Date: Sun, 21 Jul 2013 03:38:12 +0000 From: David Lee Subject: The Metamorphosis of Jeremiah Long The Metamorphosis of Jeremiah Long, Chapter 23 Warning: This story contains scenes of love and sexual interaction between males of similar age. If the reading or possessing this material is illegal in your country, state, province, county, municipality, etc., please leave this site immediately and do not proceed further. If you are under the legal age to read this, please do not do so. The author retains the copyright, and any other rights, to this original story. You may not publish it or any part of it without explicit authorization from me. I have written several other stories. My longer ones on Nifty include: "Always and Forever" (March 25, 2004), "Jacob and Jacques" (May 30, 2004), "Zeke" (August 29, 2005), "Tales from Bentonville" (November 16, 2008), "Second Chance" (September 24, 2010), and "Tommy and Tanner (October 21, 2012)under "High School" and "Someone to Watch over Me" under "Beginnings" in the gay male section. My short stories include: "Brad and Alan's Canoe Trip" (April 22, 2004 under "Camping", "Of Angels and Dragons" (November 8, 2008) under "Camping", "A Christmas Tale" (December 22, 2009), "Wyatt's Thanksgiving" (November 20, 2012)under "High School", "Brazil Affair" (October 1, 2010), "A Technological Christmas" (December 23, 2011), and "Patrick's Christmas (December 19, 2012) under "Beginnings," I have one story in the Sci Fi/Fantasy category called, "Seth's Gift" (October 10, 2010). You can easily access most of my tales by going to the "Author" button in Nifty's home page and scrolling down to David Lee. Some of these stories are also posted at: www.storylover.us and www.saberpeak.com. My only reward for contributing to Nifty is your emails. Please write if you like the story. Please include the name of the story in the title of your email because my email service sometimes puts them in the "spam" file. Thanks and hugs to Tom and David (boxerdude) who edit for me so that there are fewer mistakes! They not only proof-read, but make other valuable suggestions. Your donations to Nifty are appreciated to keep this a free site for us and for you. David (dlee169@hotmail.com) -------------------------------------------------------------------- The Metamorphosis of Jeremiah Long, Chapter 23 It wasn't until Monday that Davy and Jon saw Bradon again after the homecoming dance. They started to tease him about being out of communication since Saturday night, but quickly stopped when they sensed he wasn't in the mood for levity. Megan wasn't at school, which might account for his demeanor. When Willa asked about Megan, Bradon was evasive, saying he thought she might not be feeling well. His answer left them wondering about the whole story, but no one probed further. Davy and Jon said they needed to hit the restroom before going to their afternoon classes and Bradon tagged along. "I need to talk to you guys after school," he said. "I didn't want to discuss it in front of the girls and you'll need to swear not to tell anyone what I tell you because I don't want it to get around school. It's a good thing Megan's little sister went with their mother to nurse their grandma back to health because that child has a mouth bigger than Lake Michigan!" The boys were curious, of course, but were serious enough about their studies not to let it distract them too much. Promptly at 2:45, they met at the bike rack and rode to Jon's house. Over a fruit snack, Bradon began to tell his story. He didn't gloss over his part in the affair, but he didn't go into any explicit details either. "How do you know for sure she took the pill?" Jon asked, when Bradon had finished. "Her father saw her swallow it and kept watch to make sure she didn't try to puke it up again. After awhile, he texted me so I'd know. He couldn't understand her attitude anymore than I could. He said her reaction to the medicine wasn't much different from when she has her period which started the next day, so it's hard to say if the pill did anything or not. At least she's not pregnant!" "I guess I'm being nosy," Davy said, "but do you think sex is better with a girl than with a boy?" "About the same, I guess. I was nervous doing it and scared after, so it didn't seem as spectacular as with Micah." The minute the words left his mouth, Bradon knew he'd unintentionally spilled his deepest secret. "Shit! Can you un-hear that last part? I don't want it to get around. I'm probably bi and not gay anyway." "I'm afraid you can't put the genie back in the bottle, but I won't tell and I'm not shocked," Jon smiled. "We kinda thought you two were getting it on out there by yourselves at the lake. I think it's cool if you can go either way." "Yeah, we love you even if you're not committed to our team," Davy joked. "Did you tell Micah about the mess with Megan?" "We've been texting a lot since Sunday morning." Bradon told them. "He and I have an understanding that we'll probably not end up as partners or anything, but we want to stay friends and possibly make love sometimes even if we get married someday. Right now, we're both off girls! I suppose I should go home and do my homework." "Why don't you stay and do it with us?" Jon asked. "It's more fun to have company, don't you think?" "Thanks! It's nice to have my good buds helping me take my mind off other things right now. Besides, I suspect `Marky' and `Joey' will be feeling each other up at my house about now anyway." The guys all laughed over Bradon's supposition, which to them was likely an accurate one. ---------- At the lunch table on Tuesday, Megan joined her usual companions, taking a seat next to Bradon and acting as if there had never been a problem between them. Bradon was clearly uncomfortable in her presence, especially while she explained to everyone that her period had hit her harder than usual and had kept her in bed the day before. "I'm sure that's too much information for the guys at the table," he cringed. "Okay, but I thought YOU might be interested to hear about it," Megan said. "Megan, if you're finished eating, we need to talk privately!" Bradon said through gritted teeth. The two of them went away for awhile, and only Bradon returned. There was a mark on his left cheek which suggested he's been slapped, but he didn't acknowledge it. His lunch companions didn't ask, but suspected there has been a big rift in their relationship. No one was surprised the following day when Megan sat elsewhere. Jenna and Willa didn't seek her out, but continued to sit with the boys as usual. ---------- Everything had been going along "swimmingly" first semester for Davy and Jon, as they liked to say jokingly. Their grades were excellent, they had shaved seconds off their times in the pool, and life in general was rosy. Thanksgiving had come and gone with little fanfare as some family members were making more elaborate plans for Christmas. Bradon was back to being his old self as an unattached young man, and life in general was good. Then in the middle of the cafeteria a couple of weeks before the start of winter break, Spencer came to their table and caused a major scene. He yelled at Davy and Jon, calling them traitors and fags. He carried on like a man possessed, screaming obscenities and using the "f" word as every possible part of speech during his rant. The usual rumble of chatter ceased immediately as students strained to hear what was being said. "You turned Billy in to the fuckin' narks and he's been arrested. Now you have fuck-all to hold over me, so I'm getting even and throwin' your fuckin' asses out of the closet. Check them out everybody; these two fuckers are fucking QUEERS who fuck each other every fuckin' night!" The noise level returned to normal as one of the teachers on duty marched Spence down to the main office. Most of the students went back to their previous conversations, but a few wondered what would happen to Spence. At the very least, he would be disciplined for his use of foul language. He might face additional penalties for his gay slurs and disturbing the peace of the school. No one knew for sure. Of course, Davy and Jon were shaken by the unexpected confrontation. They had already talked about coming out, but had planned to do it gradually and without about a third of the student body present! They weren't sure about the reactions they'd get, but they soon found out. Willa reached over to clasp Davy's hand. Jenna got up and hugged Jon from behind. "We care about you," Jenna said. "But don't you feel like we used you, in light of all this?" Jon asked. "Not at all," Willa responded. "We don't want to have any romantic attachments at present. We're all friends who enjoy going out and having fun. None of us is looking to settle down yet. I'm not planning to get serious about any guy until I'm in college at least. Jenna and I have talked about that. We don't want someone pawing at us while our main goal is to get a good education so we can have a future. I'm not saying you wouldn't make good husbands someday, but most likely for each other." "Thanks!" the boys said in chorus. "We had planned to come out to you girls first," Davy said. "Well, Bradon knows, and a few other guys we hang around with." "I had kinda picked up on it anyway," Jenna smiled. "You two are closer than most brothers. Of course, I guess people could say that about Willa and me, but we are actually straight in spite of being referred to as `lezzies' once in awhile." "Whatever you are, `sweet' is certainly one of your major attributes," Jon told her. "Dave and I do appreciate your friendship a whole lot!" "And that will continue; you can count on it," Willa chimed in. ---------- For the next few days, Davy and Jon walked on eggshells waiting for the proverbial other shoe to fall, but nothing much happened. A couple of kids that Spence had been hanging around with made an occasional anti-gay remark in their presence, but were careful not to do it when any staff members were around, and didn't make a scene when they did. Most of the student body didn't seem to care whether or not Spence had been telling the truth. He had acted so bizarre that they tended to discount most of what he had said. Besides, whose business was it who loved whom? Spencer was suspended for three days initially, but seemed to miss most of the remaining time before vacation. When he was in class, he seemed kind of out of it, not caring about his lessons or his physical appearance. His classmates began to wonder if he was depressed or doing some heavy drugs. ---------- Despite not being harassed by most of their peers, there was a serious incident in the weight room which Reed Halverson started. Since he wanted to stay tight with Spencer and his crowd to maintain access to the drugs they could supply, Reed took it upon himself to hassle Davy with gay slurs at the very moment he was bench-pressing 180 pounds. Luckily, Jon was spotting for Davy and steadied the barbell so he didn't lose complete control when he lost his focus. "Whatever I am, it's none of your business and I'll thank you not to distract me when I'm lifting," Davy exclaimed, as he stood to face his adversary. "Get used to it, fag!" Reed sneered. "I hate queers!" "I'm asking you nicely, one more time; leave me alone," Davy stated, evenly. "Ooh, and what are you going to do about it if I don't, little boy?" Reed taunted as he shoved him. Davy didn't answer, but sprang forward and hit Reed with both hands to the chest, sending him to the floor. Before the bigger boy processed what had happened, he was in a hold from which there was no escape. "Let me up, faggot!" "I'll release you when you apologize," Davy informed him quietly. Vin Rossi, who had been instructing two boys across the room, came running over, initially to protect Davy from the older student, only to find that Davy didn't need any help. "Make him let me go!" Reed yelled. "Ooh, is the `little boy' hurting you?" Jon mocked. "Shut up," Gunnar commanded. "Leave my brother alone or I'll take you out." "You try it and I'll lay you out just like Dave did him." Jon glared. "Okay, guys, let's all cool our jets. I suppose I need to call for an associate principal," Vin said as he pushed a button on his phone and requesting the aid of an administrator, "but I'm really inclined to wait for that apology from you before I ask David to let you up. We all heard your language and we all know that's not allowed at this school. You will have to change your behavior if you wish to remain here. Dr. Campbell is no pushover." "I'm not afraid of her or anyone else. My parents will sue!" "You SHOULD be concerned because she's a black belt and she takes no prisoners. Now if you promise to stop fighting, I'm going to ask David to release you. Do you promise?" By way of answer, Reed merely grunted. "Sorry, I must be hard of hearing," Vin said. "I want a clear `yes' from you." "Yeah," Reed sneered, trying to maintain a tough-guy attitude, which was rather humorous given the circumstances. "Try saying, `yes, Mr. Rossi,'" Vin insisted. Reed resisted for another minute before finally getting the words out. Almost the second Davy let go of him, he took a swing. Having anticipated it, Davy pivoted deftly out of range. Then, in his fury, Reed attempted to slug the assistant coach. That was a very bad move at a very inopportune time. Frances Campbell, who had just arrived, seized his flying fist and put him on the floor without so much as ruffling a hair. "Mr. Rossi, could you take over this hold while I use my phone?" "Of course," Dr. Campbell. Reed was in grave trouble. Given his age and the seriousness of physically attacking a school staff member, his punishment would not be kept within the school system. Instead, the police were summoned and he was taken away in handcuffs. ----------- "God, you should have seen her!" Davy enthused as he explained the scene to his extended family. "Nobody's gonna mess with that lady! She's way tougher than Collins was." Todd, Jim, Cade, and Harrison were all seated around the kitchen table at the Mason-Hart residence, having pooled their leftovers into an impromptu potluck. The boys were currently regaling the adults with the details of the confrontation. "And, she's cool too! She listened to my story and said I'm not in trouble for defending myself against that bully. She even had Jon and me demonstrate how I put Reed on the floor. She said it was remarkably similar to how she would have done it." "I'm proud of you," Brock exclaimed. All the rest agreed. "Wow, I'm glad my training has actually been of some use to you," Harrison said. "I'm so pleased to know that you've learned how to defend yourself without having to break anyone's bones in the process. I know that's not always possible, but it's cool when you can. I'll bet the farm that no one else at school is going to cross you! I'm sure your fame has already spread across Facebook already." "Jeez! I wasn't looking to have a gangster reputation. I don't want to be like some old west gunslinger that everyone wants to take on!" "I think they'll leave you alone once some cute girls start writing ballads about you." Harrison grinned. "Hey, that's not gonna happen since I've been thrown out of the closet." "Well, maybe it will be hot boys instead", Harrison quipped. "Those hot boys better not try to move into my territory or I'll be gunning for them!!" Jon exclaimed. "Why do I suddenly feel like a piece of property to be fought over?" Davy sighed exaggeratedly, putting the back of his hand to his brow. Everyone was thoroughly entertained by their antics. ----------- Winter vacation was completely different this year for Davy and Joe. They spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day rather like they had the year before, but the day after, they boarded a flight to Fort Lauderdale for a family reunion with their aunt, uncle and cousins at their grandparents' winter home. They weren't traveling alone, of course. Their dads were with them as well as their boyfriends. Mark didn't worry about leaving Bradon home because Bradon wasn't going to be alone. He had been invited to spend the rest of their winter break with Micah at his home in the Chicago suburbs. Amanda had figured Davy and Joe would appreciate the companionship of their buddies when they met their cousins who seemed to be turning into brats. Having their boyfriends along for the trip to Disney World would give them the moral support to put up with Gabby and Tyler. She had rented the condo next to theirs for the week from a couple who had gone to Minneapolis to visit their children so there would be an area where the boys could retreat when they wanted to. ---------- Their flight was smooth and left on time, which was a good omen for sure. Davy and Joe were as excited as if it were Christmas morning again because it was their first experience of traveling by air. Since they didn't know anyone on the plane, the boyfriends openly held hands during the takeoff. Mark and Jon used the excuse of having to comfort their boyfriends, but neither really needed a pretext. Davy whispered to Jon that the thrust of the jet engines made his butthole quiver. Jon whispered back that almost anything pleasant would make Davy horny, an observation that Davy didn't deny. As soon as the seatbelt sign was turned off, Davy headed for the nearest restroom. He didn't have to go that badly, but wanted to explore all that he could. He stopped to chat with a steward who was brewing coffee for the light breakfast being served to the passengers in first class. The young steward was strikingly handsome, which made Davy wonder if he might be gay. Several things about him set off Davy's developing gaydar, but he supposed he might be reading it incorrectly. As he was about to return to his seat, he felt Jon embracing him from behind. "Hey, what was that for? Not that I mind," he said, leaning back into his boyfriend's arms grinning. "I just want everyone to know you belong to me?" Jon grinned, looking at the flight attendant. "Hey, I'm not going to flirt with your guy," the young man smiled. "It's not that he's not cute enough; I just don't have a taste for chicken." "Chicken?" Davy cocked an eyebrow. "Sorry, I wasn't intending to offend. It's a term for cute guys who are underage and could get a man into serious trouble." "Oh," Davy smiled. "Thanks for furthering my vocabulary. I haven't been out all that long, so I'm kinda ignorant. I guess I should get on the Internet to look up a few terms." I would suggest going to, www.urbandictionary.com. It's a fairly good site, though some of their definitions are a bit wacky. "Thanks!" "I hope your parents won't be upset if you tell them where you heard that. I don't want to lose my job." "No worries," Jon told him. "Dave's dads are married to each other and my dad and his partner are having a ceremony in the summer. They would probably have told us about the site if they knew of it." "You boys are so lucky! I wish I could have grown up like that. I got kicked out the minute I turned 18. If it hadn't been for a lovely lesbian teacher who took me in, I would have been on the streets or couch-hopping at friends' houses before I graduated. Fortunately, my guidance counselor steered me toward this career and it's been a really good gig for me. I've seen a lot of the world, and I've met a very nice guy that I'm dating. Well, the coffee is done and I'd better get my butt in gear. Nice talking to you." ---------- When they landed and got outside the security area, they were met by Grandpa David and Uncle Sean. Once David introduced Sean, both men embraced all the boys in turn. The ride took about 40 minutes by the time they got through all the traffic at the airport. A lot of tourists were evidently taking a break from the colder north lands. While it wasn't quite T-shirt weather, it was quite comfortable that far south. Grandma Amanda hugged all the boys affectionately and they, in turn, all called her Grandma. Marilyn's welcome was less effusive, but that was understandable since it was her first meeting for all the boys except Davy, and she hasn't seen him since he was in third grade. She found him to be pleasant and polite and hoped some of that might rub off on Tyler. Davy and Joe were really happy to have their buds with them because Amanda's unspoken assessment of her other grandchildren seemed to be on target. They were pretty stuck on themselves. Within the first half hour, Gabrielle bragged about all girls from prominent families who attended her boarding school. She was obviously trying to impress them, especially Jon, since he wasn't related to her in any way and looked like boyfriend material. Mark was closer to her age, but he obviously wasn't any more interested in her than Jon was. Tyler did his share of bragging too. He was disdainful about any sport other than soccer, and had little interest in any American traditions. Neither of the children ingratiated themselves. They both acted like they were better and richer than anyone else in the house. They seemed to conveniently forget where the family wealth originated. Their father was ultimately an employee of their grandfather. He controlled the majority shares of stock and the rest was held in trust for his sons and grandchildren, Joe included. Poor Tyler was compensating because in his mind he didn't measure up to the other four boys. All of them were cooler and better built. In order not to feel inferior, he tried to tear down the others in any way he could. He didn't know that the boys he was with would have accepted him without any reservations had he just been himself. ---------- Tyler began to have a slight change of attitude by the next day. He seemed more open. However, when he saw Jon give Davy a peck on the cheek, he thought he might have discovered a way to blackmail them into letting him have the upper hand. "I saw what you did in the hall, but I won't tell as long as you do what I say," he told Davy. "Hmm, what exactly did you see?" "I saw you kissing Jon!" "Really, I thought it was Jon who kissed me. It was just a friendly peck; we weren't exactly swapping spit." Davy grinned. "You might do well not to be so casual about it." "Really? Who is going to care?" "Everyone, I imagine," Tyler gloated. "Have you forgotten that my dad, Brock, and my pop, Brent, are legally married?" Tyler frowned, "I thought they were partners in business and you all shared expenses." "They do work together at the same company, but I guarantee you that they are more than roommates!" "Eew! Do they have sex?" "Of course. Does the idea of you mother and father getting it on disturb you too?" "I don't think they do that after having kids!" Tyler seemed shocked at the prospect. "Most healthy adults want it whenever they can get it. Is life at your boarding school that sheltered? Haven't you had any sex education? Don't some of the older boys play around?" "I don't know anything about that kind of stuff!" Tyler insisted, almost too vehemently, making Davy wonder if he'd been involved in some of those activities. "Good morning boys," Grandma greeted Davy and Tyler as they arrived first in the kitchen. "Did you sleep well?" "Jon was restless last night. I think the flight affected his dreams," Davy said. "He's flown before and didn't seem nervous, but maybe he was trying to be brave for me. Anyway, he kicked me at least once in his sleep, but he gave me a kiss when he apologized this morning." "I'm sure you realize he didn't mean to hurt you," Amanda smiled. "Don't let it mess you boys up!" "What's this about messing us up?" Jon asked as he joined them. "I was telling Grandma about how brutally you treated me," Davy teased. "Okay, show me where it hurts and I'll kiss your owie," Jon giggled. "Um, I suppose I could drop my pants if you want." "Not in front of Grandma!" Jon exclaimed. "I've seen you both on occasion at the lake naked as the day you were born and it didn't offend me, but you'd better keep your clothes on because I have the first batch of pancakes ready and you should eat them while they're hot." Tyler was dumbfounded at the repartee between his cousin and his grandmother. From the sound of it, Davy and Jon were more than buddies and everyone, including her, knew all about it. He had lost his trump card. ---------- Fort Lauderdale had the advantage of being far enough south to have pleasant temperatures most of the winter. However, it was about a three and a half drive to Disney World even going a little above the speed limit. Therefore, Grandpa David had booked accommodations at the hotel which was connected to the complex by monorail. They left right after their early breakfast, taking the minivan and Amanda's Avalon. Tyler insisted on riding in the van with his cousins and the other boys, so his parents and his sister rode with Grandma. Having made a brief stop for lunch on the way, they arrived around 4:00 and checked into the hotel. Grandpa had purchased passes that allowed them to enjoy everything for two days. Obviously, they wouldn't be there for more than a day and a half if they wanted to see the NASA center. The boys voted to shorten the Disney part in order to see the space museum. If they went in a group, with their cell phones turned on, the boys were allowed to explore the park on their own, but had to be back at the hotel by 9:00 p.m. or shortly thereafter. They were given spending money for food and then turned loose. The rest of the family freshened up and went to see some of the things as Epcot which they'd heard about. It was a less adventurous time than the boys had. Gabrielle thought that would be more suitable than trying the scary rides with the boys. Tyler was not unhappy in the least not to have her tagging along. The other boys wouldn't have been sad without Tyler either. He had become obnoxious again, speaking in French to show his superiority as a multi-lingual person. Jon had studied the language just enough to be "dangerous" so he could interject a sentence now and then. Joe, Davy, and Mark were taking Spanish, so they conversed a bit in that tongue just to piss Tyler off. Tyler was so intent on showing off that he wasn't paying attention to where he was going and stepped in front of a couple of bigger boys in line for Space Mountain. "Watch it, boy! We're ahead of you." Instead of apologizing, Tyler sassed them back, which wasn't the right thing to do. They threatened to flatten him. "Tyler, please tell them you didn't mean to cut in line and then come back and stand with us," Davy suggested. Tyler didn't heed his cousin's word, but started cussing the boys out in French. That also was a mistake because they were from Montreal and spoke the language fluently. >From what Jon could make out, they suggested he have sex with himself in an anatomically impossible manner. "I don't blame you for being angry," Davy said to the larger of them. "I will see that he settles down, but you are not allowed to do him bodily harm. I have to deliver him to his parents in one piece tonight." "And who's going to stop me?" "We all have martial arts training and I will use it if necessary," Davy said calmly, assuming a stance that showed he meant business." "Okay, okay, I don't want to fight you or anyone and get kicked out of the park. I'm cool if you take care of him." "Good! I don't want to hurt anyone either, but I will hurt HIM if he doesn't get back here NOW!" Although Tyler hadn't had the good sense to back off from the bigger kid, he did believe Davy might discipline him in some way if he didn't do as he was asked. "Now, please tell this guy you're sorry and that you didn't mean to cut in front of him. I'm sure your headmaster at school would expect that kind of behavior. Be a gentleman and offer your hand. If he chooses not to shake it, that's his business." "Okay, I'm sorry. I wasn't paying attention." Tyler said more meekly than anyone had expected. "I accept your apology," the young man said, taking the offered hand. "I guess I kinda overreacted too. We've been cut in front of twice already today and we've only been here an hour. Some people seem to be intentionally rude!" "So have you been on any other exciting rides?" Jon asked, trying to change the conversation. "Yeah, we were on the Splash Mountain ride and got a little wet. That was fun." Before they got onto the ride, they were visiting like old friends. Tyler kept quiet, but was beginning to absorb a lesson on getting along with others. ---------- The following day was a very full one. The young males attempted to take in all the exciting rides Disney had to offer. By the end of it, the boys were ready to go back to their hotel. While they were waiting for the light parade, Tyler sidled up to Davy. "Thanks." "For what?" "For being nice to me and for saving my ass last night. Dad's always telling me I need to either keep my mouth shut or figure out a way to defend it," Tyler blushed. "You defended me, but knocked me down a peg as well." "I think it's best not to go spoiling for a fight, but to be able to take care of yourself if the fight comes to you. I've used my training a couple of times with bullies, but I don't provoke a confrontation with anyone. Those guys last night weren't real bullies. They were pissed off because they thought you were being rude. You can defuse situations like that by simply admitting you made a mistake and saying you're sorry." "I wish I could be like you." "You need to be yourself." "But I'm not cool, and I know it," he admitted quietly. "You ARE cool. You just need to stop trying to impress people and be YOU. If you do, you'll be liked. You've had a lot of fascinating experiences living in Europe and all, but you need to let people ask you about them instead of bragging. No one likes a bragger." "Okay, I'll try." "Good for you, cuz!" Davy smiled as he gave Tyler a shoulder hug. For the rest of vacation, Tyler tried to follow Davy's advice. The rest of the guys tried to forget their initial impression and treat him like an equal. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Author's notes: Thanks to all who emailed since last posting: Ch. 22: Scott W, Mendy D, Bill T, Tony W, Bill K, Brian M (Seth's Gift), Tom A, Bill (Story lover), Bill T, Walt S, Paul R, Trebor, Dan L, Roger L, Trish R, and Ott H. I'm requesting your thoughts and prayers for the mothers of Dan L and Trish R. Both have had medical issues lately. I thought you might enjoy the Fiat image for a commercial: http://autos.yahoo.com/blogs/motoramic/fiat-paints-dozen-bodies-500-abarth-cabrio-150234052.html David