by L. Ann Marie
He looks away. "If Nancy ever walked out like Tracy what the fuck am I going to do with a fuckin kid?"
"You'll take care of it and move the fuck on. You see Pres loving Jessie. Pres hurts, everyone sees it but he never once let Jessie down. You should never plan for something like that but if it happens, you have fuckin Brothers that will step in." I don't understand how he can't see he'd be a good dad.
He finishes with Devan and gets a cloth to clean his face. He goes to the cabinet and gets a bottle, heats some water in a cup, puts the bag in and pours the baby water in it. He squishes the bag and holds it to Devan's mouth. "I'll think about it Brother." He says.
I smile at him. He hasn't realized how much he's already doing. I know he'll get it though. A knock at the door puts a look of relief on his face. I'll let it go for now. I open the door to Casper. I'm surprised as fuck to see him standing there. "Brother, you got a minute?" He looks like he wants to be anywhere but here. I'm not one of his favorite people but he looks like something is on his mind.
I open the door wider so he can pass. "Always for a Brother, come on in. You want coffee?" He nods. I get him a cup while he watches Tiny burp Devan. I look at Tiny, "You good Brother?"
"I got him. I'm bringing him up to change him. We'll be back." He takes Devan upstairs giving Casper some time. I smile; he knows there are diapers in the living room chest. Casper sits so I do. I pull my coffee over. "Everything ok?"
"Not really Danny. I need to know what you're going to do, it's driving me fuckin crazy?" He says like I would understand.
"About what?"
"Are you moving to Security? VP has you at his side or leading the Brothers." He's pissed. Fuck.
"I'm a fuckin Building Super Casper. I don't run ops or plan missions." I laugh. "Went to school and became an architect, I never did military training."
His whole fuckin body relaxes. "You've been workin by VP's side and leading teams. I thought you were coming in."
"Brother the only teams I ran was the two man teams that I was on. I've been at VP's side because I can shoot and he needed me to do that. I'll do what I'm told like Axe trained me to do. When that's needed I'm here and VP will use me. How many times does shit like this happen? He doesn't need me to shoot every fuckin day like when we ran drugs. I've been here all along. Nothing's changed except now people see me. I'm still the Building Super."
"You're not moving to Security? Even if he asked you to?"
"Casper, I'm not trained to do what you do. People shoot at me I find the best way to deal based on training from an MC soldier that died in a drug war. I like my job. I'm here the next time you need someone to shoot straight. I'll follow orders my higher officers ask of me but I'm not looking to take your job. No one has offered it and I wouldn't know how to do it. You’re safe Brother. Next time ask before you get pissed."
"Sorry Brother. I don't know why I thought you were moving to Security. I figured you'd want it now everyone realizes what you can do. People are looking at you different."
I look at him. "I hit every biker in that shipyard. Couple of years ago I rode with Dave and hit every biker I aimed at from the rival club. How is that different than me hitting everything now?"
He looks embarrassed but doesn't answer.
"There is no difference. While I've been all in for the Brotherhood, there hasn't been a Brother all in for me until these last few months. Besides being the Building Super, I'm going to change that. Everyone should be noticed for what they contribute. I'm going to figure out how to do that for the other Brothers who aren't seen. I want them to know we're all in for them. When we say 'we take care of our own' we need to mean it for all the Brothers not a select few that stand out. If it weren't for the support of your geek squad Security wouldn't be as well organized and effective as it is. Those Brothers are important and should be seen. I didn't even know we had a Digs in the club til a couple of months ago. He literally kept me alive through this whole Barney episode. He's my new fuckin hero."
"I'm sorry we let you down, I know you went through some shit with your ex. You're right we weren't all in because you weren't one of our soldiers. I'd like to help with recognizing our Brothers so that doesn't happen again. Tell me when you think of a way or call me and we can work together. I didn't realize besides building and shooting, you're a smart motherfucker too." He stands and puts his hand out. I stand and take it pulling him in for a man-hug.
"Always all in Brother." I hear someone behind me.
"Me too Brothers." Tiny puts his big bear arms around us. I fuckin laugh. He lets us go and steps back. "You're not supposed to be laughing." He says with a frown that makes me laugh more.
"Doc's setting me up to fix it, I'm not gonna stop laughing. You just need to get used to it. Were you standing there listening the whole fuckin time?"
He was, I can see it on his face. "Yeah Brother. You're right we didn't see you. When you said it I thought of all the Brothers that we don't really see. You can be our poster child for the new Brotherhood recognition campaign."
Casper cracks up, I try holding it in but can't and I crack up, then Tiny fuckin laughs. The kids start laughing and we all turn.
Little Ben comes up to me. "They finally see your strong Uncle Danny."
"Yeah Little Ben they do." I tell him ruffling his hair.
Jessie comes over with Darren. "It took them long enough; we've been telling them forever." He signs and says. Darren signs back, 'I knew the whole time'. He throws chin, making us laugh again. I have to hold my fuckin face; it's going to be one of those days.
Kate
I love having everyone show up. My house is always full now, it's like I'm making up for all that time I spent alone. The guys just finished Ally's room and are working on the bonus room. The kids are going to a ball game with Doc. He wants them to have a normal day after being cooped up at the club. He's taking some of the teens and Security. Right now they're running wild, I think rival biker clubs is the game. It's an all-out war if the nerf arrows flying by me is any indication.
Jake comes down the back stairs laughing. "I think I just got put down by Ally. She stood in the hall smiling, I squatted down to hear what she was saying and she shot me." He laughs. "Little bugger ran away through the tree house room. I have no idea where she's hiding. I couldn't find her."
I crack up. "Danny put little safe rooms all over the freakin house. Neither he nor the kids will tell me where they are. It's going to be interesting when they get to be teenagers."
He laughs going to the garage coming in a minute later with some wood. I watch him climb the stairs. I smile, he's not one of the Brothers but he fell right in with them. Danny was surprised he showed up to help. I was surprised Casper came over. He isn't one of the regulars that show up. I climb the stairs to check out Ally's room again. She has a castle platform bed, a little catwalk with mirrors and a swing hanging from the ceiling. They made her a princess room shocking the hell out of me. It's the epitome of girly girl built by big badass bikers. I chuckle walking in. The lights are off, stars on the ceiling, a purple glow from the platform, pink LED lights under it and the fiber optic twinkling lights on the tree embedded into the wall. I bet a safe room is behind it. "I wonder where my pretty girl is now?" I ask the room. I see her move in the bed. She's covering her eyes. I giggle. "Is she in the closet?" She laughs holding her hands tight against her eyes. She's so freakin cute. I make the round of her room then climb to her bed tickling her as I plop down. 'You found me.' She signs. "I did beautiful. It took me a while but I found you." She giggles. "Nice room you got here." She smiles nodding her head. "Dad put pictures', she points to her grandparents. 'I got things in my safe room; I want to keep them safe so I remember.' "I think that's a great idea. They loved you so much. I bet they're smiling because you’re keeping them close in here." I touch her chest over her heart. 'Darren says I can use my strong to keep them always like he does his mom.' She signs making tears come to my eyes. "You can, it's important that you do,
it will help you to be a strong grown up." She nods in agreement. I kiss her cheek. She moves around until her head is on my shoulder. We look up at the stars both happy just to be here.
Danny comes in with Ben. I smile over at them. "Here are my two beautiful girls. The bonus room is done. Do you want to come see it?" Ally screams something and is off running. I crack up.
"Guess that's a yes." Ben says laughing. "This came out really nice Brother. I'm always amazed at your imagination. I shouldn't be but I am. Maybe you can use that in my new house?"
I look at him a little shocked, Danny's watching him. "You're moving?" He asks.
"Yeah," he goes to the window and lifts the shade pointing, "Five houses that way. Jessie asked about it, I think it'd be perfect. I need to get rid of my house. It's a constant reminder of what isn't. Tracy found the house and had to have it. I would have been happy living at the club."
Danny nods. "Tell me when and we'll get you set up over there." I'm so proud of my man.
"Always all in, thanks Brother." He says to Danny. "The closings next week. You can talk to Jessie about his room. Give him whatever he wants."
"You're a good dad Ben. Welcome to the neighborhood." I kiss his cheek then Danny's lips and leave them alone. Danny stops me at the door.
"Babe, Tiny and Nancy's got Devan, Doc's on his way for the kids. Go take a bath in that awesome tub I had specially made to spoil my girl. I'm taking you to dinner later at a noodle place in Bristol." He smiles. I crack up, walk back to him, pull him down and kiss his lips. I make a bee line to my room to take a bath hearing them laugh.
Chapter Thirty Nine
One Month...
The kids are bouncing off the walls. Penny came in with shirts for them. She made jerseys with the club logo and our names for the whole family. We'll be wearing them to dinner tonight.
Rich flew right to Colorado, Patches Digs and Bob met up with him for a week of skiing. I'm excited to see my boy; he's got another three weeks before he has to go back. The only time he needs to be away is for a ceremony in DC to get a medal. He hasn't told anyone so we're keeping it a secret but we'll be there. Steve got a heads up and hooked us up so we can support him. I think the whole fuckin club is going. That should be a sight, our cuts showing while he meets the President. I can't fuckin wait. Rich and Patches should be here any minute. I finish screwing the last board on. Devan's room is finished. He has a tree house crib that can be switched to a bed when he's big enough. I even got a slide on it for him. All that's left is paint. Kate thinks I'm nuts but it's been a hell of a week. I've been as bad as the kids wanting to see Rich and missing Patches. Not that I'd tell anyone else that. My fuckin man card can't take the hit after Kate and her fuckin chain last week. I didn't get more than ten minutes before she had me coming like a fuckin sixteen year old. I ain't ever letting her fuckin cuff me again. It's fuckin humiliating. I shake my head to clear it while I'm picking up my tools and walking out the door. I have no fuckin business smiling over that. As I'm dropping the tools on the bench to put away I hear the screaming and screeching. I laugh. The boys are back. I leave the tools, hit the garage door and wait for fuckin ever for it to go up so I can see my boys.
Fuck I stand back and watch my boys, really men, pick up every one of the little guys for a hug. Rich keeps Ally. She's smiling so big. She sees me and signs, 'my brother came, my brother from the computer is here.' I crack up. Signing, 'yes he is.'
Patches looks at me. "No pain?" I shake my head no. He smiles and hugs me with Aaron on his arm.
Rich finishes talking to Jessie and Darren and comes over to us. He gives Patches Ally, "for a minute." He says to him and gives me a bear hug. "So fuckin happy to see you dad." The kids yell, he laughs letting me go. "I was told about you Little Brothers shaking down the Big Brothers. I came prepared." He pulls two bills out of his pocket and hands it to Darren who makes whooping noises.
He shows Jessie. "Two hundred bucks! We got enough!" Jessie yells. Rich tells them it's for two weeks and they'll negotiate the couple of days at the end before he leaves.
I ask them what they're buying. They all look at Jessie, "Lee's mom’s car broke. I asked Petey how much it cost to fix it. We have three hundred now. Do we have to pay tax?" He's fuckin serious. I pull my wallet and hand him another hundred. They jump around. Darren stops everyone and tells Jessie to call Petey to see if he can fix it now. It's still too cold for Lee to walk."
Jessie puts on a serious face and calls Little Ben. "Little Brother, we got the money to fix the car. Can you call Petey to fix it right away? We have four hundred see if it's enough for the tires too. Maybe he'll fix it cheaper for you." He doesn't say anything else just slides his phone off. "He said give him ten." They all look at their watches.
Patches pushes my chin closed then Rich's. He walks into the house putting his phone to his ear. These fuckin kids are raising money to fix people's fuckin cars. "I'm so fuckin proud of you I don't know what the hell to say." I tell them. Ally hits my arm. The boys laugh. I give her a buck without thinking about it.
Rich picks her up and hugs her. "Dad whatever your doing don't fuckin stop. Don't ever fuckin stop."
I shake my head and look at him with a smile. "I didn’t plan on it." He slaps my back and tells Ally he needs to see Kate and Devan then her room. She squeals for him making him laugh.
I wait with the boys, Little Ben calls him back in five. He's such a little badass answering the phone. "Little Brother." I smile, Fuckin kids. "Nice. Everything! Right. You're good Brother. See you at dinner." He slides it off and looks at the boys. "He got Petey fixing everything for three fifty today!" They all jump around. I'm doubled over laughing when Kate puts her hand on my back. I stand straight holding my stomach.
She smiles big for me and tells the boys Rich is checking out their bonus room. They look at Jessie he says and signs, "Little Ben wants a meeting, I'll ask Patches. We still have fifty. You got to figure out what's the important one on the list like before, text him. Little Ben will tell us what's next when we meet." They nod and run in the house yelling.
"Fuckin kids. They're like the adults. I think Little Ben is the Pres. I don't know where that leaves the others. I always thought Jessie was his dad."
She snorts. "Jessie is you. They think you're the strongest. According to them, you don't need to show you're strong; you used it in secret fixing everyone until they were ready to see it. You've reached super hero status. Darren is going to be Steve. He sees every freakin thing. It's eerie sometimes." She laughs at my expression. "I heard Patches talking to Petey. They're good kids."
"The Best," I smile down at her. She kisses me leaning her tits into me. I'm hard in New York fuckin minute. I moan and step away. She laughs. Fuckin Beautiful Kate. "It's going to be a long fuckin night." I mumble as grab her hand walking into the house.
Chapter Forty
I don’t think I’ve stopped smiling all day. We’re waiting in the hotel lobby. Forty two Brothers and Little Brothers are here with us. Ben took over a whole fuckin hotel for the weekend. Kate, Jess, Nancy and Mary are the only women here. They’re going through everyone to make sure their ties are straight and shirts are buttoned right. We got permission to wear our cuts instead of jackets as long as we wore ties and button down shirts. Patches and Petey made sure all the Little Brothers got here so they can see a big Brother get recognition from the President.
Ben stands in the middle of everyone, Tiny whistles. “The bus is outside Brothers, Brothers in the back, the Little Brothers in front of them and Officers in front of them with the women.”
Everyone moves, I’m always amazed that no one pushes or shoves trying to get in. The ride to the Whitehouse is short. We file out and are brought to a room outside of where the ceremony and banquet are being held. We all go through metal detectors no problem. Steve warned us beforehand threatening to kill anyone that embarrassed him by being stupid.
Finally we’re brought out to our seats right in front. Rich looks nervous up in
the front, when he sees us he smiles shaking his head. He signs he can’t believe we’re here but he’s so fuckin glad. The Little Brothers make him laugh putting their hands out. We sit and wait for the President. When he comes out everyone quiets down. He talks about honor and bravery. It’s a fuckin good speech making me even more proud of my boy. He calls the men sitting behind him up. Rich stays where he is. What the fuck? He puts medals on the men saying something to each one, shakes their hands, then goes back to the podium. He talks about the honor of one man and how he saved a village as well as a team. I have tears in my eye. My boy did this. The President is honoring him with his words, he calls Rich up handing him a box with the medal shaking his hand and pointing him to the podium.
Rich steps up putting the medal down, he signs and says thank you to everyone clapping. We all sit. He keeps signing as he talks. “I was told I had five minutes to talk. I was nervous because I really only had twenty seconds figured out.” Everyone laughs. “I’m signing for my brothers and sister, so please bear with me. I didn’t tell my family I was coming here today. I was ordered to come and graciously accept this medal.” He looks back. “Sorry Mr. President, no offense.” People chuckle. He smiles. “I didn’t think I deserved this medal. It wasn’t until I saw my family this large group with the MC cuts on in the front here.” He points us out. “It wasn’t until I saw them that I realized it isn’t just me being honored today. “’We take care of our own.’ That’s what Pres always say.” He looks back again. “Sorry, I mean the other Pres.” The President laughs with everyone. “That’s exactly how I came to be here today. My fallen Brothers who will forever hold a place in my heart taught me to never give up the fight for right and just. Never let their sacrifice be anything but a lesson in honor and a motivation to continue where they left off. My team that’s waiting for me to get back to work gave me the support I needed to accomplish my job. Every one of them played a part in our success. Without their help we certainly would have failed. My family the Brothers, Little Brothers and Old Ladies of the MC that taught me how important it is that we stand together as one in honoring our women and children. Being committed and loyal to the Brotherhood and each other. Standing together for those who can’t. Your lessons saved a village of women and children whose men were taken. A village that needed us to stand together for them. My LaPonte family; teaching me love in its purist form, with no conditions. I thank God every day I have you to keep me grounded and tethered to the people that have taught me so much. My new mom Kate, fighting every day for abused women. I did one job. You were on my mind during the whole mission. My dad, the man this wouldn’t be possible without. You earned your black belt so you could teach a bunch of scraggly punks discipline, respect and commitment. You had a baseball team learn sign language so one player could feel like he was part of the team teaching me compassion and acceptance. You bought me my first gun teaching me aim and patience, the respect of my weapons and the importance of every single life. I have to stop here and say, as of last week, he still out shoots me with bow and guns!” He looks back at the President. “We need to step up our training Mr. President. He’s old and only has one eye!” Everyone laughs. “My father taught me how to live in honor, with integrity and loyalty. I am so proud and grateful that you’re my dad. It is with great pride and honor for all of you that had a part in me being here today that I accept this medal. You all taught me how to be the man I am. Thank you.” Everyone stands and claps for him. I have tears in my eye as he walks down the stairs and hugs me.
