“Careful, Boy. Turkeys can be,” the man began, trailing off when the turkeys flocked to the youngster without any aggression, “aggressive.”
“He's good with animals,” Calvin Miller told the man.
Little Danny was with the Miller family, who lived near the Jackson-O'Neills, today while his parents and siblings were all off in other directions and with other caregivers. Mitzi Miller was running a few errands, and the two boys were accompanying her. Right now, they were in the countryside as Mitzi visited with an old friend for a few minutes.
As the boys watched the turkeys, Mitzi and the man talked. Close by, another man was on the phone.
“Don't worry, Kit. These birds are gaining lots of weight ... yeah, off with their heads and onto my Thanksgiving plate,” the man cackled evilly, at least that's how it sounded in the child prodigy's mind.
Little Danny's eyes widened, and he gasped, believing that he was hearing the murder plans for the dozen turkeys who were in the holding pin.
~Can't let them kill you,~ Little Danny said silently to his newfound friends.
====
“The Spitfires home yet?” a weary Jack asked, stretching as he entered the living room.
“Not yet,” Daniel answered, leaning in for a kiss and a quick hug from his husband. “Actually, we're also still missing a ballet dancer, a tomboy, and a middle Munchkin.
Jack laughed, just as he was besieged by two beagles.
“There's my girls!” the silver-haired man greeted enthusiastically. “How about a quick game of fetch?”
“Woof!” times two was the eager answer, accompanied by vigorous tail wagging.
“I'll be outside,” Jack stated. “Who's on dinner detail?” he asked as he headed for the door.
“Jen and the aforementioned tomboy.”
“Cool,” Jack said, happy to not have to cook dinner tonight.
====
A bit later, Daniel was playing tickle monster on the sofa with JD, while the television news was on in the background.
“Gotcha!” the archaeologist teased as JD giggled his delight.
“... and on the scene now with the story about the turkey caper is ...”
“Turkey caper?” Daniel laughed. “You're a turkey,” he said, causing JD to laugh.
“Gobble, gobble, Daddy!” the not-quite-two-year-old replied excitedly.
Daniel glanced over at the screen and froze.
“I hate it when this happens,” the archaeologist spoke dryly. “Jack! *Jack, come in here!*”
Precisely at the same time the scientist shouted, the phone rang.
“What's wrong?” Jack questioned as he ran in, the two dogs right on his heels. He looked over at the TV and stared for a few seconds, cocking his head and squinting as he focused in on the subject in the center of the screen. “Daniel, why is your son on the TV?”
“I have no idea, but I don't think it's good,” Daniel responded as he sat up, leaving JD on the sofa. “Wait a second. *My* son? Jack!”
“Lil' Danny like turkeys,” JD spoke.
“But not for dinner,” Daniel sighed, finally answering the phone. He listened, closing his eyes as he did so. “We'll be right there.” He quickly dialed a number. “Sam ... you saw? Yes, please.” Hanging up the phone, he added, “She's on her way.”
====
“Report,” Jack ordered a distraught Mitzi when he and his husband arrived at the countryside location.
“Military habits never go away,” Daniel explained apologetically to Mitzi. “What happened?”
“We were talking, and Calvin and Little Danny were playing with the turkeys,” Mitzi answered. “The next thing I knew ...” She stopped and looked around. “Calvin, come tell Jack and Daniel what happened.”
The youngster hurried over to his mother and explained, “We heard a man say he was gonna cut off their heads. Little Danny was real sad. When Mommy and that man were talking, Little Danny sneaked over to the gate and opened it.”
“All the turkeys escaped, and he won't leave the meadow,” Mitzi expounded with regret. “He says he has to protect the turkeys.”
Daniel hung his head, shaking it, while Jack let out groan and tossed his head back for a second.
“Flip you?” Jack asked eagerly, hoping to lose the coin toss.
“You know, Jack, this never ever would have happened if you hadn't named that bird.”
“I know,” Jack sighed. “But he does eat turkey.”
“Barely. He's always suspicious. You're about to make our son a vegetarian, and, let me point this out so it's crystal clear, Jack. If Little Danny goes veggie, he'll convince the rest of the brood to follow, and you know what that means.” A bit threateningly, Daniel closed the small gap between him and his lover. “No steaks, Jack -- none, ever! So, get a grip, and stop naming the food!”
In a small huff, Daniel walked over to Mitzi's friend and said, “We'll buy the birds. Can they roam that meadow out there?”
“Yes, it's wild.”
“You won't recapture them, if we buy them?” When the man scowled slightly at the accusation, Daniel explained, “Listen, I'm sorry, but you have to understand my son. I won't lie to him. He'll defend those birds with all he has. If we buy the birds, and you promise not to capture or kill them, I can end this quickly. However, I should warn you. He's gonna want to come and visit *his* birds.”
“Are you serious?” the man asked incredulously.
“Deathly,” Jack interjected, having walked over to join the discussion. He pulled out his wallet in anticipation of making a large pay out and asked, “Why don't we make a turkey preservation area?”
“How about a petting zoo?” Mitzi's friend suggested, thinking he might be able to make some additional money off the deal.
“Preservation,” Jack insisted. “Our son won't like his birds being on display.”
“Okay. I own that land. If you want to buy an acre, build it up, and let the birds live there, I'll agree.”
“*Buy an acre!*” Jack groused, thinking that was way more land than the birds needed.
“Sold. Pay the man,” Daniel ordered, looking at his husband.
“Daniel ...”
“Pay ... the man,” Daniel repeated with a glare worthy of any military general and then heading for the open field where the young boy was being interviewed by a woman reporter.
====
“The man said he was gonna cut off their heads and put them on his plate. I couldn't let that happen,” Little Danny said. “They're alive. They have feelings, too.”
“Uh, excuse me,” Daniel interrupted. “I'm his father, and I'd like to talk to my son.”
“We're live on ...”
“Privately, please,” Daniel insisted, watching as the woman began to walk away. “Uh, on second thought,” he said, motioning for the reporter and cameraman to return. He kneeled down and began, “Son ...”
“Daddy, I didn't want to do anything bad, but that man was gonna kill the turkeys,” Little Danny sniffled.
“I know, but guess what?”
“What?”
|
“See that land over there?” Daniel asked, pointing to the acreage where
the turkeys were running free. “We just bought it, and we're
going to make it a turkey preservation area.” |
 |
Daniel stood, motioning for the camera to pan over to the man, who squirmed slightly. Understanding what was happening, Jack ushered the man to the area where the live television interview was taking place.
“My son would like your promise that nothing will happen to his birds,” Daniel advised.
With the camera focused on him, the man pledged, “I've just sold the land to these ...”
“To this boy,” Daniel corrected. “The land's his, and so are the turkeys.”
The man nodded, saying, “Okay. It's going to be a place just for birds.”
Little Danny jumped up and down excitedly and said, “We'll call it The Turkey Place.”
“I have a better idea,” the reporter interrupted. “What's your name?”
“Little Danny Jackson-O'Neill.”
“Okay. Why not call it The Little Danny Jackson-O'Neill Turkey Sanctuary?” the woman suggested with a smile, becoming a part of the story she was covering live on the news at six-thirty.
“Can we?” the middle Munchkin asked his fathers.
“Absolutely,” Daniel agreed.
“And I can come visit?”
Daniel gave the man a smirk and then answered, “Yes.”
Little Danny called out to the birds, “Turkeys, your heads are safe! You won't be anyone's dinner now!”
Jack sighed, whispering to Mitzi, “I predict veggie pizza for Thanksgiving this year.” As she laughed, the general whipped out his cell phone and called the family's attorney. “Mark, Jack. I have a rush turkey deal for you to handle.”
Little Danny took Daniel's hand, led him over to 'The Little Danny Jackson-O'Neill Turkey Sanctuary', and asked, “Daddy, can we put a fence all the way around so the turkeys will be safe from predators, and build them a house, so they can have protection from the weather, and ...”
For the next half-hour, with the reporter taking notes for a potential follow-up story sometime in the future, the animal-loving boy and his fathers planned how the sanctuary would be set up to protect Little Danny's turkeys.
====
“Jonny! Ash! We own a turkey sanctuary!” Little Danny called out, forgetting the no-running rule and hurrying into the house to find his fellow Munchkins.
“This was crazy,” Jack opined.
“I hope you realize, Jack, that we aren't having turkey for Thanksgiving; not this year, anyway.”
“Ham,” Jack suggested with a smile.
“Maybe,” Daniel responded.
“It goes with our son,” Jack chuckled, watching Little Danny be the star attraction as he dramatically and happily filled in his brothers and sisters on his big adventure.
Daniel cocked his head, quipping, “Ham for a ham.”
====
That night, Jack and Daniel were preparing for bed when they heard a tiny knock on their bedroom door.
“I thought they were asleep,” Jack stated.
“Come in,” Daniel called out, smiling when he saw his namesake enter.
Holding out his piggy bank, Little Danny said, “I wanna pay for my sanctuary. Is there enough in here?”
“Well, let's see,” Jack said, taking the piggy bank and putting it on the bed. “Are you sure about this?”
Little Danny nodded, saying, “I bet it costs a lot, and I know you and Daddy are gonna pay a lot, but I wanted to help. I bet what I have will buy the land. There's a whole lot inside Piggy.”
Jack looked over at Daniel, who smiled and then joined his husband and son on the bed.
“Start counting,” the archaeologist instructed.
--
“Daniel, this is a mint,” Jack said after he finished counting the accumulated money.
“How much, Dad?” Little Danny asked enthusiastically about his nest egg.
“Eighty-nine dollars and fifty-two cents,” Jack answered. “You've been saving a long time to have that much money.”
“That'll buy the land, won't it?”
“Every inch of it,” Daniel answered, reaching over to rub the side of the boy's head. “We're very proud of you.”
“You're not mad at me? I know I let the turkeys out without permission.”
“You were doing what you thought was right,” Daniel replied. “Uh, we'd prefer it, though, if, in the future, you'd talk to Dad and me first before ... liberating any ... creatures that you think are in ... jeopardy.”
“I didn't know when they were gonna cut off their heads,” Little Danny explained sincerely.
“We know,” Daniel acknowledged, smiling at the child.
The little boy hugged his parents, scooted off the bed, and headed back to his own bedroom.
“You know, Danny, that boy may have your genius, but he doesn't have the math gene.”
Daniel chuckled, “It takes a while to learn the value of a dollar. If he starts thinking about it, he'll know. Today, though, he was acting from his heart.”
“He has a big one,” Jack agreed.
“We're very lucky to have our children.”
“They are the best,” the older man replied. He leaned over for a kiss and then asked, “Are you mad at me?”
“No, of course not. I'm just ... Babe, he cares, and one of these days, we're gonna have to deal with it head on. I'm not sure what your answer is gonna be when he asks you why a cow was killed so you could charcoal the steaks or buy a Happy Meal at McDonald's. I'm not talking right and wrong, I'm talking about what we're going to say to our son.”
Jack nodded and stood to continue his preparation for bed.
“No ... response?” Daniel asked in surprise, watching his lover begin to change clothes.
“I don't have one ... yet, but I'm workin' on it,” Jack answered. “Danny ...”
Daniel smiled and headed for the door, locking it. It was time for their own sanctuary, a connection of their bodies.
“Great gobbly gooks!” Jack exclaimed, seeing his naked lover's body.
“Gobble, gobble!” Daniel replied as the two started their foreplay.
It had been a day full of surprises, and now it would be a night full of passion. Upon reflection, that meant life was good for Jack and Daniel, and the turkeys of Colorado Springs.
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