Title: Broken (pt.2)
Name:
Jules
Rating: PG-15
Disclaimer:
Obviously, I don't own any of the characters of The Magnificent Seven, no matter how much I WISH I did. They belong to CBS & whatever the production company was (looked, couldn't find)! Eventually there may be a few which are my creations, or any other new characters you may see, I most likely will let you use them though! I don't own the horse's names either. I took them from other authors. Chaucer's name, I believe belongs to Kristen.
Classification:
AU, Drama, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Comedy
Summary: Silent, 4-year-old Ezra is the only survivor of a brutal murder/suicide by a relative. He's taken in by Chris & Buck as a foster-child on their Ranch. Will he ever talk? Will he ever accept the new clan as his own family? Will Maude ever come for him?Universe/Series: C&B Ranch - open as soon as I finish the first story, you may un-slash it if you wish, & make Chris and Buck just friends. In which case Nathan & Vin are Chris' adoptions, JD is Buck's. Yes, I HAVE thought this out if it were non-slash too. I am that thorough in my plans. If you want to use it, please just contact me for the parameters of the universe, since all the background information I have established won't be posted yet.
Archive: Yes please!
Status:
Complete
Author's notes: This will be a series of stories instead of chapters. It will center on Ezra Standish. He starts the series, at about the age of four (even he isn't sure exactly when his birthday is!). Ezra's entire past, even his name, is unknown by his new caregivers. The only thing they know about him, is that the boy doesn't speak. They aren't even sure he ever has. Ezra is the solitary survivor of a horrific murder/suicide of the family he was staying with in Denver. The state has placed him with foster parents, Chris Larabee & Buck Wilmington, whom together own a successful horse breeding/boarding stable called C&B Ranch, in the nearby small town of Four Corners. During the summer they run a camp for troubled foster children on part of the acreage of their ranch. The men are involved in a long-term, committed relationship, and have three adopted sons, Nathan, 16, Vin, 12, and JD, 9, whom have lived with them for 3(JD) – 6(Nathan) years.
REVIEWERS: OMG. Thank you all sooooooooo much. I'm a college student with classes to write papers for and a research paper/argument on gay marriage due soon (Dec. 4), so I don't have time to respond to every review individually. But know I love and appreciate each one I get. And ones that are e-mailed to me, get put into a folder and kept forever. I cherish every one, and take note of opinions and suggestions. Sometimes, I'll even take heed to them, and include them. I love to know how you guys like the fic, and what you like about it.
Broken (pt. 2)
By Jules
The next day came quickly, yet not quickly enough for the anxious family.
One o'clock in the afternoon found Buck Wilmington anxiously bouncing on his toes, craning his neck in an attempt to see farther down the road.
"Would you quit your bouncing?!" Chris growled for the third time in less than half an hour. Each time Buck would stop bouncing only to substitute it with pacing. Some minutes later, he'd think he spotted something down the road, stop pacing, and the bouncing would start up again. It was a vicious cycle, and it was beginning to drive Chris nuts.
Ten minutes later, Chris was just about to yell again when Buck stopped bouncing on his own.
"I see Mary's car!" he called out, his face beaming with excitement.
This news caused Chris to jump out of his seat and stride over to stand next to his lover. "'Bout damn time," he muttered, revealing his own pent up anticipation.
Buck grinned at Chris. He knew he hadn't been alone in his excitement, but getting his long-time partner to actually admit it was always a challenge.
"JD and Nathan are up in their rooms, Vin's in the study, practicing his reading," Chris reiterated, more from the desire to say something than from any real necessity to pinpoint the boys' locations.
They had worked out how to introduce their new addition to the family the night before, and had decided that introducing Vin first would be the best option. Their middle son's low-key nature would hopefully be seen as non-threatening, plus, the one o'clock arrival time coincided perfectly with Vin's summer study schedule. It would help the boys' first encounter seem happenstance, and not so obviously planned out. Or at least, that's what the adults were hoping.
Taking deep breaths, the two men braced themselves for what lay ahead, and walked out the door into the day's heat, ready to meet the newest member of their family.
Mary let her SUV roll to a stop near the front porch of the Larabee-Wilmington home. She looked back supportively at her groggy charge, who was just waking after having fallen asleep during the long ride from the hospital. He blinked sleepily at her from his car seat, rubbing his eyes with his little fist. Mary unbuckled herself, opened her door, and then gracefully slid out of her seat, unlocking the passenger doors on her way out. Closing her door, she waved to the two approaching men and walked around the car to the back passenger side.
"Hello boys. Sorry I'm a little later than expected, the nurses had a hard time letting this one go," she told them with a smile. "Hi sweetie," she spoke softly to the bleary-eyed tot as she leaned into the back of the SUV to unbuckle his belt. "Did you have a nice nap?"
The boy narrowed his eyes suspiciously at her, but that was the extent of his response.
With a practiced hand, Mary easily undid the complicated harness system holding the child in place. All the while, she spoke to the frightened child in a soothing tone. "The gentlemen behind me are my very good friends, Buck and Chris. I told you about them at the hospital, remember?" She didn't wait for a response. "You're going to be staying with them, at least for a little while."
Buck stepped up behind Mary, a wide grin splitting his face as he looked down at the little boy. He immediately fell in love with the child sleepily looking up at them, with his pale green eyes and sleep tousled strawberry blond curls. Inwardly, he cringed at the sight of the swollen, black left eye and stitched cut on his right forehead. Buck found his eyes locked with those of the child, captivated. He could now understand Mary's statement of the day before. The boy's gaze truly seemed to be examining him, judging whether he was safe or not. Buck wasn't quite sure, but he thought the boy might have found him trustworthy, because Buck thought he saw some of the tension in the tiny body release.
"Do you mind if Buck here picks you up?" Mary inquired softly. "He's lots stronger than I am, and I think it would be safer for you if he carried you." She laid a hand on Buck's bicep, giving it a teasing squeeze.
Buck gave the boy what he hoped was a reassuring smile. The child's eyes flickered back and forth between the two, finally settling on the tall man. Buck took this to be a sign of acquiescence, then gently reached in and gathered the small child into his strong arms. He was careful not to jostle the boy's injured leg, colorfully encased in a turquoise and blue fiberglass cast.
"We're mighty glad to be havin' you stay here with us," Buck greeted kindly. "Our boys are real eager to have another little brother round here. JD's all excited 'cause it means he ain't the youngest anymore."
Chris smiled softly at the sight of his big 'tough' partner, melting in the presence of the petite little boy. He could see why Mary was so protective of the boy; he looked fragile in every sense of the word. He found it impossible to understand how anyone could have harmed such an innocent looking child.
Mary was just pleased to see her young charge complacently resting in the arms of his new caregiver. She had half-feared the boy would panic upon meeting them due to the horrific actions of last man who'd been responsible for his care.
With tears of joy shining in her eyes, she turned to Chris. "Would you mind getting the pet crate out of the other side? One of the nurses at the hospital brought it in for the puppy. I also printed out some information about the specific breed from the Internet. One of the investigators managed to find its certificates of breeding. It's a purebred clumber spaniel, with apparently prize-winning parents," she informed him wryly.
Chris' eyebrows shot up. It sounded like a very expensive dog. All they'd ever had around the ranch were mutts and usually they'd just wandered onto the property and had no owners. Their current dogs weren't much, just a female mutt they'd named Mickey that had wandered in a few years before, and a boarder collie mix Vin and Nathan had picked out at the pound six months after Vin had come to stay with them, which the boys had ended up naming Ranger. The two dogs lived happily with the ranch's foremen in an onsite dwelling attached to the stables, built to ensure constant care for the horses. Chris had a feeling this dog was not the type to be kept out in a stable or barn.
Nodding his head, Chris circled the car and retrieved the medium-size plastic crate from the other back seat. He peered in through the metal door to find a small, fluffy, white puppy staring back at him, its head cocked in curiosity. It wore a brown, leather collar adorned with tags that jingled softly as the dog lost interest and went back to chewing on the small, rawhide bone it held between its front paws.
"There's some puppy food in the back, apparently it's on a specific diet from the vet. But everything else you need to know, he's written down for you," Mary told him as Chris rejoined Mary at the back of the car. At Chris' incredulous look, Mary explained, "His reading and writing skills seem to be very advanced for a child his age. The boy did a pretty good job."
Chris frowned, "Don't you have anything else to call him yet?"
Mary shook her head. "Nothing's been cleared up on that end, and I really don't want to give him a name that isn't his own. Officially, he's John Doe, as is protocol. I hate typing that as much as you hate hearing it, but we just haven't found anything. I'll leave it to you and Buck to come up with some sort of nickname to call him in the meantime," she instructed, opening up her trunk.
Though the notion that no one could figure out this kid's name disturbed him, Chris knew Mary was right and he and Buck would simply have to figure something out. With his free hand, Chris scooped up the bag of premium puppy food and went to join his husband and their new boy by the porch. Buck was sitting on the top step, the child cradled in his arms, murmuring softly into his ear.
Buck had just finished telling the little one all about the three boys he and Chris had adopted and the horse ranch they ran, when he glanced up and spotted Chris coming towards them. "And the blonde man walking over with what looks like your puppy and its food is my husband, Chris," he told the boy, jerking his head in the blonde's direction.
The tot's good eye darted over to look at the approaching figure. As Chris came to a stop next to them, he could feel himself being intensely scrutinized by the suddenly anxiety-filled bundle in Buck's arms. After several long moments with everyone on edge, the boy seemed to relax once more, calmly reaching out with one hand to stick his fingers in the opening of metal grill of the crate. A corner of the child's mouth flickered upwards when the puppy began to eagerly lick the tiny fingers. The two men thought they saw hints of a dimple on his cheek, but before they could be sure they had seen anything, the expression was gone and he'd pulled back his fingers.
"So, that's your puppy huh?" Buck questioned softly, giving the boy a subtle squeeze. "He's mighty cute."
The boy looked up quickly, a frown on his face, and shook his head no.
Buck's heart leapt at this first real sign of interaction with the boy, "No?" he asked, trying not to let his excitement show. "Not cute?" he teased.
The little boy scowled at him.
Chris smiled at the tot's response, catching on to what the boy was saying. "Oh, you mean he is really a she."
The small head turned to glance and Chris, then gave a perfunctory nod.
Mary's heart was pounding with joy. He was interacting with them! She'd just gotten all the paperwork out of the car and was close enough to witness the little 'conversation'. Clearing her throat of its lump, she just managed to make her voice sound normal when she spoke up. "That's right. And she's very cute for that matter, and sweet too."
The three turned to look at her and she smiled in return "Shall we go inside?" She gestured to the door. "It's very hot out here today."
Buck flashed her a grin. "Sure is! Day's like today makes me really glad somebody invented air conditioning."
Chris led the way, but paused as they reached the door and jerked his head at Mary. "Could you open the door? We seem to have our hands full."
Mary laughed cheerfully. She had managed to get the two to carry everything except her leather attaché case. "I'd be happy to!"
The four gratefully entered the house, their small charge closing his eyes blissfully at the nice, cool air. The cast on his leg was hot, especially in the summer heat. Plus the bright sun had made his constant headache pound with new intensity. Inside, it was much more comfortable.
Mary watched the pinched look on the boy's face fade away. That was another reason for her suggesting they go inside. She had noticed him squinting and how his face had contorted as if in pain the longer he was out in the sun. It was another problem of the child's silence. One had to watch him very closely for signs of discomfort, because he couldn't tell them. Plus, he seemed very reluctant to let anyone know how he truly felt. The nurses had an awful time trying to figure out when they needed to administer more pain medications because the boy seemingly refused to give any sign of it. It was only through careful observation of his pallor and subtle expressions that they had any clue what he was feeling. Mary made a mental note to inform her friends of what tells to watch for as soon as she had a chance.
She glanced down at her watch. The doctors had told her that he was due for another dose of pain medication at two, which was about 30 minutes away. She looked up and smiled at the small group before her. "Well, I see you three have gotten acquainted, but there's someone else you need to introduce Chris and Buck to, sweetie," she said, with a nod to the crate. She opened her attaché case and began to dig through the papers. "I know you worked hard on your list. Would you like me to give it to them?"
The boy held out his hand.
"Oh, you want to go over it with them?" she asked, pulling out the typed pages. The nurse who had typed it up for him had done a very nice job. She'd even put a large title on the document.
The men smiled down at the boy, who impatiently held the printed papers in his hand. The three adults sat down on the couch with the little boy and Buck in the middle. Buck had adjusted the boy so he was sitting on his lap now, instead of cradled in his arms. Tiny hands held out the paper so everyone could easily read it.
Molly's Care Instructions
"So, her name's Molly, huh? That's a nice name," Buck complimented.
"Actually," Mary spoke up, "her registered name is Molly Malone, but it just says Molly on her tags."
Chris read the first rule aloud.
"1. Molly is fed twice a day. Breakfast and dinner.
Measure out
½ a butter dish of puppy food, put in bowl.
Get 1 cup of water, add to dish.
Heat in microwave until food is soft.
Do not feed Molly from table.
If given any scraps, put into a dog dish on her mat, after dinner."
"That sounds like a very important rule," Buck stated solemnly, seeing the little boy stare at them expectantly, as if to make sure they understood. "We'll make sure everyone in the house knows it and follows it."
Chris nodded his agreement, then went on.
"2. Molly must be played with lots during the day.
At least one hour of outside play.
She must be given things to chew on, or she'll be bad."
"Stuff like her rawhide?" Buck asked, getting a nod of confirmation. "We'll see to it."
"If not played with, she needs to be taken on a long walk."
Mary had read the information on Molly's breed, so she was able to explain why the rule was so necessary. "Clumber spaniels are very active when they're puppies. They need lots of activity to wear them out, but they calm down and become very sedate dogs when they get older. Also, they're chewers, so you'll need to make sure there are lots of things appropriate for her chew on."
Chris grimaced to himself as he read the next rule, a future expensive rule.
"3. Molly needs to be taken to the groomer's every 6-8 weeks.
Her fur needs to be brushed weekly or whenever she gets into burrs or stuff."
Buck glanced into the crate, taking note of the dog's silky fur, and realized the necessity of the grooming.
"4. If Molly chews on your hand or scratches at the door, it probably means she needs to go out.
She will not bark to let you know she needs to go potty.
Any accidents that happen because you ignore her are your responsibility to clean up."
"That's a very important one," Mary told them, smirking. This was one of the reasons she wouldn't let Billy have a puppy. She did her duty cleaning up such things when Billy was in diapers. She wasn't about to clean it off her floor or pick it up from the back yard. Not without a three-foot-long handle, at least. A dog could wait until Billy was old enough to clean up after it himself.
"5. No yelling at or hitting Molly.
It makes her have accidents."
"Submissive urination," Mary explained. "Clumber's are easily trained, but don't react well to 'heavy-handed discipline'," she explained, mainly for Chris's clarification. "They're really smart and eager to please, so they're easily trained, but they don't respond to harsh commands. They're really friendly and good with children, they're just wary around strangers. Anyway, Molly's pretty much house broken, as long as you pay attention to when she tells you she needs to go outside. Her ability to hold it for long periods of time isn't very good right now."
"Got it," both men proclaimed, knowing how important this was if they wanted a clean household. They returned their attention to their new charge.
"Well, those sound like some very good rules," Chris told the boy. "We'll make sure everyone follows them. In fact, we'll post this right up on the bulletin board, so everyone can see it."
"Now, how about we let Molly out of her cage, does that sound like a good idea to you?" Buck asked, giving the boy a gentle squeeze.
Green eyes lit up with excitement. The hospital, while reluctantly letting the puppy stay with him in his room, despite regulations, had made the puppy stay in the cage, except for when a kind nurse would take Molly on walks every couple hours to relieve herself.
Chris easily unhooked the latch on the crate, and watched as the puppy eagerly dashed out. Molly immediately jumped up onto Buck's leg, trying to climb him to get to her reaching boy. Chris lifted the puppy up on the couch with amusement, the white bundle of fur jumping right onto the preschooler, licking his face fervently, her entire body quivering with excitement. Small arms wrapped around the dog, burying hands into silky, white fur.
The three adults happily watched the joyful reunion, the two men very glad they'd agreed to take the small child and his puppy.
A large yawn escaped the boy, and the grown-ups realized they'd better move things along. Mary had warned the men their new charge would be sleeping a lot these first couple days. The medications on top of his body needing to heal itself, wore him out.
Chris lifted the puppy and set it on the floor, where it happily sat down, staring up at her human in adoration.
"Why don't we introduce you to our boys, now, buddy?" Chris suggested, brushing a blond curl off the boy's forehead.
The child stared at him apprehensively.
Buck made the decision for him, repositioning him into his arms once again to allow him to carry the boy with one arm, and stood up.
"How about I take you on a small tour first. Let you know the lay of the land," Buck suggested. "This here's the great room," Buck said, nodding to the enormous room they were currently in with high ceilings and log walls. Overstuffed couches and chairs were comfortably arranged about the room. Knick-knacks, horse paraphernalia, and cowboy gear were littered about, making it all look very warm and homey. "That's the main fireplace, and to the far left is the eating area. The kitchen shoots off of there, to the back, through that swinging door over there, and those shutters also open to the kitchen. We got lots of windows, cause we like to be able to see our land."
Chris shook his head at his lover's speech. He, too, was proud of their home, but only Buck would try to sell it to a toddler.
"The stairs over here lead up to the four bedrooms, three baths, and an attic above that," Buck continued. "Those doors along the wall near the stairs lead to a closet, the den, and the study. I think Vin is in the study. He should be in there now. Vin has dyslexia and has to spend a lot of time practicin' his reading, even in the summer, if he wants to stay on top of his studies." Buck explained as they walked over to a closed, heavy wooden door next to the massive split-log staircase. Buck knocked once, then opened the door with his free hand. "Vin? You in here?"
"Yeah Pops," a low, soft voice answered from across the room. "Just readin' some comics in peace. Finished practicin' a little while ago and decided to take advantage of the quiet."
A thin boy stood up from a long, dark red, leather couch positioned in front of a small fireplace, tossing a comic down on a nearby coffee table. The room was decorated nicely with a large double-sided oak desk, which accommodated two PC's, one on each side of the desk, with matching black lamps. Shelves of books lined the walls, interspaced by two bay windows with padded benches positioned beneath each. Leather and oak chairs graced both sides of the desk, and oversized brown leather chairs flanked the red couch.
The boy in the room, Vin, had golden brown hair, cut short, and brushed back off his tan face. He gazed over at his father and the small boy nestled in one of his arms. He hadn't seen a kid that small since he was still in foster care.
"Hey," he greeted the new arrival with a nod. "'m Vin, the second, well, third youngest now, in this place."
Pale green eyes stared back at him, well, a pale green eye, Vin noticed. The other eye was dark and almost swollen shut. Vin inwardly cringed at the familiar signs. He'd gotten a few of those himself before coming here.
"I'm just giving the kid here a little tour of our home," Buck told him.
A little puppy came scampering in the door behind him, sliding to a halt at Buck's feet, craning its head upwards.
Vin smirked. "Who's the little critter?"
Buck and the boy glanced downward, the sight causing the adult to chortle. "Well, that there would be the little pard's puppy, Molly. She's a purebred spaniel. Your dad's tacking up a list of rules about her onto the bulletin board. The little guy made them up for us."
"Hyper thing, ain't she?" Vin questioned as the puppy danced at their feet, begging for attention.
"Mary says she'll calm down when she gets older. Apparently, they're just really hyper when they're puppies. Oh, and they're chewers, so you might want to keep anything you hold dear in your room, with the door shut," Buck advised, giving a warning nod to Vin's comic and thinking of all the things the boys had cluttered about in the great room.
"I'll make sure everythin' gets put away," Vin promised, sticking his comic into his back pocket. "Mind if I join you on your tour?"
Father and son turned to their visitor who studied Vin for a moment, then shyly shook his head.
"That mean I can come?" the preteen asked softly.
The toddler turned pink, then nodded his head yes. The trio walked out of the study, Molly prancing along behind them.
Vin opened the next-door and led the way in to the combination den and entertainment room.
"This is where everyone congregates on Saturday mornings, rainy days, and during the winter." Buck swept his free arm out, showing off the large room, which had a fireplace exactly opposite to the one in the study. They shared a chimney.
The den/entertainment room was large, with a giant, flat screen TV, and home entertainment center at the far left end. A comfortable-looking, overstuffed green couch was positioned in front of the TV, with two oversize love seats perpendicular to each side of it. Immediately in front of the entrance, sat a beautiful pool table and a rack of pool cues hung on the wall near the door. The far wall had a large bay of windows, adorned with heavy drapes, which, when closed, could create the perfect movie theater environment. To the left of the fireplace was a mini bar area, with a fridge and cupboards filled with snacks and drinks. Alcoholic beverages were in a highest, locked cupboard on the adjacent wall. To the right of the fireplace, was a wall of shelves, filled with board games, cards, puzzles, and other quiet time activates. In front of the fireplace was a large, round poker table, which was accommodated the whole family for board games as well as the occasional impromptu poker game.
This room saw almost constant activity. It was only due to their new arrival that one or more of the boys weren't there at that moment.
Vin could tell the boy was a bit taken aback by the room. He'd had the same reaction when Chris had shown it to him the first time. It took ages for Vin to accept that his new parents really meant it when they said he could come in here any time he wanted and use what ever he wished, as long as he never touched the liquor. He'd been reluctant at first, but Nathan had taken him under his wing and brought him here to play games often in those first couple weeks. He'd also dragged Vin to the cozy room every Saturday to watch cartoons while they ate cereal on the couches. Buck would often stumble in around nine a.m. on those mornings, collapse on the couch next to them, and steal bites of cereal. Chris was always up by 6, though, already working in the stables, taking care of the horses, but sometimes he would join the group as well. Vin had slowly warmed up to the men, but eventually latched onto Chris's quiet nature, and taking pleasure in Buck's over-the-top exuberance.
Molly was eagerly exploring the whole room. There were so many new sights and smells. No one really noticed her until she got a big whiff of the ashes in the fireplace and began sneezing repeatedly. The noise had caused everyone to jump, then Buck and Vin to laugh once they realized what she'd done.
Vin scooped up the puppy and scratched her head. "That is just one of the reasons you shouldn't be playing around there," he scolded the dog gently.
"I think the necessity of a bath would be a bigger reason," Chris' voice sounded from the doorway. "White dogs and soot and ash do not mix," he told them, walking into the room and firmly closing the glass doors of the hearth.
Green eyes blinked tiredly at the blonde.
Chris' visage softened. "I think you better hurry with your tour or you're going to lose your audience."
Buck looked down and, upon seeing his sleepy little charge, had to agree.
"Mary is setting out the papers we're going to need to sign, and she told me he's going to need some pain meds in…" Chris glanced at the bar clock on the mantle, "fifteen minutes."
"Fifteen minutes," Buck repeated. "Got it."
Chris shook his head, lightly ruffled the strawberry blond curls, and then went back out to join Mary so she could tell him some of the necessary care instructions.
Buck turned to Vin. "I guess we'd better get this tour goin' again."
Vin smiled back softly, then led the way out of the den and up the staircase, Buck following close behind. Molly determinedly hopped up after them, stair by stair.
The second floor was arranged in an L-shape, with a large balcony all along, which overlooked the great room. The first door at the top of the stairs led to the attic, which mainly served as storage for the family's accumulated 'junk' and Christmas decorations. To the right of that was the door to the bathroom for Nathan's - and soon to be the little boy's – room. Next to that, was the large bedroom itself. Buck decided to save it for last. He looped around at the top of the stairs to the right, and went all the way down the hall to the other end of the balcony. JD's room.
"This door leads to our youngest adopted son's room, JD. He's nine and has lived with us since he was six. His momma got really sick, and picked Chris and me to adopt him when she passed on," Buck informed the boy before knocking on the door. "JD? It's me. I got someone here I'd like you to meet."
The heard an excited squeal and a crash, which caused Buck and Vin to wince.
"JD's a bit of a slob," Vin whispered. "Enter his room at yer own risk."
Buck gently cuffed the back of Vin's head. "He does the best he can. Not all of us are neat freaks like you and Nate."
Vin simply grinned up at his father. Neither noticed the small boy vigilantly watching this interaction with intense interest.
The door to the room was thrown open, revealing a short, black-haired, brown-eyed boy, panting, eyes bright with excitement. His room was painted red and white in honor of JD's favorite team, the Boston Red Socks. Posters of Boston sports teams and players decorated the walls, and a black, iron day bed was pushed up against the wall, a Red Socks comforter lying messily in the center of the bed.
"Hi! I'm JD! Dad and Papa said you were coming today, but I was starting to think you were never coming! Wow, you sure are small. Hey! Is that your dog? Papa said you had a puppy. What's its name? It is nice?" JD gushed in a single breath.
"JD, breathe," Buck instructed. "Sorry kiddo, he tends to ramble when he gets excited."
"Do not," JD protested.
Vin merely raised an eyebrow at his brother, a habit he'd picked up from his dad.
"To answer your questions, yes, that's his puppy. Her name is Molly, and she's very nice, just a little scared of strangers."
JD kneeled down and held out his hand, allowing Molly to sniff it. JD would later claim it was his loveable personality that caused Molly to immediately start licking his hand, Vin would steadfastly tell everyone that it was just because of the peanut butter and jelly still on JD's hands from lunch an hour earlier.
Buck sent JD back into his room to clean up whatever he'd knocked over, then continued on his tour.
Vin waved to the next-door. "This is just JD's and my bathroom. You and Nathan will share the one that's next to your room. It's got two sinks, too, and a big ol' tub." He stopped in front of the next door, opening it. "This here's my room. As you can see, I keep it pretty neat." Vin showed off his small, tan room, decorated in all things old west. He had an old fashioned quilt laid on his brass bed and pictures of horses decorated his walls. A lasso was tacked up over the head of the bed and several riding trophies adorned a self.
"Vin picked the smallest room because he wanted to make sure he'd always have his own room," Buck explained with a playful wink.
"I like my privacy," Vin said simply.
Buck smiled at his son, knowing the true reason behind the room selection. Vin's room was last on that length of wall. Perpendicular to it and furthest from the stairs, was the door to Buck and Chris's room.
Buck opened the door to his own bedroom, knowing how important it was to get the tot comfortable with every part of the home. "This here, is Chris and my room."
The room was at the corner of the house, allowing for windows on two walls, which they'd taken advantage of to give the men an unobstructed view of most of their property as well as the mountains a few miles in the distance. Heavy drapes allowed them to block out the light when they were sleeping, but the rest of the time, the beautiful room was lit with natural light. Their king-size bed had an ornate headboard made of tree branches woven together. Antique dressers complimented the bed, and a large TV sat in one corner. To the left of the entrance to the bedroom was a door that led into the men's shared walk-in closet. The door next to that led to their master bath, which featured two sinks, a whirlpool tub to sooth away aches and pains of ranch work, and aseparate, oversized shower.
"You can come in here anytime you need us, day or night, as long as the door is unlocked. Don't be scared of waking us up, because it's our job to take care of you and we won't get mad. Even if it's just because you had a bad dream, you can come and get one or both of us."
"They're dads, that's what they're supposed to do. It's in the handbook or something," Vin explained reassuringly. He was easily able to detect the younger boy's discomfort with the concept.
The boy stared at Vin suspiciously; evidently trying to discern the truth in the words, but the older boy just gazed back calmly, his face completely honest. Eventually, the child nodded his understanding.
Buck's heart nearly burst withthe pride he felt for his middle son. He'd been worried for several moments there, that their newest charge wasn't going to acceptthe fact that they were telling him the truth. Vin had managed to sense the boy's hesitations and, with a few simple words, convince him that it was ok. On top of which, he managed to get one of the preschooler's rare visible responses.
Buck closed the door to the master bedroom, boosting the small form in his arm up a bit from where he'd sipped lower.
"This next room will be the one you're going to share with our oldest son, Nathan. Nate has the largest bedroom in the house, next to the master bedroom, so we thought it would be best for you to share with him," Buck explained before opening the door.
Nate looked up from the anatomy book he was studying at his desk, to see one of his fathers, his brother, and what appeared to be the new kid. Nathan felt anger well up inside of him as he took stock of the visible injuries. The kid had definitely been knocked around.
The boy, meanwhile, was tiredly taking stock of what was to be his new room. The room was larger than both JD's and Vin's by several feet. It was painted a dark blue and was very neat. A set of bunk beds sat along the wall to the right, with the desk Nathan currently sat at right under the first large window at the back of the room. On the other half of the backwall was another, larger window with a long bench seat under it. A hefty bookshelf stood next to that window. The top shelf held text books and books on anatomy. The next held large novels. The next coupleof shelves held a plastic scull, art projects, and other odds and ends. Below that were elementary level books. Finally, on the bottom shelf rested a collection of children's books. On the far left wall was a set of dressers, and in the corner to the right of the door, a padded rocker-recliner and reading lamp.
It was a very nice room,one which any kid would be glad to have.
Nathan stood up and nervously wiped his hands on his pants. "Wow, I must have lost track of time." He looked directly at the child in his father's arm. "Hello, I'm Nathan, in case you don't already know. Dad said you're going to be sharing this room with me." The boy simply stared at him, causing Nathan to swallow nervously. "Um, I'll be takin' the top bunk, especially with your leg like it is. I put fresh sheets on the bed, and… well I guess that's it..." he floundered.
Buck grinned and gave his passenger a little bounce. "Nathan wants to be a doctor when he's older. He studies everything he can get his hands on about medicine. He's kind of the nursemaid of the house, taken care of everybody when they get sick. He's real good at it, too."
Nathan blushed. "I'm just a volunteer right now, but I'm going to work as an EMT through college to get some hands-on experience before I start med school."
The little boy simply sighed and wearily laid his head against the large man's chest, drained and aching from the long day.
From below, the group heard a couple yelps and looked down at Molly.
"Oh, sorry," Vin apologized with a smile, realizing the puppy was feeling ignored. He crouched down and scratched her behind the ears. "And this, Nate, is Molly. She'll be your other new roommate."
Nathan looked to his father in alarm, but Buck just scratched the back of his head sheepishly.
"Um, I might have forgotten to mention this to you…the kid here doesn't let Molly out of his sight if he can help it. Mary says she's pretty much house broken, as long as you let her out as soon as she says she has to go."
Nathan inwardly groaned at this news, but didn't let the expression on his face falter. Before anything else could be said, Chris came in, carrying a medicine cup and a glass of juice.
"Time for his meds," He stated, studying the youngster's face. Just like Mary had warned, the boy was looking peaked and his face looked pinched. "Hey buddy, the doctors sent this home to help with the pain. Every six hours we can give you more if you need it."
Buck took the cup and held it to his passenger's lips. "Bottoms up. The sooner this goes down, the sooner you start feeling better."
The boy sighed and wrinkled his nose in disgust, but opened his mouth to accept the medication. The cool, sweet apple juice wiped away all traces of the bitter medicine.
The child's heavy eyes lowered of their own volition, the late hour, new place, and meeting all the new people had sapped away his energy.
Buck laid the toddler down onto what was to become his bed and covered him with lightweight blankets. Molly was placed on the bed next to him and immediately a small hand searched her out and petted her soft silky fur. With a final sigh, the boy drifted off.
The Larabee-Wilmingtons' softly snuck out of the room. They shut the door gently behind them and agreed to come back to check on him every thirty minutes. Vin left to read his comics in his room, and the displaced Nathan decided to watch a movie in the den. Chris and Buck, however, still had paperwork to sign, and instructions on the boy's care to receive.
Mary walked them through the paperwork as quickly as she could. They were already familiar with everything, so it didn't take nearly as long is it did the first- or even second-time for parents.
"Alright, that's it. Everything is now official," Mary told them with a sigh of relief, putting away her files.
"Thank God," Buck moaned. "I was starting to get writer's cramp."
"That's 'cause you never do any paperwork," Chris ribbed.
"Hey, we both know if we want the paperwork done right, you'd best do it. I, on the other hand, handle all the face-to-face dealings. The work gets done and everyone stays happy that way."
"I'm not that bad dealing with people."
"Yes you are," Mary and Buck said as one.
Chris glared.
Mary ignored him and moved on to the other issues. "I covered most of the medical issues with Chris; his medication schedule, next doctor appointments, and such. You two must remember though, if he seems to be acting at all strangely, like he's dizzy, can't focus on things, orhas extreme sensitivity to light, you need to take him back to the hospital. The doctors were almost positive it was just a mild concussion, but it's better to be safe than sorry. If he's still herewhen he gets his cast off in six weeks, you'll need to see that he gets the appropriate physical therapy, but the physical therapist will cover that when the comes around. The stitches will be coming out soon, but until then, remember, you can't get them or his cast wet."
"We know Mary. We've dealt with broken limbs and stitches before."
"A reminder never hurts," she told them stubbornly.
"Ok, ok. Anything else?" Chris questioned.
"Um…not that I can think of right now, but I'll be calling for weekly updates, and if I manage to find anything else out about him, I promise to call as soon as I can. Oh, they have confirmed that the husbandof the family he'd been staying with had been high. Apparently, he was a recovered drug addict who'd quit about 15 years ago, before their first son was born. However, he must have slipped, because he failed a random drug test at his job a month ago and was immediately let go. The detectives speculate that he must have attacked the boy and his family in a drug educed rage, and once he came down and realized what he'd done, he killed himself." Mary shook her head sadly.
"Damn. I can't imagine what life must have been like for the poor kid in that house for the last couple months," Buck murmured.
"And they haven't figured out where the kid's mother is yet?" Chris questioned.
"No sign of her yet. The phone records of the last six months or so didn't show any calls from unusual numbers, but they're only just starting to go over the family's financial records. Maybe they'll get lucky and catch a break there," Mary suggested hopefully.
"I'm not sure if it would be a good or bad thing to find her. I mean, unless she's in hiding or something, there ain't no good reason to take off and not contact your son for months," Chris growled.
Mary nodded her head in agreement. "I know, but we don't know what her reasons might be. Speaking of sons, though, I've taken the rest of the day off, starting at two, so I have to be getting on my way. Billy and I are going to the aquarium. He wants to see the sharks."
"Sounds like a good time," Buck agreed.
"I hope so," Mary told them smiling. "Oh, here are the those printouts on Clumber spaniels. Browse through them if you want. Don't hesitate to call me if you need anything, you know the numbers."
"Sure do," Chris confirmed, standing up.
"I'll just see myself out. Tell our boy I'll be around to see him next week."
"Will do," Buck promised. "Bye Mary."
Mary turned to go, then spun around once again. "Oh! I almost forgot. I'll be leaving that car seat I brought him in on your front porch. You'll need it to drive him around in. As you know, it's state law that he be in one until he's four years old or 40 pounds, then he graduates to a booster seat until he's six. I know he's probably around four years old, but considering how small he is, I think the car seat will be more appropriate than a booster seat."
"Thank you for that Mary. We really appreciate it," Chris said sincerely, safety was always paramount in their home.
"It's my pleasure. His safety means as much to me as it does to you. Well, bye, guys. Good-bye, Nathan," she called softly into the den on her way past, mindful of the napping child at the top of the stairs.
Mary walked out the door, closing it firmly behind her, a smile on her face. She unloaded the car seat, and left it on the porch, right next to the door. This was a good thing, she thought to herself, a new start for the Larabee-Wilmington clan.
With a hopeful heart, Mary Travis headed back to Denver and back to her own son. She just prayed this would work out for everyone involved, and that they would manage to discover something about that little boy soon.
All information about Clumber spaniels was found on the net. At: Wikipedia, American Kennel Club, and the FAQ at
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