This Was Really a Bad Idea

by Anneack

Alternate Universe: Future LB (the boys are teenagers)

Warning: The boys do something not real bright and learn why there are rules


This was completely, utterly, and totally out of control! There was no way on the face of the planet that he was not going to get in trouble for this. Trouble? Trouble was not even going to be the word for it. When Dad got home he was going to use him for target practice.

Well, maybe he could at least contain the nightmare and then he would have something on his side. That might at least earn him and JD quick and painless deaths.

Vin raised an eyebrow as one of the guests and his girlfriend started towards the hall the bedrooms were off of. "Carl, have you been drinking?"

"Steve and his friends got some bottles," the scantily clad girl with Vin's track teammate giggled.

Seeing that Vin was not going to step aside and let them down the hall, they wandered off.

"Vin, there's bottles being passed around out there," Barb, his girlfriend and one of the few invited visitors, said nervously.

"Carl and his flavor of the month just told me," Vin growled. Okay, time to get reinforcements and stop this before it got any worse. He pulled out the extra cell phone that Dad and Buck always left for him and JD.

"Who are you calling? The police?" She asked.

"Well, the A in ATF does stand for alcohol," Vin tried to tease.

"I thought your dad and Buck were on a stakeout, tonight?"

"They are, but they have three teammates who aren't. They'll know what we should do," Vin told her.

She nodded and wandered away to try and keep the damage to a minimum. If THAT was possible now that a lot of people were drinking.

Vin sighed and hit speed dial three.

"Standish," came the curt, but polite, answer.

"Uncle Ezra, It's Vin. I need some help."

"How might I be of assistance, master Tanner?" Ezra asked promptly.

Vin swore, as someone got sick in the corner. He was sooo dead when Chris got home.

He mimicked blowing Barb a kiss as she appeared with a bucket and cleaning supplies. When this was over, if he was still alive, he would have to do something really nice for her as a thank you.

"Vin, are you in some distress?" Ezra asked worriedly.

"Not yet, but I will be when Dad gets home. I sort of invited a few friends over and now most of my grade is here and, well, it's bad and I don't know what to do," Vin explained.

"I see. Is alcohol being served?"

"Not by me, but yeah, people are bring their own and sharing," Vin swallowed.

"Very well. Allow no one to leave, and I am on my way. I shall phone the others."

"Thanks, Uncle Ezra," Vin said, relieved.

"Vin, understand that calling the police in such a situation is advisable," the southerner informed him.

"JD and I haven't been drinking," Vin assured him.

"I hadn't thought you had been," Ezra soothed.

"Dad and Buck are going to be in trouble for this, aren't they?" Vin sighed.

"A dressing down at the very least as underage drinking was conducted on their premises," Ezra answered honestly. He had never and would never lie to the boys. "The fact that you had not invited the majority of the guests and were not drinking or serving alcohol will go in your favor and theirs; so will the fact that you requested help."

"Okay, thanks. I'll call the police and see you when you get here," Vin said, ending the call.

Turning, he saw JD, Casey, Barb, Will Travis (no one had called him Billy for years) and his girlfriend Stacy.

"Will, I need you to keep people away from the bedrooms. We're going to be in enough trouble. JD, you and I need to make sure no one leaves. You three try and make sure that nothing more gets broken or destroyed," Vin looked pleadingly at the girls.

"Should I call Grandpa?" Will asked.

Vin bit his lip. The ADA, Orin Travis, would be a help, but he was also dad's boss. Well, he was already dead, might as well dig his grave, too. "Yeah, we can use the help. Uncle Ezra and the rest of the team are on their way. He said there was no choice but to call the police."

They all nodded. They had seen that coming when they asked some of the rowdier ones to leave earlier on and they had refused. That was when they knew things were beyond their abilities.

Will stayed at the head of the hallway while the girls spread out to try and limit the amount of damage, as if there was not already enough.

JD and Vin headed outside.

They tried not to look at or think about the fences that were down. They didn't know how and were really not all that eager to find out how that happened. The pasture gate was wide open. Someone had broken the lock and chain, opened it and everyone started parking there. Thankfully, by that time JD had seen where this was going and gotten the animals in the barn.

If they had been smart, they would have called for help then. Actually, if they had been smart they would not have invited anyone out when their dads were on a stakeout. It had always been a clearly understood and firm rule that no guests were allowed out unless at least one adult was present.

Vin pulled out the cell phone and dialed the police.

"Andy Cox! You hand over those car keys, right now. Your mother's got enough problems without you getting yourself killed driving drunk!" A familiar voice sounded from among the cars.

Vin couldn't help smiling when he saw that an old and familiar farm truck was parked across the pasture gate, blocking all the others cars from leaving. God love and bless Mrs. Nettie. Somehow, though, he doubted she would be blessing him.

"Vin Tanner! What on earth were you thinking?" She demanded upon seeing him.

"We only invited about ten or fifteen people, but word got out," Vin winced as he and JD joined her.

"I'll say it did," Nettie agreed. "I assume since you're here, JD, that Casey is, as well?"

"She's in the house with Barb and Stacy trying to make sure nothing more gets broken," JD explained. She had also been helping with emergency clean up. JD owed her and he knew it.

"The police are on their way. So are the judge and dad's team," Vin told her.

"We were coming to see that no one left, especially since most of them are drinking," JD offered. It was at least one smart thing they had done.

Nettie nodded. "I'm glad to see that you did something responsible, tonight."

JD's jaw dropped and he swore.

"JD Dunne! Buck would polish your backside if he heard that!" Nettie admonished.

"He'll polish it anyway! The garden!" the fifteen year old wailed.

Vin winced. The vegetable garden had become a parking lot. Chris would be livid. Buck wouldn't be real pleased, either. The whole team had planted the garden and looked forward to garden fresh vegetables.

The boys sighed in relief and pain as they began hearing sirens at the same time that a Jaguar, a Cadillac, and a familiar Subaru pulled in.

"Boys," Travis looked from one to the other.

They both swallowed. There was a reason that this was the one person who could actually command Chris Larabee. He was a force every bit as indomitable as Chris himself.

"We had a few friends over and then everyone showed up," JD began babbling. Full confession was his style.

"Will and the girls are in the house trying to make sure nothing more gets broken," Vin explained.

The judge nodded acknowledgement to the three agents who had joined him. "I'll see to them."

"We'll take care of things out here," Nathan assured him.

From the look of the man as he headed towards the ranch house, Will was in deep kimchee.

The three agents looked at the two teenage boys.

It was one of the rare times when the boys could not look them in the face.

"Might I applauded your judgment in calling for assistance?" Ezra asked in his soothing Southern tone.

"Did right in doing that," Nathan assured them.

"It's a wise man who know when he's in over his head and will swallow his pride enough to call for help," Josiah added his two cents in.

"When they wouldn't leave, we figured it was time for reinforcements. We were out here to make sure no one left drunk," Vin explained, as he and JD looked up at their uncles. They were not happy, but they weren't angry. All they saw was understanding and kindness.

"Indeed. Allow us to assist in that charge," Ezra gave a two fingered salute to the boys as he and the other two moved off to assist in seeing that no one left.

"Now, now, how inexplicably rude to leave without giving your regards to your host, and in your dreadfully inebriated state as well. For shame!" was heard moments later.

"Huhh?" was the audible response from one of Vin's thicker witted, if mostly good hearted track mates

"He means you're drunk as a skunk and can't leave," Vin called out. Buck always said Ezra was hard enough to understand sober, drunk it was hopeless.

Within minutes, the police were swarming the place and herding everyone together.

"Now, brother, that was just plain rude," Josiah's booming tones could be overheard as he was seen marching a boy back to the others, his feet barely touching the ground.

They winced as another aspiring sprinter ran past with Nathan right behind him. Moments later they returned with Nathan hauling the boy by the collar of his shirt.

JD and Vin had been given the breathalyzer test immediately (Everyone was having it done) and as they had not been drinking, were allowed to stay with Casey; her aunt had retrieved her, and Mrs. Nettie, who insisted on staying until Buck and Chris got home.

A black ram pulled up and the boys swallowed hard. Their doom was upon them.

Buck, who was the bellower of the two, was silent, he merely stood there, pointing at the herd of teenagers, his mouth working silently. Chris, who was never much for yelling and rarely needed to, merely stared at the two teens and raised an eyebrow. They could almost see the steam coming out of his ears. Nothing more was needed, he wanted answers and he wanted them now. God help them if they did not give him the truth.

"We invited a few friends out," Vin started.

"I can see that," Chris said quietly.

"Word got out that there was a party here, and then everyone started showing up. Somehow alcohol started flowing and it got totally out of hand. We asked them to leave and they wouldn't," Vin continued, taking a deep breath.

One of the smaller boys had slipped past and was making a run for it. Seeing Chris smiling at him, he whimpered and scuttled back to the others.

"That was when Vin called for help and the guys came over and the judge. We came out here to see that no one left and found Mrs. Nettie was taking care of that," JD chimed in.

Chris and Buck both nodded to the woman and took a deep breath on seeing their boss coming over. The saving grace was that stepping lively right behind the older man was his teenaged grandson, followed by his girlfriend and Vin's.

"Orin," both men greeted him. When not in the office they were on a first name basis with him. He and his wife, as well as their daughter-in-law and grandson had all been guests at the ranch.

Travis indicated his car and Will and the girls apologized to the two men and headed for the Cadillac, Vin getting a quick kiss goodbye from Barb.

"Proud of you boys for calling to get help and seeing that no one got hurt," Travis addressed the boys.

They both thanked him quietly.

"I'll see you two, tomorrow. Come in when have things settled, here. Good boys you have there. I remember Stephen doing something like this once, too." Travis told the two agents.

Buck and Chris gave tight smiles and nodded.

"Most boys do seem to feel the need to raise a little mischief on occasion," Buck agreed.

"Lord knows all three of mine did," Nettie snorted.

Wishes of good night passed on both dies and the Judge left.

"Good of you to have come over," Chris told his neighbor as he turned to her.

"Heard all the goings on over here and recollected you saying you wouldn't be home tonight, so came to check on the boys and collect Casey," She told them in her no-nonsense way.

"Appreciate that, Nettie," Chris thanked her.

"Boys did alright when things got crazy," Nettie said and nodded her farewell. "Casey, come with me."

Casey gave JD a quick kiss and scooted after her aunt. Tonight was not the night to push anything.

"We're done in the house," a police officer informed them as he came over.

"Hey, Frank," Buck greeted him. They knew each other from Buck and Chris's days with SWAT.

"Good seeing you," Chris said.

"Those boys yours?" Frank asked.

"We'll claim them," Chris replied. "House is done, you said?"

"Yep, kids are out. Here's a list of damages. Let me know if there's anything more," the middle-aged man handed the agents a sheet of paper.

"Boys, head inside. We'll be in as soon as everything out here is settled," Chris ordered.

Both boys flew into the house.

+ + + + + + +

"Considering how little trouble the boys give us, when they do act up, they sure don't do it by halves," Buck sputtered.

"They do have a certain gift for it," Chris snorted.

"We'd best figure out what we're gonna do," Buck told him. This was one of those times when the two men would need to go in as a united front.

"Look at all this damage," Chris told him, gritting his teeth when he saw the remains of the garden. The pasture he did not even want to think about. It even looked like the water trough was going to need a cleaning out or replacing.

"Can't disagree, stud, but they DID call for help and they DID make sure no one left drunk. Now that needs to count for something," Buck countered. He and Chris had been here before. Chris initially tended to come down too hard reacting, rather than acting. Buck tended to go too easy, recollecting some of his own teenaged pranks and mischief. Generally they met in the middle with something sane and reasonable that fit what had been done.

"Buck, no one was supposed to be here at all," Chris reminded him of the hard and fast rule for both boys. Unless there was an adult present they were not to have people over.

Chris and Buck acknowledged the apologies of a few parents coming to collect errant children and their vehicles. Buck was polite if not necessarily friendly. Chris was not even polite, but he was civil, so managed not to offend anyone.

Half an hour later, the two men thanked their friends for their help in 'teen herding' as Josiah called it, and sent them home. They then went inside, themselves. It was time to tend to business with their own errant charges.

They came in to find that both boys were hard at work cleaning up. They signaled them to head to the den.

All four sat down.

"What's the rule about guests if there are no adults?" Chris asked.

"We can't have anyone over without an adult present," JD answered.

"What's the rule about girls over?" Buck asked.

"Ask first and there must be an adult present," Vin answered.

"Were either of you confused about those rules?" Chris asked, looking from one to the other. It was unlikely, but parenthood had taught him anything was possible.

"No," came in two part harmony.

"So, you knew and understood that what you were doing was against the rules and did it anyway," Buck leaned back in chair.

JD relaxed a little, if Buck was leaning back, he was not angry.

"I'm glad you called for help and I'm glad you didn't let anyone leave drunk," Chris told them.

"I didn't want to see anyone hurt and that was what Ezra said to do when I called him," Vin responded.

"Here's what we decided would be fair punishment for what you did, tonight," Chris said.

When they all headed to bed half an hour later, they all agreed that the punishment was fair and fit the crime. Both boys were just glad it wasn't worse.

+ + + + + + +

Both boys groaned as they rolled out of bed far earlier than they really wanted to the next morning. Thankfully, as it was summer, they could take naps later. Vin did have a summer job, but it was part time and he wasn't working today.

"Boys!" Chris called down the hall.

"Coming," they responded as they hurriedly threw on clothes. No sense putting on clean clothes or showering until after the barn chores were done. But as the horses had been stabled last night, there were plenty of chores this morning.

"Buck's going to go to the store and get the supplies needed for the new fences and a water trough for the north pasture. He'll set it up there and then you boys get to fill it. By hand, since the hose doesn't go out that far," Chris instructed as they sat down to breakfast.

"You're in luck, though. The parents plea-bargained and the court agreed that the kids who had been drinking have to come out and repair and replace the fences. Once they have the home pasture re-fenced, move the horses back there," Buck added.

Both boys sighed with relief. They had thought they would have to do the re-fencing.

"We called Nettie, Travis, and the guys, and they all were here for three hours, last night. You need to call them and arrange when they would like you there and what they want you doing for the three hours you will EACH give them.

The teens nodded. They had known they were going to be giving time to each of the adults who had come to their aid.

All in all, three weeks grounding, tending the horses water, and donating time was not such a bad punishment. The best part was that with punishment dealt out, the incident was in the past.

Feedback