Munchie Mine
John Munch was flattered that Captain Cragen asked him to come stay with his new family while he and Karen had an appointment they needed to be at. He expected to be an unwelcome visitor, but Katie remembered him and Karen seemed to greet him like an old friend. Joseph was a little standoffish at first and John understood why he'd been asked to come. The young man called Laslo was anxious about Josephs being right by him every minute. The man was tall, but rail thin. He seemed nervous about all the women in the house. BB was a young girl who was resentful of everything and glowered at everyone except Karen and Don.
Then there was Charlene. She seemed to stand out in the crowd, yet she wasn't trying to or trying to draw attention away from anyone else. She had red, wavy hair pulled back in a simple ponytail at the nape of her neck and dainty gold balls in her pierced ears. She wore a simple cotton blouse over a pair of womens slacks and leather shoes. She smiled a lot at Don and Karen and seemed happy for them, if a touch sad. Lonely and hurt, John thought to himself.
Don looked over at John before he and Karen left. Just a glance, an 'it's all yours, keep my family safe', changing of the invisible reins of control sort of look. John looked back at him and an acknowledgment took only that long. John watched them leave and looked around at the group. They looked back and Charlene clapped her hands and said cheerfully.
"I think we need some dinner. How about Dog Food Souffle?"
"No!" and "Eww!" was a chorus.
Charlene laughed. "How about Mexican? Burritos?"
"Yeah."
"We forgot to ask our guest. Remember what Karen said. The guest gets final say." BB said.
"John, what do you say? Do you like Burritos? We make our own." Charlene said.
"But you have to help. Everyone who eats helps here." Laslo said.
"I like burritos. I've never made my own though." He warned. "Is there a trick to it?"
"It's easy." Laslo scoffed.
Katie signed and Charlene laughed. "Katie said the trick is not to get any on your shirt."
"I'll just have to wear a bib." John said and Katies eyes got really big. "Yes, adults wear a bib." He guessed her signs.
Charlene grinned at him. "Do you sign?"
"No, I guess." He said with a grin back.
"Okay, BB get a colander and go out and get tomatoes. Laslo, you and Joseph go get cleaned up and Katie can set the table. John, will you help me dice up onions and grate the cheese?"
"Great, I love to cry." He said wryly.
"Then you're not doing it right." Charlene scolded him with a smile. "I'll show you the way to do it without a huge pile of tears. Katie how many plates do we need?"
Katie screwed up her face in concentration as she figured out that many. She looked over at John with a hopeless look on her face. He crouched down in front of her. "Let me show you. Hold up one finger for everyone here. One for Katie, one for Charlene, one for Laslo, BB, Joseph and, that's right, one for John." Katie put up another finger. "Who's that for?"
"Barry." Charlene translated.
"Is he here?" John asked looking around.
Katie touched his hand and signed. "He could come home so we put out a place for him so if he comes he knows he's welcome." Charlene interpreted.
"That's very thoughtful of you."
Katie signed some more and Charlene laughed at the impish look on her face as she translated. "If he doesn't show up I get to eat his."
"I'll make sure I remember to show up for the meals then." He teased, before he realized he might not be invited back.
"We all have to show up or Katie will eat everything." Charlene hurriedly stepped in and teased the little wisp of a girl. "She's going to grow up to be a lumberjack. I'll let you explain what a Lumberjack is." She told John and turned toward the stove.
The way Katie stared up at John reminded him of a curious squirrel he used to watch as a kid out his bedroom window. He'd called him Winky. Winky was a young squirrel and would come up to the window and taste test anything John left for him but his favorite was jelly beans, the yellow ones John hated. He'd leave them out and they'd be gone soon after. He eventually got the squirrel to come eat while John had the window open. He never did get to touch him. Soon after he was able to do that, they moved out of that apartment and he wasn't able to take him with him.
Katie shifted and he came back to the present. He told the girl. "Let's help Charlene set the table and I'll tell you all about Lumberjacks."
They set the table while he talked then he sat down with a knife and the onion. Charlene told him "Slice the root end off first. Then the top then peel it. It's the roots that have the strongest smell. And run it under cold water for the strongest ones."
"Do you peel a lot of onions?" he teased.
"I've peeled my share of things." She shot back with an arched eyebrow.
He stared at her for a minute, not believing that she said that.
She smiled at him. "Apples, pears, peaches, onions, things like that." She deadpanned.
He ducked his head back to his work and cursed himself for having a dirty mind.She was probably not even thinking of the things he was thinking of. He felt a bit like a dirty old man. BB came in carrying a bowl full of ripe tomatoes. She set it dramatically on the table, huffing as though it were a ton of bricks.
Charlene looked over her shoulder at her. "They aren't that heavy. Pick out the good ones and wash them off. You know how to do this."
"You're supposed to be doing the cooking." BB grumbled.
Charlene turned to the girl and put a hand on her hip in disapproval. "Excuse me?!"
"Well, Karens getting paid for us to be here and she's paying you to be here so…."
"So you're assuming that you don't have to help? That you don't have to be part of the family? That we're somehow your servants?" Charlene demanded.
"Well, no, not exactly." BB said trying to stand her ground.
"Let me explain something to you, little girl. What the state sends us is nothing compared to how much it costs to keep you here. Don't you think that we'd all like to have new clothes, go out to eat, drive fancy new cars? Hell, even go to the fair without saving all summer so we could all have a good time. We eat out of the garden, raise the dogs, do hay on shares and whatever else we do just to make ends meet around here. I could make more money elsewhere, but I like it here, I like Karen and I even like you. This is home for me just like it is for you. You came from a hell of a lot worse than here, don't forget that. If you don't want to dice up the tomatoes, fine. Just beat feet to your room and we'll do it. But don't expect to eat what we're having if you don't help make it."
"Fine, I won't." BB huffed off toward her room.
"You're not going to feed her?" John asked.
Charlene shrugged. "She'll be back out in a few minutes. As soon as she finds out that we've removed her stash of food and she has nothing to eat in there."
"She has a stash?"
"Most of the kids that come here as adolescents do. It comes from having home lives that included very little food. They learn to hoard. We only remove the stuff that's bad for them or that will mold or stink. In her case, it's a bunch of chocolate."
John had the onion almost grated when BB came back out with a defeated air. She plopped down on the chair and began to sort out the tomatoes is a desultory fashion. Charlene ignored her. Laslo and Joseph came out of the bathroom finally and everyone sat down to dinner. Laslo got out the stuff and grated up the cheese, while Charlene directed Joseph to get the rest of the things out of the refrigerator. John got a head of lettuce that he attacked and Katie kept stealing pieces of lettuce making John smile and pretend he couldn't catch her hand.
Katie was sitting at the table between Charlene and John for dinner and was trying in her nonverbal way to help him make his burrito. He was being fumble fingered for her laugh, Laslo didn't understand that and kept sending him disgusted looks. BB ate her share, but Joseph wolfed down a good share of the food and looked like he wanted more.
The chatter was nonstop the whole meal. Since Katie couldn't talk, she kept signing. John nodded as though he understood. Suddenly, Charlene laughed. "Do you know what she's saying?" she asked him.
"We understand each other." He assured her.
"She, um, wants to know if you like me and if we're going to have a baby and can she be the cousin." She said, drily.
"I had no idea…." He was shocked. "Did she really ask that?"
"Yeah." Laslo said disgusted. "Weren't you paying attention, man?"
"Laslo!" Charlene barked sharply. "Not everyone signs."
"I'm…someone needs to tell her…."
"Relax, John. She knows better." Charlene said. "Katie, quit teasing John and eat your dinner."
John suddenly lost his appetite and gave the rest of his burrito to Joseph, who wolfed it down like it was his first. Charlene sent John a sympathetic look and spoke to the room at large. "If you all work on putting this stuff away and getting the dishes done, we can watch a movie. I know of a good one for you to see." Charlene said.
"And popcorn?" BB asked. Joseph looked hopeful at the mention of more food.
"What's a movie without popcorn?" Charlene asked.
The kids swarmed around the kitchen and Charlene nodded her head toward the living room to John. They went in to the other room. "I'm sorry. I wasn't paying attention to what Katie was saying. She has an active imagination and she's seeing Karen and Don as a couple, she just assumed you and I…."
"It's okay." John assured her. "She knows you're seeing someone though, right?"
"I-how did you know?" Charlene was flustered.
"The indent on your hand where your ring goes. It's a wedding or engagement finger."
Charlene touched the finger with her other hand. "It's over. He, um, found someone else was more to his taste. He likes champagne rather than root beer."
"I'm sorry. Don didn't mention it."
"They don't know. They have this thing with Katie on their minds and they don't need my troubles on top of that. I'll tell Karen soon. She would have noticed already if she weren't so preoccupied."
"I have been where you are. It's not easy to get over, but you will. It just takes time."
"You got laughed at and dumped by you fiancé?"
"Nope, four wives."
"Four? Are you serious?"
He looked at her over his glasses. "I have three alimony checks to write a month to prove it."
"Damned fools." Charlene said disgustedly. "I'm sorry. It's none of my business. I shouldn't have said anything."
"It looks to me like we have both had contact with fools. At least you had the good sense not to marry them before you found out."
"The terrible part was that I would have. That makes me an imbecile."
"No, it makes you an optimist. Big difference."
"What do four divorces make you, John?"
"Poor." He grinned just to see her answering smile.
The kids came charging into the living room. They all found seats and Charlene turned on the television. Except the movie had over a half hour to go before the next showing. "What are we going to do?"
BB asked.
"How about you tell me how things are going with you guys at school?" Charlene suggested.
"He doesn't want to hear about school." Laslo said in disgust.
"I don't think you should be making guesses about what John wants and what he doesn't. And that was a rude way to say that. What is your problem tonight?"
"Nothing." Laslo sulked glancing at Joseph.
Katie made gestures at Charlene. "Good idea, Katie. Why don't we get some cards and play cards? John, do you play cards?"
"Depends. Do you know how to play poker?" he asked wryly.
"You can teach me." Laslo said with a smile.
"And have Karen skin me alive? Nothing doing, Mister. We're playing Go Fish."
"Go Fish! That's a baby game." BB said. Katie hauled off and socked her good and hard on the arm. "Ow!" BB yelled.
"Katie! That was wrong. Apologize to BB." Charlene scolded sharply.
Katie folded her arms and glared at her. "Go to the corner, march. BB, sit down over there and be quiet. Honestly, you are all behaving like a pack of wild animals. I think we'll just forget the movie for tonight. You guys don't deserve a treat."
John didn't see why he had to be punished for the kids behavior but he kept his opinion to himself. Charlene glared from one child to another. Winking at him. "Shame on the lot of you. We have a guest and you treat him to the rudest behavior you can. Is this how you show Karen and Don a thank you for all they've done for you?"
That did it. All three kids hung their heads, ashamed of themselves. Charlene held her guard for a few minutes. "That's better. Now you come over here, Laslo." The young man looked like he wanted to argue, but Charlene lifted her chin daring him. He walked over to the red haired woman. "Apologize to John for not considering his feelings."
"I'm sorry." He said sounding as though he truly meant it.
"BB, come here." BB came over looking like she wanted to argue as well. "You had no business calling Katies favorite game a baby game. I still enjoy Go Fish and it's not bad to be someone her age. What do you say to her?"
"I'm sorry Katie. I'll play Go Fish with you."
"Katherine Marie, come over here!" Katies eyes went wide at her full name. She left her chair and came tentatively over to Charlene. "You owe BB a big apology." Katie made a gesture. "No, I mean a big apology. I'm sorry is not good enough. We do not go around hitting people just because we don't like what they say. Tell her why you're sorry."
Katie made some gestures. "She knows it's not a baby game. Now apologize to John for your bad manners. And let's not have any more of this stuff. The movie will start soon. Laslo go make some popcorn, BB you can get out the big bowls both of them. John and I can share one and you kids can have the other. Oh, John, I'm sorry. I should have asked if you wanted some popcorn."
"What's a movie without popcorn?" he shrugged.
They made the popcorn and settled down in front of the screen. Katie didn't make it much past the opening credits. The movie was funny, but she never stirred. Charlene got up and picked her up. "Gosh, you're getting heavy." She said to the sleeping girl.
"Let me carry her for you." John offered getting up.
He took the girls dead weight and followed Charlene into the girls bedroom. "I'm sorry for all the fighting tonight. I think they're all tense over Don and Karen being gone to that meeting. They're really good kids usually."
"They still are. I take it you don't have any of your own?"
"No. I'm a one man kind of girl and I guess I haven't found Mr. Right yet. Chuck wanted to have kids right away, but I said no, I want to be with someone one just him and I for awhile before I bring someone into the world. I guess I'm selfish that way. Life should be lived not rushed through. How about you, John, do you have any kids?"
"No, I'm not fatherhood material. I'm too jaded."
Charlene looked quickly at him. "I don't think so. I think if you were Katie wouldn't have anything to do with you. If you were jaded, you'd be trying to sweet talk me into bed now. And you never would have carried Katie in here for me."
"You only just met me." John said uncomfortable with this conversation.
"True enough, but I'll tell you something, John Munch, if I really thought you were jaded, I'd never have agreed to you staying and helping me here tonight. I have faith in my instincts and right now they're telling me that you're a very good man."
"I would stay here because the captain asked me to."
"I would have asked for someone else if I didn't trust you and Karen would have agreed with me. Go ahead and call yourself jaded or cynical or any damned thing you want to, but don't expect me to buy it."
Charlene stomped out of the room and left him standing there.
TBC\
Munchie Mine Ch 2
The movie turned out to be a dud and the kids moved off to bed one at a time. John changed the channel while Charlene went in to check on Katie. He picked up the remote to change back when Charlene returned. "Please, can we leave it here? That other was a stinker."
"Sure." He said surprised.
It was an old spy movie. Charlene sat down and dug into the popcorn. "Oh, come on. You mean to tell my they couldn't see that coming? Pullease! Get him, sock him in the nose." She cheered the hero of the movie.
John grinned at the country girl beside him urge the man to clock someone. She was a whole different person from the one who she was when she was when the kids were awake. He liked this vigorous woman. "He isn't that good you know." He said.
"He's the hero. He's supposed to be the good guy." She argued.
"Real life doesn't always work that way." He said.
"I know that, but I've seen this movie 10 or 12 times. He always wins. That's how it's supposed to be. Now hush, or you'll give him away. He's being stalked."
John smiled. "Okay."
The movie ended and he heard the door open. Don and Karen came in. "Hello." Charlene told them.
"Did you kill them all?" Karen joked.
"No, things were good for the most part. John was a big help with Joseph. Barry called and he's staying with friends tonight. I told Katie you'd both come kiss her good night when you got home." Charlene said.
To Johns experienced eye, they looked like they'd had a long talk and were ready to rest. "How'd your meeting go?" John asked.
"It's too soon to tell." Don said. He went into the living room and sat down on one of the chairs, Karen sat in the matching one. The movie was almost over so they all watched the rest of it.
Charlene turned the tv off. "What's going on?" she asked firmly.
"Katies grandparents have materialized out of thin air and are asking about custody of her."
"What?! What are they, insane? Katie doesn't even know them."
"Don't they have a right to seek custody?" John asked.
"No!" Karen said immediately in a sharp voice. "I suppose, except they've never shown any interest in her at all in her entire life and now they want full custody? It makes me wonder what's up? The lawyer says we have a good case, but theirs is strong because of blood. I'm suspicious about what they'd get out of it now. She takes a lot of work because of her medical problems and she can be a handful. I'm worried that she's just a means to easy sounding money for her from the state. I don't want to see her end up back where she started. I want her here with us, dammit. Even if we don't get money from the state for her, she's the same as if she were my own child."
John watched Don reached over for her hand. "It's okay."
"Where do they live?" John asked.
"We don't know much about them yet." Don said. "We're going to check into it."
"We can run some information on them." John said.
"We will, but we have to be careful that we aren't caught trying to use police tactics on them. That'd look bad for our side. I'm going to talk to Casey and see if she can recommend another lawyer. I don't believe this Dettrich will do a good job. She's not aggressive enough. We're not taking any chances on this." Don went on before John could add anything. "I'll run the information myself. Karen, don't worry. We'll put the whole squad on it we have to." Don told her.
"I know you will." Charlene put on the stereo with the remote on the table and Karen smiled at her. "Trying to calm me down?"
Charlene shrugged. "You always said if your stressed the music makes you feel better. I'm just trying to help." she admitted. John admired her for that.
"That's cheating to use my own words against me."
"That sounds familiar, eh, Captain?" John said.
The music had a good dance beat. Charlene was smiling and it got bigger when Don stood up and extended his hand to Karen. "Dance with me?"
"Dance?" she asked amazed.
"Yes, dance. Please? I'd like to do this with you."
"That'd be rude..."
"Would you like to dance with me?" John stood up, extended his hand to her and asked a surprised Charlene.
Charlene was surprised, but she colored a little and lifted her hand to his. "I'd like that."
John helped her to her feet and pulled her loosely to him. John heard them as he danced with Charlene. "I'd still like to dance with you."
She gave him her hand and he pulled her up and close to him. The music was just loud enough to be nice and they danced around the furniture. Charlene was too relaxed in Johns arms and he was enjoying her supple body and practiced movements. He was glad she'd dropped her asshole ex because she was a woman who should go dancing frequently. The idea appealed to him.The song changed and John and Charlene moved the coffee table from the center of the room so there was more floor space. A faster song came on and they started to dance again. Don led Karen into another faster dance and then dipped her. When she began to smile that special smile John figured it was time for him to leave. even though he and Charlene were dancing too and having a good time.
"It's getting late. I need to go soon." John said when the CD ended.
"So do I." Charlene agreed.
"Guys, I appreciate you staying with the kids." Don said.
"Any time, you know that." Charlene said. "I'll be over in the morning, Karen."
"Okay."
"I'll walk you out. Karen, you have a wonderful home here and I enjoyed getting to know your family."
"John, don't be a stranger. You're welcome here anytime." Karen told him warmly making him feel welcome.
"I'll see you at the house tomorrow, John." Don said.
Charlene got her purse and walked out into the yard with him. Her car was parked on the other side of the parking lot from his. He walked with her to her car. "I had a good time tonight. In spite of the kids."
"They were okay. You handled them well. You will be a good social worker. The dancing social worker."
"The dancing social worker and the dancing cop. We could take our act on the road." she said.
"I don't think I'd like that. Would you... Would you like to go to dinner and dancing with me Saturday night?"
"I think I'd like that, yes."
"Where can I pick you up at?"
"415 Alleyway, in town at least for tonight. I'm hoping tomorrow I'll be living here again. I have to talk to Karen about it. I- Won't that be awkward with us seeing each other and I'm working for your captains fiance?"
"It sounds like a bad soap opera." John snorted. "Listen, we have a professional relationship at work, but what we do on our personal time is private. I can keep his secrets and he has to be able to keep them to still be captain. It won't be a problem. So can I pick you up at 6:30?"
"It sounds good. I, uh, I'm not looking to..."
"I wasn't expecting to. I can date a woman without wondering how she looks naked." he assured her.
"Damn and here I was hoping for at least a thought." Charlene teased.
"The thought, honey, has been there in awhile. I'll see you Saturday night."
Charlene got into her car and he watched her leave before getting in his car and heading home.
TBC