PERFECT DAY by BOOMERCAT RATED FRPT

Jeff has a good day. A tale from the Tracy boys' childhood.

Author's Notes: As always, many thanks to my own personal border collie, Sam, without whom I would be wandering in the wilderness, chased by commas and lost without a clue.

Jefferson Grant Tracy sat back on the hard wooden bench and sighed softly. Today had been one of the most perfect days in his life, and he was massively content.

The warm Texas sun beat down, but there was a whisper of a breeze that kept it from being uncomfortable. The other whispers around him would have made him uncomfortable in the past, but recently he'd come to accept his unexpected, unwanted fame.

Well, maybe not as unwanted as all of that. He had, after all, gone into the astronaut training with a full understanding that it was a high profile position. And he was vain enough to have originally thought it would be good to have people know his name.

What he hadn't expected was the incident on the moon, with a meteorite damaging the Al Naal lander and his own part in saving his fellow astronauts from death. He hadn't expected to be hailed as a hero. What he had done had been done in desperation and mortal fear of never seeing his wife and two children again.

But what he had done in those cold desolate hours had been hailed as heroic, and a shining example of the American spirit. His place in the history books was assured, but he had come to understand that fame had its price. There was no place in the country that he could go that he wasn't instantly recognized.

He didn't really mind the people who came up to him and asked for his autograph, or just wanted to shake his hand. He'd had his own heroes as a youngster, and he knew what a thrill it could be to have someone famous look you in the eye and smile.

No, those straightforward approaches were easy. What had bothered him were the folks who to tried to act as if they recognized he was a regular guy. Like today, when he arrived at the baseball field to watch Scotty's T-Ball game. As he walked up, lugging the folding chairs, playpen and cooler, all around him people paused, then ostentatiously went back to what they were doing, pretending that they hadn't Noticed.

The first time that had happened, Jeff had felt like jumping up and down and waving his arms just to break the tension. But now, he just accepted it as unavoidable. As long as it didn't bother Lucy, his beautiful wife, it didn't bother him.

He looked over at her as she listened with earnest attention to their younger son Virgil's babbling. He couldn't help the smile the picture drew from him.

Virgil was just under two years old, and had been very vocal for the last several months. Both Lucy and Scott insisted that he was perfectly understandable. Jeff only heard babble, although seeing the identical serious expressions on both the mother and son's faces as the baby spoke certainly gave the impression of a conversation going on.

"What's he saying, Luce?"

Lucille looked up with a shining smile, and placed a proprietary hand on her swelling abdomen. "Virgil is promising to take good care of Johnny."

"Donald." Jeff corrected. Both he and Lucille had agreed to name their children after their own childhood heroes. They had originally hoped to name this third baby Eleanor Jane, after Eleanor Roosevelt, and Jane Goodall, but the ultrasound had determined another Mercury Seven astronaut's name was in order.

Their disagreement was over which astronaut. Lucille wanted John, for John Glenn, where Jeff wanted Donald for Donald 'Deke' Slayton. Not that Jeff disliked the name John, it was just that he had dreams of a Deke in the family. It just sounded tough and manly to him. Lucy, on the other hand, didn't like Donald at all because of a childhood bully, and Jeff's assurances that they would only call the child Deke had fallen on deaf ears.

Well, there were still a few months before the baby was due, he had plenty of time to change her mind. In the meantime, he looked down at his beautiful son and smiled. "You're going to be a good big brother, aren't you, Gus?"

Lucy smacked his arm. "How many times do I have to tell you? Don't call him that, you just confuse him. His name is Virgil."

Another disagreement. He would never have opted for Virgil if he'd thought the poor kid would actually be stuck with the name. His intention had always been for Gus, a good solid name. Virgil was too close to virgin, and Jeff was fully aware of how cruel kids could be. But there again, he could bide his time. School was a few years off. He smiled lovingly at his wife, and turned back to the game.

He laughed softly at what he saw on the field. He was rapidly coming to the conclusion that T-Ball was the greatest sport ever invented. It was baseball for young children, called 'T-Ball' because instead of pitching, the ball was spotted on an adjustable tee, like a golf tee, so that the kids could actually hit it.

The field had four bases and a pitcher's mound, but any real resemblance to the baseball Jeff had played in high school ended there. The little boys and girls playing this game were just too young to have the discipline for real baseball.

This current play was an excellent example. A little boy on the opposing team had just hit the ball into the outfield. His heart swelled with pride as his son, Scotty stood on the base with his glove uplifted to catch the throw in from the right field. His boy knew that was where he was supposed to be, even if none of his teammates had the same knowledge. The moment the ball was hit, the rest of the team, including the catcher, had run en masse to the outfield to get the ball.

Jeff could tell that the urge to go with the pack was strong, but Scotty was resisting it manfully to stay where he was supposed to be. That strength tickled Jeff no end, and he cheered and applauded as one child finally threw the ball in Scott's general direction, and the entire herd of children ran after it again.

Eventually, the ball got close enough that Scotty ran over and picked it up, then ran back to the base just in time to beat the batter, and tag him out. Of course, he was on time only because the boy had run to third first, then to the pitcher's mound before his frantic coach finally got him pointed in the right direction.

Jeff's eyes were shining with pride and mirth. The kids were just so damn cute with their oversize gloves and tee shirt uniforms. The entire bunch of kids ran to the dugout as the other team took the field. The first up for Scotty's team was a tiny little girl with long blonde hair. She carried a baseball bat that looked to weigh as much as she did.

Jeff's eyes, however, were glued to the on deck circle, where Scotty waited on one knee. Jeff didn't know how he could love anyone more than that earnest tyke with the too-large helmet and the battered dungarees. Spotting something, he called out, "Scott!"

The little head swung around, and his boy smiled. "Tie your shoe, son," Jeff called out. Scotty looked down at his sneakers, then set the bat aside, and sat on his butt to laboriously tie the errant shoelace. The child had only learned the complicated task a couple of months ago, and while he could do it, he was still at that stage where it took all of his concentration.

Jeff realized he shouldn't have called out, because with Scott's concentration on his shoe, he wasn't watching the game. Chances of the little girl hitting the ball at him were slight, but Jeff's heart took a wicked plunge at the thought. He made a move to get up, but he needn't have worried. The home plate umpire saw the distraction, and stood up from his crouch and called, "Time."

Both teams and all of the coaches, and most of the spectators turned to stare at his son. Scotty, however, was oblivious as he worked at getting the rabbit to go through the hole. There was a pause as the whole world stopped waiting for Scotty to finish, and Jeff had to cover his mouth to keep from laughing out loud.

Soon enough, the boy finished with a decisive nod at a job well done. As Scott stood up and picked up his bat, the spectators all cheered as if he'd hit a homerun. Jeff realized that to an audience of parents of a group of five-year-olds, tying one's own shoes was a feat just as worthy as any hit on the ball field.

Scotty, for his part was looking around, trying to see what he had missed. After a moment, the cheers died down, and the game continued. The little girl hit the ball right at the boy on the pitcher's mound, and he had thrown the ball into the dugout, but under the rules of the game, that meant the girl could not advance past first.

Scotty came to bat, and Jeff felt his stomach tighten. He hadn't been this nervous sitting atop the Jupiter Six booster rocket that had sent him into space. His son approached the tee, and with a look of fierce determination, swung and knocked the ball into the outfield.

As before, the entire opposing team took off in hot pursuit, and Scotty ran for first. Jeff was on his feet cheering wildly, and Scott jumped on the base, then looked to his coach, who signaled him to go for second. He took off running as fast as his little legs could carry him, with Jeff urging him on.

Scotty made it to second, only to find the little girl was standing there, oblivious to what was going on. Jeff could see Scotty telling her to run, and pointing in the direction of the third base. The little girl started to run then paused, unsure what to do. That uncertainty gave the left fielder enough time to get the ball and run pell-mell to third base, tagging her out.

The girl crossed her arms and stomped off the field in a fit of pique. Even that stormy little cloud couldn't ruin the day for Jeff. He looked over at Lucy, only to see her lifting Virgil from his playpen. He immediately got up to help. "Luce, let me do that. He's getting too big for you to lift."

Lucy snorted. "Oh, please. I'm not a helpless little china doll, Jeff. Virgil's not too big. He's just the right size, aren't you, sweetie?"

The baby yawned and rested his head on his mother's shoulder, big eyes locked on his father. Jeff smiled gently. "Hey, big boy, c'mere."

Jeff held out his arms, and the baby immediately reached for him. Lucy pulled a face as she transferred him over. "Well, I like that! Deserted for a big hunk of annoying man."

Jeff smiled as he settled the baby against his shoulder. "Yeah, but I'm your hunk of annoying man."

With the baby warm against him, Jeff leaned over for a soft kiss. Lucy responded, lifting a hand to caress his cheek, love shining out of her eyes. The moment was broken by a cheer from the crowd, and Jeff looked up in time to see Scotty rounding third and heading for home.

He cheered as the boy stopped to jump on the base, then jumped a second time to be sure. "That's my boy!"

Scott looked up and grinned, making as if to come over. As much as Jeff would have loved to pick the boy up and swing him around, he pointed to the dugout. Scott came to a stop and looked at the dugout. Giggling, he shrugged an 'oops,' and ran over to sit with his team.

Lucy got up out of her chair, stretching. "I'll be right back. I'm going to take the juice boxes over."

"Oh, honey, I'll do that. You just sit here and watch the game."

Lucy gave him a look. "Not a china doll, remember? Besides, the baby's been kicking my kidneys all afternoon. I'm going to make a pit stop. You stay here with Virgil."

Jeff watched as Lucy carried the cooler filled with juice boxes over to a folding table where a few other parents assigned snack duty were arriving. Five months pregnant, and she was still the sexiest thing Jeff had ever seen.

Virgil was growing heavy as he slipped into sleep. It was a weight that Jeff could never get enough of. And with the advent of the newest little Tracy, he could look forward to sleeping babies for at least another couple of years.

Breathing in the soft scent of his son's hair, he wondered if the new baby would take after him, with dark hair and blue eyes, as Scotty did, or have Lucy's coloring like Virgil did. It didn't matter. The kid could have purple hair and orange eyes for all he cared.

He watched the game, or more particularly Scotty, as it played out. T-Ball games ran for six innings, or ninety minutes, whichever came first. Jeff could understand the need for a time limit. A glance at his watch showed that the ninety minutes had almost elapsed, and the kids had only played two and a half innings.

He took a lot of pride in the fact that his boy was one of the best on the field. Scotty stayed on his base for the most part, and hit cleanly. When the ball was thrown to him, he used his glove to block it to keep it from rolling away. Jeff was sure that if any of the kids actually got to the point that they threw something other than a grounder, Scotty would catch it.

Lucy came back with only a couple minutes to spare. Jeff raised an eyebrow. "Everything okay?"

Lucy gave him an endearingly goofy grin. "I feel so much better!"

Jeff laughed, and little Virgil moved against him, waking up from his nap. The baby looked around with a scrunched up frown, spotted his mother and reached for her. Lucy smiled and took him as Jeff muttered, "Fickle little beggar, isn't he?"

"Hah! He just knows who loves him most, huh, Virgie?" Lucy hugged the baby tight, eliciting some excited chatter from him.

Jeff, for his part, winced at the nickname 'Virgie.' As if Virgil wasn't bad enough. With a mock grumble, he turned back to the game, where Scott was once again on first base. The opposing team's only lefthander came up to bat, and Jeff sat up straighter.

The only time Scotty had left his base had been when this kid had hit a soft grounder between the pitcher's mound and first base. Like a kitten unable to resist a moving piece of string, Scotty had chased after the ball.

"Stay on your base, son," Jeff called out. Scotty glanced over, then turned his eyes back to the batter as he'd been taught. The boy at bat took a mighty swing, and hit a line drive directly at Scott. Jeff barely had time to gasp before Scott stuck his glove out, and caught the ball as if he'd been doing it all his life.

The spectators on both sides of the field broke out into cheers, but none were as loud as Jeff. The umpire called game over, and the whole team gathered around Scotty, cheering and jumping up and down in excitement. The coaches soon came up and chivvied the two teams into straight lines for the traditional post game handshakes.

Jeff watched as the entire team made a beeline for the snack table. A few other fathers came over to shake his hand, congratulating him on Scott's performance. Jeff couldn't stop beaming. He stood with his arm around his wife, watching his son come running waving two plastic bags.

"Daddy, did you see? I caught the ball! I caught it!"

Jeff scooped the boy up and swung him around without reservation. "I sure did! You were great!"

Giggling, his eyes shining, Scotty was the most perfect son Jeff could imagine. Lucy was more pragmatic, though. "Jeff! Stop that! You'll make him sick!"

"Hah! Not my boy! He's tougher than nails!" Jeff said, but prudently put the boy down.

"Yeah, Mom. I'm tough as nails! Did you see? I didn't even flinch!"

"Flinch? You? Not my brave boy. But I want you to calm down. Why do you have two snack bags, Scotty? You didn't take someone else's, did you?"

"No, Mom. Mrs. Kennally brought extra so I could have one for Virgie." The boy turned to his little brother. "Look, Virgie, there's a cookie and a piece of orange and a juice box."

Scotty dropped down to the ground. Virgil toddled over to him, watching with serious intent as his big brother worked to poke the plastic straw into the juice. Scott handed the box over with the admonition, "Two hands, Virgie."

Jeff sat down and waited. It was a bit of a letdown from the excitement of the game, but the after game ritual of snacks and juice boxes was important to calming the kids down and letting them cool off. As he looked out over the field, other families were doing the same thing.

He took a deep breath and thought again it had been a pretty damn perfect day. Earlier this morning, he had taken his family to Sears and with the flight bonus he had received just yesterday bought a top of the line propane barbecue, and a good-sized wading pool.

This afternoon, he would let Scotty help him set up the barbecue and the pool. The family would splash and play together, then for dinner, there'd be steak and roasted corn. And he could look forward to these family days more often. His heroics on the moon had leap -frogged him with a promotion to Lieutenant Colonel. It meant he would be leaving the moon behind as his responsibilities segued into the control room end of the space program.

Jeff would forever be grateful that he had had the opportunity to fly to the moon, but as his family grew, he was ready to leave the danger behind. And he was even ready to contemplate the unthinkable; leaving the service.

A few years earlier, he would have called the idea crazy. He'd entered the academy at age seventeen, and had immediately found a home. But lately, the restrictions imposed by a military life had begun to chafe. It wasn't as if he had no prospects. A chance encounter with a government contractor had resulted in a job offer. And if he was honest with himself, a lot of companies would jump to hire the Hero of the Sagittarius Expedition.

But he put all of that aside and watched his two little boys eat their snacks. His future was spreading wide before him with the promise of more perfect days to come. He couldn't wait.