Page 23 of Seamus: Unconventional
Honor Club
Shadow seems happy with us having dinner at Honor. The boys have a sadness surrounding them but are engaged in the daily fun and activity that is ongoing with or without Leon joining in.
It has me thinking about my partners. If something happens to me, they need a path that they can navigate without worry of a shelter or no value in a world that doesn’t understand their life of sacrifice and service. My partners need a plan, no that’s not quite it, my partners deserve a plan.
“Can Shadow sleep over?” The little voice draws me out of my head.
“If he wants, Vinny. He’s not military anymore so his time is his.” I wonder if it will hurt him to help make a plan for my partners.
The presence beside me isn’t unusual but the person is. Mucimi is a fleeting Brother. I mean that as in fleeing. His smile is sad but he’s smiling. “It will help.” He flees.
Vinny shakes his head as if he’s exasperated by the magical adults around here too. “What will help?”
“I need to make a plan for my partners and wondered if it would hurt you and Mark to help. This whole situation with Leon shows me I need to have a plan for Shadow and Light. My partners deserve a plan and way to keep working or living free if something happens to me.”
His tears gut me. I pull him close and just hold him as I watch the kids running through the Blackhawk yard, chasing K-9s, or the K-9s chasing them.
After a while, he lifts his head from my chest and looks up with glassy eyes but no tears. “I want to help. They can’t talk but they’re bigger than us like grownups and know how to do everything. Do we have a plan? Mark said to shut up but we need a plan.”
Fuck. “I’m sure someone is doing that. Kristos loves you both and has been right with you the whole time.”
His no head shake stops me. “He’s got a whole family. Natalia loves us and her boys and Kristos but we’re not theirs like Max isn’t yours but you’re his. Family isn’t always mom, sometimes it’s cousins, uncles and brothers. We’re like that and Kristos and his family is our family but not who we belong to.”
The boy amazes me seeing my partners as independent beings. Most adults don’t grasp that. “Yeah. I lived with my uncle when my mom and dad died. I didn’t know him before that. He sent cards and shit like the rest of the family I didn’t know, but when my parents died, he came the US and got me from the hospital. The rest of my family say I’m theirs, but they’re not really mine. Even living in Scotland, we’d see the Irish clan but were kind of relieved when they went home.” I smile remembering them trying to stuff months of lessons and history into a weekend visit. The pictures of people I didn’t know, the mock horror of my love of American and some Scottish foods got a hearty laughout of my uncle. The gleam in his eye told me he knew I was havering them.
“I want to help make a plan for the K-9s. Can you help make a plan for us? Mark wants to be a soldier but I don’t have a plan. He’s getting good grades and knows all the ages he can do stuff. Benny said he’d help and keep us in Little Brothers and stuff but we have to live somewheres.”
I ruffle his hair. “Yeah, I can help. Shadow and Light will want to help with their plans too. You all should have a say. I’ll ask…” I shake my head at the nosy bastard pulling Kristos over by the sleeve of his long T. “He’s a President, you don’t pull Presidents around like rag dolls.”
The cheeky mutt lets go and looks up batting his lashes at Kristos. He’s like a cartoon.
Kristos laughs at him. “What are you showing me?”
“We’re going to help make a plan in case something happens to Seamus. No one will know how to listen to Shadow and Light. Even Fairy, Izzy, Ranger and the other big one that doesn’t have a person no more need a plan. Seamus said he can help make a plan for me and Mark. Shadow brought you for our plan.” Vinny isn’t shy. Christ almighty.
Kristos looks like he was gut punched as he drops onto the end of my chair. “We’ve been talking with Leon about that. We can add rooms to my house.”
Vinny’s head is already not liking the plan by its negative shake. “We’re family but you’re not ours. Like the K-9s, they still need to work and have their friends but Seamus is their person. You’re our family but not our person.”
The shock on Kristos’ face would be funny if it weren’t so sad. I can feel the pain I see in the colorful storm forming in those turbulent eyes. “You’re not going in care and Benny is too young to be your guardian, Vinny.”
Now Vinny is surprised. “Seamus isn’t and you already checked him out. We can take care of the K-9s if something happens to him and they can help him take care of us if something happens to Leon. We have a room at his house right next to theirs.”
I close my eyes seeing Light and Shadow paying attention to this with a laser focus.
“You’re right. We should have talked to you and Mark about the plan. Let’s do that tomorrow. Cort has Maestro off Ops for a couple of days so the stories die down. We can meet with Leon, the K-9s and you and Mark.”
“And Natalia. The boys are too young but she loves us too and knows grownup stuff. The Blackhawks won’t care so long as we’re happy and close.” This kid is cute.
Kristos leans over and snatches the boy right up. “Something happens to Seamus, I’m building a bobble house across from me and Mase. You can live like the Bits with your K-9 Brothers where I can keep you close.”
“A bobblehead house?” Vinny has me laughing with my glassy eyes.
“Bobble. You’re gonna want to build them a retirement compound when they’re too old to work.”
Shadow barks and I’m watching my feet. Planting ideas isn’t a good idea but it will make the painful shit a little easier because it will be funny.
Kristos nods to me before he answers Shadow.“You fit in that bobble house and there will come a day when you slow down and live to see the seasons change.”
