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A/N: Thank you to all of you who are reading this and taking the time to review. You guys rock! Now onto the show!

Family Ties-Chapter 3

J parks his bike next to Smurf's car in the garage. He just finished up collecting rent from one of his grandmother's buildings. The teenager is in no real hurry as he walks into the house. He has nowhere to go. No people to see. He has pretty much kept to himself since he was a kid, but he's finding himself doing so more since he moved in with his grandmother. He chose to be part of this lifestyle and that's on him. With that being said, he's not bringing anyone else into the mix. Just look at what happened with Nicky.

"But, I want to go!" Lena argues as J steps into the kitchen.

"I'll take you when I get back from my business trip," Baz says trying to placate his daughter.

J is half heartedly paying attention to the conversation that's going on as he takes out some turkey and cheese from the fridge to make himself a sandwich.

"But, I don't want you to leave," Lena says.

J feels for Lena. Her mother was there when the kid went to bed and was gone when she woke up. No wonder why the kid is anxious about her father leaving to meet a business associate in Mexico. Deran and Craig are also going, but Pope is sticking around because who knows when his PO will be around for a random drug test. And J is staying behind because of school.

"Lena, I'm only going to be gone for a few days," Baz tries to reason with his young daughter.

"Pleeeeease, I really want to go to the beach," Lena whines.

"Honey, I really wish I can take you but I can't. Either you can wait until I get home or maybe Grandma can take you. I'm sure she'll do it," Baz says with a smile.

But, the way Lena is shaking her head tells J and Baz that's not going to cut it. Lena turns towards J. "Can you take me?"

J puts down his newly made sandwich. Baz is giving him a glare. "Why don't you ask Grandma to take you?"

"Pleeeease," Lena cries giving her father sad, puppy eyes..

J is already thinking of another excuse when Baz says, "As long as J doesn't mind, he can take you." Baz turns to the shocked teenager. "Do you?"

J shakes his head. "I'll take her."

Baz nods his head. "Good." He then turns to his daughter, "Why don't; you grab your stuff and get changed, so you and J can get going."

The girl enthusiastically nods her head and sprints out of the room. With his daughter out of earshot, Baz turns back to his nephew, his tone cooling significantly. "You better not let anything happen to her. Keep a close eye on her, she's not that strong in the water."

"I will," J shakily nods his head.

"Good, now that we're clear." Baz says

"I'm just going to go change," J says quickly before leaving the room.

Alone in the kitchen., Baz lets out a loud sigh, rubbing his face tiredly. He nearly jumps when he hears someone clearing their throat. He turns to see Smurf standing in the doorway. "What?"

"I think it's great you're letting J take Lena to the beach."

"What am I supposed to do? Lena has been so quiet since Catherine...Has only asked about Catherine. This is the first time that she has asked for something and I have to go down to Mexico. Her talking about going to the beach made her actually smile. How can I say no to that?"

Smurf smiles brightly as she puts an arm around her son. "You don't."

XXXXX

Lena and J are busy making a kick ass sand castle. It's a well into the afternoon so the sun is beating down hard on them. J feels like he's boiling. But, surprisingly Lena has not complained once about being hot. Don't little kids complain all the time?

Even though Baz warned him that Lena was not a strong swimmer the teenager thought for sure that the kid would sprint to the water once they got to the beach. Especially with the way Lena was badgering her father about going to the beach. But, Lena surprised J by choosing a place in the sand and dropping her toys. The two have remained in said spot for over an hour now.

"You don't want to go in?" J asks motioning to the ocean.

Lena keeps her eyes on the sand. "I'm not a very good swimmer. Mommy was supposed to sign me up for swimming lessons." The 'but she never got the chance' goes unsaid.

"It's hot," J states the obvious fact. "Let's go in the water."

Lena ignores her cousin and continues working on another tower for the sandcastle. Not deterred, J nudges the little girl's arm. "Come on."

Lena looks at the water and then back at J, still unsure. J stands up. "Come on, it'll be fine." Lena still look torn, biting her lip in earnest.

"I won't let anything happen to you," J promises.

Those last words do the trick because Lena stands up and follows J into the water. She cautiously tips her toes in as J goes deeper into the water, motioning for the girl who to follow him. Lena lets out a yelp and her eyes go huge.

"Give me your hands," J says. Lena bites her lip, head tilted to the side. "Come on," J says reaching for his cousin. "I promise, I'm not going to drop you."

Finally, Lena lifts her hands and J takes hold, easily lifting the girl up. "Now kick," J says as he holds Lena as she starts to kick her legs getting the feel of the water underneath her. At first, the kicks are hesitant and uneven but they gradually become stronger and more uniform as the pair moves across the water. Lena clearly becomes more comfortable in the water as the look of unease on her face is replaced with a huge smile. J asks her several times if she wants to stop and take a break, but she quickly shoots that idea down with a giggle and a "More, J."

While laughing and splashing in the water, J doesn't think about his family's criminal enterprise. And Lena doesn't think about her mother not being there. It's nice to be just kids for awhile. But, all too soon Lena does get tired, so the pair return to land.

J is drying off and Lena is back at her sandcastle when Lena says, "I thought Nicky was your girlfriend."

J's not entirely sure where this is going. "She was. Not anymore."

"Why is she always in Uncle Craig's room then?" Lena innocently asks.

Thanks for an awkward conversation Nicky and Craig.

"That's adult stuff that you shouldn't be thinking about," J says.

"Not ever?" Lena asks looking up at J.

"Not until you're like my age." J says with a smile.

"So not until you're way old?" Lena asks.

Way old? Lena was right about that one. He may only be 17 but, J feels like he's a hell of a lot older. He always had since he was around Lena's age. "Yeah, my age."

"I don't like Nicky. She always has a strange look on her face when she comes out of Uncle Craig's room," Lena says with a look of utter confusion on her face.

Jesus. This kid sees everything. Feeling a little protective, J says, "Do me a favor and stay away from Uncle Craig's room."

To her credit Lena doesn't ask why. Maybe the kid really is on the ball when it comes to the inner workings of the family. Maybe she knows when to say something and when not to or to who.

"Little sister?" A tall brunette says coming in from the water with her surfboard.

"No, he's my cousin." Lena replies with a smile.

He doesn't know why but he feels a pain in his chest when he hears Lena say their cousins. It's not her fault that she only knows him as her cousin who recently showed up in her life. She may actually be his little sister, but she doesn't know that. And Baz certainly isn't comfortable with the idea that the cousins could potentially be siblings. No, to Lena he's the cousin who reads her The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane and takes her to the beach. Nothing else.

"She's cute," The brunette says walking away.

"You can use me to get girls," Lena says turning to J.

"What?" J squeaks out.

"Uncle Craig takes me to the park to help him get girls. Sometimes we get icecream and he sees Crystal. She gives me extra sprinkles on my icecream."

Craig uses Lena as a mini-wingman. But, yet he has a near conniption with the idea of J tucking Lena in. Man, his family is fucked up.

Lena lets out a loud yawn. "You ready to get going?" J asks.

Lena nods her head and starts picking up her stuff. Soon they are ready to get going. Lena is moving slow, almost dragging her feet to the car.. "I'm tired," Lena says letting out a loud yawn.

J lowers himself to the ground and taps his back. "Here, get on."

It takes a few seconds as Lena scrambles onto his back and grips his neck tightly as they lug their stuff to the car. As he gives her a piggyback, Lena hugs his neck tightly. "Thanks, J. I'm happy that you're my cousin," Lena says tiredly into his neck.

Me too. J thinks to himself as the pair makes their way to the car.