Title: Mango
Rating: PG-13 (some violence, angst, a couple f-bombs)
Characters: Charlie Crews, Dani Reese, Kevin Tidwell, Ted Earley, a few OCs
Pairing: Crews/Reese
Summary: Crews and Reese, five years post-series. Life is changing.
Spoilers/Time Period: Set five years after One. (May 2014)
Disclaimer: Most of the characters (sans the Ayers) aren't mine, but the situation is.
Author's Note: Sequel to Blood Oath, which introduced us to the Ayers family. Not necessary to have read the first one, but please do! The events of the past five years will be revealed in flashbacks.
Chapter One: Marco Polo
"I'll get it," Charlie Crews calls into the big house as the doorbell rings. A rather large watermelon under one arm, he pulls the door open to reveal Kathryn and Daniel Ayers, the latter bouncing on his toes excitedly, swim trunks his only clothing, goggles pushed up onto his head.
"Hi, Uncle Charlie," six-year-old Daniel greets warmly.
"Hey, buddy," Charlie answers, tousling his thick, dirty blond curls.
"Can we go in the pool?" Daniel asks, throwing his arms around his "uncle" before quickly running towards the back door.
"Hey!"
He runs straight into his godmother as she comes in from the pool deck. He giggles.
"What are you doing running in my house?" she asks, faux-sternly, her hands on her hips.
"Sorry," Daniel eeps, even as Dani picks the small boy up. His arms go around her neck automatically.
"You wanna go in the pool that badly, huh?"
"Uh oh, Little D. She's got you now," Charlie calls.
"No, Aunt Dani," Daniel squeals, obviously loving it. He kicks gently, pretending to try to get free. His flip-flops fall off onto the pool deck as she hauls him to the waterside, Charlie and Katie following behind.
"Hold your nose!" Katie calls to her son as Dani approaches the edge of the pool with an armful of laughing first-grader.
Daniel does as he's told as Dani slings the boy into the deep end. The boy comes up sputtering and grinning, swimming like a champ to the side and pushing himself up.
"That'll teach you to run inside," Dani teases.
Little D beams. "Do it again!"
Dani groans. "Not right now, D. You're getting heavy!"
"Hey, Uncle Charlie," the energetic boy shifts his attention to his godmama's husband. "Think watermelons float? My friend Tommy says they do."
"I dunno, D. Let's test it out."
"You're gonna get our watermelon in the gross pool water," Dani complains as she turns to greet her friend and the boys head to the water's edge.
"It's not gross, and you don't even like watermelon!" Charlie calls over his shoulder.
"Well, I want some tonight."
Charlie grins widely. "I promise to wash it off. So, Little Danny, hop into the shallow end so we can test our theory."
Katie laughs at their antics. "You're not going to throw me into the deep end as a greeting, are you?"
"No," Dani smiles and shakes her head. "Where's Jamie?"
"Held up at the base, as usual. He said he'll swing by if he gets off in time," Katie explains as they sit down on two lounge chairs. She watches Charlie and Daniel attack their experiment with gusto, if not the greatest scientific method. "Charlie's really so good with him."
"That's because they're at the same maturity level."
***
Later, after games of marco polo and categories and a dinner of hot dogs, hamburgers, and lots of watermelon, they all gather in the cooling night air around the pool. Dani lounges on one of the long chairs, Little D stretched out next to her, asleep with his head resting on her stomach. Her hand is tangled in his unruly hair. Charlie shares the chair, stealing a little bit of space to sit up aside her hip. Katie takes the other chair, looking up at the stars with a laugh at whatever Dani has just said.
"How about I take Little Danny up to his room? You sure you don't want to crash here tonight too, Kate?" Charlie asks, leaning over to extricate the tan little boy from Dani's grasp.
"I wish I could, but I think D would be upset if I cramped his style during his day with Aunt Dani. Besides, I have a bunch of errands to run bright and early tomorrow over by our place. I'll come get him before dinner."
"Okay, I'll go settle him in. You can girl talk while I'm gone."
He meets Dani's eyes, and they have one of their silent conversations. It ends when she rolls her eyes and nods. Charlie grins and offers the snoring six-year-old's forehead for mother and godmother to kiss.
"Oh, bring more watermelon when you come back," Dani calls for him as he reaches the door.
"You ate it all," he smiles.
She sighs.
"We have a few apples, some strawberries. One papple left," he offers, shifting Daniel's dead weight into a more comfortable position.
"I'll take the Asian pear."
"Yes, dear," Charlie teases.
Katie cocks her head at her best friend, eyes narrowing as she reaches out a hand to feel Dani's forehead.
"Are you feeling okay? That's a lot of fruit for you. Has Charlie been rubbing off on you? And I mean that mostly in the least dirty way imaginable."
Dani bats her hand away, and then gets a more serious, nervous look on her face.
Katie's gaze turns knowing. "Spill."
Dani makes a face at her friend's scrutiny and then admits, "I'm pregnant."
Katie squeals like they're sixteen again and practically tackles Dani in her excitement.
"No way! That's so great, Dani. I didn't even know you guys were trying."
"We weren't trying so much as not not trying," Dani grins.
"Are you excited?"
"Excited, terrified… Is there a difference? Crews is ecstatic."
"He should be! You guys are going to be great parents."
Dani looks at her skeptically. "At least we'll have you around for advice, and to call Children's Services if it gets too bad."
Rolling her eyes, Katie says, "When are you due?"
"Six and a half months."
"Oh, you're early!"
"Yeah, we were trying to wait until three, but we decided we needed to tell someone before Charlie burst from all that excitement. So, you, Mom, and Ted."
"And Little D, of course."
"Only if he can keep a secret."
"For you, Aunt Dani? That boy'll never tell a soul."
Dani smiles. "We'll tell him at breakfast."
"Oh, Dani. I can't wait to meet your kid. With genes like those, that's going to be one exciting little one."
***
Charlie is there when she finally wakes up, his arm in a sling and his face covered in bruises.
"Hi," she greets softly, relieved when his good hand immediately finds hers.
He brings her hand to his lips, his eyes wet.
"You shouldn't've been there."
"It's just a bump on the head, Crews."
"I knew I shouldn't have gotten you involved."
"Hey," she admonishes, twisting their hands so his is on top. Her other hand sluggishly points to the platinum band on his third finger. "I'm involved."
"I know." He kisses her hand again. "I'm sorry."
"But we got the guy, right? Six boxes, now six faces."
"The wall is done," he confirms.
"And we can put it away?" she asks, hopeful. She'd been just as set on avenging the conspiracy as he was, but the danger that constantly put him in is getting old.
He nods, and she squeezes his hand.
"Good."
"I was thinking…" he starts.
"That's always dangerous," Dani groans, sitting up.
His face splits into a wide grin. "Now there's my girl."
A Reese look.
"Sorry, sorry, my badass, LAPD sergeant of a wife and ex-partner."
She rolls her eyes.
"What were you thinking about, Crews?"
"Well, if the wall's done…"
"Which it is," she reiterates.
He nods. "Which it is. And since it is, maybe we should start thinking about the future."
"The future? I thought you were all about the moment," she teases warmly.
"The moment's good, but I've been thinking a lot about the future. About what our kids would be like," he ventures.
The discussion of children had been quickly tabled at the beginning of their relationship; tracking down a deadly conspiracy was not conducive to raising a family. She would have been happy to keep that discussion tabled. Although, if she's being honest, the idea has started to terrifyingly sneak up on her over the last couple years.
At her silence, Charlie soldiers on. "I've decided they'd be great. And that we should have them. How many, how often, and by what method… completely up to you. We can adopt or not or whatever. I just really, really think we should have them. Or just one. Whatever you want. And I know you're scared, Dani, but you're not your dad, and you're not a fuck up, and I think we could be good at this. Really good. And I'm sorry to lay all of this on you right now, when you've still probably got a concussion and a nasty headache, but while you were lying in that bed, I was terrified that you would never get up. And that's when I realized how much I want our future, and I want it to start now, or as soon as possible."
She stares at him, with his open, earnest, loving expression. He talks too much, all the time, but somewhere in the vaguely coherent stream of consciousness that is Charlie Crews, he always knows exactly the right thing to say.
"We don't have to name them after fruit, do we?"
Charlie beams. "Nope, I'll let you pick the names, too."
"Yeah?"
He nods.
She draws it out, feeling the answer building up inside her. "Yeah, okay… But no fruity names."
Charlie pulls her closer by their hands, and she lets him kiss her softly, soundly, their hands disconnecting as he moves to cup her face.
"So Apple's out?" he asks as they pull apart.
"Yes," she says calmly.
"And Papple, too?"
"Oh, hell, yes."
"Bapple."
A Reese look.
"No."
"But Lychee would be such a great name!" he whines teasingly.
There's a knock at the door that breaks up their dorky grinning.
"Aunt Dani! You're awake!" Daniel Ayers gasps, escaping his mother's grasp to bolt into the room. The six-year-old skids to a halt just short of leaping onto the bed. "You're not broken like Uncle Charlie, are you?" His young voice is very concerned.
"Nope, not broken," she confirms, pulling away from Crews to spread her arms out to prove her point and invite a hug.
He beams and clambers onto the bed and into her arms.
"I was worried. Uncle Charlie was more worried. But I was worried, too. Mommy made me go to school, though."
"Good. You know if you play hooky my uniforms'll come pick you up…"
***
"This better be good, Stark," Dani Reese grumbles as she enters the squad room, Daniel in tow. The uniforms under her command give her wide berth. They know her moods well enough after the last three years to not intervene.
Bobby Stark pulls a face and steels himself.
"Hey, Little D," he smiles for the boy. "Enjoying your day off? Here, let Branch take you down and get your prints done."
"I'll just be a couple minutes, okay, D?" Dani tells the boy, her face softening as she brushes his bangs out of his eyes.
"Sure, Aunt Dani."
One of the rookies leads Daniel down to the print room. Reese returns her glare to Bobby.
"I'm sorry, Sarge. Captain's orders. The brass are up his ass about some paperwork thing."
"Paperwork?!"
"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry. He's in his office."
Dani sighs and pushes her way into Tidwell's office.
"Captain, it's my day off."
"Well, hello to you, too, Sergeant Reese. Did I see Lil' Danny with you?" Kevin Tidwell plays nice. "And in Stark's defense, he didn't want to call you."
"Just make it quick." She glances at her watch. "I promised D a movie before his mom comes to get him."
***
"Little D?"
"Uncle Charlie!"
"What are ya doing here, buddy?" Charlie asks as he catches the boy in his arms as he waves off the uniform acting as babysitter.
Crews and his rookie detective partner, Caleb Hart, have just come back from a scene.
"Tidwell called Aunt Dani in. She's mad. And Bobby was scared."
"I'm sure Bobby wasn't scared."
Daniel looks skeptical.
"Maybe just a little. You've been keeping our secret, right?"
D nods emphatically, zipping his lips and crossing his heart.
"Good. How 'bout you go sit at my desk with Caleb while I go find Aunt Dani?"
"Can I wash my hands first?" Daniel asks, showing off his inky fingers.
"Yeah, of course. Hart?"
"Sure thing, Crews. Come on, D."
***
"Alright, there you go, Captain," Dani shoves the papers towards Tidwell. She checks her watch again. "We good?"
"We're good."
Dani's phone rings and she excuses herself from Tidwell with a nod.
"Reese."
"Hey, Dani. It's Jamie."
"Jamie. Is everything okay?"
"Yea, I just got a call from Kate, though. She has to ride out to Ventura to get Jake, so can you feed Daniel and then meet me at the house?"
"Of course. Is Jake okay?"
"Is he ever? Thanks, Dani. See you around seven?"
"Sure."
She snaps her phone closed, planning out the rest of the afternoon in her head. They can still make that three o'clock matinee if they head out soon, and as much as she is loathe to see yet another animated film, Pixar is usually pretty bearable.
"Hey," Charlie gently interrupts her thoughts. He's in her personal space, but doesn't touch her. They try to keep it vaguely professional at work.
"Hey," she smiles tiredly. Her brow furrows. "Branch said you had Daniel."
"Did I?" he teases. "Hm, must have misplaced him…"
"Charlie…"
"Hart has him." He gestures over his shoulder to his desk. Daniel is perched on Hart's desk (the one that used to be hers). He notices her and waves. "Where are you guys headed?"
"Movies. And then out to dinner. Kate's tied up. I'm gonna drop him off at home."
"Can I meet you for dinner or is this godmom/godson only?" Charlie smiles.
Dani rolls her eyes. "You can come. I'll call you after the movie's over."
"Sounds good." He gestures for her to go ahead and follows behind her.
"H-hi, Sergeant," Caleb Hart greets as Reese and Crews approach. For reasons Crews won't divulge, the rookie is extremely nervous whenever she's around.
"Hart," she nods. "You ready to move out, D?"
"Ma'am, yes, ma'am," Little D salutes, jumping down from the desk.
Dani fights the little smile forming. "Say bye to Uncle Charlie. You'll see him at dinner. We get to keep you for a few more hours."
"And then I'll see Mom?"
"And then you'll see Mom."
Daniel smiles and automatically takes his godmother's hand to lead her out of the station.
"Bye, Uncle Charlie," he calls back over his shoulder.
***
Exhausted from her day with an energetic little boy (as well as her changing body chemistry), Dani says goodbye to D at the restaurant and lets Charlie drive him home. The guys transfer the booster seat into Crews's car and each kiss Dani goodbye. If they speed just a little on the way to Van Nuys, it's with the silent agreement never to tell Dani or Katie.
Katie's not home yet, but Daniel is happy to see his father and eagerly recounts every part of his past two days even as they disappear into the house. Charlie grins, wondering if his kid will be quite as talkative as Daniel Ayers.
He spends the entire car ride home imagining the little person who will be joining them in six months.