by L. Ann Marie
Going back to her room I'm standing at the door looking at all the people that believed and brought my baby back to me. Tess is touching CJ's stomach laughing. Jeremy lifts his head, "mommy" he whispers.
"My Littlest Ninja believed enough for all of us and brought her back to me again. I love you Jeremy. I'm so proud of you." He kisses my cheek then puts his head back down.
The doctor wades through people telling them they have to let her get the tests done so they can move her to a regular room. Danny is holding Brenna, he gathers the kids, they walk out to the waiting room. Tess kisses CJ's cheek telling her she'll be home tomorrow. I laugh, fuckin Tess. As she walks by me I bend and kiss her cheek thanking her. Doc is talking to the doctor and Sally stands listening. Steve takes Jeremy and I finally have a clear path to CJ. She looks tired.
"You can sleep after the tests baby, or maybe even during." I smile at her. That was a lot of people to deal with; I should have kicked them out.
She smiles, "I'm a little afraid to go to sleep. I want to make sure I can wake up again."
"I won't let you go."
Chapter Twenty Five
Three months
CJ
Cloud is getting the kids in bed while I sit in bubbles up to my neck. It's been another good day. All the houses are running smooth, the kids were their usual awesome and Nunánuk came for a visit. It's always a good day when she visits, she has a special bond with the kids, I love it. We talked about Brody and his family. They're planning a visit next month; Eagle Eye has been video chatting with the kids, he's anxious to see them. I smile, I had no connection to anyone but the kids, my ex got the friends and his family in the divorce. For two years I was drifting until Cloud landed in my life and changed it all in the blink of an eye. Now I have the best friends and family always ready for anything, anytime and anyplace.
I think about that, my friends. Friggin Kate makes me smile; we went to talk to the woman next door from Rachel. Her boyfriend started yelling to get rid of us and tried to push us off the top porch step. Kate called Chet over and told him to take the guy out and cuff him to a tree. I laughed, lightning was flashing in the sky. She told the jerk if he didn't watch himself she'd have Chet put metal cuffs on him and leave him until the storm ends. She was so friggin calm while I was laughing hysterically. The woman started taking classes at the Center. Telling the guys what happened, Danny thought this made Kate a Badass old lady, Ben just looked shocked. "You tied him to a tree in a lightning storm?" Ben said it twice making everyone laugh. My friggin friends are the best.
"I hope that smile is for me baby?" Cloud says.
I open my eyes, "No but this one is." He laughs. "I was thinking about Kate having Chet tie the guy to a tree while it was lightning. We have the best friggin friends."
He laughs, "No we have the craziest fuckin friends on earth. I wouldn't trade one of them for a sane person. Fuckin Tiny is the closest thing we've got to sane." I laugh, he's right. He undresses and slides in behind me. "I'm glad you always get vanilla. The guys would give me shit smelling like flowers every day."
"Vanilla works with your cologne. Flowers would clash." I tell him pulling his arms around me.
He rubs his hands over my belly laughing. "Thank you baby." He kisses my neck. "The kids are riding tomorrow with Danny and Tiny, did you want to do anything?"
I move my neck so he can reach that spot that feels so friggin good better. "We need to get the crib up and the bags and boxes empty. We could do that before more boxes come in, batshit crazy every one of them."
"Told you. We can do that, I'll even make you breakfast." He kisses that spot. I moan. "I love feeling my boy in you baby, it's so fuckin sexy." He bites my shoulder.
He makes me feel sexy even with a beach ball in my stomach. "Show me." With an arm under my boobs he flips me so I'm on my knees and my elbows are on the edge of the tub at the back shelf.
He moves my arms and leans over me moving my hair to the other side. "My pleasure my beautiful wife." His voice is husky sending a shiver through me. His dick sliding in sends another. "Tell me if it's too much baby." He says gathering my hair in his hand. As if! I moan. And he starts moving. He's not all the way in, I bow my back, which is easy with the beach ball. He moans and goes deeper. Fuck it feels good. Just as I'm ready to come he leans down and rolls my clit, I'm done I scream his name and fight to hold myself up. He's slamming into me breathing heavy. I move his hand to my tit holding my hand over his massaging it and moan when he squeezes the nipple. He comes that quick and falls forward kissing the side of my head. "Fuckin hate it and love when you do that to me CJ, my beautiful wife." He's still breathing heavy too.
I relax against the counter. "I'm exhausted; you'd make me come at least one more time if I didn't." I say in two breaths. "I love you." I throw out with the third breath.
"Fuckin woman." I hear his smile. "Let me clean you up baby, I'll put you to bed."
I let out a moan as he pulls out. I could use a nap. He sits me down against him and washes my front. "I washed my hair this morning." I tell him so he doesn't get it wet. He grabs a clip from the basket.
"Where was I?" He asks as he twists and clips my hair.
It pays to be married to a man with long hair. "At work. I got dirty in the shower and you got a call to leave."
"Fuck." He spits out.
I laugh, "I'm capable of washing my hair. I even rinsed it." He laughs and gets us out. He dries me and gets a t-shirt from his bag. Danny had Penny wash them. He shows me the t and I laugh, friggin Tess. 'The heart of a lion, love of a saint', is going across the front with a stick figure family. She even got Hawk, Nunánuk and Aleena. He flips it and the back has all my friends and family. I cry. He slides it on me and carries my crying beach balled body to bed.
He sits and kisses my head. "Kuwômôyush my beautiful wife. Sleep baby. I close my eyes feeling the tissue cleaning my tears and smile.
Cloud
Once she's asleep I lay her on her side and pull on sweat pants. I kiss her head and grab my bag. I open my laptop on the table and go through the file Little Ben sent me. Fuckin kids are unbelievable; they found what everyone was missing. I watch the videos they attached shaking my head. Rob is going to die for putting the kids and CJ in danger. I feel nothing for him.
Maybe Jamie's right, we get desensitized seeing so much violence. I upload one of the files to my folder at Baxter's and call Kevin.
"They found it. It's marked 'surprise' in my folder." I wait for him to open it.
He sucks in a breath, “I need to get Jamie. Hold on." I wait reading through it again. They were thorough. I'm so fuckin proud of them. I hear Jamie and Kevin talking back and forth.
"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 t
he 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.
Chapter Twenty Six
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.
Chapter Twenty Seven
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?"