Sean's Angel
By: Hal
(Copyright 2006 - 2007, by the Author)
Editors: Radio Rancher & Str8mayb

The author retains all rights. No reproductions are allowed without the author's consent. Comments are appreciated at...


Chapter 10

“What do you mean? This isn’t me?” Justin was looking at Sean in disbelief.

“Look, at the eyes, and the hair color. Not to mention, I can just tell. Here, look closer.” Sean said as he held the other corner of the picture with his left hand. His right arm went around Justin in a slight hug.

Together, they held the picture, and the same illumination from their first hug, enveloped them. They were staring at the picture, and the light was coming off of them.

“Sean, what is happening?” Justin was starting to get scared.

“Trust me, okay? I think I am understanding this now.” Sean said, as he hugged him tighter.

‘Yes, you are doing very well. With the two of you working together, you can be a mighty force. But with the third, you will be unstoppable.’ It was the same voice as before.

“How do we find the third?” Sean spoke, as he was trying to locate the voice. He knew it was stupid, but tried anyway.

‘Trust your heart. Now go. You don’t have time to waste. He is waiting.’

“Sean, Justin. Sean, Justin! Hey are guys alright?” Marty was getting a little upset, for then same thing was happening again. Sean and Justin were doing something as they touched, and it was unnerving to watch. The light was almost blinding now.

As quick as it came, the light disappeared. The two were standing there, looking at each other, then the picture.

“What do we do? Who is this?” Justin was questioning Sean.

“I know what we are going to do, but as far as who, Marty spill it. And I mean now!” The look on Sean’s face was serious. He meant business, and this was not the time to try to cover it up any longer.

“Okay, okay. Justin, Sean is right. That is not a picture of you. That is your twin. Your father and mother split up when you two were toddlers, and they settled it down the middle. Jared went with your mom, and you stayed with your dad. His full name is Jared Michael McCabe. He is your younger brother by a couple of minutes. After you guys were born, your mother couldn’t handle being married anymore.” Marty paused, for the words to sink in.

“I-I-I have a brother. A twin brother?” Justin was about in tears now.

“Yes. Now for the bad news. He has run away from home. He had been missing a couple of days now. There is a full team of investigators working on this. I am sorry I had to not tell you the full truth. I promised your father, that I would keep it a secret.” Marty’s eyes too, were starting to get wet.

“I knew you were a snake in the grass. I knew all along you were hiding something. You God damn…..” Sean was on his way over to Marty with his arms out, he wanted to strangle him in the worst way.

“Sean! No. This is not how to handle this. Jared is out there, by himself. We need to get to him and soon!” Justin said, as he wiped the tears away from his eyes.

“Yeah, you are right. We’ll take care of you later Marty. You are on my shit list, and it only has one name on it now.” Sean was glaring at him, with a snarl on his face.

“I can’t tell you guys how sorry I am. I want to help. Please let me help. This is partly my fault too.” Marty was on the verge of tears. He knew long ago, that this day would come. But now he also had to put up with Sean, and his temper was not looking good at the time.

“Sean, I think we should let him help us. Have you driven around this area at all? Marty knows the area like the back of his hand. I think we should let him drive, and we can tell him the directions to go.” Justin was almost pleading with Sean. He wanted his brother, but had no idea of where to start.

“Well, for now, I guess I have no choice but to try to trust you. You are on thin ice, so watch out. I am already in a bad enough mood. So don’t try anything stupid.” Sean was really watching Marty, for his reaction, and his feelings.

“Let me make a couple of phone calls, there might be something I can report back to you quickly with.” Marty was pleased, that he had bypassed Sean’s wrath, for the meantime.

Marty stepped out into the living room, so he could make the calls. And raise his voice if needed. He had to contact the PI in charge of the case, and get a hold of his contacts in the police department as well. Time was of the essence, and he wasn’t going to let anyone get sleep tonight. Not if he was in the middle of it all. He was going to spend all the time that he could, to get this issue resolved.

“Sean, how did you guess that wasn’t me? I am the one who is supposed to know these things. All this time, I took what they said as the truth. How did you see through it?” Justin was about in tears again. He had been lied to all these years. His mother was alive, and he had a twin brother. All that time he spent alone, wasn’t necessary. He was finding out new things about his life, and with the help of Sean, new and better things to live for.

“I am not sure, really. I don’t trust lawyers to start with. But with his emotions, they were confusing. I couldn’t tell what was going on, but with my dream, and the way your dream went, it kinda fell into place. There was a piece to our little puzzle missing all this time. It’s just like the voice said. We need to follow our hearts.” Sean said giving Justin a big squeeze.

“How, how did you know? I tried to not let it show.” Justin stepped back from Sean, so he could look at his face.

“Little Justin, adults always know when their kids are lying. And with our little link, or whatever it is, you can never lie to me.” Sean said, as he ruffled Justin’s hair.

“Oh shit. Oops, sorry. But you gotta understand, I only did it to try to save you some grief, you weren’t having a good day then. I just kinda forgot about it is all. Wait one second, you mean you can tell if I am lying? Oh Man!” Justin had started pacing back and forth, as he realized the full potential of their bond.

“Think about it. You can never lie to me, so you might as well get used to it. Just be honest with me, the first time around, and things will be okay. Trying to lie, isn’t the way to get ahead in life. Honesty is always the best policy.” Sean was looking at Justin pacing back and forth. He was hoping that something would click, and he would calm down. Sean had never seen him stressed out like this before. Of course, this was their first day out of the hospital, so he had nothing to compare it to.

Justin stopped pacing, and got a blank look on his face. Not knowing what was happening, Sean walked over to him. After a second or two, he had a blank look as well. They were being called by Jared. And as if on cue, Marty walked back into the room, to see the two standing there looking off into space, with no emotions showing on their faces. This time, Marty just watched the two. He had no idea of what to do anyway, so interrupting them wouldn’t do any good.

“What did you find out Marty?” Sean was the first to speak, and break the contact. Not to mention scare the bejesus out of Marty.

“Oh, sorry, you startled me. Nothing new so far. No one has seen him, or has any idea of where he is.” Marty said, as he tried to calm down. His nerves would be shot soon, if all of this continues. And to think that there will be a third one to join in the group. His life was never going to be the same again. He was almost regretting these two ever getting together.

“Well for starters, he is hiding. And he is very good at it. We need to get on the road now, before he moves again. Hopefully, between the two of us, we can keep track of him. Right now, he is hiding under a bridge. I have no idea of where it is, but I can describe it to you.” Sean said, as he looked over at Justin to make sure he was still in touch with Jared.

“I will try my best, if you let me.” Marty said, hanging his head. He was tired of the lies and deceit. He was going to tell the boys the rest, as soon as time allowed.

Sean described the bridge to Marty, trying to give as much details as he could, so they could narrow the search down. Marty was at a loss, but decided to try a map, for the street names weren’t available, but the number of streets and landmarks were available. Justin was still staring off into space, when he looked suddenly as Sean. Sean’s phone started to ring.

“Hello.” Sean said, wondering who would be calling now. He was not really nice, for this was not the time to interruptions.

“Hello, is this Sean Jenkins?”

“Yes it is. Who is this?” Sean asked, as his look changed to curiosity.

“This is Dale McCabe. Justin’s dad.” Dale was almost whispering. “Can you talk, or are you busy?”

“Uh, give me a sec, okay?” Sean asked, he didn’t know what to do. He looked at Marty, and then Justin who were staring at him.

“Can you get somewhere private please? I won’t take too much of you time, but this is rather important.” Dale said quietly.

Sean looked around, and then decided to go into the library, for privacy. He left Marty and Justin standing in the bedroom, and signaled to them he had an important phone call. They tried to follow him, but he directed them to the living room to wait. After he was clear of the two, he went into the library and closed the door.

“Okay, I am by myself now Mr. McCabe. What is so important that you don’t want your own son to know?” Sean said with venom in his voice.

“Call me Dale please. And I apologize for this phone call. I just need to let you know I am not a cold hearted person. Really, I am more human than you think.” Dale was trying to get it all out in one breath, but Sean interrupted.

“What do you mean, you’re human? How could you let your son sit alone in the hospital for that long with out even so much as one visit, or a get well card!” Sean could feel his temper rising, going through the roof. He was getting more pissed by the second.

“Settle down Sean. Please. Do it for Justin’s sake, if not mine. Let me explain, before I lose my nerve. So just let me talk.” Dale gave a big sigh, before he continued. “A little history lesson is in order. Justin’s mother and I were madly in love. But after the children were born, she couldn’t handle being a mother. Instead of going into therapy, we split up. She took Jared, and I had Justin. It wasn’t a simple decision, but with the courts the way they are, she would either get them both, or at least visitation rights for both. So instead of going through all the legal battles, we settled out of court. Marty was the only one who knew, and he was sworn to secrecy. Well, the cat got out of the bag yesterday, when Jared ran away from home. He was being neglected, by his mom. She had been drinking and doing illicit drugs, and forgetting about him. Unlike Justin, he knew I was alive, while we had always told Justin his mom was dead. Jared ran away to find me. Sean, I can’t be his father any more than I can be Justin’s. Please take my place, and be their dad for me. Your reward will be more than money, for they are both great kids. I have kept tabs on Jared since the separation, and he is a good kid. As you might have guessed, according to Marty anyway, you already realized who caused that car accident. Haven’t you? No matter, it was their mother. She didn’t want to miss out on her little cash cow. Yes, I have been paying her alimony or hush money since we separated. It was a simple decision, for a business man like myself to do so. But as far as being a good dad, I failed miserably. These two boys need someone there for them, and I can’t do that. I only knew how to have the kids, not raise them. And if all the info I have on you is correct, you will be a better dad than I could ever be. I will let Marty know of your decision, if you want to do this. I am not pushing this on you, but would like your input first. This is a big decision, for anyone. But the rewards of an instant family, are yours, if you want. Take a moment and think about it. And just for me, don’t hate me. If I was a cold hearted son of a bitch, I wouldn’t be calling you. Your original payments will be doubled, for you will be worth much more than that to the two boys. I will shut up now, and let you think for awhile.” Dale was almost out of breath, and it almost sounded as if he was crying.

“Well, um, I guess, um wow.” Sean was at a loss of words. He was ready to ring this guys neck, before he realized what was happening, or why. Now he was lost. His emotions were running the gamut, from scared to happy, to sad and even anger. He was starting to feel overloaded, when a calm feeling surrounded him. He could feel Justin, and just a little of Jared. He now knew what to do.

“Are you still there? Hello Sean.” Dale was getting a little impatient, but understood what a big decision this was for him.

“Yes, I am still here. And the answer is of course. Yes. I want those boys to have a loving father.” Sean said, with tears coming out of his eyes, as he finished with a sniffle.

“Well, good. You are a good man, and I am so happy Justin found you. I know you will make them proud to have you around in their lives. Consider this matter done. Now, go find your other son. You have my blessings, and please call me when you find him, please. I will let you get going, and Godspeed to finding him.” Dale said as he hung up.

Sean just stood there, staring at the phone. Before any time had passed, the door opened and Justin came running in. Marty was close behind, for he couldn’t figure out why Justin took off like a shot. Justin went running to Sean and just about knocked him over with a big hug.

“I am so happy for us. Can we go get my brother now? Pops?” Justin was crying into Sean’s shoulder, and holding onto for dear life.

“But how?” Sean hugging back, looked down at the crying boy in his arms.

Justin looked up, with his eyes watering heavily, and sighed. There was no need to explain anything else at this point. Their bond was nearly complete, and there would be no secrets in this family ever again.

“Well, Justin, we need to go find your brother now, he needs us.” Sean looked at the bundle of joy in his arms, and started to cry himself. He was completely taken in by the love that he was feeling.

“Hey guys, I don’t want to interrupt, but we have to go now. It is getting late, and we need to get moving. Its already getting dark out, and the temps will start to drop faster.” Marty was getting anxious, for he had already gotten the text message of what was happening. He was happy things are working out the way they were, for these two had a real bond going on. Something he couldn’t explain, but it was real. Now if Jared shared in this with them, he was going to be in trouble.

“Alright bud, we need to hit the road and go find Jared, he needs us. And Marty is right, it is going to be getting colder, and we don’t want him getting sick. We really need to get to him, and the faster the better.” Sean was loosening his grip a little, and really looking at Justin. Without warning he started to cry, and hugged him tighter.

“Hey, uh Sean, pops, we need to get going. I know how happy you are, I can feel it. But Jared needs to be happy too. Soon, we can stay home and be a real family. We need to let him know he is loved and wanted here.” Justin was trying, but not very hard to let go. Soon it was evident that their emotions could broadcast. They had a third in the hug, and it felt great.

As soon as they could, they let go of each other, and looked over at Marty who was patiently waiting. They had decided on which direction to go, and got into Marty’s car, which had been left there before lunch. Marty had left it there on purpose. Not the one they were using it for now, but to help Dale move his stuff out. Once they were done, they had run out of time, so Marty took the big car with the driver.

With Marty driving, and Sean and Justin in the back seat, so they could stay close together, the trio headed east to the nearest highway. Sean’s description of a bridge by an old tower of some sort lead to the direction they were headed. No one knew where to start, but with the two boys in the backseat, they were going to find him. Or die trying. They were determined to find Jared, and get him home safe and sound. No child deserves to be left out in the cold. For any reason. Jared had a loving family, and they were now searching for him.

“So pops, where do you think he is? Are we headed in the right direction? Is he alright? I bet he’s getting cold, and hungry.” Justin was about talking a mile a minute, for he was getting anxious to find his brother.

Sean looked over at Justin, and scooted over to him and wrapped an arm around him. He gave a reassuring hug, and directed Justin’s head to his shoulder. He was still a little in shock, for this was no longer just a kid. Not even a kid whose life he saved. Or one that had a rich dad, that was paying him to watch out for. This was going to be his son, one of two, and he was getting choked up thinking about it.

“Are you really okay with all this?” Justin whispered from his shoulder.

“How could I not be. Being able to be around you was good enough. Now, I will get to be around both you and your brother. How could life be any better than that?” Sean was thinking about all the time he had lost with his own children, and not allowing anyone to get close to him. He swore to himself, right then, that he would be as loving as he could be. He wanted to be happy, and all he had to do, was enjoy everything that was being given to him.

“Just wanted to make sure, you do know how twins can be, don’t you?” Justin said, as looked at Sean, with a slight evil grin.

“Not with me around.” Was all that Sean said. He was serious, for these two would be a handful, but only if you let them get out of control. His special ability now would warn him of such things. He hoped.

“Hey guys, we’re getting closer to the landmark. And the bridge is about two miles away. Are you getting anything or, uh, what ever it is you do?” Marty was concerned for Jared, but he was still unsure of what to think of the guys special ability. He just wanted everything to work out for the best. He wanted to make up for past mistakes, and he hoped this would help.

At the same time, Sean and Justin closed their eyes. They were trying to focus on Jared, and where he was. Justin couldn’t picture him, and instead could only feel him. Sean on the other hand, could tell they were getting close, for his energy was getting stronger. Sean couldn’t tell why he could sense better, but he was very grateful for it now. Marty had been slowing down under the speed limit, so they could stop on a moments notice. Marty could see the bridge lights in the distance. He slowed down even more, so he didn’t miss anything.

“Sean, are we getting closer?” Justin was sounding scared. This was all new to him, for this was a brother that he never knew he had. Not to mention the fact that he would have to share Sean with him, which was no big deal. But it was the unknown of who he really was, and what he was like. Justin could sense he was a good person, inside, but that was about it.

“Hang a right, right now!” Sean screamed at Marty, for the turn was immediate.

As the tires squealed, and the car slid a little, they made the turn. Barely. The rear wheels of the car had hit the dirt by the road, and they almost lost it. Marty had the reactions to keep them on the road, but his nerves were about shot after that.

“A little more warning next time please.” Marty said, as he was trying to get his heart out of his throat. That was too close for comfort.

“Good driving Marty. That wouldn’t be good to crash, before we could find him.” Justin was trying to lighten the mood, but it wasn’t working.

They had taken a detour, away from the main road. They were on a seldom used road, that would barely take two cars side by side. It was going off into the countryside, and into an area that no one in the car had been before. This was definitely a rural area, but didn’t look like it had any farms on it or anything. As they progressed down the road, there were indeed a few homesteads around. Most looked like they had been there for many decades, and a few look abandoned.

“Do you know where we are, or going?” Justin asked, as he looked out the window watching the scenery change. He had never really been to the country, and this was as close as he had ever gotten.

“I don’t know Justin. I think this area was going to be developed, and everyone sold out. But the project never went any further. I think this was going to be a new housing development or something. I can look into it if you want me to. This is a nice area, especially during the summer. The fields come alive and nature lets you know it is there.” Marty said, as he was looking back and forth from the sides of the road. He was slowing down even more, doing about 35 miles an hour, trying to watch for anything that would catch his eye.

“I bet it looks really pretty here in the daytime.” Justin was wondering aloud.

“I bet you are right. Maybe someday, we can come back out here if you two want. I kinda want to see what it looks like too. And I will look into what happened to the project, whatever it was.” Marty replied, knowing good and well who was the land owner now.

“STOP!” Screamed Sean.

As soon as the car had slowed down, he took off like a bat out of hell. The car wasn’t even at a complete stop yet, and he was out the door with Justin on his heels.

“Stay here Marty. You might scare him.” Sean yelled over his shoulder. He already knew Justin was on his heels.

They were running out into the field, where there was an outline of a small structure. It looked as if it was some kid’s fort or something, long time ago. There was a house in the distance, but you couldn’t make out the features. What was drawing them was in the fort.

“Slow down buddy. We don’t want to spook him now.” Sean said to Justin, as he slowed down to a fast walk. Stopping to catch his breath for a second, he could hear crying in the distance.

“Stay here for a moment, okay. I want to make sure he is okay first.” Sean directed Justin to stay about 20 feet behind him, for protection. He wasn’t ready to protect anyone, for he was unarmed, but as long as he could get in the way, it would give Justin a few seconds head start to get away.

“Jared, are you okay? Are you hurt? Are you by yourself?” Sean was slowly walking up on the opening to the fort, and couldn’t see inside. He could hear the sniffling, for the crying had stopped. But that was all he heard.

“Who are you? Get away from me!” Jared said in his scared little voice.

“It’s okay, we are here to help you. We aren’t going to hurt you. Promise.” Sean had stopped about ten feet away, so he wouldn’t scare him. Justin was still a few feet behind him.

“Who are you?” Jared said, as he tried to figure out a way to get away. He was cornered. There was only one way into the fort, and a stranger was standing there now.

“Don’t worry, son, no one will ever hurt you again.” Sean was wondering why he had said son, but it felt really good, and it was the right thing to say.

“Son? Are you my dad?” Jared said, as the sniffles almost stopped.

“I will be if you want me to be, and let me.” Sean was starting to tear up, for the emotions he was feeling, were not only his own, but those of his kids.

“Yeah, Jared, this is our dad Sean.” Justin piped up from behind Sean. He had taken the chance and walked up behind Sean, to help him in this time of need.

“Who are you?” Jared asked, as he backed into the corner again. Now there were two strangers out there. He was starting to panic.

“Easy now. This is your brother Justin. We are here to help you. Do you believe that?” Sean was feeling the anxiety in Jared. He was not handling this too well.

“Come on Jared. Search you feelings. Remember me? From your dream? I know I remember you. You look just like me. Except for being a little smaller.” Justin knew he might be pushing it a little, but he had to try.

“Son, can you give us the chance to show you? We can wait all night, but its getting rather chilly out here, and we have a nice warm car to sit it. Now it wouldn’t be right for you to be out in this cold by yourself, while we kept warm, now would it?” Sean could feel the tension melting ever so slowly. He looked at Justin and motioned for him to come closer, so he could give him a hug. This was a trying time for them both. As they stood arm in arm, a figure came out of the little fort. Ever so slowly, he came closer.

“Are you sure you’re my dad? You don’t look like it.” Jared was eyeing him ever so closely. But he figured that if he could surprise them, he might have a chance at running.

“Biologically, no. But I can be your dad if you let me. Will you give me the chance?” Sean was starting to tear up badly, and as the tears fell down his face, a slight glow came over him.

Without warning, Jared gave in. He went running to the two and threw his arms around Sean. He was crying again, and so for moral support, Justin hugged them both. As soon as the three were in contact, there was a bright flash of light again.

‘You have done well. Now the three are as one.’ The big voice said.

“What happened, did we die?” Jared asked, for there was nothing around them but white light.

‘No young one. Quite the opposite. This is the new beginning for you.’

“Who are you? Are you an angel or something?” Jared was afraid to let go of Sean, but was trying to look around too.

‘You have never been safer, you can let go if you like.’

“It’s okay Jared. We have been here before.” Sean said, loosening his grip a little.

Jared let go of his tight grip, but held onto Sean’s hand. He looked around but couldn’t see who was talking, or from where the voice was coming from.

“Are you God?” Jared had his head tilted to the side, for nothing else seemed to make sense.

‘I have been called many things, if you want to call me that, you may.’

“Then, why are we here. Are we being punished or something?” Jared was straight and to the point.

‘No little one. You are here because it is your destiny. With the three of you together, you can accomplish many great things. You are special, Jared, and these two will love you forever. Do not forget that. It will be hard sometimes, but with the help from these two, it will be easier for everyone. You will be part of a loving family, from now on. You, Justin, and Sean, can accomplish many great things together. That is the reason you are here and now. This is all I can give you. Stay together, and I know you will make me proud.’ With that said, the voice disappeared, as well as the light.

The three were standing back in the middle of the field, in front of the fort. They were still hugging, even though they were just holding hands in the other place.

“What just happened? Where were we? Who was that?” Jared was full of questions, but wasn’t sure if he wanted the answers. This was all new to him, for the funny dreams were about the weirdest thing to happen to him until now.

“I am not sure, Jared. As far as who, that is for you to decide. Whoever that was, is unique to everybody alive. There is no body, or description that would fit. There are as many names, as there are people alive. I know its hard to explain, but that is the best I can do for now.” Sean was trying to explain something that he had no answers for. It was really only a feeling that he had.

“It’s okay Jared. Both of us had been there before. And we’re both fine. I think we are just being protected, form above.” Justin said as he hugged him tightly.

“Are you okay? You aren’t hurt or anything are you?” Sean’s fatherly instinct kicked in, and he was looking Jared over from head to toe.

“Yeah, I am just hungry, and cold. Did you say you had a warm car somewhere?” Jared was starting to shiver badly, so he hugged into Sean more.

“Here bud, take my coat. You need it much more than I do.” Sean was taking his coat off, so Jared would have another layer on him. It was cold out, but he could survive until they got back to the car. Jared had been out here two days already, and needed it more.

“But then you’ll get cold. I couldn’t.” Jared said as his head was drooping.

“Look bud, its only a short way to the car, and you have been out here longer. Please?” Sean was pleading as he was handing his coat to Jared.

“Th-th-thanks.” Jared was starting to shiver now.

“Here, bro, come here and let me keep you warm too.” Justin said as he held his arms out.

“Thanks. Hey, I remember you now. You were in that field I was dreaming about.” Jared said with excitement as it finally dawned on him.

“Yeah, I was. And this guy's the owner of the dream we were borrowing.” Justin said as he pointed to Sean.

“This is the guy you were talking about. That was where he dreams?” Jared asked, realizing he already knew them. Or it seemed so.

“I knew you were there. Once I actually knew who you were, there was no doubt in my mind that we would be a family. If you like what you saw there, I think what we can have in real life will be better. Will you be part of it?” Sean said looking at Jared.

“Yeah, will you be part of our little family?” Justin echoed.

Jared looked at Sean, and could tell he was being honest. He looked over at Justin, with his arm around him, then back at Sean again. He looked down at the ground to try to hide the tears falling down his face.

“Hey bud, it’s okay. Just think about it for now. No pressure okay? I just want you to know that we are here for you, and we will always be here for you.” Sean was walking toward him, giving him a brief hug before turning in the direction of the car.

“I think the old man is getting cold. Let’s go brother.” Justin was smiling, holding Jared to his side as he started to walk back to the road.

“Old man? No, I just realized that now I have two bottomless pits to try to fill, and its almost dinner time. Wanna race to the car?” Without waiting for an answer, Sean took off running.

“Hey, that’s not fair.” Both boys said as they took off running.

It was no time before all three were at the car, just about out of breath. Sean hadn’t run like that in a while, Jared was just plain out of energy, and Justin was plain tired. Both Sean and Justin shouldn’t have exerted themselves like that, but it felt good to be out in the fresh air, with people who care about you. This little family was growing, and they would be able to help each other as long as they needed to. Where they would go from here would be up to them, and they would have many chances to grow from their mistakes. Sean would soon find out that fresh air and kids appetites were a dangerous combination.

“Are you guys alright?” Marty spoke as he got out of the car to check on them.

“Yeah, we’re good.” Was the answer from all three of them, at the same time. This caused them to look at each other and laugh.

Marty just got back in the car and started it back up. He was so nervous when they hadn’t been back quickly, that he was tempted to call for emergency backup. Now he was glad he didn’t. Things seemed to be working, and all he wanted to do was get them home and safe. What threw him for a loop was the simultaneous answer from all of them.

Once they were piled back in the car, and the heater going full blast, the younger boys in the back, started to talk about boy things, which of course lost the adults. Sean was sitting up front with Marty, but had kept an eye on Jared to make sure he was okay. The two in the backseat were talking cartoons and video games. As soon as they got closer to home, Marty called in for pizza delivery, to be delivered to the house shortly after they got there. Sean had agreed, that a nice hot shower was in order, for any kid outdoors needed a shower, especially after not having one for a couple of days. They finally arrived at the house and Marty pulled into the driveway.

“What do you think brother? Can you handle living here with us?” Justin was getting anxious to show him around once they got inside.

“Here? This place is huge.” Jared said as he looked at the front of the house.

“Justin, I think Jared needs a shower before the pizza gets here. He needs to wash off the dirt, and help warm him up more before he gets sick.” Sean was saying as he walked with the two up the stairs to go inside.

“He can wear my stuff for now, cause he is almost the same size as me.” Justin volunteered.

“Well, off with you then, I want two clean boys down here for pizza, it will be here soon, so make it quick, but get clean.” Sean was talking to the backs of the boys, for they were off running up the stairs as soon as they heard the word 'pizza'.

“Well, I guess I'd better be getting home myself too.” Marty was trying to excuse himself for the day.

“Stay and have pizza with us, please. It has been a long day for everyone, and I would like to thank you for helping us today.” Sean was trying to apologize for his earlier behavior.

“Thank you, I think I will. But I hope I ordered enough, those two look like they could eat it all without us.” Marty was trying to break the tension that was starting to form between him and Sean.

“Look, I am really sorry for snapping at you like I did. That was uncalled for. Will you accept my apology?” Sean was hopeful, for he didn’t want Marty to be his enemy.

“I will accept yours, if you will accept mine. I am so sorry that all this had to happen. If I had been truthful with you from the start, maybe things would have worked out differently.” Marty was being honest. For a change.

“Apology accepted then.” Sean nodded.

“There is one more detail about today, that, ahem, needs to be addressed?” Marty was being polite about it.

“Yes, I know what you are talking about. I will handle that, if you don’t mind. Now is not the time, though.” Sean could feel the pressure already, that having a family would bring.

Before any more could be said, the doorbell rang, and Marty went to answer it. It was the pizza delivery. Not just Dominoes, or Pizza Hut, but the little Italian Restaurant across town. They made the best hand thrown pizzas. Marty had ordered a small selection of three mediums, with a variety of toppings. Once the boys were clean, and downstairs, they took the pizzas into the family room to get comfortable. Sean was seated on the big couch, with Jared on one side, Justin the other. Marty sat on the smaller couch opposite them. They ate until there was nothing left but empty boxes. After finishing his last bite, Sean had leaned back into the couch to relax. The boys got comfy on his sides, for they were stuffed and tired. Marty was noticing how well they got along, and complimented each other. Before Marty realized it, all three had fallen asleep. Marty took that as his cue to leave, after he had gotten a couple of throw blankets to cover them. He wished them good night, and left for his own home.


To be continued...

Editor's Note:

Well that was a great chapter. We finally get to have Jared there with Sean and Justin. I hope this is the beginning of a fine family adventure. I think things will fall into place now, or at least I hope so. Hal has done a fine job so far. I know he will continue to bring us a great story, and I for one can hardly wait to read the next chapter. I am very impressed with this story.

Darryl
AKA The Radio Rancher


Another Editor's Note:

Okay, maybe Marty is alright, maybe. If he has more of this kind of thing I will give Sean an alibi for when he kills him. Poor Jared. Now Sean has two boys. I think we better get him a vaccination for AAKD (Add A Kid Disease). This can be a serious condition, just look at Tom in Haven, he's adding in pairs now. This can get very scary.

Justin now has a Dad and a brother. That is a good thing because for Sean to be both would have been very difficult. I almost feel sorry for the boys, (I did say almost) because they will not be able to sneak much by Sean. I do feel sorry for Sean, because the boys will try to sneak things by.

No, Neal, you may NOT sent them a tube of Ben-Gay and instructions. That would only get them in trouble.

Well I'll go start editing the next chapter. Keep reading and enjoy.

Str8mayb