Fosters: Blackhawk (17 page)

"Fuck!"  He pulls his phone and asks to use
the chopper and get some guys in the reservation looking for
Taylor.  He gives his phone to Steve to explain and runs into
the room.  He washes his hands and grabs his flight bag. 
I don't know what to do.  I just lost a kid; I've never done
that before.  

"What do I do?  Should I call the police?"
 I ask anyone.  "We have procedures but you're all
here." 

"Wait on PD."  Steve says.  I nod.
 "Need to know how long he's been gone." 

I go out to the back and question the
kids.  He ate with the kids then wasn't seen after that. 
Victor thought he was with the older boys, they thought he was with
the younger.  I run in and tell Steve best guess is two hours,
just after he ate.  He calls Cloud who's already on his way
with Beau and Brantley.  

More men show up and start walking the land in
every direction.  My whole body is shaking.  Christian
holds onto me keeping me calm.  Brenda keeps the little kids
busy; the older boys are helping the search teams.  Kate stays
close to Christian.  "I learned how to guide Tess.  When
something happens she usually has another vision soon after."
 I nod and thank her.  Christian hugs her saying thanks,
he's scared, she holds onto him.  She's so good with the kids,
I'm glad she's here.  

Chase comes into the house.  "Cloud's in
the air.  He wanted me to tell you he'll find him."  I
nod and the tears start.  Fuck!  Aleena comes in and hugs
me then hands me a box of tissue. 

Patches comes in carrying a very pregnant
Tess.  Max follows.  "She said we had to be here. 
Rich is with Danny."  Kate nods.  

Christian sits with Tess who is crying.
 "It's going to be ok.  He didn't understand but he
will.  Cloud will make sure of it."

"Why are you crying?"  Christian asks the
obvious question.  

Tess hugs him.  "Because you love him."
 I look from one to the other then at Kate.  She shrugs.
 

Patches laughs, “Fuckin Tess."  Christian
puts his hand out for a buck.  Something he picked up from the
Little Brothers.  Thank God I don’t say them out loud; he
can’t charge me for thinking it. 

I’m feeling a little better now that Tess is
here telling us it will be ok.  I hear the helicopter and
relax.  It’s like a balm that soothes me.  I hear
Brantley talking on a loud speaker.  He’s calling for Taylor
to come out telling him he didn’t understand.  He sounds so
worried.  “My poor lost boys.”  I whisper. 

“Only Taylor, the rest are found.  He’ll be
found too.  It will be ok.”  Tess says.  I just
nod.  “Your next one isn’t so easy.”  She says making me
laugh.  Fuckin Tess.  Christian puts his hand out and I
slap it down.  Everyone laughs. 

I go out to check on the little guys and get
away from Christian and the swear police.  Brenda, Ally and
Joey are keeping them entertained.  Joey is so proud telling
me all they’ve done.  Brenda takes me aside and apologizes for
not keeping the kids safe.  “You didn’t lose him as much as he
ran away.  He heard something one of the guys said about Rob
Taylor and thought it was about him.  He should know better
than to run away and I should have had more than one person for all
these kids.  It’s a lesson learned.  Keep me in check
next time.”  She looks relieved and asks if I want her to call
her father.  “Steve said to wait on that.  I think I
should wait.  Tess said he’s going to come back fine.”  I
tell her.

“If Tess says he’s fine then he’s fine.” 
She says with a smile.  I don’t tell her about Christian’s
vision.  No point in getting her worked up over that. 
Christian had no problem showing her the real him.  I was
shocked and happy.  Hiding and always gauging and selecting
his words has got to be exhausting.   I sit with the
girls playing with the little guys.  Jeremy sits by me and
holds my hand.  I lean over and kiss his head getting me the
cutest smile.  I love him. 

I hear a cheer go up.  I run into the
house.  Christian tackles me.  “Danny has him!  He’s
ok!”  I of course cry.  Aleena holds the box of tissues
in front of me then Kate then Tess.  

Chase laughs then hugs me.  “Cloud chose
well.  The heart of a lion and love of a saint.” 

“I like that.  I’m going to ask Penny to
put it on a shirt for you.”  Tess says making us all
laugh.  She’s so friggin cute.  Christian nods. 
Friggin kid.

He looks at Patches.  “You should bring her
to the hospital.” 

Tess laughs.  “I was waiting for
Rich.” 

Kate screams and bends to hug her.  “My
grandbabies are coming!” 

“They’re beautiful like Tess and special like
Jeremy.”  Christian says his eyes are far away.  “They’re
going to help so many people.”  I notice Max is sitting on his
feet.  I point down and Tess laughs.  “Rich is here, you
should take her to the hospital.” 

Kate stands up and holds Christian’s hand. 
“You did perfect Christian.  You can come back now.  We
got everything.”  She says so
sweet, 
I’m
 friggin soothed by it. 

Max barks.  Patches lifts Tess and
Christian smiles.  “It’s time.  They’re here. 
Taylor is sorry.”  I hold his hand and pull him to the
door. 

I run down the stairs and open the door; Rich
laughs lifting Taylor over him handing him to me.  I grab him
and back up squishing him to me.  “Don’t you ever do that
again!  We are a family.  When you have a problem you
bring it to us.  You never run away.  What the hell were
you thinking?”  I lift his head and look at him.  He’s
friggin smiling.  Everything is wiped away, all the fear and
anxiety is just gone.  “I love you Taylor.  That means
always no matter what.  You got that?”  He kisses my
cheek and I laugh. 

Danny laughs.  “Told ya.”  He slaps
Brantley’s shoulder and turns back to Taylor.  “Now I have to
get my girl to the hospital and see my grandkids.  You plan on
anymore running you need to give me a few hours.  Yeah?”

Taylor smiles.  “Yeah.  Thanks Danny
and Rich.”  

Patches yells from the back seat with
Tess.  “Let’s go you can chit chat later.” 

Rich looks at me.  “Can we leave Max for a
day or so?”  I nod.  “I’ll have Tiny bring you some of
his things.”  I nod.  Patches is yelling again. 
Kate laughs from behind me. 

“I promise I won’t lose any of your kids if you
want to leave them here.”  I tell her. 

Danny laughs.  “They can stay.  Thank
you.  Cloud should be home soon.”  I nod and watch them
climb in and back out. 

When I turn everyone is on the porch and
stairs.  I laugh and put Taylor down.  He looks
embarrassed.  “I’m sorry.  I didn’t understand and made
everyone worry for nothing.  I promise not to run away from my
family again.”  He watches for their reaction.  Brantley
and Christian run to him and hug him.  Jacob and Jeremy fight
to get down from Chase and Aleena and run to him too then everyone
surrounds him and hugs everyone else.  I’m laughing
hysterically.  I’ve never seen Bikers being so sappy.  I
didn’t really know any bikers but still.  It’s
funny. 

Cloud pulls up and wades in.  “I need to
have a talk with my boy here.  He’ll meet you out back when
we’re done.”  Everyone gives Taylor sympathetic looks.
Christian smiles at him.  I push him toward the porch. 
Cloud brings Taylor to the table the guys used to eat at. 
“Can you give us a minute CJ?  I know you probably don’t want
him out of your sight but I need to have a guy talk with
him.”  I nod but don’t move.  “I promise I will deliver
him to you when we’re done.”  I kiss his head and walk into
the back watching the kids play basketball.

Cloud comes up behind me.  Taylor goes to
join in.  "He won't run away again."  He kisses the top
of my head.  

I look up smiling.  "I didn't think he
would.  I was so scared though then Tess came in and said he'd
be fine, you'd make sure of it."  

He smiles down.  "I have to tell you before
you hear it from someone else.  I couldn't land the chopper
anywhere close to him so Beau lowered Brantley down to him. 
We waited above them until Danny showed up."  

My heart beats fast.  I feel my face
getting red.  "You did what?"  I yell spinning around.
 

He puts his hands in front of him.  "Beau
could have gone, it was a fifteen foot drop but Brantley was there,
he was safe and now he has a story to tell his friends.  He
was so scared for Taylor.  It gave him a lift."  

"The boy is twelve friggin years old!  Did
you repel out of a chopper when you were twelve?"  I can't
believe him.  

"Well no but I was in a plane then.  I even
got to fly it for a while."  He says still with his hands in
front of him.  

"You did?  Is this stuff normal for
families to do?"  What the hell do I know I lived in a shitty
foster home when I was twelve?

"Well I guess not in regular families but I'm a
pilot and ex SEAL and Badass Biker.  I do crazy shit for work
regularly.  I don't think twice about it.  Fifteen feet
is nothing and he had a harness and Beau lowering him.  It
really was just fifteen feet.  We even put a helmet on him."
 He looks like he's begging me to understand.  Maybe this
is normal shit for guys like him.  

I look over at Tiny.  "Is this normal shit
or is he crazy?"  

"Red they're Badass Bikers; they do crazy shit
for a living.  Add in the SEAL shit and the Security, you
can't expect Brady Bunch activities.  They're all fuckin
nuts."  Chase and Aleena nod.  

"Ok, but he better always have a damn helmet
on!"  Everyone laughs.  I walk over to Brantley. 
"I'm proud of you for staying with Taylor.  You did just what
a big brother is supposed to do."  He hugs me and smiles at
Cloud.  Friggin guys.  

I go to the deck and sit with Brenda, Nancy and
Aleena.  The guys go to Rich's to get Max' stuff.  "So
he's off the hook for letting Brantley repel out of the chopper?"
 Aleena asks.

"Well, I lived in care.  I didn't have a
cool parent to do cool shit with.  I know he wouldn't let
anything happen to Brantley; he loves him.  If this is his
normal I guess I need to get that."  I look at each one of
them.  

Aleena laughs.  "Cloud is going to love
being with you."  

"I hope so he promised me at least sixty years."
 I smile at her.  

"Are you friggin kidding me?  You're
engaged and didn't tell anyone?"  She grabs my hand and looks
at the ring.  "I thought it was a beautiful ring but didn't
know it was an engagement ring!"  She pulls the rest of me
over and hugs me.  Nancy tells her to loosen up.  She's
crying and laughing.  "My brother is marrying the coolest
freakin woman I've ever met.  I love it!"  She kisses my
cheek.  "Wait until my Nunánuk finds out."  

"He asked me when we were there.  She
knows, the rest of the tribe does too, they came to meet me."
 She looks pissed.  

"So I'm the last one to know?  Why didn't
anyone tell me?"  She's yelling and drawing the kids’
attention.  

"Maybe because you're acting like a crazy
person."  Brenda says a little nervous.

Aleena looks around then laughs.  "I am,
I'm sorry, I'm so excited.  You are a perfect match for him."
 

I thank her and we talk about anything that
doesn't get Aleena too excited.  I'm so relieved when the guys
get back.  Aleena yells at Cloud and he laughs at her. 
He's a little crazy too.  

Tiny gets the kids gathered up and coordinates
showers and baths.  He tells everyone to man a bathroom, me to
get shorts and shirts for the kids that don't live here and Brenda
to watch the toddlers until the older kids are done.  Being
the adults that we are, we listen to whatever he tells us and are
done half an hour later.  That worked out well, I make a
mental note to write it down.  

He gets them watching a movie and playing in the
living room as they finish.  We all meet in the dining
room.  Cloud gets beer for everyone but me and Nancy, he gives
us a glass of wine.  Brenda leaves for the day saying she'll
see us Monday.  I can't believe she’s willing to come back
with all the craziness that went on today but I'll take it.  I
have a feeling this is just the beginning of crazy days.

Danny, Kate and Ben come in with pictures of
they're beautiful grand babies.  Kate is so proud.  I hug
her and she cries.  Aleena gives her the box of tissues. 
Danny thanks us and collects their kids.  All the kids thank
us and hug me.  They're so sweet.  Little Ben goes home
with them. Nancy and Tiny leave with Sandy; I thank them for all
their help.  All that's left is Aleena and Chase.  What a
friggin day.  

Chase and Cloud take Christian to walk Max while
we get everyone else into bed.  I give extra hugs to Brantley
and Taylor.  Joey is excited about being able to hang with
Ally today.  I smile at the, 'hang', teenage word.  She
got this from Lori and Jess Baxter when they slept over.

By the time I finish with Joey Christian comes
in with Max.  He takes Max's bed up with him and puts it in
front of his platform.  I do the night check ritual and go out
to the front with the adults just in time to say goodbye to Chase
and Aleena.  

I am so glad we are alone.  I pull Cloud to
the patio stopping to get a beer and my wine off the table and push
him into our chair.  I sit in between his legs and lay
back.  He laughs.  "It was a rough day.  It all
turned out ok though.  We even got the garage almost
finished."  

"Yes.  I just need to be right here right
now."  I adjust his arm on my stomach.  "Tess' babies are
beautiful.  All the kids are, but newborn babies aren't
usually."

"I thought it was just me.  I have a soft
spot for Tess, she so fuckin cute.  Everyone watches out for
her." I can hear his smile.

I smile too.  "She is.  She came over
today because Christian was hurting.  I think she wanted to
leave Max with him."