A/N so posting this chapter straight away as it's already done.
Hope you like this one too!
Enjoy
Disclaimer and warnings in chapter 1 (READ THEM!)
Chapter 2
Two weeks had passed much the same as the first one. They moved motels at the end of every week early in the morning leaving the room clean and empty with the key on the bed. They spent the day hustling for money, Emily buying food and Callen getting the room.
The only extra bag they now carried had a few books, crayons and cars in for Martin and a small blue and red plastic boat, which had a piece of string attached, that Martin floated in the sea during the day and played with in the bathtub at nights.
After cooking a dinner of spaghetti, O's and hotdogs, Callen gave Martin a bath as Emily cleaned up.
Martin looked at Callen as he played with his boat, "Cal will you be my daddy?" he asked.
Callen looked at the boy, whom he had come to love dearly over the past few weeks,
"Can't be your dad, kiddo, I'm not old enough, but as I love your sister I could be like your brother in law."
"Does that involve police men?" Martin asked
Cal laughed, "No…it would be like I was married to your sister, I'd be like a big brother."
Martin smiled at that. "I'd like that." He said and turned his attention back to his boat. "My boat's tired, can we get out now?" He asked.
Callen smiled and lifted the big towel for him and wrapped him up. "OK, My turn now, go and get Emmy to dry you and tell her I'm taking a shower now." He said.
"'K Love you Cal," Martin said and smiled as he left the room.
By the time, he left the bathroom Martin was asleep and tucked in bed.
"Hey you," Emily said as he walked in wearing just a towel.
Callen smiled as Emily walked up to him and pulled off the towel. "EM!" he said in a hushed voice mindful not to wake Martin up. "Gimme that back."
"Come and get it." Emily said and tucked it behind her back.
An hour or two later when they were resting in each other's arms Callen turned to Emily, "I wanna get a job, I can use a fake name and we can get a deposit for an apartment," he said.
"Martin could go to school then," Emily smiled "And I'm sure I could get a job somewhere, maybe"
"He'd like that," Callen said. He had noticed how bored Martin was getting even though it was still summer vacation and school did not start back until the fall he had been saying how much he missed his teacher.
"Maybe I could go to night school," Callen suggested. He had walked past a Marine recruitment center that morning and had found out he needed his GHD to get into the marines. However, once he got it he could provide for Emily and Martin.
His plans involved him and Emily getting married so no one could ever split them up. However, he was not confident enough yet to ask her.
"Cool you could be my marine," Emily said smiling suggestively at him and he kissed her again, "Oorah!" he replied and she giggled.
The next morning Emily woke him by shaking him, "Cal, Cal … Martin's sick I don't know what's wrong with him,"
Callen quickly got up, got dressed, and went over to Martin. "Cal my tummy hurts," he whimpered and promptly vomited into the trashcan beside the bed.
Callen looked scared then quashed the feeling...they needed him.
"Emmy, I think it's his appendix we have to take him to hospital." Callen said. He carefully lifted the boy up and Emily grabbed their bags,
By the time, they had walked the two miles to the hospital, Callen's arms felt like they were on fire, both from the pain of carrying the six year old and the fact that Martin's temperature was about 103 degrees.
As they got to the ER Callen collapsed inside the door. "Help him," He said weakly to a nurse.
She took the boy out of Callen's arms but Callen refused to let go of his hand so she ushered all three of them into a cubicle.
She took Martin's Stats and started on the paperwork.
"Name?" She asked. She was instantly on guard, as both the older children looked fearful.
"Come on, no one will hurt you, we just want to get the boys' records so we can make him better."
Callen looked at Emily and she nodded her permission.
"Martin Brandel." She said shakily waiting for the nurse to yell at her.
However, the nurse smiled.
"Good, date of birth?" She asked.
"January 8th 1979." Emily said, "He's my brother."
"Ok where are your parents?" the nurse asked,
"Erm, They're out we were babysitting, we left a note," Callen said quickly.
"Ok love," She turned to Martin, "You rest little one the doctor will be along in a moment," she said and left.
"I don't like this," Callen said his hackles rising, "But we have to stay,"
"I won't let them split us up," Emily said forcefully holding onto her brothers' hand.
He nodded at her and then looked up as the doctor entered the room.
"Martin Brandel?" The pediatrician asked.
"Yes, he's been running a temperature and he's been sick and he said his stomach hurts," Emily said quickly in one breath.
The doctor smiled.
"Very well, Martin, can I look at your tummy?" She asked.
Martin nodded and the doctor carefully felt around his stomach and got him to lift his left leg.
She stepped back and looked at the other two kids.
"Are his parents going to be here soon?" She asked.
"I ….I think so. Can't we just give him some medicine?" Callen asked.
"I'm afraid not, Martin has appendicitis and needs surgery." The doctor told him.
"We don't have any parents or any money, but we can get some….please don't let my little brother die!" Emily cried.
Callen panicked "Please, you have to help him, he's only six!"
"It's ok now we've found you we will help him," said a voice from behind them.
Callen whirled to see their social worker. She looked at the doctor, "They are wards of the state, I'll sign the forms and you can operate on him now." She smiled and the doctor left.
Immediately, her face changed and she scowled at the two teenagers, "We've been looking everywhere for you three, Mr. Kendall has been very worried about you, how could you put him through that he only wants to help you."
Callen knew that nothing he could say would change her mind she was a social worker and she had never listened to his complaints about Mr. Kendall.
"Emily, another social worker is coming to sit with you and Martin. Callen you are coming back with me." She said.
Callen tried to bite back the fear that threatened to overwhelm him, he nodded and looked at Emily and then looked towards the social worker.
"Emily, I'll be back for you both. I promise." He said. She cried and held him "I love you Cal,"
The social worker rolled her eyes, "For goodness sake, Callen come on," she said and pulled her off him.
Callen bowed his head and followed her out of the building.
He sat in the back of her car defeated; "Now when we get back you have a lot of apologizing to do." She said.
"No! No! You can't send me back to him!" Callen yelled.
"Callen, you will go back and you will be grateful. Or you will never be allowed to see Emily and Martin again." She threatened.
See looked at him in the rear view mirror and allowed herself a small smile Callen had been a pain ever since his file crossed her desk always complaining about the treatment Kendall gave him. Kendall was a highly respected foster carer and she had had no complaints until Callen came along.
He was likely to ruin her spotless record and she was not going to allow the self-opinionated teenager to do that. She knew he had been bounced around the system, but looking at his file, no one had even been bothered to put his first name on the file, somewhere it was said he would not answer to it so they had just stopped using it.
She pulled up in front of the immaculately kept lawn of Jeremy Kendall's home.
"Out!" She said opening the door for him.
He grabbed his bag and stepped out dragging his feet he made his way up the path to the front door.
"Jeremy," the social worker smiled at him, "Thank you for taking him back."
"I don't ever give up on my kids." He said to her as she entered the house, "Or what's mine," He whispered to Callen as he turned to follow her. Keeping one hand on Callen's shoulder.
"I really appreciate this; I know he's a handful." She said giving him some paperwork to sign.
"Yes, yes he is, but I like that." Jeremy smiled and Callen shuddered.
"Well I'll leave you too it. I will bring Martin back as soon as he is able to travel, I will see what we will be doing with Emily and let you know." She said and got up to leave. She shot Callen a behave look and left.
Jeremy Kendall shut the door and the smile on his face changed to a leer. "Upstairs…NOW!" he yelled Callen took off at a run.
