by L. Ann Marie
“Scout I think you just lost dessert with the big boys.” I tell him still laughing, he smiles.
Jacob walks to him and smiles. “That’s too friggin bad brother.”
Joey laughs, “Mom’s going to be pissed!” She laughs holding on to CJ so she doesn’t fall over.
“Friggin Kids!” CJ says laughing. I don’t open my mouth. “You can’t do this shit; it’s not fair to join in solidarity against your parents. You do that shit outside the house.”
I laugh, “I think that would be more effective if you didn’t swear while saying it.” She gives me a look and I take a step back. “Or not, you would know.”
She cracks up. “I was being funny. I thought they would say they learned it from me.” Thank fuck. “So, no one gets dessert tonight only. Watch your mouths, just because I have a potty mouth doesn’t mean it ok for you to. You need to be at least 16 for most of those words and 18 for the others. Got it?” They nod. She laughs. “That was really funny though.” They all laugh with her. I watch her with her eyes shining, I love her. No, I fuckin love her. Jeremy looks up at me and laughs. Fuckin kids. He nods.
The bell rings and CJ opens the door to Patches. “Hi CJ, Danny asked me to a meeting with the kids, I thought I’d save you a trip and take them over.”
She looks at me and I nod. That felt nice. “That would be great Patches. Thank you. Do you need the van?”
He smiles throwing me chin. “No my truck will fit everyone if Joey doesn’t mind me lifting her in.” He looks over to her. She’s smiling shaking her head yes. The kids kiss CJ and walk to the door waiting for Joey to go first. I follow watching them follow her down the ramp instead of going down the stairs and meeting her. CJ stands on the side of me with her arm at my waist. They are too fuckin much. Jeremy smiles at me. That kid can get through anyone. When they make it to the suv we wave and go back in.
“I think I’m going to like living here.” I tell her as I walk her to the bedroom. Patches just gave us an extra forty-five minutes, since we need a shower I get her dirty before I wash her up.
CJ
I love living here. Besides I'm across the street from the beach we live on a guarded street and people are always jumping in to help even when we don't ask for it.
He walks me into the bathroom and strips me. I wait for him to get out of his clothes and walk backward into the shower while he's bent down kissing me. I'm glad I waited. He turns the water on and soaps me down. I really like this, his hands skim across my body turning me on big time! When he stands I see he is as ready as I am. He lifts me onto his hard dick and drips shampoo between my boobs. With one hand he wipes it down to my pussy and around my nipples. "Go ahead baby; show me how you make it feel good while I'm fuckin you." Fuck. He doesn't say much during our love making but it's always profound or just plain erotic. I slide my hands in the shampoo and pull on my nipples. Fuck that feels good. He moves me up and down on his dick making me moan. When I'm tired of teasing him with my hands on my nipples I grab the shampoo and drip more on me then him. I slide my hands on his chest squeezing his little nipples then down to where we meet. I put my thumb and forefinger on the side of his dick on the up strokes. He starts pulling me harder and moans sending shivers down my spine. I circle my clit when he moves me down and come hard and fast. Too much teasing did me in. He's breathing heavy and moving me faster and harder, I hold on feeling spent and a little like a rag doll. I use one hand to swipe his nipple with my nail and he yells out 'Fuck!' slamming me down hard two more times. I come again crying out his name and fall against his chest. Holy crap I feel like jello. I moan against him hoping he doesn't try to put me down. He sits on the bench and holds me to him tight. "Fuck CJ." He says between breaths. I just lay against him thinking he did. Holy crap he did.
Chapter Seventeen
Three days
Cloud
I'm working with the kids for the first time. CJ has the 'happy's', I have the others. I pull Jeremy to the front and show what the sequence I just taught them was for. I hold him in front of me by his arm and tell him to use the sequence to defend against me and get himself free from the threat. He nods and takes a breath. I give his arm a light squeeze and he moves so fuckin fast I'm surprised and have to jump to get the next move in. He defends and flips to the side making me laugh. He's a fuckin Master if I ever saw one. The kids laugh and clap. I tell him I want to try another. He nods with a smile. Little Badass moves in front of me with confidence making me proud. I use a sequence I did last week. He defends every move but I catch him when I add a move at the end. He slides his feet over, twists away and flips right the fuck over me. I look back amazed and shocked. CJ claps for him. "He fuckin flipped over me." I tell her.
She nods smiling. "He did good, I saw him. He's got skillz." She laughs.
I look back at the kids. Little Ben and Darren are watching with shocked looks, the littler guys are smiling. He fuckin flipped over me. I look over at the camera telling Digs I want him to send that to me.
Jeremy stays with CJ and I pull each kid up and have them defend against me. The little guys are really good. The older boys are quicker and stronger and have no problem with the first sequence. I'm proud of them and tell them. I ask if they have questions.
Little Ben says yeah. "Will you teach us other things too? Like shooting and using what's available as a weapon?"
Fuck. I didn't expect this so soon. Jeremy runs from the other side of the room. Jumping on the barrel and up to the top of lockers against the wall he steps to an open locker door and flips down to the bench flipping again to stand facing us. He's like a fuckin stunt man. I laugh. "Little ninja here will work with us on that." I look at the kids, they're smiling and nodding. "As for shooting I think some of you are certainly old enough and disciplined enough to learn. That is not my call to make, I'll ask your fathers'. If I get a yes I will teach you what I know of guns, arrows, knives, sticks and hatchets."
Little Ben nods then smiles, "hatchets?"
I laugh and shrug, "I'm Indian." They crack up. "Jeremy go up to the meeting room and give a demonstration of using what's around you to get away. Little Ben ask your father and Rich to try and grab him." They run out of the room with the rest of us following. CJ is cracking up. I carry Joey and get to the meeting room to see Jeremy reenacting a fuckin Jackie Chan movie. Steve and Rich are fuckin laughing more than they're trying to catch him. Danny comes in and closes the door. He catches Jeremy by the back of his shirt and holds him up. Jeremy puts his arms up and slides out of the shirt going between his legs. He uses Steve to bounce to the table and runs. At the end of the table he turns around and smiles at us. "Suffice it to say training Jeremy for defensive moves is a little below his level of ability." I tell them. I look at the kids. "Do we have anyone else that has this ability?" Jacob, Ally, Alex and Victor step forward in a straight line and flip onto the table. "Do the little ones have this?" They look at Jeremy, Ally looks back at me. "Devan and Brenna will." She says and signs. "The twins are different, they will be all." I look at Danny.
He looks at Jeremy, "Why is Jacob in this group?"
Jacob answers, "I am his."
I ask, "What does that mean you are his?" Jacob looks at Jeremy. This conversation seems like it’s out of a science fiction movie.
Christian walks to Jeremy and puts his hand out. Jeremy takes it and sits in the chair Christian pulled out. Christian sits beside him the kids follow and sit. I look at the adults and we sit. "Jacob is him, his, he can talk and give Jeremy the peace so he gets stronger."
"When did this Master ability start?" I ask looking at Jeremy. He smiles at me.
Christian answers. "When you came to the house. You are strength, honor and discipline, I use you're strength, your focus, the spirits. Before I only had mom, she is love, protection. I couldn't fly and come back. You showed me how to come back. Tess shows me how to hear with control. Steve shows me how to defend. Danny, how to anticipate the next. Rich how to see all. Ben is the beginning. Everyo
ne here gives to me. I take all for the next."
"You use what you see in our mind to pull what you need from each of us?"
"I don't know. You are and I learn that. Little Ben can help you understand. Jessie, Darren, the boys who come before. They know, they saw. I just am."
Danny looks over. "What do you need from us to be who you will become?"
"Knowledge. People to teach. Love to grow." He's getting antsy.
I lift my hand to stop Danny. "Jeremy do you need to go away?"
He looks at me his face drawn. "Daddy." I go to him and lift him putting his head on my shoulder.
"The questions are for the rest of you. We can wait if you don't have the answers." They nod. I look at Danny.
"Who leads you?" He asks.
Christian smiles and answers. "Little Ben, Darren and Jessie." He looks at them and I can see the love he has for them. "The three before them Ben, Steve and you."
CJ sits up straight, "Is three an important number to you?"
"Yes." Comes from Little Ben. "Like the system of checks and balances. The vision, the discipline, the logic. Three is important to you too. Lead, teach, enforce. It's everything, we learned it from you."
Rich clears his throat. "Are there specific things you need us to teach you?"
"Yes but they're yours to give." Jessie says signing for Darren.
Ours to give. I look at Danny he's doing the same thing. "We need to have the plan or agenda and you'll learn from that?"
He smiles, like we're finally getting it. "Yes."
"Fuckin kids and their cryptic messages." CJ says making us all laugh. The kids put their hands out. I throw them a buck. "Why didn't you just tell us?"
"We can only work from the beginning. Teach what we learn; give what we've been given. We don't know what we don't know." Jessie says trying to make us understand.
Danny smiles and looks at me. I nod for him to go ahead. "We want you to learn all you need to be more; stronger, faster, logical and loving. We want fierceness in your passion and mercy in your judgements. Honor in your hearts and discipline in your mind."
He looks at Rich. "Honor, integrity, loyalty, commitment, patience, respect." He looks at Steve.
"Unconditional love." He says shocking us all.
He looks at CJ. "Protection, compassion."
She looks at me. "These are the things we want you to learn, these are the traits that make us proud of who we are. We want you to learn these traits and live with confidence in those lessons that our belief of a better more harmonious world can exist and is ours to shape. We have the power to live and show that belief to others, teaching them along the way."
Danny jumps in, "With that goes the enforcing that you spoke about Little Ben. We have to protect that belief, for our Brothers and the innocents that can't defend themselves. We take care of our own has to mean that. We learn to defend, and when needed attack to protect what is ours. We don't go out looking for a fight, we fight to defend. Always to defend what is ours." Little Ben nods.
"We need time to learn that. We've learned and will keep learning the lessons of our fathers but defending is more, it's harder. We need those lessons. Jeremy sees threats to us, he sees you defending, he can learn from what you give him but we need the lessons." He says with confidence and no embarrassment. I'm proud of him.
"He is, and we all are, proud of you too. You are the teachers." Christian says.
Steve stands. "Enough for today. We'll keep teachin. You keep learnin. We defend us together."
Little Ben smiles, "together." The rest of the kids say it too. I'm so fuckin proud of them.
"Come on guys we'll stop at the cone on the way. Do you think we can squish you all into the van?"
Joey yells yeah and the kids run out the door. Danny carries her so she'll get a seat, I follow with Jeremy. At the van the kids wait for Joey, Brantley takes Jeremy. CJ pulls me down for a kiss telling me she’ll meet me at home later. I love this woman. I kiss her head and thank her.
Danny follows me back in, he's talking to Pres, telling him he's needed in the meeting room. Rich is already pulling the feed so we can watch it when Pres, Tiny, Doc, and Bob, get here.
Chapter Eighteen
One month
CJ
We get to Rachel's in record time. Christian said I needed Little Ben so I brought him with me. Friggin kids. Three kids are outside, I’m glad to see them playing with the toys and bikes from the garage safe room. I can hear the yelling inside. Dear Lord the neighbors are going to throw us out. I walk in calm and follow the voices up into the boys room. Ricky is screaming at Carmen, Carmen yells back.
I walk into the room and yell, "Enough!" They stop. Rachel smiles and nods her head at Little Ben. "I'm going to talk to Rachel, then Carmen then you Ricky. You are not allowed to speak until I get to you. You are not allowed to interrupt. You will get your chance to speak and you can add after everyone speaks but only if you follow the rule. Does everyone understand?" I hide my smile while they nod. "Rachel what is going on?"
"The school called, Ricky got suspended for fighting. When I went in I found out he was fighting because a boy has been messing with Carmen. I had words with the principal about him getting suspended at home while the boy that messed with Carmen got in school suspension. Ricky threw the first punch so he bore the brunt of it. Carmen is angry because Ricky got suspended again so she came in here to talk to him. The fight followed but neither will give an inch and neither will listen to reason." She's smiling. She's not at all upset that he was suspended.
"Carmen, tell me why you’re so upset that you are screaming at the top of your lungs at Ricky."
"He's so stupid!" She stomps her foot, I raise an eyebrow. Her shoulders slump. "The boy won't leave me alone, he keeps following me, talking to me, calling me names, he's rude and says nasty thing about my chest." She looks down red faced. "Ricky saw him in the lunch room and told him to leave me alone. When the kid laughed Ricky hit him then they were fighting and Ricky already got a warning he knew he was getting suspended this time. He should have left it alone." She doesn't look at us or say any more. I hope Ricky beat the crap out of the kid.
"Ricky what happened?"
"That ff..friggin as..jerk touched her. I told her to tell so the teachers would watch her but she wouldn't. Like being embarrassed is the worst thing in the world. I told him to leave her alone he put his arm around her and touched her boob. I hit him, what's he going to do next? She won't tell any ff..."friggin one what's going on!" He's pissed but changed the swears before they came out. Good for him.
"Ricky I think you did what you needed to. We take care of our own and protect our girls at all costs. You did that. You probably could have told a teacher or Rachel what was happening and avoided all this but you protected her. The thing with protecting people is you have to be smart about it. That boy is going to keep messing with Carmen and now you. He knows every time he messes with her he can get you suspended. He forces that and Rachel won't be protected because you're not there to protect her." Little Ben is friggin awesome.
He looks at Carmen. "Carmen you should have told someone about the boy before all this happened. Ricky is right, embarrassing things happen to us all through our lives. A little embarrassment would have stopped Ricky from being suspended but more importantly it would have shown that boy that you respect yourself enough to stand up for yourself. If you told the first time the boy wouldn't be getting more daring to see how far he can go with you. You need to see that it's up to you what happens in your life. If you allow him to disrespect you, more boys will follow and treat you the same way. You are a Little Sister. Little Sisters are respected and protected. We need to talk to Kate about making sure you know what that means. I don't think you're mad at Ricky. I think you're mad at yourself for it getting this far. You can't yell at him that you can handle the boy if you never showed him you could. You showed him the opposite, so he handled it. Granted he could have thought it through and had the boy su
spended for at least a week for sexual harassment but he handled it the best way he could think at that moment." He walks to her and lifts her chin so she looks at him. "I think what you're trying to say with all this yelling is thank you. He protected you when you couldn't."
She cries and nods her head. He pulls her to his chest holding her head. He looks at Ricky and smiles. "You did good Ricky but we need to work on strategy with you. We'll do that at Little Brothers this week. This is an important tool in protecting what's ours. If you need that, I bet there are others that need it too. Yeah?"
Ricky smiles. "Yeah, Brother." Little Ben smiles throwing chin, he moves Carmen to Rachel and walks out. Fuckin kids.
I look at Rachel and we both laugh. "Other than me taking you to school tomorrow so you can tell the principal what this boy has been doing, I have nothing to add to what Little Ben said Carmen." She nods and walks out wiping her face.
"Ricky I'm going to say it again, the only thing you did wrong was not think. I think the Little Brothers will help with that. I don't know why you won't come out; you are not being punished for taking care of Carmen." Rachel is still smiling. I love her.
I look at Ricky. "I want to bake you a friggin cake. Every time you’re in trouble it's because you were helping someone out. Learn a better way, but great friggin job buddy."
Rachel laughs walking out the door, I follow her. There was no reason for me to be here, other than to taxi friggin Little Ben's butt. In the kitchen Rachel asks if she should call Kate. "I think we need to let the Little Brothers handle this. They'll get Kate involved and make sure the boys know how to think first then react."
She shakes her head. "I wouldn't believe it if I didn't see it for myself but I guess we should let the kids teach the kids. It does make my job easier but it's a hell of a way for me to learn all this crap."
I laugh and wave walking out. She doesn't know the half of it. Little Ben is sitting on the ground talking to the other kids. He sees me walk out and stands up, the kids nod and wave to me. I call the bakery and ask for a cake to be delivered to Rachel’s with Ricky’s name on it. Little Ben smiles shaking his head. “Teach him how to do it better and he will. For right now he did the best he could. I’m friggin proud of him.”