Date: Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:48:19 -0500 (EST)
From: Bwstories8@aol.com
Subject: Castaway Hotel: Next Generation, chapter 48

The Castaway Hotel: Next Generation - by BW
Copyright 2011 by billwstories
Chapter 48 -- Changing Family Dynamics.

Jesse's eighteenth birthday was on Friday, so I wished him
a happy birthday when he came down for breakfast.  I also
made sure that Noah and Elliot knew it was Jesse's
birthday as well and explained that we'd celebrate it this
weekend, when we'd have a cookout with the extended
family.  What I didn't tell them was that I had other plans
that I wasn't divulging yet.

You see, I intended to make a big deal about this birthday
and was planning to take everyone to the restaurant
tonight for a private family celebration.  I didn't tell any
of the boys about this, although I had informed their
fathers, but I finally divulged the information to them
when I picked up Noah and Elliot from their practices.
Since Noah hadn't been with us for one of these parties
before, I had to emphasize to him that he needed to put
on some nice clothes, because we were going out to eat.  I
was certain Elliot would help him pick out something
appropriate.

When I arrived back home with that pair, I finally told
Jesse what I'd planned too.  I think this came as a total
surprise to him.

"Why are you doing this?" he asked.  "You usually only do
it for special birthdays."

"Well, I feel that turning eighteen IS a special birthday.  It
shows you're not a little boy anymore, because you're now
old enough to vote and serve in the military," I explained.
"Not only that, but it's also your senior year in high school
and I feel that helps to make this birthday special too.
Besides, it's just something I want to do for you."

"Thanks, Dad," Jesse responded.  "I didn't expect it, but I
really appreciate it.  You always know how to make me
feel good -- and special."

The boys then ran off to get changed, while we waited for
the others to get home from work.  I'd told Little Ricky,
Dion and Trey about my plans the previous night, so
they'd be prepared.  Plus it gave Dion and Trey a little
extra time to make sure Joshie was ready to go too.

When Jake, Danny and Brandon arrived home from work,
they all hurried off to get cleaned up and changed as well.
When they were ready, we drove down to the restaurant.
When we arrived at the small private dining room, Noah's
mouth hit the ground, although not quite literally.  He was
just amazed by this place.

"Dang, this is fancy," he mumbled.

"It is very nice," I agreed, "and that's why we like to come
here for special events."

"So we're gonna eat here for Jesse's birthday, but then
you're gonna have people come to the house tomorrow for
another birthday party for him?" he asked, to confirm
he'd understood correctly.

"Yes, but we only do this for special birthdays, like Jesse's
eighteenth birthday," I replied.

"That's still pretty nice," Noah stated.  "I've never had two
birthday parties for the same birthday before."

I think we all made a mental note of his statement.

At this point, we all took our seats.  Noah, Brandon, Danny
and Elliot sat at one table.  Dion, Trey and Joshie sat at
another and Jake, Jesse, Little Ricky and I sat at a third.
However, we were all close enough so we could still chat
with one another, if we wanted to.

Danny and Brandon told Noah he could order whatever he
wanted from the menu.  After looking at the prices
though, he had a question.

"But these all cost a lot," Noah stated.  "Don't they have a
cheaper menu?"

"No, they don't," Brandon told him, "but since it's a
special occasion, we'll splurge a bit."

Noah still looked dubious, but then Elliot leaned over and
whispered something to him.  None of the rest of us ever
learned what he said, but it caused Noah to nod his head
slightly, just before he went back to reading the menu.

Once we had all ordered, Danny and Brandon explained to
Noah that tomorrow at the cookout he was going to meet
many members of our extended family, plus some of
Jesse's friends.  Elliot quickly added that Hayden would be
coming too, since he had introduced Noah to Hayden after
one of his diving practices.  Noah spent the next couple of
minutes digesting all of this information.

After a brief delay, our food was delivered and the boys
began to ravenously devour their meals.  I guess the
amount of energy they'd expended at practices, along with
the lengthy span of time since they'd eaten lunch, had
contributed to their current enthusiastic actions.  I swear
I could see sparks coming from their silverware, as they
greedily attacked the food on their plates.

Once the boys were somewhat full -- at least their plates
were empty, the waiter came in and removed the dirty
dishes.  A short time after that, he returned with Jesse's
birthday cake, a stack of dessert plates and more forks.
After we sang happy birthday to him, Jesse blew out the
candles and cut the cake.  Elliot helped and passed out a
piece to each of us.  I also noticed that the boys made sure
Noah got a slice about twice the size of the rest of us.
Don't worry.  It didn't go to waste.  I'm not sure where he
put it, especially after all he'd already eaten, but his piece
of cake disappeared quickly.

Once we'd all had our cake, I handed Jesse his birthday
card.  He opened and read it, and then looked at me with a
quizzical expression.

"What's the surprise I'm supposed to ask you about?" he
wondered, referring to the cryptic note I'd written in his
card.

"I'm sorry that I don't have a present to give you here, but
you will definitely be getting some things tomorrow, at the
cookout.  However, tonight I have an announcement to
make that I think will please you.  Tomorrow, before the
cookout, I'm taking you down to my friend's car lot so you
can pick out your first car.  It won't be a new one, but this
way you'll have it to get back and forth to school this year
and then be able to use it to take you to and from college
next year.  Happy birthday, Jesse, from Pop and me."

Nearly as soon as he heard what we planned to do, Jesse
leaped out of his seat and rushed toward me, so he could
give me a hug.  Then he did the same thing to Jake.

"Thank you.  Thank you.  Thank you," he said over and
over again.  "I can't believe you're gonna do this for me."

"We are.  It isn't a joke, but it comes with a certain
amount of responsibility too," I cautioned.  "I expect you
to help with transporting Elliot and Noah back and forth
from their practices, as well as being willing to run errands
for us whenever we need your help."

"Oh, I will.  No problem," he agreed.

"One other thing," I added.  "You also have to keep your
grades up and not use the car to do anything we wouldn't
approve of.  If either of those things happens, then I will
take the car away until you can prove to me you have
matured and deserve to have it back."

"Don't worry.  You won't need to do that," Jesse assured
us.  "I never thought you'd get me a car for my birthday,
so I won't do anything that will make me lose it."

"Great.  Then we shouldn't have any problems," I
confirmed, as I gave him another hug.  "Happy birthday,
son."

"Wow, two parties and a car!" Noah exclaimed.  "I sure am
glad I came here to live."

"Those are privileges that need to be earned," Danny
advised him, so he didn't get the wrong impression.
"Since Jesse first came to live with us, he has repeatedly
shown that he is very mature and extremely responsible.
If he hadn't, then this probably wouldn't be happening for
him now.  If you hope for something like this to happen
for you too some day, then you've got to prove to us that
you are also mature, responsible and trustworthy."

"Okay," Noah said, with a grin.  I could see the wheels
turning in his head now.

"That goes for you too," Danny added, while directing his
comments toward Elliot.

"I'm not worried.  I'll be able to buy my own car by then,"
Elliot boasted, with an arrogant smirk.

"Not if we tell Uncle Mark to misplace your request or not
honor it," Danny shot back, which caused Elliot to give
him a shocked look in return.

"You wouldn't really do that, would you?" Elliot wanted to
know, while looking doubtfully at his fathers.

"Just be a good boy and you'll never have to worry about
it, will you?" Danny responded.  We knew this would give
Elliot something to think about.

Now that we were all finished eating, I paid the bill and
took everyone home.  Once we got there, Noah pulled
Elliot aside, so he could ask him a question.

"What did you mean at the restaurant, when you said you
could buy your own car?" Noah asked.

Elliot then began to tell Noah about the large inheritance
his father had left him when he died.

"Wow, I wish my parents had left something like that for
me," Noah observed.  "My mom said we didn't have any
money left and that's why she couldn't go see a doctor
sooner."

"I'm sorry about that," Elliot told him.  "I wish we'd have
known about your situation back then, because we might
have been able to help."

"Thanks.  It's nice of you to say that," Noah responded.

Once they finished their conversation, they came in to
join the rest of us in the family room.  We all spent the
rest of the evening together, until the boys went up to
bed.

Not surprisingly, Jesse got up extremely early the next
morning, because he was very eager to select his new car.
After telling him the car lot wouldn't be open yet, Jake
and I were able to get him to sit down and eat some
breakfast.  The three of us didn't leave the house until just
before 9:00, which was the time the dealership opened.
Jesse had wanted to wake Elliot so he could go with us,
but I told Jesse to let him sleep and then he could tell him
about the car later.

My friend greeted us the minute we arrived.  I had
forewarned him that we'd be coming, so he was eager to
take Jesse around and point out the selection he had to
choose from.  Jesse seemed interested in several of these
vehicles, each for a different reason.  Jake and I
eventually told him he'd have to decide which of the
features he wanted were the most important to him and
then he could narrow his choices down that way.

After a few minutes of thinking things over, Jesse agreed
to do what we'd suggested and quickly eliminated a few of
the vehicles he first had on his list.  In the end, he was
down to choosing between a black Volkswagen Golf and a
red Audi A4.

"Okay, tell me what it is about these two cars that you
like," I advised him.

"Well, the Golf is kind of cool and sporty looking," Jesse
began, "and it's good on gas, so I won't have to spend all
my money on fuel to get around.  The Audi really looks
sharp and it's a good size, so I can take my friends with
me when I go places.  It's also big enough to haul all of my
clothes and stuff in it when I go to college."

"I'm fine with either of those choices, since they're both
made by the same parent company," I agreed.  "The Golf is
a pretty safe car, but I really like the fact that this Audi
has all-wheel drive.  That can really come in handy during
the winter months."

"Yes, I think the Audi would be more appropriate for going
back and forth to college," Jake offered.  "The all-wheel
drive will make your dad and me worry a lot less about you
making that trip, especially when you come home for the
winter holidays."

"Yeah, you're probably right, Pop," Jesse agreed.  "Then
let's get the Audi.  I thought I kinda liked that one better
anyway, but after you told me it would be better in the
winter, I like it even more."

Since it was now decided, I advised my friend and made
the deal.  He said he'd make certain the car was registered
and ready to be picked up Monday afternoon, so Jesse said
he'd walk over after school to get it.  He had the biggest
grin on his face as we drove back home.

"Thanks, Dad and Pop.  I think the car is super and I like
it a lot," he confessed.  "Thank you so much for doing this
for me."

"You've earned it," I replied.  "Just don't abuse it now."

"I won't.  You don't worry have to worry about that," he
agreed.

When we got home, Jesse ran off to tell Elliot about the
car he'd chosen, while Jake and I started getting things
ready for his party.  Elliot quickly agreed that he thought
Jesse had made the right choice when selecting his car
and couldn't wait to see it.

Just before the others got here, Jake went out to fire up
the grills, while I got the rest of the food ready.  I did that
in between feeding those just crawling out of bed, but I
only let them consume a very small breakfast to tide them
over.

The extended family began arriving around noon and
Hayden and some of Jesse's friends started showing up a
little after that.  I had suggested to Jesse that he should
invite some of his friends too, since he'd grown fairly close
to them.  I also figured it would give him something to do
while we older folks chatted.

Jesse and I greeted the others as they arrived, but I let
Jesse and Elliot introduce everyone to Noah.  The boys
explained to him about whom each person was and I could
tell Noah's head was spinning, as he tried to absorb all of
this information.  I didn't worry though, because I knew it
would start to become clearer to him over time.

Jesse was also eagerly telling everyone about the car he
was getting for his birthday and his friends were blitzing
him with questions about it, in addition to telling him how
lucky he was.  As I watched this happening, I thought back
to when I got my first car and what a huge deal it was to
both my friends and me.  Having my own set of wheels
meant I had a new sense of freedom, since I didn't have to
wait for the family car to be freed up before I could do
something.  Thinking back to that time made it easier for
me to appreciate how Jesse is feeling now.

Over the next few hours, we conversed with our guests and
watched Jesse parade around the yard like a strutting
peacock.  I was certain the moment he picked the car up
on Monday he would begin driving around to show his
friends his new toy.  I just hope he didn't treat it like one.

Noah was getting just as much attention as Jesse, since
everyone wanted to get to know our newest family
member better too.  However, it didn't take long before
everyone realized that Noah didn't like talking about
himself or his past life.  He was pretty shy and tight lipped
when it came to giving out any personal information,
especially when it concerned his parents.  Everyone was
kind enough not to press the issue and instead told him
about themselves.  They also made sure to include a few of
their more humorous memories of their time with the
family, to make it easier for Noah to listen to what they
had to say.

About an hour after we'd eaten, the boys decided to go for
a dip in the pool.  Jesse had told Hayden and his friends to
bring their swimsuits along, so most of them wore their
trunks under their clothes.  Now, they were frolicking
merrily in the water, along with Elliot, Noah and Joshie.
Come on, you didn't think they were going to be able to
leave Joshie out of this, did you?  He considers himself
part of the pack, and even though he might not be the
alpha dog, he is certainly trying to work his way up the
pack's ladder of dominance.

While the boys were swimming, the adults stayed at the
picnic tables and chatted.  At that point, Sally had an
announcement to make.  A few of us already knew about
what she was going to tell us, but many of the others
didn't.

"I'm very pleased to let the rest of you know," she began,
"that Richard is going to start working for me the day
after Labor Day."

Little Ricky blushed when he realized this was about him,
but everyone else was eager to congratulate him.  He was
quick to let them know this position might only be
temporary, since he was only covering a maternity leave.
However, he also mentioned Aunt Sally had told him the
girl he was filling in for might opt to stay home with her
child for a longer period of time, rather than return to
work.  Either way, he would be gaining some valuable
experience in his chosen field.

After this had been cleared up, Steve had a question for
Danny and Brandon.

"Have you received any news about when you're going to
be able to adopt Elliot?" he wanted to know.

"In fact, we have," Brandon answered.  "We're supposed to
go to court this coming Friday to take care of that."

"Fantastic," Steve agreed.  "So you'll be formally adopting
Elliot the Friday before Labor Day and Richard will be
starting his new job the day after.  I guess this will give us
plenty to celebrate over the holiday."

Everyone agreed with his comment and looked forward to
partying again next weekend.  It will also be our official
recognition of the end of summer.

After we had the cake and ice cream, the party only lasted
about another hour, before people started to go home.
Jesse thanked everyone for coming and they wished him
happy birthday again before they left.  As soon as most of
our guests had gone, Jake and I began to clean up, and the
boys pitched in and gave us a hand.  It didn't take long
before we had everything inside and put away.  Once that
happened, the boys went back to the rec room for a while.
Hayden and some of Jesse's friends had decided to stick
around a little longer and were out there playing air
hockey, table tennis and listening to music with them.

After their parents picked them up, a couple of hours
later, and the last of our guests had departed, the rest of
us gathered in the family room to watch a DVD.  I noticed
that Noah had decided to lie on the floor next to Jesse and
Elliot this time, rather than sit on the sofa with Danny
and Brandon.  Actually, it's nice to see that he's bonding
with the boys too.

Once the movie ended, that trio went up to their rooms.
After making sure that Noah was in bed and asleep, Elliot
slipped out of his bedroom and went over to Jesse's room.
Both boys were clad only in their underwear as Elliot
walked in, and Jesse looked up, mildly surprised to find
Elliot there.

"I just came over to explain why I didn't give you a
present earlier," Elliot began.  "I was thinking about what
I should get you and thought maybe I'd hire a hooker, but
then I thought it would mess things up if she jumped out
of your birthday cake.  Instead, I decided I'd just take care
of you myself.  Happy birthday, stud!"

After saying this, Elliot pushed Jesse onto the bed and
began kissing him, passionately.  Jesse gave in to Elliot's
aggressive move willingly and eagerly reciprocated.
Almost immediately, their tongues began to intertwine
and their lips pressed gently against each other, as Elliot
let Jesse know just how special he was and how much he
cared for him.

Slowly, Elliot moved down to Jesse's neck and then he
started working his way down Jesse's body.  Tenderly, he
paid attention to each sensitive and erotic region of
Jesse's body, as he came to it.  Gradually, he worked his
way to Jesse's midsection and grabbed his underwear with
his teeth.  As Elliot tugged at the garment, he gave a
playful growl.  This caused Jesse to chuckle, as Elliot
worked the underwear off Jesse's body.  What Jesse didn't
notice was that Elliot had removed his own underwear as
well, so now they were both naked on the bed.

For the next couple of minutes, Elliot orally pleased Jesse,
as he worshipped his prized piece of meat.  Before Jesse
was able to reach his climax, however, Elliot quickly
slipped a condom over Jesse's penis, added some lube and
then straddled Jesse's midsection.

"Happy Birthday," Elliot told him, as he guided Jesse's
sheathed manhood into his anal cavity.

Inch by inch, Jesse's impressive rod slipped deeper into
Elliot.  Once he was fully inside him, Elliot began to
bounce up and down, like a rodeo rider on a bucking bull,
as he pleasured him.  Unlike the rodeo rider, this ride
wasn't over in a matter of seconds.  Instead, Elliot got his
own workout, as he rode Jesse's 'saddle-horn' and ever so
slowly brought him to his release.

After several minutes of this hectic and erotic ride, Jesse
arched his back off of the bed and thrust his hips skyward.
When he did, he buried his penis deeply into Elliot and
released his creamy load into the tip of the condom.  After
a few more thrusts, to drain the remaining droplets, Jesse
collapsed onto the mattress, with Elliot slumping forward
on top of him.  After taking some time to recuperate,
Elliot looked down at Jesse and spoke.

"I hope you enjoyed your birthday present," he whispered.

"Yep.  It was better than a hooker any day," Jesse agreed.

After cleaning up, Elliot stayed in with Jesse through the
night and cuddled with him until morning.  In fact, I was
mildly surprised to find them together when I came to
wake Jesse up the next morning, so he could get ready for
Sunday services.

It turned out to be a pretty typical Sunday.  We went to
church, stopped for brunch and then came home and
chilled.  We made sure that the boys got all their
homework done too, so they'd be ready for school the next
day.  I could tell Jesse was also anxious to pick up his new
wheels after classes ended tomorrow, so I wasn't certain if
he'd be able to sleep tonight or concentrate in any of his
classes the following day.

Jesse did look a little haggard when he came down to
breakfast that morning, so I figured that thinking about
his new car had probably kept him up for a while.  I'm also
positive the school day must have seemed as if it dragged
on forever, but I'm sure he made up for that afterward.
Jesse didn't come home until just before dinnertime,
because he was showing off his car to his friends and even
took some of them for a quick spin in it.  At least for the
time being, Jesse was the leader of the pack.

The week also brought about another interesting change --
that is besides Jesse coming home in his new car.  When I
went to pick-up Noah and Elliot after their practices,
Elliot had something else he wanted to discuss with me.

"When I went to swim practice this afternoon," he began,
"Hayden told me his mother was wondering if we wanted
to car pool with them and take turns bringing us all home.
She said she'd also be willing to pick Noah up at the
middle school and that way you guys can alternate weeks.
It would save both of you gas money, besides making it so
you and she don't have to go out every day to pick us up.
What do you think about the idea?  Is it something you
might want to do?"

"Sure.  In fact, I may be able to do her one better," I
offered.  "Let's wait until we get home first, before I give
you my final answer, because I need to bring Jesse in on
this discussion."

Elliot seemed to wonder what Jesse had to do with it, but
he agreed.  When we got home, I called Jesse into the
room with us and asked him a question.

"Jesse, Hayden's mother wants to arrange an informal car
pool with us, to pick the boys up after their practices," I
began.  "She wants to alternate on a weekly basis, but I
have another idea.  If you're willing, we'll make this a
three-person car pool, with you, her and me.  Each of us
will pick the boys up for a week at a time, so we'll only
have to do it every third week during the particular
sporting season."

"Yeah, I can do that,' Jesse agreed.  "When it's my week,
I'll just hang out at school with my friends and then pick
Noah and Elliot up when they're done."

"I can live with that," I agreed.  "Elliot, would you please
call Hayden's house and see if his mother is agreeable to
our proposal.  If she is, she can finish off the rest of this
week, then I'll take next week and Jesse can take his turn
the week after that."

Elliot agreed and went off to make the call.  Hayden's
mother was more than willing to accept our offer,
although she thought we were assuming more of the
burden than we needed to.  However, I had Elliot explain
to her that we had two boys involved in sports, where she
only had one, so we were also willing to take twice the
responsibility for hauling them back and forth.  As long as
that wasn't a problem for her, then we were happy to do it
this way.  Happily, she agreed with the arrangement.

Since she was picking the boys up for the rest of the week,
it took me off the hook and I began focusing on a couple
of other issues.  The first was Elliot's adoption, which will
take place this Friday, and then our Labor Day cookout,
which will be the final one of the summer.  I was also
looking ahead to Andrew's twenty-first and Joshie's sixth
birthdays, since both events are just a week and a half
after Labor Day.