December 11th


Out of all the ways of transport, Robert thought buses were the worse never existed. OK, planes meant ear compression and decompression and occasional barfing when the winds were too strong. Trains were always late and toilets pure stink. Cars were expensive and took like ages to get from point A to point B. Buses had all these disadvantages: not enough room to get your legs comfy, no choice of your fellow neighbors, smelling toilets if any, and long, long, long hours of driving. Plus, it seemed all bus drivers were specifically trained to get over every bump and hole within the concrete road. Hell of a ride, then.

Arriving was like reaching paradise. The promise land. Robert sighed with relieve and was so happy to be on definite firm ground that he did not complain about the others passing before him as he waited his turn to grab his standard military duffel bag from the luggage hold.

Without anything but a look full of disdain towards the driver, the man took off, aiming for the subway. He knew he was in serious need of a shower and a shave. A three day beard was eating his face and he could almost feel hair on his bold skull. Not that Robert had anything against hair. But as a very VERY secret operative field agent from a very VERY specialized unit who made SWAT members looking like nerds with noodle limbs, Robert had rarely time to pimp himself. And hair could be such troublesome when in a desert or in the middle of an amazonian rainforest. Whatever. As he passed a hand through the down hair on his skill, he concentrated on the fact that soon, he would be able to ask for his transfer into a less dangerous location. He would still be asked to move from base to base every two or three years, but at least it would be within structured locations and not some half destroyed tent in the fucking middle of fucking nowhere.

Strangely enough, no one came to him in the streets, neither the Christmas carolers nor the petition guy or the money-raising-for-foundation-for-the-whatever granny. True enough, Robert was scary. Tall, bold – or bold-ish – with razor sharp eyes, straight nose and thin lips that barely smile, dressed with khaki army clothes and boots, the soldier was not the chatty type.

Yet, he stopped in front of a primary school, dropping his bag and waited. Soon, the bell rang and as many classroom doors opened, a flock of children came into the courtyard, filling the space with screams, laughter and sounds of life.

Parents were gathering at the front gate, ready to collect the younger ones. Most of them were middle classes moms, strapped into coats of various thickness. Robert, however, was just wearing his standard military jacket. Somehow, he was not sure it was his clothes that triggered all the side looks and whispering.

He did not care. Robert was trained to deal with terrorists, drugs smugglers cartels and others low life of human species and he would not be phased by some Desperate Housewife bitches. He kept scanning the crowd looking for a brunette. Therefore, he was a little startled when a blond came into his field of vision, before having his leg tackled by an overjoy boy

- « DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD! »

- « Hey Buddy! » Robert had no problem picking-up Charles, and hugged him tight. He had grown so much since the last time he saw him in the flesh, sixteen month ago.

- « Robert! I did not know you had a leave! » Lucy hugged her cousin, squeezing Charles in the middle, who did not protest as he was mutating into a leech glued at his father's neck.

- « Yep, surprise from higher command. The all unit has been dismissed for Christmas. »

- « So, how long are you staying with us? » The young women took her nephew's Batman bag and lifted his cousin's with a "humph", scowling at him with death glare as he tried to protest.

- « Don't really know. Next mission is not planned before mid-January. » As this triggered another squeal of excitement from small Charles Lee.

- « Good! Come on, your dad will be so happy to see you! »

- « The old man is not working today? And what about the little sis? I thought she was the one to pick-up the monster. »

Charles giggled and allowed his father to put him down, but only if he was holding his hand. The trio started walking away.

- « Uncle Warren injured his ankle on an ice pane. And Maria is doing a community service down town. She enrolled the all brigade to help decorate an orphanage. »

Robert snorted at the idea of Great Warren Vidic sliding on his great scientist ass and again when hearing the news.

- « There is only one person able to turn an entire police section into social workers. » Robert had difficulties admitting his half-sister dropping off the army to get into some "city police law enforcement", even if this mean his son had an aunt to look after him during his own absence.


But the family exchange was cut when a young boy came run towards Lucy.

- « Lucy! Hello! »

- « Hey Connor, what's new? »

- « Look, I need you too tell me if you think my mom would like my drawing. » The little boy opened a folded piece of paper under the nose of the lady. « Desmond is useless, he had no opinion. »

- « Hey! Connor, stop running away from me. And stopping bothering Lucy and-... oh, sorry, I did not know you were with someone... »

Connor stopped babbling to start a staring contest with Charles. The two boys hated each other with some passion, mainly because Charles was pro Batman and Connor wooed for Spiderman, as his blue and red bag could testified. Desmond juggled with it and another Harry Potter bag to extend an hand to Robert.

- « Hi, I am Desmond, Lucy's boyfriend. This is my nephew Connor, and my other one, Shaun... Shaun? Shaun, where are you? Come back here, you English monkey! Sorry about that. »

- « Robert. Charles' father and... »

- « Lucy's cousin, and Maria's brother. The army dude. They both talk a lot about you. »

- « Do they? »

- « Yep. All in good terms. In generally. You know girls... »

- « Indeed. Well, I guess I'll see you around... » Robert had a "big brother" threatening look over Desmond until Lucy nudged him into the rib.

- « Sorry Des, Robert can be an ass sometimes with his overprotecting manners. I'll see you on Skype later. »

- « No prob. Bye then. Connor, don't make faces, you may get stuck like than. Shaun, please, stop doing that. Great, you are going to kill me... »


The young man left, dragged by the two accomplices. Both loved they big cousin, and this had nothing to do with the fact they had him wrapped around their pinkies. They loved when he was babysitting – which was rare, due to his part-time internship that involved a lot of evening to night shifts. He was way more fun than Altaïr – even if Altaïr was good with video games. But Desmond was better at storytelling, getting the voices and adding special sound effect.

- « Hey Des? »

- « Yes, Connor? »

- « I am sure it is Santa who had Charles' dad back. Don't you think? »

- « Sure. Santa is just awesome... »


-o-o-o-


Ok, explanation time, because I think I may have confused you.

I decided that Haytham have two sisters: one who lives in UK and who is Shaun's mother. She is a single mom, currently away traveling for work for a long period and left her son to his expatriated brother (Don't forget Haytham is British, not American). The second sister got married to an American farmer from South Dakota named William Miles and gave birth to Desmond. When he decided to enroll in a culinary school, the all family decided to get him to the school next to Haytham's so that Des could come living with his uncle because it was closer and free. On counterpart, he helps with house shores and taking care of the two boys. (by the way, on the chap 5, Shaun is sleeping in his house).

Vidic's family is a little bit more complicated. Warren did not know he had father two children with two random women he never heard of again, until Robert and Maria showed up at his door. These two get connected by chance, through the Army where they were both enrolled. One of the soldier needed a marrow transplant, as as the Army is one big family (no irony here, my Dad is an retired Officer from French Army ^^), all the soldiers had to pass a test. Therefore, the doc found that Rob and Maria were related. They met, realized they were both the result of a one night stand (raised by a single mom) and decided to met with their unknown father.

Vidic was surprised by this but was happy to get to know his children, even if both were adults. He helped Maria get a job at the local Police when she desired quitting the Army. They are now living in the same big city house.

During a leave, Robert fathered a child with a Miss Lee (speak about genetic ^^ thanks Daddy Vidic) ... and did not know about him until 20 month later when he came back and bumped into her. Starting then, he took over his Dad responsibilities with great care, even if not married to the mother. When she died in a tragic bus accident two years ago, (yep, the same one involving Malik, Kadar and Lanz's family) Robert took his son with him... arranged for him to live with his grand-father Warren and his aunt Maria... and started asking for retirement from the Special Unit. Nearly there!

Warren's sister got married to a Mister Stillman, and when their daughter Lucy graduated with one of the best biology/genetic degree, her uncle got her a job in his firm, in his department.

Even if Lucy not living with Maria and Warren, she helps with Charles – after all, the poor little boy lost his mom and needs family support, even from her who is a second-degree cousin. And she met with Desmond at school, when he was picking-up Shaun and Connor, and she Charles. They get closed as Connor and Charles are usually fighting each other, much to the disgust of said Charles and Connor.

Altaïr, who love children (wants to be an educator, remember) and is in need of money for his study, used to babysit for Lanz, sometime for free (if there were food). He is now babysitting for Haytham and Zio.

He meet Maria during a Police investigation that involved one of his protegee from the Sport Program. Of course, they started to hate each other then yield to the sexual tension and had angry sex. Then again. And again. And became an item.

Malik, Raf, Lanz and Faustina are all orphans from the Davenport House. And...And more connections are to be revealed soon!