Texas Was You

Feeling Nostalgic (Kids Next Door)

Jason's pov

I'm awoken when Miranda shouts, "Pancakes are ready?" I groggily stare at the ceiling. Dallas. I can't call her Dallas anymore. This is too weird. Too much change! I slowly sit up, not having slept well the night before. I'd give anything to just go back to sleep. I lay back down, prepared to do just that when the door opened! "Ya gettin' up or what sleepyhead?" "Or what." I mumble, pressing my pillow to my face. She pulls it free. "What?" "Are you alright?" "Just tired." "Well breakfast is ready downstairs." I get up and go downstairs. "Got any plans today, Dal.... Er... I mean Miranda?" "I was thinking about heading to the store and picking up nursery stuff. You seem ticked about something." I sigh. "I hate when you can read me like a book." I mutter, pouring syrup on my pancake. "What's up?" "I just... I don't know how I feel on the whole naming the baby Dallas thing. I mean... That's our thing.. I don't know. It's just weird." "Well it'll take some getting used to but we've got nine months." "No that's not... What I'm saying... Is..... I don't.... I don't want to do it." "Oh." Her eyes go wide. "You okay?" She nods. "I'm just surprised. You agreed to it the other day." "Yeah well I thought on it all night." "Oh OK. Well I guess we can pick a different name."

*later*

I get back from the studio. "Dallas?" Silence. Maybe she went for a ride on one of the horses. I go to the barn. Nope they're all there. I wonder what's up. "Where'd you go?" I mumble walking out of the barn. My eyes go wide when a net shoots up around me. Darn it. "Get me down from here Dallas!" I gasp frustrated. Silence. Where is she? "Girl?!" I gape confused. What on earth is going on?!! I get my knife out. "Con found it." I mutter resituating myself to saw the ropes. Where is that nutso girl?! I finally cut through and grab a piece to swing down from. I fall anyway like the idiot klutz I am. It's weird and totally not like her to leave a booby trap then.... Just... Leave. I hear rustling. I turn around, nervous. "Is.... Someone there? Miranda if this is some kinda joke... It ain't funny!" I gasp backing up. Suddenly a radio in the distance blasts my song. The song I wrote about my girl. Texas was you! "TEXAS WAS.... GREEN EYES.... CRYIN' GOODBYE.... WAS A LONG DRIVE.... A HEARTACHE I'M..... STILL TRYIN' TO GET THROUGH." I cover my ears and run for the house. Something is wrong. Something is very wrong! She wouldn't do this! She also wouldn't be this quiet! "Where are you?!?" I cry but if she's here, she won't hear me over that blasted radio! I open the door and someone puts a bag over my head! Someone else shoves me to my knees and ties my hands behind my back. "WHAT'S GOING ON?!? WHO'S THERE??!! WHERE'S MY WIFE!!!??" something hard and metal hits me in the back of the head. I stumble forward and fall unconscious.

*several hours later*

I wake up tied to a chair, a hand on my back. "What's going on?! Where am I?!" Someone takes the bag off my head. A kid maybe 10 stands in front of me, arms crossed, bald and wearing dark sunglasses. "Your dad must be Eric Church or something." I mutter rolling my eyes. "Why am I tied up and who the hell are you?" "That's classified information." He says. ?!? "CLASSIFIED?! YOU KIDNAP ME AND IT'S CLASSIFIED AS TO WHY?!?!" The kid laughs. "I wouldn't call it kidnapping. You're not a kid." Ugh smartass little brat. "Where's my wife pal?!" I gripe, getting angry. "Stop asking questions or I'll give ya a knuckle sandwich!" I hear from behind me. Another kid by the sound of his voice. An Australian accent. "If this is some game you kids are playin' I want no part of it." "You adults have one of ours, now we've got one of yours. We'll do a trade. Numbuh 2 contact Mr. Boss." I'm so confused. "Ok kids, playtime is over. I've got places I need to be. I've got a girl to find!" Someone punches me in the back of the head. "Why you!" I growl angrily. A little short blonde kid walks out from behind me. "And there's more where that came from! You cruddy adult!" I roll my eyes. How long am I gonna sit here, dealing with spoiled brats playing pretend? A really cheery girl in an oversized green sweatshirt skips in. "Numbuh 3 stand guard. Numbuh four you're with me." The bald kid and the Australian kid leave the room. "Where am I?" "You're in our secret treehouse." The girl says, giggling. Treehouse?! This is a huge treehouse then. "What's going on?" "Numbuh five was taken by the adults... By Mr. Boss so we're going to trade you to get her back!" She's certainly cheery. "If some boss guy kidnapped your friend, you should call the cops! Not kidnap some guy you don't know!" She laughs. "They're adults too, silly!" Ugh. "Well if you let me go, I'll help you get your friend back." She shakes her head. "No. Adults are evil. You can't trust them. Or teenagers." Jeez what has this kid been through?! "So this must be a weird little game I'm guessing." The other two kids come back. "Numbuh one, Mr. Boss is yelling for our surrender!" A fat kid with goggles says sounding panicked. The bald kid looked angry. "Double crossing huh. Kids next door battle stations!" He shouts, raising a hand in the air. "Are you gonna untie me now or what?" I grumble annoyed. "Look I've got nothing to do with this battle. I don't know anyone named Mr. Boss! Just let me go!" "Not until we have Abby back!" The bald kid shouts, angrily. "So your friend's been taken by some psycho. I don't know why you think kidnapping me will get her back! I don't even know the guy!!" He takes his shades off, an angry stare in his eyes. "I'll do anything to get my sister back." He growls. Shit. "I'll help you get her back! Just untie me!" "An adult helping us stop adults! It's a load of balogna!!" The Australian kid says angrily. "Cool it numbuh four." Baldy says. "Cut him down, numbuh two." "Are you sure? He seems pretty mad." "Just do it." He cuts the ropes. I rub my raw wrists and grab the bald kid's shirt. "First off if you did anything to my girl, you're dead meat kid." "We didn't touch any girl." I drop him to the ground. "Good." I mutter angrily. "Stupid kids. So who's this guy that took your friend?" "Mr. Boss, he wants to get rid of all kids by sending them to Pluto! He took Abby and we need to get her back!" The fat kid shouts, punching a fist into his hand. This is odd. And probably an overactive imagination. Although with the fierceness in the bald kid's eyes, something tells me that girl really did get kidnapped. Although obviously they aren't going to Pluto. "I'll help ya get your friend back. But after this we better never cross paths again." I grumble irritated. "Where's my pistol?" He hands me some kind of kids' toy. "What the hell do you expect me to do with this?!" "It's 2×4 technology.  The best tool against adult tyrrany!" I roll my eyes. "Give me my gun. Right now!" "Numbuh 2." He mutters annoyed. "I'm on it." Seconds later, he gives it to me. "Ok let's go kick some ass." I say annoyed. These kids may have pissed me off with the stunt they pulled but I will never let someone get away with kidnapping.