**** Eight weeks later-
**** Kyle sat on a weight bench, stroking Hope's thick fur, and watched his father train with Rowdy on the matt. After this, he would have his first lesson in self defence and was so excited. Both men were wearing army green T-shirts that hugged their muscular frames, and their old army fatigues. To protect the matt, both men had removed their boots. With all the things that had been happening over the last few years, they felt it necessary to keep up on their training and make sure the women and children had at least some rudimentary training in self defense.
The preteen marked down another point as his father took Rowdy down to the matt. The red head slapped the blue matt three times in the usual concede signal. Beau released him and rolled to his feet.
"Dad, why did you both bring your guns?"
Rowdy chuckled, "Is there anything that kid doesn't notice?"
The former-bull rider grinned at his son and slung one of the weapons around his shoulders to demonstrate. "Well, son... in hand to hand combat, a Ranger's goal is to do as much damage as possible, as fast as possible." Kyle nodded as he listened closely to his adopted father's every word.
Rowdy took it from there. "That allows us to take our enemy down fast, to provide the necessary time and space to return to the use of our tools."
Kyle gave him a confused look, "Tools?" He looked around. "You want me to get your tool box?"
Both men chuckled.
"Our weapons," Rowdy explained, "that's what will win the fight. I don't know a single Ranger that won't defeat his enemy in a frontal hand to hand. The real danger is when someone attacks from behind, but we have moves for that also."
Kyle looked even more confused. "I don't understand, how can you fight somebody you can't see?"
Beau smiled and was about to answer when his cell rang. He held one finger up to Kyle and answered it with a smile, "Hey, babe. How are you and the little ones?" He paused and tried not to laugh at his wife's complaints about the girl's cooking. Since the babies were born their adopted daughters had taken it upon themselves to care for her, including meals.
"Don't get me wrong, I appreciate all the girl's help... but like me... they can't cook! Beau, I am starving! You have to save me. Death by kids cooking."
"So why don't ya just go over to mom's?" Beau grinned to himself.
"Oh, wake up!"
Beau tried hard not to laugh at that one.
"I love your mother, you know I do, but if I go to the main house. Lillie will ask where the babies are, and why didn't I bring them? Am I getting enough to eat, have I gotten enough sleep? Are YOU taking good care of me? She would just go all Lillie on me and get nit picky and mother me to death." She took a breath and changed the subject. "How is Rowdy doing?"
"Ouch! One-eighty, honey!" Beau said jokingly. "I just got whiplash."
"Haha. How is he? Your mom is determined he's not to over use that arm. She's also all gaga with his and Bobbi's wedding plans."
Beau assured his wife that Rowdy was fine, causing an annoyed look to cross his best friend's face.
Rowdy snatched the phone and went on to explain what they were doing, and that he could handle it, and that he was a big boy now, mom. That brought a chuckle from Drina. They talked a moment longer, then Rowdy, Beau, and Kyle gave her their love, and Beau promised to handle the evening meal and ended the call. He then called his mother for an update on the meal he had requested earlier. She assured him that it would be ready and he could pick up later.
"Now, where were we?"
Rowdy gave a dry chuckle and was about to answer when Bobbi walked in and sat next to her nephew. He cleared his throat, "Maybe we should show the kid what we mean."
His best friend nodded, "All right. Watch closely, Kyle. First we won't slow our movements, so try and keep up."
Without any warning Rowdy lunged and grabbed Beau's weapon. Beau moved so fast his body was a blur. He elbowed Rowdy in the face, slammed the same elbow into his torso, threw him down with a hip throw, planted his knee onto Rowdy's chest, and feined two knuckle punches to his throat. Then he moved back and lifted his firearm, aiming it directly at Rowdy.
The whole thing took less than ten seconds. But the entire time Beau chanted, "Do damage, make space, and return to your tools."
Both Bobbi and Kyle sat there in utter shock. Neither was able to move or speak. Rowdy rolled to his feet with such grace that Bobbi's head spun.
Beau slapped his shoulder, 'You ok? Your shoulder ready for this? "
"I'm fine. I can handle it." Rowdy answered shortly.
"Would you teach me to do that?" The boy asked.
Beau grinned as he lowered his weapon. "We'll teach ya how to protect yourself and get away. With everything that has been happening, Rowdy, Yancy and I believe that all you kids should know how to take care of yourself and get away."
Rowdy nodded, "With one difference. Where we're trained to make space so we can get back to our weapons... your objective is to maim your attacker long enough to get away, and go for help."
Kyle grinned, "Like martial arts!"
Rowdy grinned back. "A lot like that, but this technique has been refined over two hundred years of combat. It's called SFCP or Special Forces Combative Program."
Bobbi studied the men for a second, "What if you're grabbed from behind, and you can't get a hold of his arm or elbow him?"
Brett who had entered quietly and was watching from the door way grinned. "You use your head and drop."
"You what?! Drop what?" Bobbi and her nephew both asked.
Brett nodded to Rowdy and grinned. "Can I play, too?" His brother and friend both grinned.
"Sure, come on into the sandbox." Beau motioned to his brother. He left the pad, picked up a towel and straddled the bench next to his son, ruffling the boy's hair.
Brett took his shoes off, winked at his nephew, "Let Uncle Brett show ya how it's done." He looked at Rowdy. "Think you can hold your own long enough for us to teach the kid somethin'?"
Rowdy raised an eyebrow, pursed his lips, held one arm out toward his friend and moved his fingers in a 'come and get it' motion.
Kyle grinned, thinking that was one of the coolest things he'd ever seen in his life. Brett was a little taller than Beau and several inches taller than Rowdy. Kyle was sure that Brett would win.
Beau worked at keeping a straight face. "He needs to warm up a little first, Rowdy. Don't hurt him too much. Ju-u-ust show this future Ranger how to handle a SEAL without a lot of bloodshed, before we put him through his paces."
"Like he actually could handle me." Brett scoffed as he went through a few warm up exercises. Bobbi rolled her eyes and Kyle laughed when Brett switched from warm up exercises to some robot dance movements and then moon walked to the edge of the matt. He shadow boxed with quick, fancy footwork and made his way back across to Rowdy.
Kyle laughed as his uncle danced around Rowdy boxing the air around his face, making noises while occasionally popping the other man's cheek and sang, "Fly like a buttafly, sting like a bee, do wacka do wacka do wacka dee."
Rowdy rubbed his face and turned to Beau with an annoyed look, "Seriously?" He asked Beau, who was still working hard to control his face.
"What's the matter, pretty boy?" Brett asked, as he continued to prance around the former-ranger. "Don't ya got the mo-o-o-oves?"
Rowdy slowly turned to look at Brett with a gleam in his eyes. The SEAL gave the Ranger a sly grin, thinking he had Rowdy right where he wanted him.
Rowdy turned to Kyle with a wink, "Excuse me a minute while I teach Princess Tippitoes a thing or two." Kyle grinned and giggled.
Rowdy studied his opponent for a long minute and grinned as he curtsied to Brett, causing their surprised audience to laugh out right. "Come on, Princess, let's dance!"
He removed his T-shirt and tossed it to his fiancee with a wink, keeping his back to Brett. Rowdy was purposely setting himself up for an attack. Brett quickly and silently approached him from behind and wrapped his thickly muscled arms around the former-ranger's neck.
"Remember his shoulder!" Bobbi called out.
Kincaid, careful not to cause real harm, slammed the back of his head into the SEAL's face. Then turned half way and elbowed him in the jaw. Next, he dropped and punched the larger man in the groin, and kicked him in the knee. Once Brett was down to one knee Rowdy stood and slammed his forearm into the back of Brett's neck.
Brett dropped to the matt, rolled over and flipped himself back to his feet and looked at his little sister.
"You use your head, and drop." He said and grinning they ended the demonstration with a formal bow.
"Will I learn all this when I'm a ranger?" The boy asked, Beau chuckled and ruffled the boy's dark hair again. He loved the boy so much. It was hard to believe they had only known each other a few years.
'The three best years of my life,' he thought and gave his son a one armed hug. "That and so much more."
Kyle grinned up at his father as Beau had him pull his shoes off and the boy's first self defense lesson began.
Kyle grinned at Trish who had entered the building and sat beside Bobbi. She had been watching her brother Rowdy and Brett as they sparred. She told herself she was impressed with the muscle play in Brett's arms and broad chest and back from a purely medical, anatomical point of view. She thought she had convinced everyone that she had a "couldn't care less" attitude until she saw Bobbi and Beau smirking at her.
"Nice moves, guys. Slower than you used to be, but at least you still have some of what it takes to fight on the mat."
Nico who had entered after her turned away so his best friend wouldn't see the grin. Rowdy began making choking sounds as Bobbi patted his back.
"You ok, baby?" Was all she could get out as she pretended concern for him while she was actually hiding her enjoyment.
Beau chuckled and slapped Brett's shoulder hard. A lesser man would have been rocked from the blow, but Brett absorbed the impact and crossed his arms.
"Sounds like a challenge to me, bro." Beau said grinning.
Kyle hid his face into Hope's furry neck to muffle his giggles and looked up at his dad. Beau grinned, winked and whispered, "This is gonna be good, son. Hang on to yer hat."
Brett lifted a brow at Trisha and waved to the mat. "I would love to give the little lady a lesson, but I'm afraid I just don't have the time right now."
Rowdy crossed his arms and raised his eyebrows, "Afraid you don't have the time, or just afraid?"
Trish grinned at her brother. "Oh, is that it?" She looked at Brett, "The big, tough FBI Agent is scared of little ol' me?" She said innocently as she pranced onto the mat.
"You go right ahead tellin' yourself that, Baby Cakes. I believe I'll change my schedule around a bit so I can teach you some manners. Of course," he rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I don't think, it would hurt a doctor to know how to protect herself a little or maybe improve her bedside manner. " Brett smirked at her.
Kyle looked at his uncle, "Drina's doctor says Aunt Trish already has good bedside manners. She eats at the table good and covers her mouth when she coughs or sneezes. Why does she need to learn more?"
Trish raised an insolent eyebrow to Brett and sent a huge smile to her little hero and blew him a kiss.
"Thank you my man. I so appreciate your confidence. We have to keep these guys in the know." She kicked off her shoes and glared at Brett as she approached him on the mat. He began to explain to Kyle exactly how he would teach "the little woman" to protect herself. As he warmed to the subject, Trish kicked him in the groin, when he bent double she clasped her hands together and brought them down with a kidney punch. She threw one leg over Brett's back and sat down, straddling him, hands up into the air with a flourish and sang, "Ta Da! Lesson number one Kyle, never lose your focus, pay attention to your enemy and don't get over confident."
She squealed when suddenly Brett flipped over and pinned her to the ground. "Lesson number two Kyle m' boy. Never drop your guard, or take your eyes off your opponent!" He bent down so his face was only inches above hers. "So far princess, I'm not impressed, oh; and you hit like a girl!"
She glared at him and said, "That's because," she head butted him in the face, and she shoved him off, rolled away and jumped to her feet, "because in case you hadn't noticed, I am a girl."
Brett frowned at her and rubbed his forehead, "Oh, I noticed all right." He mumbled, "Lesson number three, Kyle, girls cheat when they're losin'."
Trish gasped in outrage. "Cheat? I did not cheat and I have not lost." She sputtered stalking toward him, hands fisted at her sides.
Nico cleared his throat and tried to talk without laughing but failed. "Um, excuse me. I hate to interrupt the ummm lesson, but the boss wants to talk to us. He says some new information has come to light and he's sending it out."
While Brett's attention was on his partner, Trish ran at him, jumped in the air and hit him in the midsection with her feet and bounded away.
While he was catching his breath and glaring at her she gave him a deep curtsy and flounced off the mat and began putting her shoes back on, grinning all the time. "Lesson number four, Kyle, be prepared to take advantage of any situation in which your opponent is otherwise occupied."
She had little time to crow as Brett silently snuck up behind her. He grabbed her hand, turned her body toward him, bent down and threw her over his shoulder. He walked over to his shoes and slipped them on while holding the spitfire on his shoulder. He winked at his nephew and walked toward the door while Trish squealed "Put me down you big oaf." and hit his back.
"Repeatin' lesson number four, Kyle," the big man said as he half turned toward the group staring at him. "Never lose your focus, pay attention to your enemy and don't get over confident." With that he turned to leave, taking his prisoner with him.
"By the way, " he said turning back around to the group. "Would someone care to bring the other shoe belonging to Dr I can whip anybody?"
"Ro-o-owd-y-y-y! Help me!" Trish cried out and hit the broad back again. "You're gonna regret this!"
"Ooooo! I am so scared, scared for my life!", the big man answered and smacked her on the behind. "Ouch," she gasped. "Rowdy, he just hit me! Brett, you peckerwood put me down!"
Rowdy just grinned and raised his hands up. "Hey, leave me out of this." He laughed at the look on her face as she was carried through the door.
"Always remember Kyle, m'boy. Be prepared to take advantage of any situation in which your opponent is otherwise occupied." And left the room as the group tried to keep their laughter quiet until Trish was out of hearing.
Just then Beau's phone rang. It was Drina again wondering about the, "Evening meal," he had promised was going to materialize because she was dieing of starvation.
"Since when did you learn to cook a full meal in 30 minutes?" Bobbi asked skepticly.
"Oh I can get along so's I don't starve. But, I don't have to since I asked mom to prepare a meal for me this morning." He tucked his shirt in and looked at his sister and gave her a smug grin.
"All Kyle and I have to do is pick it up for delivery, making' us heroes of the day." He looked at the boy and said, "Ready, pard'?"
"Ready, dad!" He answered returning the grin and the two hit hands in the air and left together wondering what mouth watering treats they were going to enjoy tonight.