Sorry about the delay; technical difficulties (computers not turning on, for instance. Followed by a dead moniter. If it's electronic, it hates me), inertia, and life were to blame.
Thanks for sticking with us.
"Thanks." I watched as they entered the school building, more and more people staring at them. Two minutes until school was out.
"I'll get Toby, you get Jack and Jacob?"
"Yeah. Oh Susan!" he called to her, "do I need to go to the nurse or anything... about Jacob's insulin," ah the man was clueless.
"It's taken care of."
"Thanks," he turned to one of the agents following him, "go with her,"
"I don't need an escort Sean, and Toby's already got one."
"I didn't think Abby needed one either,"
"Sean. No."
"Fine,"
"Thank you."
Sean nodded and then leaned against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest, he closed his eyes and it seemed to be that he had drifted off.
"Asleep on your feet?"
Sean's eyes flew open, the voice had scared him.
"Forgot why we're here Sean?"
"Hi daddy!" Toby jumped into his arms, well before Sean had time to process what was taking place, soon two other five years old had managed to find a limb to hold on to.
"You might want to let your Daddy breathe Toby," Susan said to the kid with his arms around Sean's neck.
"Okay," he let go and landed on the floor, he was smiling, Jacob was smiling, Jack was not.
"What's the matter Jackie?"
"I want to go home," I looked around, something was not right. The picture, where the hell was it?
"We are about to. What's wrong though?"
He looked around and I could see the anger in his expression, everywhere kids were being hugged or lifted into arms by their mothers.
"Okay," Susan said, catching on and taking his hand, "Let's go find Cosmo and we can go home."
"My teacher took my picture," he muttered to Susan.
"Did he take everyone else's picture too?"
"Nobody else had mommy's picture,"
"Wait, I thought you meant it was pi- Why did he take it?"
Jack looked up at her, tears in his eyes, "He said I didn't need to be looking at it, that I would see her after school." Asshole teacher, ugh! Did he forget?
"Well, let's go talk to your teacher and get it back then."
"Okay." They walked back down the hall to Jake's classroom and knocked at the door.
"Aunt Susan," my son spoke softly as he saw the man staring back at them, "he's mean."
"I think I can handle him."
"Can I help you?" the teacher spoke, I could tell already that I didn't like him.
"Hi, I'm Susan Lewis. Jack here says you confiscated a photograph of his?"
"It was distracting him." I watched as Sean came through the door.
"For now, I think you'll have to put up with that, be a little understanding of his circumstances."
"I cannot do my job if he is staring at a photograph all day long, he cant concentrate. I had no choice."
"He won't be concentrating well for at least a few months, photograph or no. Better not to traumatize him I think."
"Maybe a day after his mothers murder isn't the best time to start kindergarten!" Okay Sean is pissed, watch out, and even worse, Jack heard it.
"Maybe you're not the one to make that judgment."
"If he is distracting the rest of my class, I believe I at least have a say in it, now all the kids want to bring things from home."
"This is a special case."
"Fine, just don't bring it back, alright," he reached into his desk and handed the picture to Susan. But suddenly stopped when he saw the look on Jack's face. "I'm sorry Jack, I was wrong. You can bring it with you, but can you make sure you try and do your work for me?" He nodded solemnly and hugged the photograph to his chest. The teacher turned to Susan then, "I'm sorry, I just, its been a stressful day. The kids are excited because real FBI agents are here, Jack is the only one who seems use to the idea."
"I understand. Just... He's been through a lot lately."
"I know. I met Dr. Lockhart yesterday actually, real nice lady," that's right I was! Am...Was...
"She was."
"I'm very sorry for you loss, if Jack cant make it one day, don't worry about his absences," okay now I'm changing my mind about this guy, he was an ass at first, but now.
Sean smiled sadly. "It was nice to have met you Mr..."
"Siricik" Sean shook the man's hand and they left.
"Daddy?" Toby began as they rode home.
"Yeah?"
"Did you catch mommy's bad guy yet?"
"Not yet. It could take a long time."
"Uncle Sean, how long?" Cosmo asked, he was a good kid, straight-A student.
"Impossible to say for certain."
"Everyone at school was asking me about it today, they knew mom worked with her."
"I see."
"Dad, can we watch a movie when we get home?" ha, like you three are going to be awake when you get home! You cant fool your mother.
"If you're not too tired, sure."
"I'm not tired," Jacob said loudly, crap, he's hyper, his sugar his high, someone check him.
"Okay."
"I wanna watch 'crediables." Translation... The Incrediables. Hate to say it, but he's headed straight for speech therapy.
"Okay."
"And I'm hungry and then I want to play soccer, then hockey," SEAN! Come on, you're a doctor too; he's hungry and hyper as hell, some alarms should be going off.
"Okay."
The car pulled up and the doors opened, my boys flying out and running into the house. "Sean, what's wrong?" Susan asked.
"Just tired."
"Abby always said just tired when she was not okay, you two are more alike then you know."
"Fine, I'm miserable and I wish it would all just stop. That better?"
"Have you eaten? We can take the boys out to eat, my treat." Oh, good idea Susan! That way my house will stay standing for at least another day.
"I don't know. I was thinking about trying to make some macaroni and cheese or something."
"Yeah, no lets not do that. We can go somewhere fast,"
"I promised Abby I'd learn to cook..."
"I think Abby can forgive you for breaking that promise, at least for a while, besides, no offense Sean, but mac and cheese does not really count as cooking."
"For someone who's burned microwave dinners, it does."
"Do you want to go out or not? Free food for four boys, five boys, cant get much better,"
"Fine."
"I just remembered, Abby has the boys enrolled in gymnastics on Monday nights, do you want them to go or not?" Yes that's right, gymnastics, but it helps with motor development and coordination, oh and plus its an hour of baby sitting for me.
"They should."
"Okay. Think of a reasutrant, I'm going to drag them back outside." Susan ran inside and quickly got the boys together, promising them ice cream if they would just come along. "Ready?" she asked Sean seeing him in the exact spot she had left him.
"Sure."
"Where we going? Oh crap, Cosmo run inside and get their gym bags, Abby has them in the laundry room," I am so glad I was organized before...
"Mimi's Cafe. You like their food, right?"
"Its fine with me, come on boys in the car," she had an easy time getting Toby and Jack inside, but Jacob was running around like crazy.
"There a problem Jake?"
Yes, Susan, check his sugar, "Nope, I just have lots of energy!"
"Let's just check your glucose, okay?"
"I don't want to," Cosmo, bless him, Jacob looked up to him, wanted to be just like him, he came out carrying the gym bag, all of their gymnastics stuff inside.
"Too bad Jacob."
"What was it at school?" Cosmo asked as he led him over to where Sean was getting the meter ready.
"Don't remember."
"Well its 427 now buddy," Susan said after consulting the meter.
"Ugh. Need a shot?"
"Yeah I think so, come on in the car, lets leave before the media figures out where we are going."
"Fine."
"Where are we going daddy?" Toby asked as the car once again pulled away.
"Out for dinner."
"But where!"
"Mimi's."
The boys nodded they all liked that place. Diner was uneventful, they ate, people started and within an hour they were back in the car, now on their way to gymnastics.