A shuttle took them to a Metro station where they boarded a train for the museum complex. It was early and the train was sparsely populated.
The Natural History museum was first on the list. At first, they wandered together and then the boys wanted to look at the mammals and the paleontology displays.
They enjoyed a nice lunch and moved on to the American History Museum. Liam's favorite was Teddy Roosevelt while Danny absorbed everything he could about Jefferson.
"We'll want to come back and tour Monticello and Sagamore Hill up in Oyster Bay. We could take a train from Virginia to New York, It's a four hour ride from Fairfax to Grand Central so we would stay over and then take the train back. Or, just fly home from New York," Connor spitballed.
"It sounds like fun Da, I imagine it will be a while before we can do that though," Liam speculated.
"Maybe we can make it a boys' trip, just the three of us. We'll see what yer mam says, eh," Connor added.
They decided on the hotel restaurant for dinner and bumped into Owen, Laurel and Paul. They quickly agreed to share a table and were seated promptly at a large one.
Paul gazed at Danny and Liam and the three boys chatted about the museums they had been to and the ones they planned to visit the next day. Liam and Danny mentioned seeing the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum on Independence and then taking the train to the Udvar-Hazy Center.
"We're doing that too!" Paul piped. "Mom, Dad they're going to the same places tomorrow."
"Yes, we just heard and now so has everyone in the restaurant, buddy," Owen smiled.
Connor inquired, "Were you folks taking the train to get there?"
"That was the plan, the last leg is by bus which is not long but there are pregnant ladies to consider. There's also a shuttle that runs from the Metro to the museum," Owen put forth.
"I knew about the bus but not the shuttle. That's probably the best option. Shall we go as a group?" Connor asked.
"It sounds good to me, safety in numbers and all that stuff; what do you think Laurel?" Owen queried.
Laurel ventured, "Sounds good to me. I'll have somebody to talk with while you guys are gazing at aluminum. How about you, Terri?"
"I like the idea," Terri replied, "I'll want to see some of it but like you say they'll be looking at aluminum porn for quite a while. There has to be a coffee shop or café attached to the place."
"Okay, it's official, the women folk approve!" Owen declared.
Terri told Laurel that the day after they would be touring art galleries and then it would be off to Baltimore.
"We're going down to Colonial Williamsburg day after tomorrow and then to the airport in Newport News, we've been in town for a week seeing the sights and visiting relatives and friends, it's been a long time since we got away," Laurel shared.
"I understand," Terri offered, "I would imagine this will be my last trip until the babies are old enough to travel. I don't have many relatives left and Connor's are mostly in Ireland. We'll be staying with friends in Maryland and after that we're off to Dublin."
"I've always wanted to visit Ireland, it just seems so beautiful in pictures," Laurel bubbled.
Terri took out her phone and showed Laurel some of the photos from the honeymoon. Laurel was quite taken by the Giant's Causeway.
The boys, big and small were enthralled with the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. The Spirit of St Louis hung like a Christmas tree ornament in the Milestones of Aviation gallery.
All of the aircraft were fascinating and the men and boys were heedless of anything happening around them. Terri told Connor that they could find them at the small coffee shop across the way and the moms left them to their obsession.
Terri and Laurel chose an outside table so they could chat and people watch in relative comfort. A tall slender man with skin that was coffee brown walked up and asked if they would mind if he joined them.
"Sure, have a seat. This is a very popular place and it's mostly women here. The men are all in looking at naked airplanes," Laurel invited.
"Well, not all of us, I enjoyed it at first, but my wife Gina and son Alex are the aviation enthusiasts. After a while they all seem to run together… my name is Gerard, it's nice to meet you."
Terri and Laurel introduced themselves and they chatted for some time about children, pregnancy and anything but aircraft. Gerard turned out to be a former dancer for the Geoffrey Ballet Company and now was an assistant choreographer. Terri explained what she did within limits and completely avoided any reference to the DoD. Laurel was quite happy to be a mother and homemaker but she had a scrapbooking hobby class that she taught twice a week.
The conversation went on for some time and eventually first Connor and Owen and the boys and then Gina and Alex arrived to claim their missing spouses and parents.
"Are you ladies ready for round two?" Owen inquired.
"Restroom first," replied Laurel and the two women were off like a shot.
Connor and Owen introduced themselves to Gina, Alex and Gerard and they chatted while Terri and Laurel were gone.
"Thanks for watching over my wayward husband, he doesn't share our interest in all things aviation," Gina beamed.
"He was a delight and I'm sure he has other qualities that stand him in good stead," Terri replied. "I learned quite a bit about ballet today."
"You should see him dance, he's phenomenal," Gina lauded. "We must be going, I hope you enjoy your day."
"And all of you," Connor returned.
They walked to the Metro station and caught a train, then changed trains and caught the shuttle to the Udvar-Hazy Center. Terri found herself more interested in some of the modern warbirds and prototypes. They had done some work with companies like Lockheed and Northrop-Grumman and she could see how the design work the guys performed was integral to the aircraft she was looking at.
To Laurel it was more of the same, but she enjoyed seeing her little Paul so absorbed. Danny and Liam were deeply submerged in the mystique that surrounded them.
In time, they saw everything there was to see. They navigated back to the hotel and prepared for the evening's events. They agreed to meet in the restaurant for breakfast before Owen, Laurel and Paul started the drive to Colonial Wiliamsburg.
Connor had secured reservations at an upscale eatery in Georgetown. The food was wonderful and they saw people from government and entertainment in the crowd.
On the way back they stopped to see the Lincoln Monument all lit up. It was hard to be unimpressed.
The next morning it was time to say goodbye to their new friends as they went their separate ways. The boys were excited to see their friends in Mount Airy and Paul was looking forward to seeing how things were done before the United States was even conceived of. Hugs and handshakes ensued and the two families parted to continue their respective journeys.
"They were nice people weren't they, Mam," Danny inquired.
"Very nice, friendly and open, I don't think we've met many sour people here at all," Terri replied.
The art galleries were very interesting, Danny and Liam marveled at many of the ancient works and some of the contemporary paintings also.
Finally, they had seen what they came to see and Terri was satisfied and tired. They went back to the hotel for dinner and a rest as they would be up early to catch the chartered plane to Baltimore.
The shuttle back to Ronald Reagan was nearly deserted with only one other passenger who was involved with a business related call. At the airport, they boarded another shuttle to reach the charter terminal. Before long, they were in the air on the way to Baltimore. It was a short flight of only forty minutes but start to finish it was more like an hour. Jim Powell was waiting at the charter terminal and guided them to a nineties Suburban.
"It's old and it looks like hell but it's mechanically sound and quite comfortable. It's also the only vehicle I have that will hold all of you and the luggage. I see that Terri travels a bit lighter than Amanda," Jim chuckled.
"Well, Connor is the real light traveler, some of my things are in his bag and of course the boys will be in shorts and T-shirts much of the time," Terri explained. Jim laughed again and he, Connor and the boys loaded the luggage into the back.
Terri sat in the back seat with the boys and Connor rode up front with Jim. Terri wouldn't admit it but several days of walking from one institution to anothr had given her sore feet. She hoped Amanda didn't have a bunch of traipsing around planned. Her feet and calves could use a rest.
They pulled up in front of a huge white and gray colonial. Amanda, Shane and Doug waved from the porch and they all walked over to the Suburban for greetings.
"Spencer had soccer practice but he'll be home soon," Amanda shared. "Why don't we go have a seat on the porch and drink some lemonade while the guys bring in the luggage," Amanda suggested.
The two women sat on gliders that were extremely comfortable and chatted. "I'll bet your feet and legs are screaming from walking through all those cavernous places in D.C.," Amanda speculated.
"You'd win that bet for sure," Terri responded.
"Once they have your bags upstairs you can change into a suit or shorts and I'll turn on the Jacuzzi. It does wonders for sore muscles," Amanda suggested.
"You won't have to twist my arm very hard for that, it sounds heavenly," Terri sighed. Soon Terri found herself sitting amidst bubbles of hot water and the pain just drained away from her legs.
At the same time, the five boys were upstairs hanging around in Shane and Doug's room.
"Are you ready to show us what you've learned Doug?" Liam quizzed.
"Now?!" Doug replied in shock.
"Not this minute but it would be cool to see how well you've progressed," Liam soothed.
"Okay, how about after dinner, I'll be calm by then," Doug promised.
"So Shane, how are you and Pearce doing?" Danny inquired.
"Pretty good, we spend a lot of time together and he'll be here in a little bit. Jabs too probably," Shane related.
"So you guys are going to Ireland from here, right?" Spencer queried.
"Right, straight ta Dublin, it will be nice to see the place after all this time," Liam apprised.
"I'll bet, how long since you've been there?" Shane asked.
"Four years, I email my friends that are still there, Jars and Slanty are still there but the third Jarlath moved to county Down in the north. I've not heard from him in years. The O'reilly brothers are still there and sadly so are the Mulligans. They're a right nasty bunch. Jars told me a couple of the older ones are in care," Liam replied.
"In care?" Spencer grilled.
"Yeah, it means they got in trouble and they're in something like a juvenile hall," Liam explained.
Their chat was interrupted by the arrival of Pearce and Gabriel. Hugs ensued and then conversation resumed.
It's good to see you guys again," chirped Pearce.
"Same here," Liam offered.
Gabriel and Doug ran off together and left the older boys to speak in private. Spencer decided to get a shower and he retreated to his own room.
"So, how goes the drawing, Shane," Liam grinned.
"Pretty good, I'm taking art classes off campus a couple of nights each week. I showed the instructor what I had and he was mildly impressed but when I showed him the red notebook he flipped. He thinks I should definitely join his live model class. He said I needed to learn how to draw women and girls. Anyway, Mom and Dad signed the form so I'm in," Pearce related.
"Fantastic," Liam chirped. Imagine where you'll be in a year."
"Jabs just got accepted to the Children's Ballet Company. They're rehearsing "Nutcracker" starting in late July. I think Jabs will be right up front if he's not the male lead," Pearce grinned.
"Oh, he'd be a great Mouse King, will it be videoed?" Danny entreated.
"Oh yeah, it's a big production and well-funded. It's not a toddlers in tutus and tards kind of thing," Pearce assured.
Danny smiled, "I hope you'll send us a copy, it sounds like something I'd like to see."
"Would you guys like to go for a ride? We have spare bikes for visitors. We might have to do a few adjustments but it won't take long," Shane offered.
"Sounds good to me, Liam?" Danny urged.
"Absolutely, after the plane and the car I'm ready for some exercise," Liam agreed.
"Let's stop in the wet room, we have helmets and other gear in there," Shane suggested.
Once properly attired, the boys performed a few minor adjustments and checked tire pressures.
The first stop was Pearce's house so he could tell his parents where they'd be and also so he could retrieve his phone. They rode from there to Vest pocket park.
Shane and Pearce decided where to take them next. They decided on Watkins park and going in the back way. They pedaled northeast through the elementary grounds and then cut through the middle school, arriving at the huge soccer field that Spencer had been playing on just a couple of hours earlier. Then it was off to the baseball diamond, where they watched some older boys play a semi-serious game. They continued riding and met several of Shane and Pearce's friends along with a few of Doug's and Jab's. They finished with the park and cycled past the big Presbyterian Church and wound their way back to the Powell's.
"Thanks guys, I think we really needed to do that. Walking through museums and riding in planes, trains and cars was starting to make me fidget, Danny too I think," Liam said.
"We didn't tell anyone about you getting… well, shot. We thought you could do without our friends dragging it up again. Dad said you got quite a settlement," Shane uttered.
"I appreciate that, and yeah, our lawyer went after them bigtime, and Da said no non-disclosure agreements so we can talk about it and name names. I donated a million five to the park to start a program to teach people to play instruments; we busk there a lot and it's something I feel strongly about," Liam shared.
"I was interviewed when I did it and told the whole story about Dave and the shooting and what he was. Now there's a call to change the way juvenile sex offenders are processed and tracked. That's why Da refused the request for nondisclosure. Dave was recently tried as an adult, once he was pronounced fit. He'll be locked up until he's twenty-five, unless he gets parole. He didn't stick to the terms of his probation but who knows," Liam finished.
The conversation moved on to Pearce and Shane and how their relationship was doing. "We're exploring a lot of new territory together. Neither of us has any experience to speak of. The new school is great, the guys there are so different from my old school. I guess they're losing enrollments wholesale and most of the better students are bailing and going to nicer places," Pearce shared.
"That's probably for the best, if they won't keep the bullying under control they should lose students. Soon all they'll have are the worst and they'll have to do something," Shane added.
Liam commented, "Sounds right to me."
"So are you guys coming back to our place for a swim? Spence and Doug are welcome, too!" Pearce bubbled.
"That sounds good but we need to check with Mam and Da," Danny answered.
"He's got you talking like him now, eh?" Shane chuckled.
"It's hard not to pick it up a little, and I was born a Sullivan you know," Danny replied brightly.
Doug and Jabs returned and Doug had a question for Liam.
"Why can't I find Kaley music on the web?" Doug practically demanded.
"How are you spelling it, Doug?" Liam responded.
Doug spelled out, "K-a-l-e-y."
"There's yer problem then. It's spelled Ceilidh in Irish and that's how you'll find it on the web," Liam enlightened him.
"So Ceilidh is pronounced Kaylee? That's Gaelic isn't it?"
"Well in truth, we prefer to call it Irish. The Scotts speak Gaelic although the word Ceilidh exists in both languages," Liam explained further.
"Oh cool, I didn't know any of that. I was going to ask Spence but he was gone when I was thinking about it," Doug prattled.
Having secured permission, the small herd made the ride to Pearce and Gabriel's home and enjoyed the pool. Pearce's mother Grace served snacks and made sure plenty of towels were available.
"So how are you guys doing really, is it tough to be together at school and not show how you feel, I know it is for us," Danny solicited.
"Yes, it really does get difficult not to kiss him when I want. It probably wouldn't bother anybody but the faculty, maybe not even them," Pearce claimed.
Shane picked it up with, "The biggest problem is getting some time away from the other guys, Pearce is so beautiful that the guys are just drawn to him. I get kind of jealous at times. I mean look at him, he's absolutely stunning and he's not even trying."
"Oh bullshit!" Pearce remarked. "They come after you just as much, he's got guys chasing him down just to hang out and talk with him because he's so freaking smart. I mean, I'm smart but he's brilliant, he countered.
"Sounds like nice problems to have," Liam observed.
Finally, four boys rode back to the Powell's. Spence had decided to go into town with friends instead of swimming.
The three days went by fast, one had been a tour of historical Baltimore. Doug had demonstrated his skill with the guitar and Liam and Danny were impressed. They urged him to continue and praised his progress so far.
The goodbyes were moderated by the news that Jim was retiring and they would be flying to Hawaii a bit later in the summer and would love to visit.
Liam gazed at his old neighborhood. Most of the houses had been remodeled with another floor added on. Maeve's house had a facelift but remained a one-floor home. He didn't recognize any of the kids he'd seen on the drive in. He thought he saw Jars but the kid was younger than Liam, so he let it go.
The garage door was up and Maeve was fiddling with her big BMW motorbike. It was her primary transport in dry weather and the old Opel Rekord for the wet.
Hugs were exchanged and bags retrieved from the rented Nissan Qashqai. Terri and Connor would have the guest room while Danny and Liam occupied the foldout in the sitting room. It was only for a couple of days and then they'd be away on a tour. Maeve had other commitments so she couldn't join them.
"Do you fancy a walk around the neighborhood, I'd like to see what me old patch looks like these days," Liam invited Danny.
"What about those Mulligan guys? You said they could be trouble," Danny queried.
"You've no need to concern yerself about that lot, the three oldest are in Oberstown and the wee ones have been fostered out. The da is serving time and the mam is on remand. It seems she took a frying pan to the first gardi through the door when they came for the old man," Maeve assured. "It's been right quiet around here since that happened."
"Okay then, let's go have a gawk," Liam invited.
"Oy, where'd yas two think yer goin," a tough voice called out from a front garden.
"And who want's ta know then," Liam shot back. Liam looked hard at the boy, he was just a bit taller than himself but he had changed little. "Jars, ya devil, how are yas? I think I saw yer brother knockin' a ball round up the way."
"That's likely, his best mate lives up on the high road." Jars had covered the distance from his front porch to the pavement and hugged Liam tight. "It's sure good to see yas again Reynard."
"Reynard?!" Danny queried.
"It was a nickname, me street name to be precise," Liam explained.
"Jars, this is me brother Danny, me da married his mam and Da adopted him," Liam shared.
"Grand, by the way I go by Rowan now and me brother's name is Collin, nobody really uses the old names anymore. No need really, the Corchorans and the Mulligans got the hook so it's pretty quiet here now. So I'll call you Liam and Danny if that's okay."
"Okay, but what does Reynard mean as a street name?" Danny prompted.
Rowan explained, "Reynard is the French word for fox, Liam was always a quick thinker and he was a formidable opponent for a lot of the tough lads about. So he was smart and fast and he had quite a bite so… Reynard, understand? And besides that, if you corner a fox, you'll get a nasty bite and Liam was always good with his fists."
"Are any of our old escape trails still about?" Liam wondered.
"A few, Collin and his mates use them for short cuts through the estate. I've not tried them for ages," Rowan informed.
"Still, they saved our tails more than once. At least until our hit and run tactics convinced the Mulligans to leave our lads alone," Liam grinned.
"Yeah, that lot. They were all brute force and anger, not a thought amongst the lot. It was easy to get the best of them. Then the Corchorans weren't any better. One of the older ones threw a brick at a lad called Dylan and caught the side of his head. He was in hospital for nearly six months. That was it for them. The whole bloody neighborhood came down on them and showed up in their front garden. The old man came out and told everyone to feck off and got a proper thrashin' for his trouble. We caught Dixie alone and did a number on him. The whole bloody lot pissed off to the north. Dixie got done for throwin' the brick and that was the last bit of shite we ever had from them," Rowan finished.
"And good riddance, the lot of em," Liam put in. "Are any of our old mates still around?"
"You bet, we'll walk up the lane and fetch Collin while we're about it," Rowan invited.
"So, what's your last name?" Danny asked.
"Kerrigan, Rowan J. to be exact. The J is for Jarlath," Rowan answered.
"Cool, beats Smith all to hell," Danny smiled.
"Yer alright Danny," Rowan replied.
"We've a wee friend, goes by the name of TJ or Tristan Jarlath," Liam shared.
"Aww poor lad, what a handle. He'll have to grow up tough then won't he?" Rowan observed.
"He's plenty tough, he's pretty adamant about bein' called TJ. He's right clever and all," Liam returned. "Say, do the Royals still live around here?" Liam inquired.
"Nah, the daughter got herself killed in a wreck and the lad went to boarding school. When the da made Inspector with the Garda they moved uptown. What makes ya ask?" Rowan countered.
"Just TJ's da is a Royal and he's a policeman as well. I just wondered if they might like to make contact," Liam finished.
The boys ambled on collecting Collin and his mate Dax and a few others that Liam remembered. Danny got an earful about the groups escapades while they ran together. Soon it began to move toward evening and Liam led Danny back to Maeve's.
A simple dinner was a refreshing change from the rich meals that they had been eating over the past couple of weeks. Amanda had gone all out and she was a great cook.
After dinner, the boys changed to sleeping shorts and climbed in bed. Everyone but Maeve was asleep inside an hour. Maeve tended to read late into the night before sleep.
In the morning, Connor and Terri went to visit friends of Connor.
"Morning lads, are you ready to play some music today?" Maeve inquired.
"I'm up for it, not sure about singin' though, me voice won't behave," Liam nodded.
"Sure, I'm ready. Do you have guitars we can use?" Danny asked.
"I do indeed and there's a piano at the hall where you'll be playing," Maeve added.
"Let's have a cold breakfast, it's already 20 degrees and it'll make 30 by noon," Liam suggested.
"It will be a scorcher for sure today boys, dress light and drink plenty," Maeve cautioned.
The council hall wasn't remarkable in appearance but they weren't there to admire the architecture Liam reasoned. The boys carried their instruments inside and were greeted by several of Liam's friends. Danny was introduced and then questioned about his musical ability. He was invited to demonstrate and drew a crowd as he picked out a couple of blues tunes Liam had taught him.
"That's right keen Danny, you can join me and add some flavor to the guitar parts," Michael Shay invited.
"He plays piano right well and all, you should hear him play," Liam mentioned.
"We'll have to do that, do yas still play the pipes, Liam?" Asked an older boy Liam didn't recognize.
"I do, but who are you? You look familiar but I can't…." Liam faltered.
"I'm not surprised, we didn't spend much time together. I'm Danny Quickwire, I moved in behind you after old man Brendan died, but I remember what a marvel you were on the pipes when you visited last time."
"Oh yes, that was a sad thing with poor old Mr. Brendan. I remember you now," Liam smiled.
"I remember thinking old man Ennis would be impressed by you, you were so good at eight you must be even better now," Quickwire added.
"Well, I kept up the practice, I have to cut me own reeds but I can use the same materials the oboe players use, they go smolchaite pretty quick with use," Liam allowed.
"We have a set you can use, it's good you still use the ould tongue," Quickwire responded.
Meanwhile, Danny was shanghaied to the piano to demonstrate his prowess. After hearing him play a bit of Mozart, Rowan shouted to another boy.
"Michael, bring yer music and try this lad out."
"Hi, I'm Michael Daugherty, you play quite well. You must have been at it for a while, eh?"
"Hi, nice to meet you, I'm Danny. Yeah I just picked it back up a few months ago but it seems to be coming back," Danny grinned.
"If yer anywhere near as good on piano as you are on guitar, our problems are over. So how is Liam as a brother?" Michael asked.
"Great, and we'll both be big brothers soon, our mam is having twins," Danny chirped.
"That's grand, do you know any Irish tunes on piano?" Michael inquired.
"Yes a few, I can play more on guitar but I can play Danny Boy, Rare is the Rose and Peggy Gordon. I also figured out how to play Kilkelly after Liam taught me on guitar. It's great in a minor key," Danny explained.
"Well here's the music for Peggy Gorgon and if you'll play it in A please," Michael requested.
Danny looked at the music, "Let me make sure I've got the signature right, I can shift this down to a lower range if you sing high, are you a tenor?"
"Yes, and sure, give it a go and see how it feels," Michael encouraged him.
Danny gave the song a run-through and announced that he thought he had it but if there was a problem to let him know. Now they began together;d Danny muted the music where Michael was to sing. Michael had a beautiful tenor voice and it filled the hall as everyone stopped to listen and applaud as they finished.
Quickwire handed Liam the set of pipes and they were better than Liam had expected. Liam pumped up the bellows and tested the reeds in the chanter and drones. He tried the regulator keys and was satisfied. He played a reel and then a jig and the whole room of people gathered around him. He began to play The Lark in the Morning and people began grabbing instruments and joining in. For an impromptu performance, it grew to a full band effort. All concerned applauded when the song ended. Danny glowed with admiration and Liam grinned his appreciation.
The band assembled all fifteen including Liam and Danny. They played a full set of their regular tunes and then added a couple of solo numbers for Michael and Danny. All went well and Quickwire approached the brothers.
"So, we've a gig on the southside, it's a wedding for a Garda at a nice place. Do yas have a shirt and tie with yas?" Quickwire asked.
"We've both brought our suitcoats and jackets but I don't know if our mam and da will allow us to play a gig," Liam sputtered uncharacteristically.
"Can yas give em' a bell and find out?" Quickwire urged.
"What do you think, Danny? Are you up for it?" Liam asked.
"Sounds like fun to me, let's call them and see," Danny agreed.
Connor was agreeable but had questions, once answered he told Liam that he and Terri had just received an invitation from the bride's brother. She was marrying Detective Sergeant McCarrick.
"I guess we're on Dan, we'd be happy to join you lads tonight," Liam informed Quickwire.
"Great, this could really get us going for bookings. Ceilidh bands are fashionable again at weddings and parties," cheered Quickwire.
Two hours had passed since they started and Maeve waited patiently for the boys to finish.
"You sounded wonderful together and it's a good group of lads yer in with," Maeve extolled.
After speaking with Terri and Connor, it was discovered that Maeve had also been invited. Two large parties had sent last minute regrets due to car trouble or illness. So the Dennehys would help fill a table on the bride's side.
Maeve would take the boys to the lodge hall and then come back and dress since the musicians needed time to set up.