Fosters: Blackhawk (42 page)

"Cloud, they did a good job.  Fuckin guy
didn't pay until that morning.  It explains a lot. I can
breathe a little easier now.  You know Mitch didn't find
anything, she had the same information we gave the kids. You have
some fuckin smart kids, wouldn't mind hiring them for other
jobs."

I laugh, "I'll have to ask their parents, you
know the oldest is fifteen right?"

He laughs. "Going on fuckin fifty.  Let
Little Ben know payment is in his account. I need to call Steve, I
want this done."

"I'll tell him."  I hang up and call Ben.
 "Did you read the file?"  

I hear him walking.  "I did.  Baxter's
have it?"

"Yeah.  They don't have the information
about Rob.  Jamie's calling Steve now."

He lets out a breath.  "I don't get why he
went back to her. He knew what she was doing."

"Does it matter?"  I say picturing him
running his hand in his hair.  

No hesitation, "No, it doesn't.  I just
like the information for my memory bank. The unexpected needs a
reason, kind of thing."

"Do you need me for this?"  

"No, it has to be me, Danny and Steve."  He
doesn't sound sad or bad about it. It's just the way it is.  I
nod like he can see me.

"I'll talk to you tomorrow." I hang up at his
'later Brother'.  

I email Little Ben that the money is in the
account and shut my laptop down. I don't move though.  I
breathe deep and feel Jeremy behind me.  He climbs on my lap
and relaxes back onto my chest. "It's almost done my Littlest
Ninja."

He pulls my arm around him and jumps laughing.
 I smile, he's getting so strong.  

One
month

Cloud

The kids are upstairs with Tess, Aleena and
Chase. The baby is sleeping and I'm watching my wife devour him
with her eyes.  "He's beautiful." She says for the fifth time.
I smile, he really is.

Nunánuk comes in with a big smile.  "My
grandchildren are amazing. They are giving the spirits a workout
today."

I laugh.  "They can take it Nunánuk, Jeremy
and Christian are getting stronger, the spirits don't have to work
so hard."

She smiles and takes the baby from CJ.
 "What do you need little mamma?"  I ask as she moves her
feet off the bed.  

"The bathroom.  I can do it."  She
says holding her stomach while she stands.  I stand at her
side giving her my arm to hold for the walk.  

I wait outside and tell Nunánuk about the
staples in her skin.  She looks horrified making me laugh.
 "She would not have that if she had the boy on the
reservation. Staples."  She shakes her head.  

"My little warrior was too big for her to
deliver.  It was better this way, they are both healthy."
 I say but wince at the staples.  

CJ opens the door and I help her back to bed.
 She doesn't really need the help but I need to be there and
she lets me.  "I hope they're done soon, I'm sick of the
hospital."  

"I can call and hurry them along."  I tell
her.  I'm sick of these walls too.  

She holds her stomach and laughs.  "Don't
you dare!  Jeremy will have everyone trying to convince us to
bring him back tomorrow.  This way we have at least two
weeks."  I smile, she's right.  He doesn't take no very
well.  Stan, the doctor that operated on CJ's head, sneaks him
in every couple of weeks.  He's cautious of who sees Jeremy,
only taking him to one or two patients each visit.  Today he's
got his hands full.  I smile and settle in watching my boy
being passed back to his mother.  She sighs looking at him.
 I know what's coming next before she opens her mouth.

Cloud

It's been a year since I met my beautiful wife.
 I wonder if she remembers the date. She hasn't said anything
and the kids haven't told me anything.  I have a necklace and
bracelet for her; it's from my people with the blessing of our
shaman Nunánuk.   Aleena made a fancy regalia dress for her
and Joey the women all helped with shawls, they're beautiful.
 Because they are not of our tribe it is different but the
difference in them is what makes them so beautiful. Tonight we
dance together. Aleena taught CJ the dance for me; she thinks she's
surprising me.

I'm excited as we pull into the first gate.
 Brantley opens and closes them for me.  My boys are
growing into fine scouts, with they're hair growing, knowledge
about our customs and language and confidence in their movements
they're going to be good warriors for our people.  I have
their regalia waiting at the house for them; they will be welcomed
into the tribe tonight as well.

When we pull up I get Mase out and carry him in
for CJ, the boys are getting the bags. Little Ben and Jessie go out
to help, there's not much, we keep the house stocked in case we
decide to stay longer when we come down. Danny and Steve drove up a
couple of days ago. They wanted to finish the room for the boys
before we got here.  I put Mase on the table and get the
playpen from the closet.  Steve comes down as I'm opening it.
"Just finished cleaning up the tools." He says walking to Mase, he
takes him out and kisses his head. "Six weeks with a head of
hair."

"I hoped he would have dark hair, I didn't
expect it to be jet black. Was Little Ben's hair long too?"  I
ask, not remembering baby pictures of him.  

"Yeah, think he was two I cut it straight at his
neck.  Four was on his shoulders.  He cut it once for
girl with cancer, a wig for her.  Jess was pissed, hasn't cut
it since."

"Taylor's teacher said something to him about
cutting his hair; CJ went to the school and told the guy off.
 I stood there trying not to laugh.  I thought she was
going to hit him when he said he's not Native American."  I
smile remembering, I love when she gets pissed, as long as it's
directed at someone else.

He nods, "Guy told Little Ben to have it tied in
his class.  Hate that guy.  Had him moved in the other
class told him don't even look at my kid or he'd be lookin for a
patch to match his purse." Fuckin Steve.  The teacher is gay
but not openly.

I get Mase in the little playpen asking Joey to
stay with him and check the back of the suv for bags.
 Taylor's is left.  I carry it up to the room wondering
what Danny came up with.  I stop at the door; he's fuckin
crazy with this theme building thing.  He took the wall down
making the room bigger; tepees are at the corners of the room
raised up over a field.  It looks like they're right in the
field.  Walking in I notice the bases of them are drawers with
tall grass dotted with wild flowers painted on them, it's how the
whole bottom half of the room is painted.  CJ is in a tepee
with Jacob and Jeremy.  Danny is in Taylor’s; I ask Little Ben
where they sleep.  He smiles opening a door in the wall.
 I laugh, bedrolls are rolled and standing on end.
 Fuckin guy does everything if he does something.  I'm
happy to see they're thick, I have a feeling they'll get a lot of
use.  Looking in on Brantley I smile, he made them authentic.
 Well, except for the round mattresses instead of ground.
 "Nice tepee."  He's got a face splitting smile on.
 I drop Taylor's bag inside his tepee.  He's not in it
anymore.

Walking out I see Danny with Mase walking behind
Joey.  She's slow but she's much better with the crutches.
 I follow them smiling.  Joey has tepees too; she has
pink, blue and purple flowers. I look in the other two tepees.
 One is smaller than the others.  I go to the side where
Danny is talking to her.  It's open for her to get in with a
grab bar hanging from the ceiling. "Thank you Danny.  I didn't
expect all this."

He turns around and smiles.  "Had some help
from your friends, you got a lot of fuckin friends Brother."
 He laughs.  "They finished the basement.  I didn't
know what else to put them on.  It's not like we had a ton of
work to do.  You have a game room, tv room and a finished
storage room for outside toys you'll no doubt accumulate."

Oh shit.  "Did you find everything you
needed?"

"You have everything I do, plus the logging
tools.  What the fuck are you doing with all that?"

I laugh, "My grandfather was a carpenter, he
taught me how to build a good enough house to live in.  I
built Nunánuk with my SEAL team.  This one Eagle feather and
Bear helped. It took forever to finish.  They thought I was
nuts building it so big.  Said I would scare any woman away if
I ever brought her here.  Guess it's good CJ already had so
many kids."

"You built this and your grandmother’s cabin?"
 He's surprised.  I thought I told him when he was here
before.  I nod.  "You want a job?"  

"I got two fuckin jobs now.  Plus the 'Club
kids' shit.  No I don't want another one." I can't help it, I
smile.  "Thought I told you I built it last time you were
here."

"Guys say they built a house they mean they had
someone build it for them.  They don't usually mean they built
the fuckin thing.  There's a lot to you that we don't see."
 

"Weren't you the one that pulled me away from
another fuckin conversation that started off just like this?
 This is what I did on my down time.  It was therapeutic.
 Nothing more than a way to expend energy and plan for my
future family.  Fuck I don't even live in it; it's like a
vacation house."  I take Mase from him.  I love seeing
him but I love holding him more.  

"Your grandmother’s house therapeutic too?"
 He's smiling.  

I laugh, fuckin guy.  "No, her roof was
leaking and the house was falling apart.  I made it part of
her garage and green house and built the cabin around it.  She
always wanted a log cabin. Use to have pictures of them in her work
room.  When I thought I learned enough, I built her one. I
built the ranch houses for therapy after mine was finished."
 I turn and head back downstairs.

"Fuckin Brother with hidden talents." He's says
following me.  

"Did Raven bring groceries and beer up?"  I
should have asked sooner.  

"I guess, there was food and beer when we got
here and more appeared yesterday. I thought it was your grandmother
but there were so many guys around it could have been anyone."

I sit on a chair facing the glass wall.
 "Most of the guys here don't drink.  The others wouldn't
bring beer around.  It's a hazard of being Indian, alcoholism
is common."  He nods.  "Is Ben on his way?"  I want
to change the subject. 

"He should be here within the hour or so, Kate
is excited to see the kids in their regalia."  

"Me too."  I smile.  

CJ comes in and kisses Danny's cheek.
 "Thank you for making them happy, I never have to worry about
them not wanting to go to bed anymore."  She smiles and sits
on the arm of my chair.  

"It was a good way to spend my vacation days.
 We've been fishing, hiking and relaxing.  We spent two
days building.  It was a good break; I was dreading four days
with nothing to do."  He looks across the room.  

Steve comes in and sits in another chair looking
out.  "Was good for me too.  Fuckin Jess and mandatory
vacation.  Who the fuck makes vacation mandatory?  I
already take vacations.  Don't know why we need so many
days." 

CJ laughs.  "Something about the violent
nature of your jobs.  She told me one day but I thought she
was kidding."  

"She doesn’t play around when it comes to her
spreadsheets.  She's brutal."  Danny says.  I
remember him telling me that.  She's so sweet and calm when I
see her, and she's tiny.  I can't picture her mad or anyone
being afraid of her.  

Aleena comes in and plops down on the couch.
 We all just look at her.  "Nunánuk won't let me stay in
the ranch with Chase because we are not married."  

"So get married."  Danny tells
her. 

She rolls her eyes.  "He asked me so many
times by the time I was ready he stopped asking."  

CJ looks at her, "Did you tell him you're
ready?"

"Well, no but I didn't expect him to stop
asking."  She says like at makes all the sense in the world.
 

I hit speed dial.  "Are you going to marry
my fuckin sister or what?"  He says of course.  "She's
ready for you to ask again.  Don't take for fuckin ever
either.  Ben will be here, he can do the words right away and
the paperwork on Tuesday when everything opens."  I hang
up.

Aleena is staring at me.  Her phone rings.
 Danny laughs.  "You might want to pick up, it's Chase
asking you again."

She scrambles to get her phone.  "I was
just riding, yeah I can.  I'll see you in a few.”  She
slides the phone off.  "I can't believe you just did
that."

I look at her for a minute.  "You said
you're ready.  Did you want to wait longer?  Guys don't
think like women.  I told him you're ready he'll ask and fix
that.   It's what you wanted.  Don't keep him waiting
now.  Go get what you want Aleena."  I tell her softly.
 She jumps up and literally runs out the door.

CJ is hysterical.  "I'm so glad we don't
have to plan that wedding, she'd be one of the crazy ones."

"I'm so fuckin glad you are nothing like her."
 I tell her making Danny laugh.

He stops and looks at CJ.  "You got married
like every one of the old ladies. Except the party afterward. Mitch
is fuckin nuts but the ceremony was the same, we just had different
officials. None of them wanted anything crazy or extravagant. Tess
had a big dress, Nancy had the big band, Jess had a big cake, you
had a big party, Kate had a big honeymoon but none wanted long
engagements or big weddings."  He looks at Steve.  "We
should use that as a criteria for old ladies."  Fuckin Danny.
We all laugh.

CJ takes Mase to feed him, we sit talking about
the time tonight.  I check the time and stand.  "I need
to get the boys dressed."  

"You need a hand?"  Steve asks.  

"Yeah couldn't hurt.  I have to tell them
what the stuff they're putting on is. They'll need help getting
into everything."  They stand and follow me up.  I like
this collective parenting thing. Danny told me about it but it
feels good to be part of it.