Familia	 Familia

 by MR

  

 Author's website: http://unhinged.0catch.com

 Disclaimer: Not mine, never will be, but they have more fun when they
play at my house.

 Author's Notes: 

 Story Notes: 

 This story is a sequel to: Follow-Up to Heroes 

 

 Title: Familia
 Rating: PG-13
 Summary: Eighteen months after the events of "Mamacita" and "Heroes," Ray
receives a visit from an old friend. This story is a follow-up to
"Heroes." 

 I'm at my desk, trying to get the printer to spit out a report so Frase
and I can go to lunch when a softly accented voice behind me says
"Detective Vecchio?" 

 I spin around, figuring it's someone here to talk about a case; it takes
me a minute to place the face. Not that strange, given that I haven't seen
her in over a year. "Juanita." 

 She smiles. "I wasn't sure you'd remember me." Actually, she looks pretty
much the same, except her hair's shorter. She's got a death-grip on the
hand of a little boy who's valiantly trying to tear loose and get at Dief.
He's rattling on non-stop in the mixture of English and Spanish you hear
in kids that age who live in families where both are spoken. 

 "Wait a minute," I look closer at the kid. "Oh man, that's Hector!" 

 Juanita laughs. "I wondered if you'd recognize him. He's changed so much
the last 18 months." 

 "Well for one thing he wasn't talking last time I saw him." I squat down
so I'm closer to his level. "Hey, Hector." That temporarily distracts him
from Dief and he shuts up and looks at me, immediately going shy and
moving closer to Juanita. "He's what, almost three now?" 

 "Two and a half." She reaches down with her free hand and brushes his
dark hair. "Carlos and I are going to put him in preschool next year;
there's a good one at St. Paul's." 

 "So how are things going?" I stand up and motion for her to sit in
Fraser's chair. She does, hoisting Hector onto her lap. "I'm guessing the
adoption went through okay." 

 "Six months ago. Not that there was ever any question of it being
approved. As the woman from Child Protective Services told me, who else
would be crazy enough to want to adopt five brothers and sisters?" 

 "Glad it worked out." And I am. I remember talking to her and Carlos the
day after Carmen's body was found and being impressed by their
determination that Evie and the rest of the kids have a normal family
life. "Still, it's gotta be a madhouse some days, huh?" 

 She rolls her eyes. "Like you wouldn't believe, Detective Vecchio. It
helps a bit that Alejandro got married and moved out not long after Carmen
died." 

 Alejandro was the oldest of her and Carlos' four kids. "What about the
girls?" 

 "They've adjusted better than I expected. We had some trouble with
Desidra at first, but I think that was just because she was used to being
the baby in the family, even at 13. Sylvia and Theresita did a lot better;
especially once they realized they weren't going to be forced to give up
their social lives and baby-sit 'el ninos'." 

 "How's Evie?" 

 She glances towards the door, and then looks back at me. "Why don't you
ask her yourself?" 

 Two Hispanic girls are standing in the doorway looking bewildered. The
older one is probably 16 or 17; Theresita, I'm guessing, since she was the
oldest of the girls. The other one...it's not likely I'll ever forget
Evie. She's taller now, and sort've gawky in that way that girls who've
hit a growth spurt tend to be. But the thing that's changed the most are
her eyes. They've lost the haunted, worried look I remember so well from
the day I first met her. They're kids eyes now. 

 They spot Juanita and make a beeline for the desk. "Did you get the fine
paid?" Juanita asks Theresita, who nods, looking embarrassed. "Good.
You're still grounded for a week." 

 "Mama!" I almost smile when Evie giggles at the outrage in her sister's
voice. "You and Papa promised I could go out Friday night!" 

 "Take it up with your Papa." Juanita says calmly. "Evie, do you remember
Detective Vecchio?" 

 Evie cocks her head to one side, studying me. "Where's the other man?" 

 "Other man?" 

 "The one who wears the red suit like Santa Claus?" 

 I snort. "He's at his real job. He only works with me some of the time." 

 "What's his real job?" 

 "He works for the Canadian Consulate." 

 "We're studying Canada in school," she says, eyes lighting up. "Do you
think..." she looks at Juanita, and then back at me, "Do you think maybe I
could visit him there some time?" 

 "I'll tell ya what. I bet if he asks her nice enough, his boss will let
your whole class visit." 

 Her eyes widen. "You think so? That'd be cool." 

 "I can almost guarantee it." I dig in my pocket and come out with a
handful of change. "Juanita, you mind if I treat the kids to a can of
pop?" 

 "I guess not. But you don't have to, Detective." 

 "I know that. I wanna." I turn the change over to Theresita and direct
her to the break room. Hector, who apparently knows what pop means,
immediately slides off Juanita's lap and latches onto Evie's hand. 

 Once they're gone, Juanita looks at me. "You're going to spoil them."
She's smiling. 

 "Hey, I figure they can use a little spoiling. All kids need someone to
spoil them." 

 That makes her laugh out loud. "Do you have any children, Detective?" 

 "I wanted them, but my ex-wife and I could never agree on the subject.
Got a lot of nieces and nephews, though." 

 "You'd make a good father." 

 "You think so?" 

 Juanita smiles. "Just so long as you didn't have all girls. You'd have
them spoiled so rotten no man would want to marry them." 

 Fraser's waiting for me on the steps when I pull up in front of the
Consulate. He climbs in, acknowledging Dief's bark of greeting. "I was
beginning to think you weren't going to show up." 

 "Ah, I got to talking. Guess who I saw today?" 

 "I have no idea." 

 "Remember Evie Ruiz?" He nods. "Well she's Evie Santiago now. Juanita
came by and we caught up." I tell him about how things are going, about
Hector and Theresita, and Evie wanting to see the Consulate. "I sort've
promised her you'd fix it so her class could visit." 

 "I'm sure it can be arranged. Inspector Thatcher always says that we need
to find a way to put a more public face on our work; this would be an
excellent way to do that." 

 "That's what I figured." I shake my head. "Man, Frase, you wouldn't even
know she was the same kid. Juanita says they still sometimes have trouble
with her forgetting who's Mama, especially where Alejandro and his wife's
baby boy are concerned, but I think most little girls that age are
obsessed with babies." 

 "I'm happy things turned out so well. We were both worried about what
sort've a future she and the rest of the children faced." 

 "Yeah. It's just...things go to hell so often in this job, ya know? So it
sort've makes you high to find something's turned out so well." 

 "I'm assuming this is a metaphorical high you're speaking of?" 

 "Frase, I'm a cop, okay?" We drive in silence for a few minutes. "Juanita
and I were talking about having kids, raising them, stuff like that. I
gave Theresita some money so she and Evie and Hector could get some pop.
Juanita seemed to think I was spoiling them rotten, but she said I'd make
a good dad. You think I would?" 

 Fraser looks me, eyebrow raised. "I believe you would, yes. Though you'd
have to have someone more down-to-earth to balance you out. Part of the
reason you get along so well with children, Ray, is that you're not far
removed from childhood yourself." 

 I chew on that a minute, not entirely sure whether I've been complimented
or slammed. "Well you could balance me out, Mr. "Thank You Kindly." 

 Fraser actually turns sideways in his seat. "Ray, are you suggesting we
adopt a child?" 

 "Maybe. Someday, when we aren't both so wrapped up in our work. There're
a lot of kids out there that need a good home, Frase. And it's easier for
same-sex couples to adopt than it used to be." I reach over and take his
hand. "Anyway, that's in the future, okay?" 

 "You've never talked about wanting children before. Well, except where
Stella was concerned." 

 "I guess I never really thought about it until Juanita said I'd make a
good dad. And admit it, Frase, don't you want a son or daughter to carry
on the Fraser name?" 

 "Well my father certainly does." 

 "Does?" 

 "Did." He amends quickly. "He used to go on at great length about how I
had a duty to marry and provide him with grandchildren. I suspect,
however, that you and I adopting a child isn't exactly what he had in
mind." 

 "Well, he's dead now, so it's not like he's going to complain, right?" 

 Fraser's looking over his shoulder at the back seat. "Oh I'm sure he'd
find a way to convey his displeasure. Still, as you said, we're talking
about the future. And wouldn't you want the child to carry on your name as
well?" 

 "We can give them both. Kowalski-Fraser. Or Fraser-Kowalski. Whichever
sounds best." 

 "Ray, you're giving me a headache. Could we just get some lunch and table
the adoption discussion for now." 

 "Will do." 

 "What are you grinning about?" 

 I look at him. "Just feeling good. Things have worked out well for Evie,
I've got you for my lover. Hell, I actually got the printer to work for me
today, Frase! This is a red-letter day, okay, and I reserve the right to
grin like a fool if I want to." 

 He smiles. "Far be it from me to suggest otherwise, Ray. To good days!" 

 "Thank you kindly, Fraser." 

 "You're more than welcome, Ray." 

 FIN 

End Familia by MR: psykaos42@yahoo.com

Author and story notes above.