I own nothing. Just an idea that came to me while I was having writers block. Enjoy!
"Duke," a little boy yelled running up to Audrey, Nathan, and I.
"Hey Seb," I said smiling down at him, "What's up?"
"Mommy's going to get me a puppy," he said grinning widely.
"I said maybe," Colleen said walking up slowly, "Hello Duke, Nathan."
"Hello Mrs. Collins," Nathan said nodding toward her.
"Oh call me Colleen, Nathan," she said shaking her head, "And you must be Audrey Parker. It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Colleen Collins and this is my son Sebastien Collins."
"I'm six," Seb yelled bouncing up and down.
"Awesome," Audrey said smiling, "It's nice to meet you too, Colleen."
"Why are you here Colleen?" I asked looking up from Seb, "You should be at work."
"That is why I'm here," Colleen said slowly, "I'm going on a business trip to Denver and I can't take Seb with me. I was hoping you would take care of him. It's only for two weeks and he'll be an angel. He looks up to you Duke."
"Yeah," Seb said hugging my waist, "You're awesome Duke."
"Why not go with someone more, I don't know, trustworthy?" Nathan asked calmly.
"I do trust Duke, Nathan," Colleen said crossing her arms, "Anyway, Seb respects Duke and will listen to him. Unlike anyone else in this town."
"I'm going to get a puppy and it will be big and cute and I'll name him Rufus and we'll take walks all the way to your boat Duke," Seb said tugging on my jacket, "It will be awesome."
"What do you say Duke?" Colleen said smirking, "And don't forget, Seb does an amazing puppy dog pout."
"Okay," I said sighing, "Just don't do the face."
"Yay," Seb said hugging me again, "Did you hear that Mommy? Duke's going to take care of me while you're gone and nothing bad will happen."
"I heard," Colleen said smiling, "Go get your bag from the car and come back okay?"
"Okay," he said running out of sight.
I smiled to myself as I watched Seb run out of sight. It had been three years since I first met him and he still thought I made the world go round and I liked that I meant that much to someone, though I wouldn't say it out loud.
"Duke," Colleen said pulling me to the side, "I need to tell you something about Seb."
"What is it?" I asked confused.
"I think he has a small crush on you," she said sort of smiling, "I'm not sure, but it sounds like he does when he talks about you and everything. I just thought you needed to know that before we did this whole thing. You can still back down if that's too much to handle."
My eyes widened when I heard what she said. It was hard to believe that Seb, who I had first met while he was running up and down the dock, had a crush on me. Plus he was only six years old. Wasn't that just way too young for him to even think something like that?
When we had first met he was only three years old and had tripped in front of my boat. I heard him crying and had gone out to see what was going on. Turns out he had taken off without Colleen's permission and it had taken me almost two hours before he told me where he lived.
Ever since that moment Seb and Colleen had been coming to visit me sometimes. It was nice to have someone else on the boat at certain times and with Seb looking up to me like I thought he had was a good feeling also.
With everything that had been happening with the town and knowing that Seb would be safer with me than someone else I knew I couldn't turn either of them away. I was just going to have to get past the fact that he had a crush on me.
"It's fine," I said calmly, "A little weird, but it's Seb. I couldn't turn that boy away."
"Thank you Duke," Colleen said hugging me tightly, "And I know about the troubles being back. That's another reason why I want you to take care of him."
I smiled at Colleen and shook my head. I should have known that she knew what was going on. Colleen always knew what was going on and she let you know. She wasn't the type of woman that would just back down without a fight.
"Hi," Seb said when he got back, "Officer Wournos, you're car is blue. Like bright blue. Really really bright blue."
"It is," Nathan said nodding.
"Awesome," he said grinning, "I'm going to get a puppy."
"Maybe," Colleen said loudly, "And not until I get back if you do."
"Mommy," he said tears filling his eyes, "I want Rufus."
"Okay, you are getting a dog," she said shrugging, "But not until I get back."
"Mommy," he said pouting.
"No Sebastien," she said firmly, "Now come here. I have to leave."
"Okay," he said sadly.
I watched as Seb walked closer to Colleen and hugged her tightly. Looking at his face I wasn't sure if he was sad because of the dog or because Colleen was leaving. It might have been only two weeks, but she was still leaving and that sucked.
"I love you Baby," Colleen said kissing his forehead, "You have your cell phone?"
"Yeah," Seb said pulling the cell from his pocket.
"I'll call," she said hugging him once more, "Have fun with Duke. I love you."
"I love you too Mommy," he said before she left.
Once Colleen had gotten into the car and left I looked down at Seb and saw him crying. I didn't know what to do so I kneeled and turned him to me. He stared at me before throwing himself into my arms and hugging me tightly.
I looked up at Nathan and Audrey hoping they knew what to do, but both shook their head. Wrapping my arms around Seb I picked him up and sighed. It was lucky that Seb didn't weigh a lot, his bag on the other hand did.
Looking at Nathan I motioned for him to get the bag. Nathan shook his head, but picked it up anyway. He held it as I tried to calm Seb down. I never knew how hard it was to take care of a kid until I heard him crying.
It was hard to hear someone who is usually so sweet and happy crying his eyes out because his mom had to leave. I didn't think that there was a sound that could get me to feel so much, but that noise was literally heart wrenching.
"Seb," I said softly, "She's going to be back."
Seb simply looked up at me and shook his head sadly. I was shocked when I saw him do that. Colleen said that she was going to be gone for only a week, but Seb was acting like it was the last time he was ever going to see her.
"Duke," Seb said wiping the tears away, "I'm hungry."
"Yeah," I said nodding, "Let's go get some food. Anything you want?"
"Chicken sandwich?" he asked hopefully.
"I know a place," I said smiling.
"Can the officers come too?" he asked hopefully.
"Why don't you ask them?" I said winking at Audrey.
"Officer Parker and Officer Wournos," he said seriously, "Would you like to come to eat with Duke and I?"
Audrey smiled at Seb and nodded her head in agreement before looking at Nathan. He stared at us before he reluctantly nodded his head as well. Seb stared at Nathan before sighing and moving around until I put him back on the ground.
"You don't have to fake it Officer Wournos," Seb said sadly, "If you don't want to come then don't come."
Seb started to walk away after he spoke. His shoulders were hunched sadly and his head was down. Nathan sighed and put the bag down before walking over to Seb. He started to talk to Seb softly and I wondered what he was saying.
"Okay Nathan," Seb said grinning, "Come on Officer Parker, Duke. Nathan said I can ride in the car."
"Call me Audrey, Seb," Audrey said smiling, "And let's go."
Seb grinned at me before winking at me. I chuckled to myself and shook my head when I realized that Seb had been playing Nathan so he would feel better. I didn't know whether he was getting that from me not liking Nathan or if he didn't like him himself.
We walked to Nathan's vehicle and got in. We drove to the Grey Gull and got out. Pulling the keys out of my pocket I opened up the restaurant. Seb looked around in wonder when I told him that I owned the place myself.
I wasn't the type of guy to need someone to tell me when things were going well and I didn't really like taking care of people, but with Seb it was completely different. Somehow this boy had become part of my family and I cared about him.
"What can I get for you?" I asked Seb after placing him on a bar stool.
"Chicken sandwich," Seb said grinning.
"And to drink?" I said smiling.
"Juice," he said clapping.
"One chicken sandwich with juice coming up," I said going to the kitchen to get the food.
"We'll help," Audrey said pulling Nathan to the kitchen with me.
We went into the background and I started to make the sandwich for Seb. Audrey and Nathan were talking quietly to each other. I was confused about why they were talking quietly and what it was about. I knew that I would have to get it out of them.
"Duke," Audrey said slowly, "I know that you're close to Seb, but what did he mean about his mom? It was like he knows she won't come back."
"I don't know," I said shrugging, "She knows about the troubles though. And she knows that I know they're back too. She said she wants me to protect Seb."
"She knew," Nathan said confused.
Before anyone else could say anything else Nathan's phone when off. He picked it up and walked outside. I looked at Audrey and shrugged. Finishing up the sandwich I walked in the main room and put it in front of Seb along with his juice.
"Thank you Duke," Seb said grinning.
"Welcome kid," I said smiling.
As Seb ate no one talked at all. Audrey was sitting next to him and had pulled out a case file. She was looked very confused as she read. It was possible that it was the case that was about her past and her mother.
"Duke," Nathan said motioning me over to him.
We walked outside and I waited for him to talk. Nathan sighed angrily before shaking his head and looking inside at Audrey and Seb. I stared at him before motioning for him to tell me whatever he was going to tell me before.
"That was the Chief," Nathan said quietly, "There was a huge car accident. No one made it."
"What does that have to do with me?" I asked confused.
"Colleen didn't make it," he said staring at me.
My eyes went wide when he said that. Colleen was dead and Seb was left without a family. How was I supposed to tell him that his mom was dead? I looked at Seb and noticed him staring at me with a sad look in his eyes.
I was right when I thought that Seb knew that Colleen was going to die. I just wasn't sure how he was able to know that she was going to die. I had never heard of anyone being able to do that before. It must have something to do with the troubles.
I walked into the restaurant with Nathan and sat next to Seb. Seb sighed and turned to me with a serious look on his face. He was waiting for me to have this conversation.
"You knew," I said softly.
"Mom told me," Seb said sadly, "She told me about three years ago."
"When you met me?" I asked confused.
"Before we met you," he said sighing, "The truth is that Mom wanted me to trick you into being friends with us. The truth is that she wanted to know if she could trust you and the closer she got to you the more she knew that you were the right person."
"The right person to do what?" Audrey said looking at us.
"Take care of me when she died," he said shrugging, "We needed to know that I was protected."
"Why do you need to be protected?" Nathan said crossing his arms.
"Because of what I can do," he said biting his lip.
I looked at Seb in shock. Seb could do something and so could his mom. That's why they had come to me. So I could take care of him when she was dead. This would have been easier if I knew at the beginning.
"What can you do?" I asked slowly.
"Change people to animals," Seb said smiling.