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 14

Sean woke up in his own bed, or what would be his own bedroom. The sun was coming through the curtains, which is what woke him up. With the twins taking over upstairs, he felt a little lost not being close to the boys. Feeling nature’s call, he got out of bed. After he was finished, he wandered through the house into the kitchen. Not seeing Cecelia up and about, he managed to find everything to make a pot of coffee.

After the coffee was done brewing, he drank a cup slowly while he looked around the kitchen. He was amazed that all of this around him, was taking place. Finishing his first cup, he then poured another, but wanted to sit on the patio to watch the sunrise. He walked through the family room to go out the back door. Once outside, he plopped himself down on one of the padded chairs. It wasn’t even cold, which was a little odd for this time of day.

Sean was taking his second sip of his coffee, and was admiring the sunrise, when he felt so at peace with the world.

‘I am glad you are enjoying my little display.’

“I thought it was you. Thank you for the beautiful morning.” Sean replied to no one, for there wasn’t any one there to look for.

‘You are very welcome. And to think, some of the things I do, go unnoticed all the time.’ The voice said.

“I know that. And it is a real shame. But how is it that I can hear you, now, this isn’t a dream is it?” Sean asked, before he took another sip of coffee.

‘It is whatever you want it to be. But, in reality you are physically still asleep. I needed to talk to you for a minute. Sorry for the intrusion.’

“Nothing to be sorry for. I am blessed to be able to talk with you. What is it you needed?” Sean was curious now, for he still thought not very highly of himself.

‘That is what I needed to talk to you about. Your low self esteem. It might become a problem, not to me, but to those that you are around.’

“Well, what can I say, but sorry. All of this that has happened to me, it overwhelms me sometimes.” Sean was starting to sit up, so he could try to hide his face in his hands.

‘You will have to face nothing, that you cannot handle. I can see now, that I might have overestimated you. But I still believe in you. While I cannot directly intervene, I will tell you that you have the love of three young men, that will stand by you for eternity. You have nothing to fear. You are handling the situations very well, actually.’

“Sometimes, I feel as if I could do more though. I feel…” Sean dropped what he was saying, as tears started to flow from his eyes.

‘Yes, I know. That is why I needed to talk to you. You are doing more than the average person. And you will continue to do more, because you have love in your heart. Do not consider it a short coming, or a failure, for your emotions. That is why you are chosen. I know you are the right person to do what needs to be done.’

“But why me?” Sean was beside himself, trying to figure out the reasons.

‘Do not try to answer that. Just do what needs to be done. The answers will present themselves when it is time. Now it is my turn to take leave. I will never leave you to face the world alone. Remember that. And the boys will always be there for you as well. Be well my son.’

With that said, the voice faded, and Sean looked back at the sunrise. He was starting to feel the warmth, but not just of the sun.

“Let’s get him.” Was the next thing he heard, as two boys began to jump on the bed and start to tickle him.

“Huh, what?” Sean was surprised to being woke up like this.

“Happy New Years, Dad.” The boys said as they tried to tickle him.

It was a lost cause, trying to resist the two boys. Sean was at their mercy in a matter of seconds, warning them that they would get wet if they continued, so they let him up to use the bathroom.

After relieving himself, Sean walked back into the bedroom to see the twins sitting on the bed with the sun directly behind them. What he saw, made him stop dead in his tracks and blink his eyes. With the sunlight behind them, the twins appeared to have halos over their heads, and a rainbow aura surrounding them. Looking through the window at the sun, he knew.

“Thank you, I will never forget.” Sean whispered to the rising sun.

“What won’t you forget?” Justin had stood up and was walking toward Sean.

“And what’s the thank you for?” Jared was only a few steps behind Justin.

Sean looked at the boys, and at the sun. A single tear ran down his cheek. He could feel the love in the boys, and everything around him. He knew he could take on the world right then and there.

“I will never forget how much I love you two, and I wanted to thank you both for returning the love.” Sean opened his arms, which were filled quickly with two boys almost knocking him off his feet.

The smell of cooking sausage broke them from the moment, when two teenage stomachs started to rumble. Not wanting to get in the way of their appetites, Sean gave them the nod as permission to assault the kitchen. They were off, walking quickly, as in a contest to see who could walk the fastest. After the boys left the room, Sean walked over to the window, to take in the beauty of the rising sun. The warmth of the sun coming through the window, made him feel good to the center of his being.

“Thank you so very much. I will never forget.” Sean had his eyes closed, but the warmth of the sun let him know that he was heard.

Sean even thought that he heard a slight ‘you’re very welcome’ in the sunbeams. With a big smile, he headed for the kitchen. This time for a real cup of coffee. Walking into the family room, he noticed the boys were already sitting at the breakfast nook. They were signaling for him to come sit down. Half way across the room he saw his coffee cup sitting on the table. He went and sat down, and took his first drink.

“Is that the way you like it? I think I got it right?” Justin was waiting for the reply, almost holding his breath in anticipation.

“Yes, thank you. Just right.” Sean said, taking another drink enjoying the fresh coffee, and the wonderful company.

“I told you it was right.” Jared said from across the table, even kicking him a little under the table.

“Well you both were right. So calm down.” Sean was enjoying his cup of coffee, and wanted to wake up slowly.

“Hey Dad, Cecelia is making us omelets for breakfast. Unless you want something else? She is pretty flexible, unless it’s really outrageous.” Justin explained as he finished with a big grin.

“Ah, an omelet sounds good. And I want to thank you boys for getting me to bed last night. I was worn out.” Sean smiled at the boys, who had weird looks on their faces.

“We didn’t put you in bed last night.” The boys said, as they looked at each other.

“Yeah, I was going to thank you for putting us in our beds last night.” Justin replied, looking at Sean with intensity.

“So if you didn’t put us in bed, then how?” Jared asked, as Sean looked at him in disbelief.

The explanation would be in time, for now, though, it was time for breakfast. Saved by the southwestern omelet. The twins had dug into their food as soon as the plate was put in front of them, with Sean looking on in disbelief. He still could not remember ever eating like that when he was a kid. But the smell of the food in front of him, increased his appetite enough to make him start eating. Nowhere near the pace of the boys, but in all due respects, he could put away the food when he was hungry.

Cecelia had brought out more juice for the boys, and refilled Sean’s cup, bringing him the additives that he wanted. But before he could start mixing it, he was handed a glass of juice to go with breakfast.

“You need more than just coffee to keep your strength, these boys will run you ragged in no time flat.” Cecelia gave him a friendly smile, as Sean drank some of the juice offered.

“Yeah, I am finding that out very quickly.” Sean remarked, as he looked at the two, who were trying to look innocent.

“You sure it’s not because you are getting old or something?” Justin commented, then moved his legs quickly, for Sean tried to kick him.

“That wasn’t very nice Justin. Tell Sean you’re sorry.” Jared looked at Justin as he did make contact with his foot, which made Justin grimace in pain.

“Now, you two. That is enough. Jared, Justin is just kidding around, he is not serious. At least I hope he is kidding around. Aren’t you Justin?” Sean was pulling both their legs now, for the boys didn’t know how to react to this. Before the shock wore off, Sean was a few steps away from the table.

“DAD!” The twins said.

“I am serious about settling down though. I think that we know each other well enough, that we can tell when there is a joke. If not, I suggest the person telling the joke, explain right away. That way, no one gets there feelings, or legs hurt. Okay? And besides, what kind of example are you going to be showing Brandon?” Sean asked, as he put his coffee cup on the kitchen counter, and turned to face the boys.

“He’s right, I am sorry Jared. I should have let you know it was a joke, so you wouldn’t think I was attacking him.” Justin explained his story.

“Yeah, I am sorry too. Sorry for kicking you, and not realizing that it might have been out of fun.” Jared came back and apologized.

“Dad, we’re sorry.” Both said.

“Apologies accepted. Thank you guys for doing that.” Sean was beaming with pride, at the speed of which it was settled. Hopefully, it would always be this easy.

As if by some sort of cue, Sean’s phone rang. He looked around, and found it in the kitchen. Answering it, he found that Marty had some errand to run, but would be by in an hour or so, if they wanted him to. Wondering why he would want to work on New Years, Marty explained that he really didn’t have anything to do, but had something he was working on, and wanted Sean's opinion on it. Agreeing on the time, Sean hung up the phone and turned to face the boys.

“Well, what are we going to do today? Any suggestions?” Sean was going to try to pull the boys’ leg, to see if they learned.

“Can we go see Brandon?” Jared jumped up, and was running to Sean almost knocking him over in the big hug he gave.

“I think we can do that. How 'bout you champ? Any suggestions?” Sean looked a Justin, to see if he had anything he wanted to do.

“Nah, seeing Brandon will be good enough. But,” Justin hesitated.

“Go on, what is it?” Sean prompted him.

“Well, maybe, if um, Jared is going to stay here for good, we should go get whatever he wants from his old house. That way, if there is anything there, he can get it and bring it home.” Justin was almost blushing, for he knew the answer to the question, but was being polite in suggesting it.

“I think that we can work both of those into our schedule. But for now, we need to get ready, for Marty will be here in about an hour or so.” Sean gave Jared a quick hug, before turning to give Justin one too.

“I get the shower first!” Justin yelled, being about a half step in front of his brother.

Sean just watched, as they ran upstairs. Only to find a pair of eyes glaring at him.

“You shouldn’t spoil those boys like that. I keep trying to tell Justin no running, and you just stand there like it is nothing. Men. Harrumph.” Cecelia had turned to go back in her kitchen to sulk. She wasn’t mad really, but she hated her no running rule broken, constantly.

Sean could sense her contentment, over having two boys in the house now. All the bitching in the world wouldn’t cover it up. He decided to take that as his cue to leave. So he turned to go to his room and get ready. This new life was always full of surprises, but he knew not to doubt it anymore. This was his life. Every time he did feel a little down, a warm tickle filled his heart. He was starting to adjust in leaps and bounds. And this was only the beginning.

The twins had finished their showers, and to pass the time, ended up playing some video games in the game room. They were patently waiting to leave, so they could visit with Brandon.

“What do you think was up with Dad this morning? He was acting a little stranger than usual.” Justin put his controller down, and looked at Jared.

“I don’t know. He was unusually happy. Maybe he just woke up in a good mood. Why would that be strange?” Jared answered back.

“Hmm, I don’t know. It just seemed that he was all charged up about something is all.” Justin looked as if he was in deep thought.

“Maybe it was having a good night's sleep is all.” Jared shrugged his shoulders.

“Speaking of which, how did we get upstairs then? We were all asleep on the couch last thing I remember?” Justin was looking very confused over it.

“That is weird huh? Oh no, there goes the light again.” Jared pointed to the wall, where the signal for them to come downstairs was located.

“Well, it looks like it must be time to go then. But it has only been about an hour though.” Justin looked over the wall and the lights, then at his brother.

The boys had gone downstairs, to be called into the kitchen. Cecelia was pulling some fresh cookies out of the oven. The twins just looked at each other and smiled.

“Now, I know how much you like these cookies, but you need to share them again, both of you did such a wonderful job yesterday. And please try not to make such a mess this time okay?” Cecelia turned around, to take another pan out of the oven. She had made oatmeal raisin and peanut butter cookies with chocolate chips in them.

The twin’s mouths were watering, looking at the sight of the cookies on the counter cooling. They just looked at each other, then put on their sad puppy faces. They were going to try to worm their way into having at least one cookie before they left.

“Oh no you don’t. I won’t fall for that. Go get your Dad, and ask him. I will not be held responsible for your ruining your appetites.” Cecelia had her hands on her hips, and there was no trying to get her to change her mind then. She was dead set on it.

The boys took off like racehorses out of the gate, to be the first to ask for a snack when they got to Sean’s room. But they were so evenly matched, they bumped shoulders at the bedroom door. As soon as they had entered the room, they looked around to find Sean standing looking out his big picture window, staring at the sunshine. He looked as if he was in deep thought, or just really spacing out.

“What did Cecelia tell you guys about running in the house? Hmm?” Sean never turned from the window, but instead, kept staring out it.

“UH, b-b-b-but how?” Justin just stood there, he was amazed at how he knew they were running.

Jared just elbowed his brother, to try to help with the stuttering, for he knew they were busted. Instead of sticking his foot in his mouth, he kept quiet, and just stared at the floor.

“She said no running in the house.” Justin finally confessed.

“And were those cookies she just took out of the oven, worth the run over here to ask me for some?” Sean finally turned around to face the boys. They looked so damn guilty, it was funny.

“Um, so this isn’t a good time to ask then?” Jared muttered out.

“No shit Sherlock. Oops, sorry Dad.” Justin had realized what he had said too late. He was being glared at by an unhappy parent.

“Young man, where did you learn such language. How do you think I would feel if you said that in front of Brandon? There were so many better ways for you to say that. And now you think you need a cookie for a mid-morning snack.” Sean was looking at him with a straight face. The parent in him was really coming to the surface.

“No, I don’t think a cookie is the right thing right now. And I am sorry for saying that.” Justin said to the carpet.

“Well, Dad, can I have one? I was being nice.” Jared smiled a little, while he casually looked at Justin, who was still looking at the floor.

“I don’t think that giving you a treat, would make your brother feel any better. I think that you can wait until later. The cookies aren’t going to go anywhere. And besides, there will be more for you to share with Brandon later.” Sean finished, and walked over to Justin giving him a big hug, then turned to Jared to do the same.

“I am sorry guys. I shouldn’t be so hard on you two. But being around a younger person, you need to watch out for little stuff like that. Okay?” Sean was looking both of them in the eyes.

“Yes Dad, we understand.” Came the reply from the twins.

“Good, then if you are both ready, I think Marty will be here shortly. So hurry up, and make sure you are ready.” Saying that, Sean turned back to the window, staring out at it.

The boys looked at each other, then walked out of the room. They stopped at the door to look at Sean, but just shook their heads as they left. They were casually walking to the stairs, but once on the first step, they raced up the stairs to their rooms. But instead of separating, they went into Justin’s room, and sat on the bed.

“That was way too weird.” Justin said, as he looked at his brother.

“Yeah, it was. How did he know what we were doing in the first place?” Jared asked back.

“I don’t know. But I think he is realizing that our gift is more than he first thought. But that staring out the window thing, is what gets me.” Justin got up and started to pace back and forth. He was trying to figure out how Sean could tap into stuff like he did. He was about to try something, but was interrupted.

“Hey Justin. Just sit down for a sec, okay? What ever it is, he is the adult here. Even though it’s freaky, and downright spooky, it doesn’t bother me too much, knowing that he is just looking out for our best interests. He is even thinking of Brandon too. What do you think if we could get him as a little brother?” Jared was tilting his head to the side, and had a thoughtful expression on his face.

“I think it would be kinda cool. But where would he sleep and stuff? There isn’t any more rooms, except for the attic. And I don’t think that would be a good place for him.” Justin was trying to think things through, for Jared had only been in the house for a couple of days. He had this house memorized, for it was his only playground as he grew up.

“Well, he can have my room, and we can still get bunk beds if you want?” Jared was trying to come up with a solution, that would make everyone happy.

“Why don’t we let him help with the decision. If and when he does get out. I hate to make plans on something, then have them fall through.” Justin looked at his brother like he had solved all the problems in the world.

“But, you saw how Dad was. And heard how he was talking. I think he knows more than he is telling us.” Jared replied. He knew there was something going on with Sean, but couldn’t put his finger on it.

Before they could continue their conversation, the light again started to flash, signaling for them to come down stairs. They grabbed their shoes and jackets, and were down the stairs in a more sensible manner. They had already gotten caught for running once, and they didn’t want to press their luck on number two.

Marty was standing inside the door, waiting. He had his normal business face on, and was trying to hide his emotions. But with him, that was business as usual. Sean was quick to join them, and they left after getting the box of cookies that Cecelia had made.

Sean had already filled Marty in on the special trips for the day, so the ride to the hospital was a quiet one for the adults. But the twins, ever full of energy, had no problems occupying their time. They were pointing at buildings and people, and chatting away like school girls. There was no organization to their talking, just whatever popped into their heads. They were almost to the hospital, when Jared had to ask.

“Dad, is um, um, is um, is Brandon going to get to come home with us? Anytime soon?” Jared had a look of innocence about him, that brought a big smile to Sean’s face.

“Well bud, I am not sure, at this point. But I think that Marty would be able to answer that question better than I could, Marty?” Sean deflected the question so smoothly, it caught Marty off guard.

“Well, to be honest with you guys. I am not sure. We seem to be having a problem finding out who he is, exactly. Once we do, we can go from there. But until then, he is kinda in a state of limbo.” Marty was starting to sweat, for he knew he couldn’t hide anything from these guys. They would be able to tell before he could, that he was trying to hide something.

“What do you mean, you don’t know who he is? His parents were just killed in an awful accident. And he is all alone. What more do you need to know?” This time it was Justin to jump in, for he knew that once Marty started on something, there was nothing to stand in his way.

“Justin.” Sean just looked at him, with that look. Settle down now.

“Sorry. But I thought Marty was an all powerful attorney. One that nobody f- messed with.” Justin caught himself that time, but still got another look from Sean.

“Well thank you, Justin. Usually that is the case, but what we have here, is an exercise in futility. We can’t find out who his real parents are. The people that passed away, were more or less adoptive parents. And that in itself, is a curious thing. I can’t find anything that even remotely says that he was adopted.” Marty was getting a frustrated look now, for he was feeling helpless at not being able to do his job.

“I think what Marty is saying, he might still have parents out there, that want him. We don’t know if he was kidnapped, or sold or whatever. As soon as we can find something to make it legal, the best place for him is where he is. Don’t worry though, he is being watched over. Remember how well the security in the hospital was paying attention to you Justin? Well, it’s going to be the same for Brandon. Until we figure out what to do next, we can’t do anything for the moment.” Sean gave his best loving smile to the twins. He had only seen Brandon for a few minutes, and he understood how that little guy worked his way into their hearts. The big problem was, he knew the answer, but couldn’t tell anyone. They would have to find another way.

“Well that just plain sucks.” Jared spit out, earning him one of those looks too.

The rest of the ride was pretty quiet, for the mood in the boys had changed. They were not very happy with the news of Brandon. He deserved more. His childhood had not been very happy, and they wanted him to join them in the life they had now, and soon.

Once at the hospital, Sean wouldn’t let the boys get too far from the car. This made the boys nervous, as they walked back to Sean, who was standing by his car door.

“Guys, look. Things will work out. I promise. Okay? I just can’t tell you how, but I know they will. You need to try to cheer up, before you go see him, or he might get sadder than he already is. So cheer up already.” Sean was holding his arms out, for a group hug. He didn’t have long to wait, for the twins were in his arms in a flash.

“Thanks Dad.” Was the reply from both. And for some reason, the kind words and the hug, helped change their mood. For when they let go, they were back to smiles. Now with their batteries recharged, they charged the hospital.

Marty looked over at Sean as they slowly walked after the boys. Just before they got to the main doors, he couldn’t wait any longer.

“How do you do it? Those boys looked like they had just lost their favorite pet, and with a simple hug, you changed their outlook. It was like you were changing them. I just don’t understand how you do that. And how would you be able to promise something, without even knowing all the facts first. I couldn’t do that. I have people all over working on this, and the man hours are outrageous. But here, with a simple gesture, you think you have all the answers already.” Marty had stopped walking, and just looked Sean in the eye. What he saw would change him, forever.

“You just need to have a little faith is all.” Sean replied, then continued walking.

Marty was dumbfounded. He had never, never, seen anyone with a look like that. That sheer look of trust and love, made him weak in the knees. He didn’t know what to think. He knew that Sean and the twins were special, somehow. But he was soon realizing that their being special, was more than even he could fathom.

“Marty, earth to Marty. Hurry up, the boys are at the elevator already waiting for us.” Sean was standing on the other side of the door, signaling for Marty to join him.

After Marty shook his head in disbelief, he found the strength to walk again. Catching up to Sean, they met the boys at the elevator. On the way up, Justin looked at Jared, then with a sly smile, he asked.

“Marty, are you okay? It looks like you need a cup of coffee right now. Did you get enough sleep last night?” Justin asked, even though he thought he knew the answer already.

“Maybe a cup of coffee is what I need right now. You guys want anything while I am getting one?” Marty looked as if he was still in a weird daze.

“No thanks, but on your way back up, I could use one.” Sean answered. He knew that Marty would never understand. And if he could keep the distance between him and the boys, it would be better for everyone.

“Okay, I think I will make a few phone calls then, while I am down there. Are you sure that you boys don’t need anything?” Marty was being polite, but he knew the staff would get them anything they wanted.

“No thank you.” Was the answer from the twins.

Getting off the elevator, and leaving Marty to go do whatever, the boys went directly to Brandon’s room, after saying hi to the nurse on duty at the desk. Sean was staying a few steps behind, but tried not to make it obvious. The twins were already in the room, sitting on the bed when Sean caught up to them.

“Hey little bud, how are you doing today?” Sean asked, looking at the little guy lying there so helpless, in the bed.

“Good, I guess. Thank you for coming back to see me.” Brandon was so polite this time, it was like he was a different kid.

“No thanks necessary, you look as if you could use some friends right now.” Sean was trying to avoid the subject, but it was only momentary. Once the twins caught on, it was game over.

“Yeah right Dad. Friend my a-aa” the twins caught themselves, before Sean could.

Brandon was curious as to the exchange between the three. Sean was looking so peaceful before the twins almost use of colorful language. Then the stern look came back, but only for a brief second. He looked at the twins, who looked as if they had too much sugar already, for the silly grins on their faces were comical.

“It’s okay Sean. I have heard worser than that.” Brandon looked at Sean, whose eyes were getting big.

“You might have, but not from this family. I am sorry if our language choices aren’t appropriate, but we are working on it. Aren’t we guys?” Sean looked over at the twins, who were blushing.

“You don’t need to apologize, really. My parents used to say all kinds of bad stuff all the time. What they almost said is nothing to what I normally hear.” Brandon was being honest, and had that look of ‘duh’ on his face.

“But they weren’t your real parents Brandon.” Jared slipped out.

“Huh?” Brandon looked at the three, almost getting whiplash before he looked back at Sean.

“Yeah, little bud. Those weren’t your birth parents that were with you in that car. They were, I don’t really know what they were, but if you no longer have real parents, what would you like to have happen?” Sean had walked over to the bed, and scooted Jared down a little, so he could sit on the foot of the bed.

“What do you mean?” Brandon was getting a confused look on his face.

“We want you to think about joining our family, that is, if that’s what you want.” Justin smiled down at him, after seeing the slight tear from Jared’s eye.

“But why? You don’t know me. Why would you want someone like me, anyway?” Brandon was getting near to tears as he tried to sit up and roll into a ball.

“Because, we know how to love someone. That’s why.” Sean scooted closer to Brandon, and rested his hand on the leg that wasn’t in a cast.

The twins could feel the sudden burst in emotions, and tried to comfort Brandon before it got any worse. They were almost laying down hugging him from both sides. With Sean sitting at the foot of the bed, you almost couldn’t tell there was a fourth person in there somewhere.

“You can think about it all you want. Okay? Whenever you are ready to give us an answer is fine. You still need to be in here for at least another day or so, anyway, so you have time to think. The offer will be open forever, so don’t forget.” Sean looked at the wet eyed little boy, laying in between the twins. This was not the time for it, but he knew how things would work out. He gave the young boy a wink, when he had Brandon looking at him. That was enough to reassure the child, and the crying was soon over.

They had been visiting for what only seemed like minutes, but was really a couple of hours, when there was a knock on the door. There was a pizza delivery guy standing at the door, when Sean got up and answered it.

“Some guy named Marty ordered these to be delivered to this room. He said it was a special occasion, and they were paid in advance. Here you go.” The pizza guy stated, not knowing what else to say.

Sean looked at him, then the three smiling faced boys, sitting on the bed. He thanked the guy before he left, and offered to give him a tip, but the guy said it was covered. Sean cleared the table of stuff the boys had been doing, and opened one box. It was soon inhaled, and so the second box was opened. Along with a third. You would think that a child with one arm in a cast would eat slower. You thought wrong. Nothing steps between a healthy boy and his appetite.

The twins helped at cleaning up the trash, putting all the napkins and boxes in the trash can. After looking at Brandon, Sean knew he would be useful again.

“You want some help in getting that pizza stuff off of you?” Sean offered. And with a simple nod, Sean went to work.

No matter what age, or what sex, messy pizza is messy pizza. There was sauce and cheese all over the place, and the youngest of the three boys, had the most on him. So after gently wiping his face, and hands, Sean tried to get it off the bed and the cast. He wasn’t having much luck, but he was cleaner than before.

“Thanks Sean.” Brandon whispered.

“No, thank you. It was worth anything to see you smile like that. I will do anything I can do, to keep that smile on that little face of yours. Understand?” Sean ruffled up Brandon’s hair, which got him a little happy giggle. A truly wondrous sound, if you have ever heard one.

“Okay, I will hold you to that now.” Was Brandon’s reply. The smile on his face at that moment was so heart warming, that Sean’s eyes got misty.

Never known for his timing, Marty knocked on the door before entering. Looking at the four contented faces, he knew the pizza was a good peace offering.

“What’s up Marty? Did you get your phone calls all done? Looks like you forgot that cup of coffee though.” Sean was of course kidding, about the coffee, anyway. He had almost forgotten about Marty being at the hospital with them, until the pizzas arrived.

“Thank you Marty.” Was the boys response. The sound of all of them saying it in perfect unison was pure music. Brandon’s input to the words, was like pure heaven. This of course, brought a big smile of pure pride to Sean’s face, and a look of utter surprise to Marty’s.

“Uh, you’re all very welcome. It was the least I could do. But you must excuse us Brandon, for we have some more errands to run, and I think the docs want you to get some more rest.” Marty was stumbling on his words, but he recovered rather nicely. He would just have to learn how to be around these boys, for there was no denying that they did indeed belong together.

After a brief but heart breaking goodbye, they left Brandon alone. But only with the promises of being back later. And not forgetting the cookies, the twins relented to only grab two each, and leave the rest for him. As they walked back to the car, Marty turned to Sean.

“I hope everything works out for you guys. That kid is so sweet, he really took to you guys.” Marty was obviously trying to stay positive, but as an attorney, he knew of all the things that could go wrong.

“They will Marty. Trust me.” Was the only thing Sean said, as he put his hand on Marty’s shoulder the rest of the way to the car.

Once inside and buckled up, they were headed down the street before Sean spoke again.

“Um, Jared, this might be the wrong time, but would you like to go and get anything from your old house? You know, anything sentimental, like pictures or something?” Sean was trying to be delicate, for it hadn’t been talked about in depth until now.

Jared got a scared look on his face. Without thinking, he hung his head and tears were falling down his face.

“C’mon bro. This might be the only chance you get. And after this, you will never have to go back there again.” Justin put his hand on Jared’s shoulder for moral support.

“It’ll be okay, we will all be there for you. I just thought this might be a good way for you to close that chapter on your life, so you can enjoy the next one with us.” Sean turned in his seat, to face him.

“Okay, but I don’t think there is anything that I really want from that place. I really didn’t have much of anything.” Jared finally answered, as he got his tears under control.

“That’s okay, Bud. We aren’t really going for anything in particular, but it might really help in the future, if you do it now.” Sean had something hiding, in the way he said that.

Jared just looked at Sean, and with a slight smile, nodded his head.

“Yeah, just this once, and it’s over officially. You will have to put up with us till the cows come home. Whatever that means.” Justin had to put his two cents in.

Marty looked over at Sean, and with a slight grin, he went back to driving. It would take some time to get there, but the boys were already having fun again, talking back and forth. In the daylight, the area they had found Jared in, looked completely different. After a couple of miles, Sean wanted Marty to pull over. Thinking it was for a pit stop, Marty complied.

Sean got out of the car, and just looked around. He sniffed at the air, and enjoyed the scenery. The flat area that the houses were in, was accented by the small mountains in the background. There were few trees in the area, so you could really see for miles. Marty had growing concerns about what was happening, so he got out of the car and walked over to Sean.

“It’s kinda pretty here, in the daylight.” Marty said, as he walked over to stand next to Sean.

“Yes, it is. I want it.” Sean blurted out.

“What do you mean, you want it.” Marty was thrown for a loop.

“I want this land. All of it. I have an idea for it. You said the original contractor had stopped whatever he was doing, for lack of funding. I want to buy all the land. I have a use for it.” Sean was serious, and he had a look of fire in his eyes.

“Well, I hate to inform you, but you can’t buy it.” Marty was standing a few steps back, for he could almost feel the fire with Sean.

“What do you mean, I can’t buy it. Do you know who you are talking to?” Sean was indeed full of fire, and right now it was directed at Marty, who was slowly backing up a few more steps. Marty didn’t know much about what was going on, but he didn’t want to be in the line of fire, just in case.

“Whoa bud. Take it easy Sean.” Marty was definitely put on the spot. And as soon as Sean’s temper flared, the twins were at his side in a heartbeat.

“Okay, okay. Let me explain. You can’t buy it, because you already own it.” Marty figured the quickest solution was to get it out in the open, for the look Sean had, was enough to scare him.

“What?” Was Sean’s reaction. And the look on his face mimicked that remark.

“If you would let me explain. I will. Dale had bought the property, thinking he would put in condos, or some high priced apartments. But the other investors backed out at the last minute. So instead of taking on the project himself, he just let it sit. There has even been a few squatters move back in, because there hasn’t been anything done here since.” Marty tried to get out as quickly as he could, and still make sense.

“Oh.” Sean replied, then walked out into the field staring off into space.

That left a very upset pair of twins, glaring at Marty, who was already about to have a coronary. After a couple of minutes, the twins started to settle down, and look at Sean as he wandered somewhat aimlessly in the field.

“That wasn’t very nice.” Justin said.

“You should have just told him upfront.” Jared replied.

“I am so sorry. But he didn’t let me explain.” Marty was trying to defend himself to the two.

“In the future,”

“please make it more clear.”

“As to the meaning,”

“of what you are saying.”

The twins were finishing each others sentences. This of course, made Marty even more nervous, for he had the two looking at him as they spoke.

“Okay, time to go. We have some business to finish out here though. Marty get a hold of a good engineer, and a contractor. I need to have a meeting, and see how much this is going to cost.” With nothing else said, Sean got back into the car. The twins were only a few steps behind him, leaving Marty about ready to need a change of shorts.

After the initial shock wore off, Marty got back into the car, not knowing if he really wanted to.

“What do you guys think?” Sean asked the boys.

“We like it.” Was their reply.

Marty just shut up and drove. Of anything that happened before, this was definitely the weirdest. He just drove. Nothing was going to make him look at the twins, or Sean. He was scared. The quiet in the car, though, was even more unnerving.

After they had gotten to Jared’s old house, they slowly got out and went in. Sean and Marty were appalled at what they found. The house, from the outside, wasn’t in too bad of shape. But the interior looked like hell. There was garbage piled up all over the kitchen, mostly empty beer cans and liquor bottles. The living room hadn’t been cleaned, in what looked like years. There was drug paraphernalia on the coffee table, as well as the kitchen table. The only place that didn’t look like a dump, was Jared’s room. He and Justin went in, and found only a few small items that Jared still wanted. There was a picture of his mom holding him, as a baby. Then there was a couple of model cars, that Jared had hidden in his closet, so they wouldn’t get broke. As far as clothes went, they were all worn out, and too small. The twins looked around one more time, and gave up. There was simply nothing there, either of them wanted; everything of value was gone.

Going back to the living room where the adults were, Jared had a sad look on his face. Sean could tell of the embarrassment that he faced, so he offered a big hug by holding his arms open. It didn’t take long for Jared to jump into his arms, and sob quietly.

“Shhh, it’s going to be alright now. But I think you missed one more thing.” Sean managed to get out, even though he was being squeezed tightly.

“What would I possibly want from this dump?” Jared said into Sean’s shoulder, as he soaked it with tears.

“Look, up on the mantle.” Sean was pointing to where he was looking. On the mantle, was a nice framed picture, of when Jared was younger.

“What?” Jared let go of Sean, and walked over to the picture. He picked it up and a key fell from behind it.

Marty walked over, to investigate, and picked up the key. After examining it closely, his eyes got big.

“This key is to a safety deposit box. And not to just any bank, but the one in your father’s office building downtown.” Marty announced.

“What would she have of any value, that she needed a safety deposit box for?” Jared asked, to no one in particular.

To be continued…..

Editor's Note:

Well, what have we here?
That sounds very interesting. What in the world did she have stuffed away in a safety deposit box? Hey I have a couple of thoughts on that, but then if I told you, I would have to kill you, so I think I will keep it to myself. Sean seems to know a lot of things, doesn't he? He is rather reluctant to tell anyone else what he knows though. I guess he doesn't want to spoil the story either. Maybe he doesn't like spoilers.

Once again, Hal, You have given us yet another incredibly great chapter. This story, amazingly, keeps getting better and better. I, for one, am having a hard time waiting for each successive new chapter, so please hurry up and bring us the next one PLEASE!!!!! {Darryl looks at Hal with pleading puppy dog eyes}

Darryl
AKA The Radio Rancher


Another Editor's Note

Nice ending for the chapter. You will now be hunted by the Cliff Hanger Police. That was, however, not a cliff hanger. No ones life is thought to be in danger. That ending is just a good teaser to make the reader want more, faster. IT WORKED I’ve called the CHP and reported this.

I think I know one thing that is in the lock box, but I won't tell 'cause I'm evil. I wonder what Sean wants to do with the land. I'll bet it ain’t condos. Jared was sure nice to offer to give up his room so it could be Brandon's room. {Inside joke for the 'fort' authors}

Well readers, time for me to go join Radio Rancher in bugging Hal for the next chapter. Keep reading and enjoy.

Str8mayb

Posted: 04/07/07