Date: Sun, 12 Feb 2017 22:43:26 +0000
From: Douglas DD <thehakaanen@hotmail.com>
Subject: Aiden  Chapter 33

Welcome back. Thanks to those of you who wrote after the last chapter.
None of you seemed to have much love for Coach Estes. In this chapter
we'll see how Larry and Phil react to Aiden's not so positive baseball
experience.

The story is copyrighted and mine. It contains sex between minors. You
should be 18 or over to read it.

Please give to the Nifty Archive. The flow of stories needs your support.

CHAPTER 33
BASEBALL IS FUN

Aiden was so caught up among his celebrating teammates that he missed
the little confrontation between his daddy, Larry, and Coach Estes. He went
over to his daddy and got his hug while Larry was talking to Coach Hallion.
That was when the coach told Aiden he thought he was Larry and Phil's
nephew, not their son.

"I am their son," he answered proudly. "Their REAL son."

The players saw Coach Estes cleaning up the bench area, and along with
Coach Hallion went to the bench to help with the cleaning and put away
equipment. Aiden didn't know that Coach Estes had kicked him off of the
team for insubordination while they were celebrating the win.

As he packed away his glove and game-winning bat, Aiden waited for his
coach to yell at him for swinging at the pitch, but the coach pointedly
ignored him. Aiden had received his high five and hug from Coach Hallion,
which was good enough for him since Coach Estes was a fucktard. Coach
Hallion was a big reason that Aiden hadn't tried to quit the team, as much
as he wanted to.

Larry took off for the high school to prepare for his own game that
afternoon. Aiden, Gordon, Miles, and Mason walked with Phil to the van for
a ride to the high school field. Mudrak wanted to join them, but as
happened so often in his life, he had to attend a family function.

"Great hit, Aiden," Gordon gushed. "You showed your coach how good you
are."

"I think he's pretty mad at me," Aiden lamented.

"Don't worry about what he thinks right now," Phil told him. "Just enjoy your
moment."

"I am, because I am with my dad and with most of my best friends and I'm
going to watch my daddy's team kick some butt today," Aiden grinned.

After they arrived at the high school, Aiden and Gordon went to the
equipment shed on the right field side of the ballpark with Phil. Sammy was
already getting equipment out of the equipment shed.

Aiden was amazed at the condition of the field. It was green and freshly
mowed, the foul lines perfectly straight and the white bases were glistening
in the afternoon sun. It was hard to believe that it had rained most of the
week. The fields at the park complex were still soggy in places. It was a
lesson in what a difference good drainage made.

"I hear you were the hero of your first game," Sammy said to Aiden. Aiden
was continually learning how fast news traveled in a small town.

"I got a single," Aiden said modestly.

"Yeah, a single that knocked in the winning runs." Sammy looked around
him to make sure Phil wasn't in hearing range. "First chance we have, I'll
give you a blow job to reward you."

"Okay." Aiden grinned.

"I'm serious, dude. You earned it, especially after your asshole coach told
you not to swing at anything. If he was my coach, I would have swung my
bat, too."

Aiden was happy to know that his older friend thought he'd done the right
thing. In fact, everybody except Coach Estes thought he'd done the right
thing.

"Too bad you got kicked off the team though," Sammy said, not knowing
that Aiden hadn't heard that piece of news.

"I was?" Aiden asked in shock.

Sammy realized his mistake right away. "I was just jerking your dick. Even
your coach wouldn't be crazy enough to kick the kid who had the game-
winning hit off the team." But, Aiden wasn't so sure.

After everything was in place, in the dugout and on the field, Gordon and
Aiden went into the stands while Sammy stayed behind to do his job as
batboy. He wished he was working for the JV team, since his brother,
Jeffrey, was playing for them at Clark Pass, but his job was being the
varsity batboy, and he was proud of it.

Aiden had to accept some more compliments from some of the parents
who'd been at his game, and were now ready to make it a day of baseball
by watching high school baseball. For all the talk of the non-competitive
nature of the Park Recreation League, the boys playing ball in it were
naturally competitive and played to win.

Aiden, Gordon, Miles, and Mason sat on the third base side of the ballpark,
the same side that the home dugout occupied. Just before the game
started they were joined by Rusty, Trent, Collin, and Russell. Even though
the last three were fifth graders, they had no problem sitting with the five
fourth graders, whom they saw as teammates not as "little kids".

This was especially true with Aiden all but stuffing the baseball up Coach
Estes's ass. None of them liked the coach, but Trent liked him least of all.
As much as his father tried to not be derogatory when talking about the
team at home when Trent was close at hand, some of his opinions still
made their way to his son's inquisitive ears.

During the game, Trent brought up a subject not connected to baseball. He
turned to Aiden and said, "We got that kid, Barry, who got kicked out of
your school. What a total asswaffle. Nobody likes him. And he sure hates
you for some reason."

"I don't like him either because he's a bully. I hit him for picking on Mason."
Aiden didn't mention it was also because Barry had picked on him as well.

"Anybody who picks on Mason deserves to get hit, because Mason is cool."
Mason beamed. For the first time in his life he was being accepted by the
jocks and the cool kids. "Is that why he got kicked out, for picking on
Mason."

"Pretty much," Gordon said.

"Well, you can have him back at your school anytime."

The Mayfield Mustangs did follow through on kicking butt, just as Aiden had
said. The game was called after four-and-a-half innings due to the 10-run
mercy rule with the Mustangs leading 15-2.

Aiden walked out of the stands with his friends. Collin's mother was waiting
on the field for her son. She gave Aiden a smarmy smile and told him how
nice it was that he was able to get the winning hit in the only game he
would playing for the Knights.

"We have lots more games left," Aiden told her, but he remembered what
Sammy had told him about Coach Estes kicking him off of the team.

"Yes, the team has more games, but apparently you do not—something
about not obeying the coach's instructions, not only in the game but in
practice as well."

Aiden's teammates could see his face drop and his body sag as if the air
had been let out of him. "Mom, don't be saying dumb things like that to
Aiden," Collin protested.

"Young man, you just stay out of this business. Why, I heard what Coach
Estes said from Martha Hallion herself, and she ought to know."

"My mom would never say anything like that, because it's not true," Trent
said. "Come on, Aiden, let's go ask my dad."

Aiden started to follow Trent, and then stopped. "You need to mind your
own business," he snapped at Collin's mother. He then followed Trent, who
flashed Aiden a big smile. "Like my big brother would say, you got balls,
Aiden." Trent's brother, Jackson, was fourteen and a freshman who was at
Clark Pass playing for the Mayfield JV team.

They found Trent's dad talking to some adults he didn't recognize. "Ready
to head home, son?" he asked.

"Yeah, but me and Aiden need to talk to you first."

"What do you need to know?"

Trent looked at the three men his dad had been chatting with. "We gotta
talk in private."

James Hallion was a good father and knew instantly that something big
was on his son's mind. He turned to the three men, who were all members
of the Mayfield Mustang Booster Club, and excused himself. He walked out
to the second base area with Trent and Aiden. "This sounds like something
important." The frightened look on Aiden's face gave him a pretty good idea
of what the problem was.

"It's real important, dad. Is Aiden kicked off the team for swinging his bat
and getting that hit?" Aiden looked up at James with anticipation.

The coach addressed Aiden more than his son. "Aiden, I can tell you that
there is no way you are going to be punished in any way for getting that hit.
Anybody who tells you that is totally wrong."

"Collin's mom said mom told her that," Trent said.

"Well, then we'll just have to straighten that out, won't we son? Aiden, you
just have to think of being ready to play the Meadow Park Yankees on
Wednesday, because you will be playing."

Aiden's grin returned. "Thank you coach. Now I gotta go to the locker room
and meet my dads." He took off for the gymnasium, where the locker room
was. All of his friends were all either going home with parents or walking
home, except for Mason, who was patiently waiting for him by the first-base
dugout.

That evening, Aiden was curled up naked in his favorite recliner reading a
book about John Paul Jones. Larry was encouraging him to read more
nonfiction, and he was really enjoying it.

"Who's that reading in my chair?" Phil scowled as he entered the good-for-
everything room.

"It's me, Aiden, and tonight it's my chair."

"Or it could belong to both of us."

"Nope, you gotta sit on the couch with daddy."

"Wow, aren't we bossy today. Guy gets a game-winning hit and he thinks
he owns the world."

"Coach H says I won't be kicked off the team for hitting the ball."

"We've already gone through that, kiddo," Larry said. "You aren't going
anywhere." Larry had chatted with Mel Hogan, the Mayfield Parks
recreation director, after his game that afternoon. Larry had noticed Mel
sitting in the stands and sent Sammy with a message to come to the locker
room after the game. While Ruth Barnhart, who was the secretary for Mel
and parks director John Wilder, was often given the credit for actually
running the recreation program, Mel was actually a hard worker who had
his thumb on the pulse of the program.

Larry told Mel about the issues with Coach Estes, particularly about taking
the bats out of the hands of Aiden and Mason. He went on to describe the
blow up after Aiden's game-winning hit.

"I've received a couple of phone calls about Coach Estes," Mel told Larry.
"Most of the time when a parent complains about the coach it's because
little Johnny wasn't playing shortstop, when the truth of the matter was he
couldn't throw to first base on fewer than three bounces from the second
base position. But in this case there appeared to be some real cause for
concern."

"And the concern has to be growing. A lot of parents were unhappy about
how today's game was handled. Ned Estes has the idea that the rec
program is all about him and not about the kids."

"I'll tell you what, can you and Phil meet early in the morning before
school?"

"I'll call Wade after I get home. I'm sure Phil and I can be free to meet with
you." Wade Wilson was the Mayfield High School principal.

"I'll see about getting Ned there and we'll see if we can resolve the issues.
Dennis Simmons owes me a couple of favors." Dennis Simmons was the
chief supervisor at the dam and Ned Estes's boss. "I will tell you this much
right now. Aiden will be participating in all practices and games—that is
nonnegotiable."

Larry had relayed that news to Aiden on their drive home. Aiden was both
happy and skeptical, which didn't surprise Larry. One of the things he and
Phil had learned about their son was that he often had as much problem
dealing with good news as he did with bad news.

Larry got jolted out of his thoughts by Aiden, who had gone into subject
changing mode. "I really like this book," Aiden told him. "It would be cool to
be on one of those big sailing ships. I need to find more books that are on
sailing ships with cannons and battles and ships sinking—that kind of cool
stuff." The Horatio Hornblower series came to Larry's mind, although he
thought Aiden needed another year or two of reading and personal maturity
to truly enjoy the series.

"I'm sure we can find another book."

"You're going to help me, right?"

"Of course."

"You know what I told Judge Moyer about reading?"

"That you liked reading naked?" Phil chuckled, although he and Larry both
cringed at the thought of Aiden revealing that little tidbit.

"No. That's none of his business. I told him I liked living with you because
you let me read and never make fun of me like mom's boyfriends did. Even
my dad said I was too much of a bookworm, just like his brothers were."

"Reading is important," Larry said knowing he sounded lame.

"Yep. When I got made fun of for reading in school I told them I'd read
anytime I wanted and I'd beat them up if they didn't like it. Nobody makes
fun of me here—Gordy and Miles both like to read a lot. A couple of fifth
graders were making fun of Mason for reading on the playground and I
went to them and told them to leave my friend alone and they did."  Aiden
had already told his dads that ever since the showdown between him and
Barry and Roger nobody messed with him, or with his friends.

 "I told the two guys who bugged Mason to go get a book to read," Aiden
giggled. "They didn't like that."

"You're really something else, kiddo," Larry laughed. "It's one of so many
reasons why we love you."

"What did Judge Moyer say about you and reading?" Phil asked.

"He said that meant that my dads were really special."  He looked at the
two men he'd grown to love and respect beyond imagining. "I think my dads
are even more special because they let me read naked. I wish we could
read naked at school, then it would be even more fun," he giggled.

"Maybe if you read naked those two fifth graders would want to read, too,"
Larry said.

"Only so they could watch naked girls."

"Is that why you want to read naked in school?"

Aiden shook his head. "No way. I'd want to watch the naked boys."

"That will change soon enough," Phil reminded him.

"Nope. I'm going to be gay like my dads."

"And then again, you might be the straightest boy in middle school."

"Like Sammy says he is, only he messes with guys a lot more than girls is
what I think."

Larry walked over to what was, at the moment, Aiden's recliner and ruffled
his hair. While young boys Aiden's age didn't affect him much sexually, he
still couldn't help but admire the beauty of the slender, freckle-faced blond.

That night at tuck-in time Larry did the honors. Before he picked up "The
Hobbit" he told Aiden that he'd come up with a title for his next seagoing
book.

"Is it on a sailing ship?"

"It is. The title is `Carry On, Mr. Bowditch' by Jean Latham. It won a
Newbery Award." Aiden knew that the Newbery Award went to the best
children's book each year.

"Then it must be good." Aiden pulled back his covers and rolled out of bed.
He opened up the notebook on his desk and wrote the book information on
his book page, his pert little ass almost sticking in Larry's face. He closed
the notebook and got back into bed.

Larry never ceased to be amazed at how comfortable Aiden was around
them, especially after the fears he had to battle when he first moved in with
him and Phil. Aiden had told them everything he felt about them during the
days before the adoption hearing.

"I can't believe how dumb everybody was telling me about that stuff. I was
even dumber thinking they were right," Aiden had said.

"You didn't know what you were getting into. Fear and trepidation were
natural," Larry had replied.

"Fear and what?"

"Trepidation. A fancy word for being nervous and apprehensive."

"Apprehensive means being really worried about stuff."

"Good job, son."

Larry thought about that chat as he pulled the blankets up to his son's chin
and kissed him on the forehead. "I love you, son,"

"I love you, daddy. I love not being afraid anymore," Aiden said sleepily, as
if he knew that Larry had just relived the little chat they'd had about fear.

Larry closed the door wondering what he and Phil had done to have been
given the bundle of love and joy, and yes sometimes obstinacy and
sullenness, who blessed their lives.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 "You're sure I'm still on the team?" Aiden asked for what seemed like the
one hundredth time Monday morning.

"Guaranteed," Larry said with more patience than he felt.

"So, I get to go to practice tomorrow no matter what."

"Yes, you do."

"But what happens after that?" Aiden ate a spoonful of cereal, finishing his
bowl of Raisin Bran.

"For the last time, this morning's meeting will be all about what everybody's
expectations are for me, your dad, Coach Estes, Coach Hallion, and Mr.
Hogan."

"What about me, why can't I go and say what I want? I want to hit when I
go to bat. I should be able to go to that meeting."

"Don't worry yourself over it. Your dad and I have your back, and I am
certain Coach Hallion does, too. I think Coach Estes is a reasonable man
and will make sure you can hit like everybody else on the team."

"And Mason can hit, too, right?"

"We have Mason's back, too. Now, go brush your teeth and get your
backpack. Your dad and I are driving you to school, this morning."

After dropping Aiden off at school, Larry and Phil drove separately to the
Park Department office which was on Lawrence Avenue on the east side of
the downtown park. Mel Hogan and James Hallion were already seated in
the building's conference room.

After shaking hands, Phil and Larry sat down. The four of them said little as
they waited for Ned Estes to arrive. They all knew that James couldn't stay
long, so it was imperative that the meeting start on time.

Five minutes after Larry and Phil had arrived, Ned Estes came stomping
into the room carrying an obvious chip on his shoulder. "I've coached youth
baseball for over ten years and I have never had to sit in a meeting set up
to criticize me as a coach," he growled.

"Calm down, Ned. We're not here to criticize you. We just want to do what's
best for the kids," Mel said calmly.

"Oh, so you're saying that what I'm doing is not best for the kids, is that it?"
The angry coach stared directly at Larry. "What we're here for is so that St.
Lawrence, over there, can get his way with his spoiled little nephew. People
might think you're hot shit as a baseball coach, Sanders, but the truth is,
you couldn't coach a team of preteens to fart."

Larry didn't bother to mention that he'd spent his early years in Mayfield
coaching preteen boys as the JV coach at the middle school.

"Ned, let's keep ourselves on topic, which happens to be the Knights."

Ned Estes ignored him. He was determined to stay on the offensive. "And
then there's that phony organization that's supposedly run by the players.
Must have made you feel like a big man to con kids into thinking they're
running something like that."

Larry had heard enough. "Ned, I'm going to answer that outburst, and then
I suggest we do what Mel said and stay on topic. I had nothing to do with
the formation of the Mayfield Baseball Club, which was the Go to State
Club when it was founded. It was started by a group of middle school boys
who didn't like the state of youth baseball in this town."

"Like they had the brains to think up something like that."

"Two of the founders, Noah McCall and Eric Simmons, were finishing sixth
grade at the time." Angry as he was, Ned recognized the last name
Simmons and knew that Larry was talking about his boss's kid. "Today they
are both juniors at Stanford University, sporting GPAs above 3.8. One of
the other founders, Marty Carlson, was in seventh grade. Today he is
arguably the best position player in the Pac-12 and could be a first round
draft pick in June.

"Then there was an older boy in high school at the time who helped give
guidance and stability to the younger boys. Mike Lewis now teaches and
coaches middle school. Last year his baseball team finished the season
12-0. There were others I could mention, but those boys are examples that
the Go to State Club was founded by some high quality individuals, and
their successors have ably followed in their footsteps." Larry didn't bother to
mention that Marty was an active alcoholic at the time of the founding—his
influence came a couple of years later.

"I am so impressed by this horseshit I don't know what to say," Ned
sneered.

"The big issue at hand is your suspension of Aiden Miller," Mel said,
maintaining his calm. He'd been here and done this before.

"He's not suspended, he's gone, done, no longer on the team." Ned stared
directly at Larry again, all but ignoring the presence of Phil. "Your precious
nephew thought he was bigger than the team," he told Larry. "Oh, but I'm
sure you'd allow that kind of bullshit on your team, right?"

James Hallion decided to speak up. "I told Aiden to go after a pitch he liked.
It was either that or end the game on a called third strike, which just didn't
seem right. So, if you want to get rid of somebody, then get rid of me and
not the kid."

"Okay, fine, you're fired. You can follow the saint's kid right out the door."

"I want to make it clear, before we discuss anything else regarding the
team, it has to be understood that Aiden isn't going anywhere. He will
remain a part of the team. Period. So, from here, our discussion is going to
be about how we can all make this work."

Ned stood up and looked down at Mel. "You can't do that," he screamed.
"I'm the coach, and I decide who stays and who goes."

"Sorry, Ned, but I'm the league commissioner, and the final decision is
mine."

"So now I have to work with a kid I don't want, and deal with those two
assholes," he pointed at Larry and Phil, "second guessing my every move."

"All I know is that you will be working with a kid who loves baseball and
needs his coach to help maintain that love by making the game fun. And
what is more fun for a boy playing baseball than to swing a bat? That is
your challenge as a coach and as a man who understands young boys and
can teach them fundamentals while making the game fun."

"Well, Mr. Saint Lawrence, you got your way. Now you and your fucking
boyfriend can coach them anyway you want, because I'm outta here. Fun!"
he spat. "Go out and play hard and do what you're told, none of this fun
crap. I'm done, I quit, which should make you all happy." He looked at Mel.
"You run the most bullshit program I've ever seen. I am so happy to be
done with it."

Then he looked at Larry. "And next year, your lovely club will have some
competition, because I'm gonna see that the boys in this town quit being
fooled and start to spend a summer playing for a real coach. What do you
have to say to that, asshole?"

"Aiden is my son. Too bad you never learned much about the kids playing
for you," Larry smiled. "Oh, and I'll look forward to the competition."

Ned Estes snorted and stomped out of the room.

Mel looked over the room as if nothing had happened, still as calm as he
had been before the meeting had started. "Are you willing to take over the
team, Jim?" he asked James Hallion.

"I don't know enough about baseball. Ned wasn't an easy guy to work with,
but he knows his stuff."

"You know how to handle kids," Phil said. "That's an important first step.
After that you open a couple of books, watch some coaching videos on
YouTube, and put it all in practice. And, Larry and I are ready to answer
any questions you have."

"Will you help me any in practice?"

"Nope," Larry answered. "You'll be much better off with us staying away
from practices. That will make it easier to be your own man."

James grinned. That was the answer he wanted to hear. Larry Sanders in
person was just as good as, or maybe even better, than his reputation.

"You're going to do fine," Larry added. "The kids like and respect you. You
understand that this is recreation ball for kids just learning the game and
that it should be fun. Plus, Aiden thinks you're wonderful, so we're happy."

"Aiden seems to be taking on a bit of a leadership role," James said, "which
is something considering he's a nine-year-old on a team that is mostly ten-
year-olds. Even my Trent respects him, and he often looks down his nose
at younger kids."

"Here is my one and only piece of unsolicited advice in handling the kids,"
Larry said. "Make the older kids your chosen leaders. If Aiden is a leader,
the kids will see that on their own. But, in the hierarchy of kids, the older
kids will get the respect, providing they've in some way earned it."

"I agree. And I will do my best to teach some baseball." James gave Larry
and Phil a broad smile. "And I'll see to it we have fun playing the game."

The meeting broke up with Mel telling James he needed to fill out some
paperwork since he was now the head coach. Larry and Phil left the Park
office feeling like a big weight had been lifted off of their shoulders.

"Should we tell Aiden about the change now?" Phil asked.

"Shit, good question. I'll go back in and ask Jim what he thinks and let you
know."

"Sounds good." Phil got into his pickup and headed off for Centralia and
work while Larry went back into the building.

James gave Larry the go ahead to give Aiden the news. "I'll stop off at
Parkwood and tell Trent. Might as well get everybody on board right away.
I'll also call all of the parents tonight and talk to them."

Larry shook James Hallion's hand. "I think the boys have themselves the
right coach, now. I'll have to miss your debut as head coach on
Wednesday, so good luck to you."

Larry left for Lakeview School. He parked, entered the building, and
reported to the office, telling Mrs. Henderson, the secretary, he needed to
see his son.

"I'll call him to the office, Larry. But first, I just want to tell you how pleased
we are that you and Phillip have adopted young Aiden. He couldn't have
found a better pair of parents than the two of you. It is just wonderful to see
him so happy here at school." She then went to the PA system and called
Mr. Knox's room, asking him to send Aiden to the office to see his father.
Larry wondered what Mrs. Finstuen, the principal, thought about the
adoption, since she had yet to contact him.

Larry stepped out into the hall to meet Aiden. Knowing how quickly Aiden
could leap to conclusions, he was certain his son was going to come to the
office fearing the worst. He quickly put on his best smile.

When Aiden turned the corner into the main hall he was fearing the worst,
but when he saw the big smile on his daddy's face, he knew something
good had happened. He ran up and hugged Larry, not caring if he got in
trouble for running in the hall.

He looked up at Larry, his blue eyes tinged with a hint of anxiety. "What
happened, daddy? Am I still on the team?"

"Yes you are, but Coach Estes isn't. He quit."

"He did? I was thinking of quitting because I didn't want to play for him, but
now he quit because I am playing for him, right?"

"Right."

"Good. Now Mason and everybody is going to be happy." He let go of Larry
and took a couple of steps back. "Who is our new coach? Is it Coach
Hallion?"

"Yes it is."

"Awesome. Everybody likes Coach Hallion, even Trent. Now baseball is
going to be fun."

He hugged his daddy again, and then started back to his classroom. But
after a half-dozen steps he stopped. "Thanks for you and dad having my
back." He walked back to Larry and got up on his toes. Larry instinctively
bent down and was rewarded by a kiss on his right cheek. "I love you,
daddy," Aiden blushed, happy that no other kids had seen what he'd just
done. He dashed back to class without looking back.

Next: Generations