A Modern Cowboy's Dream

Past Tradition And Experience

As he sits there on the front porch swing rocking back and forth Katya comes back outsides and walks over to her Father. She sits down and snuggles up to him so he puts his arm around her. He half smiles at her and she just half smiles back. Katya asks "did you hear Mama and I playing the violin earlier?" Doug half smiles "I did, absolutely beautiful." Doug says "I know you've heard this before but you really do make me proud. Your Mama and I both." Katya says "thanks I guess." Doug says "seriously though you're the top of your class." She sighs "until I mess up." Doug says "you can't think like that sweetie." Katya says "it can still happen." Doug says "anything can happen darling but don't sentence your self to just that one thing is what I'm saying." Katya just nods "ok." Doug grabs her in a headlock and ruffles her hair. "Ow Daddy!" She hits him in the chest making him laugh so he lets her go. Katya shakes her head and sighs. Doug half smiles "love you." Katya says "yeah yeah love you too Daddy." Doug says "that doesn't sound very sincere darling." Katya just raises an eyebrow making him laugh again. She rolls her eyes and Doug smirks "just like your Mama." Katya says "I found Mama a Christmas present." Doug says "oh yeah?" She nods and gets up "follow me." He follows her inside and heads upstairs following her into her room. Katya pulls out a box from under the bed and opens it revealing an old Russian Samovar with matching tea pot. Doug asks "what is that?" Katya says "it's an old Russian Samovar. You make tea with this thing. I looked it up and you put woods bits, pinecones, or any sticks you can find in here and light it up. Water must always be in the pot when heating or you'll mess it up. This is the chimney that goes on it too." Doug says "I'm sure your Mama will love this. Where did you find it?" Katya says "Michael wanted to look around the antique store in town one day so we went in there and I found it. Wasn't very expensive." Doug says "all I do is buy her jewelry." Katya smirks "well she likes it when you do that." Doug smiles "yeah that whole jewlry box in our bedroom I've filled for her over the years. She deserves it all and more." Katya half smiles "You two are cute sometimes." Katya puts the Samovar away. "I overhead Mama talking to Aunt Ana about her Babushka teaching her to use one of these things and how she wished she could find an authentic one." Doug half smiles "she may like your present better than mine." Katya smirks "never know Daddy." Suddenly Little Doug yells "Daddy!" Doug yells "what?" He says "come see this!" Doug sighs "oh boy." Katya half smiles having already seen the video her self. Doug leaves Katya's room and enters the boys room. Little Doug says "I found this." He plays the video of an old news report that was live at the time Doug took on the Golden Eagle, Germany's top ace of World War III. Doug says "that was the Dogfight that ended my career as a fighter pilot." Little Doug says "really?" Doug says "just watch." Sasha steps in the room and freezes seeing the video. She flashes back to when she watched it live her self and she can still clearly remember the nail bitting nervous feeling in her gut. They watch as both jets jut past one another firing off their guns then turning sharply towards one another coming into a turning match. This game of cat and mouse in the air continues for several minutes until they fly towards each other face to face at top speed when Doug fires off his missle that destroys the plane. Doug is unable to pull away and flies through the falling and burning wreckage shrapnel piercing into his canopy and hitting him hard enough to break his collar bone and he bleeds profusely as his own blood splatters on the canopy. He lands the F-22 and as he steps out he walks then falls out. Little Doug is absolutely stunned and Sasha sighs loudly. Doug looks and walks over hugging her tightly as her eyes well up with tears. Little Doug asks "who's the girl painted on your plane?" Sasha turns a bit red and Doug grins with absolute pride "Your Mama." Little Doug says "really?! What?!" Doug laughs out loud and Sasha can't help but smile abit. "I was young and stupid so I let your father have that picture and he puts it on his fighter jet showing me off." Doug looks behind him seeing Katya "and you will give no such picture to Michael." Katya rolls her eyes "Yes Father." Sasha smirks and Doug says "what?" Sasha says "nothing." Doug says "he has a picture dosen't he?" Sasha says "I never said that." Doug sighs "I get no respect around here." Sasha laughs "aww baby." Doug looks again seeing Katya has disappeared which he takes as an admission of guilt. Little Doug asks "so that was your last Dogfight huh?" Doug nods "shrapnel broke my collar bone and was imbedded in me. I was rendered unable to fly again." Sasha says "you still can." Doug says "well yeah I can just not a fighter plane." Doug pulls down his shirt collar revealing the scar. "This is just one of many scars son." His computer makes a noise with a message from Caroline wanting to play a game. Doug says "enjoy gaming with Madam Caroline." Sasha chuckles "girl is nuts I tell you." Doug says "all women are crazy to a degree." Sasha slaps him "idiot!" Doug smirks and looks at his son "see?" Sasha pinches his ear "ouch ouch! Let me go!" She growls and then let's go making her mischievous half smile. She walks over and hugs her son kissing him on the head "don't say stupid things to a woman and she won't go crazy." Little Doug says "yes Mama." Sasha smiles "you're such a good boy." Doug says "quit babying him." Sasha says "quit talking!" Doug makes a face imitating her "quit talking!" Sasha cuts her eyes at him then grabs his shirt "come with me." Doug says "oh no I'm in trouble!" Sasha says "yes you are and I'm throwing you down these stares!" Doug says "try me woman." He locks him self in place at the door and she tries her best to get him to budge. Little Doug shakes his head. She finally gives up and punches his chest "Most irritating man alive I swear!" Doug grins and he follows her out "I love you!" He keeps saying it until she angrily says "I love you too now shut up!" Doug grins huge hugging her then kisses her on the lips. "As you wish my love."