Locke giggled and Link wheeled around to face them. Lily quickly lowered the bow and looked about as if she didn't do anything wrong. 

     Rhett laughed out loud. "She takes right after you, man."

     "Ha. No kidding. There will be no shooting at the face and head. That's the number one rule." Link leaned over the side of the fort where the kids would be staked to look at Lando and Shepard. "You kiddos got that, right?" 

     Lily raised the bow and aimed the gun right at Link's tush. Locke and Lincoln stifled their giggles with their hands and Rhett nodded his head. He basically gave Lily the okay to shoot at her father. She grinned wide and steadied her aim. Lily fired and the gun popped, the dart taking off. Link jumped and howled when it made contact with his behind and he spun on his heel. He threw his hands on his hips and gave her a look of exasperation.

     Lando and Shepard giggled again and they poked their heads up. 

     Lily's face exhibited pride. "You didn't say anything about the butt," she countered, and Rhett laughed. Rhett tossed Link a gun and he caught it in a snap. 

     Rhett's eyebrows shot up his forehead in surprise. "Holy cow! Since when did your reflexes get so fast?" 

     Link scrutinized the gun he'd caught as if it had been laced with poison he wasn't supposed to touch. Lily and Locke exchanged glances. Link chuckled nervously. That was something he could address with Rhett later if he remembered. "Who's ready to go to war?"

     "Me!" All of the kids chorused, and they scrambled to their positions. Rhett and Link took to their side of the fort while the kids occupied theirs. Lily, Locke, and Lincoln sank to the ground shoulder to shoulder, and Locke turned his head to look at Lily as he held his gun up with his finger on the trigger.

     "There's something really weird going on with your dad," he whispered. Lily nodded her head in agreement. 

     She nestled comfortably in her spot and held the bow up at the ready. "Yeah, no kidding."

     "We're gonna find out what that is," Lincoln whispered under his breath. 

     Lily pursed her lips. "We sure will." Determination burned in her eyes at the declaration. 

     A dart whizzed through the air and hit their fort. Their eyes grew wide.

     "Wait, wait! We didn't start yet. This thing has a sensitive trigger," Rhett cried out, and Link laughed. Lando rose to his feet with a tiny two bullet gun in his little hands and he fired. He managed to hit Rhett right on the thigh. "Hey! I said we didn't start yet, little monkey!" Lando laughed and ducked. 

     Lincoln held his stomach because he was laughing so hard. "Good job buddy," he encouraged his little brother. Rhett finally figured his gun out and lowered himself to the ground next to Link. "You ready for this, man?" 

     Link nodded his head. "This brings me back to the episode of GMM where we let the kids fire a bunch of darts at us. Remember that?" 

    Rhett chuckled. "How could I not. Be prepared to catch some more darts with your mouth!" Rhett flew up to his feet. "3, 2, 1. Fire!"