Enjoy everyone! And please, tell me what you think! :)

L.L.A.P

~Laces

Chpt.34

Livy listened and savored every story that Jason told her about her mother. The woman seemed like the best woman in the world. Everything a girl would want in a loving caring mother.

It hurt Livy. She had one great mother, who gave her up so that she had a chance of a good life. Then Livy had another great mother who wasn't even related to her, but she died. Livy cried softly. She had two great mothers and she lost them both.

"Livy, shhh." Jason hushed as he hugged her, rocking her back and forth.

But I have a great Dad. Livy thought to herself. I never had a Dad before. Livy hugged Jason tightly, clutching onto his jacket, her face, buried in his shoulder.

"Livy?" Jason questioned once she was quiet for a while.

"I don't want to lose you." She whispered. Jason's eyes widened and he kissed the top of her head, hugging her tightly.

"You're not going to lose me, Livy. You're not ever going to lose me." Livy looked at him, and then at the grave, hugging him tightly.

"C'mon Livy. We gotta go." Jason whispered as he stood to his feet.

"Can we stay here a little longer?" Livy inquired. Jason lifted her up, holding the girl in his arms.

"We can come back later on. We just need to… talk to someone." Jason informed, and he carried Livy to a home across the street, and knocked on the door.

"Jason, whose house is this?" Livy questioned as Jason placed the girl next to him on the ground. Before Jason could answer, the door opened and there stood Ramon, who looked absolutely livid.

"I thought I told you to never come here again!" he shouted.

"Ramon, listen…"

"I am done Jason! Done!"

"Indira's kid! My kid!"

"What about her kid, Jason!"

"This is her!" Jason shouted. Ramon froze and looked down at the kid. Livy was grasping Jason's pant leg.

"Indira's… child. You… you found her?" Ramon said softly, looking down at the girl.

"Well… she found me, it's a long story." Jason sighed. Livy was still standing behind Jason's leg, unsure about the man. She hated it when people yelled.

"Niña." Ramon said softly as he knelt in front of the girl. "Niña, what is your name?" he inquired.

Jason patted Livy's back, and the girl slowly came out from behind Jason's leg.

"My name is Livy." She answered. Ramon's eyes locked on Livy's.

"Livy." Ramon wrapped his arms around the girl in a tight hug. "Indira always liked the name Livy." He whispered. "I never knew why. Crazy girl. Loca. Mi loca Hermana." He chuckled to himself.

"Hermana… sister?" Livy questioned, rough on her Spanish.

"Yes. I was Indira's brother. I'm your Tio Ramon." He informed. Livy smiled slightly.

"I have an uncle?"

"Yes. Yes you do. Oh!" Ramon had tears in his eyes. "You even sound like Indira! Muy Bonita!" Jason smiled as Ramon hugged the little girl.

With some reluctance, Ramon let Jason into the house, along with Livy. Jason then explained everything to Ramon. Who he was, why he didn't come back, and he made his remorse apparent.

"Ramon, if I knew, Indira would still be here. If I knew that she got so depressed, I would have come back in an instant." He explained. Livy was curled up next to Jason, asleep, clutching his jacket tightly.

The pain killers that Alfred had given her made her drowsy, and the past two hours were very hectic for her.

"I am sorry, Jason." Ramon sighed. "Indira would have been upset that I treated you so poorly. Just…"

"I get it, Ramon." Jason said, placing a hand on the younger man's shoulder. "So, I remember when Indira had to take you to art classes. Did they pay off?" Jason inquired and Ramon grinned, nodding.

"Yeah, I've been illustrating some children books and I recently started to illustrate some comics." He informed with a smile, and Jason grinned.

"It's great to hear that you're doing well." Ramon smiled at him, but sighed.

"When I was little, I always wanted you and Indira to get married." He stated. "You were the closest thing I ever had to a big brother. You were… y'know. The cool kid."

Jason remembered how Ramon used to always want to hang out with him, and he did too. Jason would hang out with Ramon almost just as much as he hung out with Indira.

"Ramon… you know that aside from Bruce… You, Josh, and Indira were the closest family I had." He said in a soft voice.

"I used to call you Hermano." Ramon stated. "Do you think that I could start calling you that again?" Jason smiled.

"Sure thing, Hermano." He grinned.

"So… have you spoken to Josh yet?" Ramon inquired.

"Well, before I went to speak with you, I spoke to Josh, trying to find out where Indira was. He was just as upset at me as you were." Jason stated.

"Y'know he's a cook now." Ramon informed and Jason chuckled.

"That doesn't surprise me. The guy always liked hanging out in the kitchen." Jason started to chuckle. "Remember that one time when he thought that combining chicken and chocolate would be a good idea?" Ramon started to laugh as well.

"And when he tried to put cinnamon on his eggs."

"That little jackass would cook all sort of good stuff but also all sorts of crap." Jason nodded.

"Jason, do you remember when he cooked that shrimp?" Ramon questioned and Jason sighed.

"How could I forget?"

"Dinner's served guys." Josh smiled as he walked into the living room of Indira's house with some plates.

"It better not be that chicken alla chocolate shit that you served last time." Jason grumbled, and Indira shot him a glare.

"Jay, my brother's here. Language." She scolded. Jason chuckled and patted Ramon on his head while kissing Indira on her cheek.

"Sorry Bajita." He smiled, then looked down at Ramon. "And I'm sorry for the language Ramon."

"It's okay Hermano. You should hear how Indi talks when she stubs her toe on her bed." Ramon informed and Indira face palmed.

"And what type of Colorful vocabulary does she use when that happens?" Jason inquired with a smirk.

"Don't answer that Bajito. Besides Jason, what I say is in Spanish. I don't think you'd be able to understand me." Indira informed.

"Estás seguro de ello?"Jason smirked, his scentence translating into: Are you sure about that?

"I didn't know you could speak Spanish." Indira stated and Jason smiled at her.

"There's a lot you don't know about me Bajita."

"I'll find out eventually." Indira said with a smirk.

"So sure about that Bajita?" Jason inquired and Indira leaned on his shoulder.

"Pretty sure."

"Are you guys done flirting now, 'cuz I wanna eat." Josh stated as he placed the plates of food down.

Jason looked at his plate and smile. Shrimp. And it looked like real good shrimp too. Unfortunately, the second Indira got a good whiff of the food, she sprinted as fast as she could to the bathroom.

"She hates shrimp." Ramon stated. "Just the smell of it makes her sick to her stomach." He informed, and then everyone could hear her puking in the bathroom.

"Josh, just call the pizza guy, alright? Dinner's on me." Jason stated as he handed Josh his wallet, then ran to the bathroom, where Indira's face hovered over the toilet.

"Don't like shrimp, huh?" Jason questioned as he knelt next to Indira and she shook her head.

"Hate the stuff." She answered, then threw up again from looking at the vomit she had in the toilet from the first time she puked.

Jason flushed the toilet and Indira closed her eyes, trying to get control over her body again.

"I guess there's still a lot of stuff I don't know about you too." Jason smiled.

"You're darn right." Indira chuckled, and Jason ran his fingers through her hair.

"I'll find out eventually." He smirked.

"So sure about that Jay?" Jason kissed her forehead and smiled,

"Pretty sure."

Jason sighed at the thoughts of Indira. So many memories.

"Jason?" Livy slowly batted her eyes open, and Jason smiled down at her.

"How are you feeling?" he inquired softly. Livy grunted slightly as she sat up, making Jason gently lay his hand on her back, trying to provide what help he could.

"I'm okay. Sorry I fell asleep."

"It's alright, Livy. Alfred told me that's what the medicine might do to you."

Ramon walked over to Livy and lifted her off of her feet, hugging the girl, but made sure to be gentle so that her wound wouldn't be more painful.

"Livy, I am so happy that I could meet you. Mi Sobrina." He smiled, calling her his niece. Livy smiled and kissed Ramon on his cheek.

"Livy, I think we should be going. Alfred's going to be worried that I haven't gotten you back yet." Jason informed, looking at the time.

"Get better soon… Bajita." Ramon smiled, calling Livy the nickname that was Indira's.

"Bye Tio Ramon. See you soon." Livy smiled, and Jason lifted her to her feet. He could tell that despite the face she put up, the medicine was wearing off and she was experiencing a lot of pain.

"Good Bye Bajita." Ramon nodded as he walked with them to the door. "Good bye Hermano." Ramon grinned.

"I will be coming back again, Hermano." Jason nodded. "Livy and I will see you again."

While visiting Ramon, he noticed that depression must be a family problem. While they were talking, Jason noticed the same depression medication Indira was taking in the kitchen. Ramon was taking it now.

"Hey Jason?" Indira said softly. Both her and Jason were alone on the couch, warm together. Indira was more depressed that day, and Jason noticed. He devoted the entire day trying to make her feel better. Now there they were at the end of the day, snuggled together on the couch.

"Yes?"

"If… if anything happens to me, can you promise me something?" Jason stopped hugging her and looked her in the eye.

"Why are you asking me this? What's wrong?" concern was written on his face.

"Please Jay, can you just promise me something?" she repeated. There was a pause between the two, and then he sighed, breaking the silence.

"Alright."

"If anything was to ever happen to me, can you stay with Ramon? Watch over him and see to it he doesn't get really… sad."

"Indi…"

"And… and also if he gets into any danger, can you protect him?"

"Indi…"

"Please Jason." He looked down at her and nodded his head.

"Alright. I promise. If anything happens to you, Ramon will be perfectly safe." he informed and she grinned.

"Thanks Jay." Jason shook his head.

"Indi. Know that nothing is going to happen to you." Jason stated sternly. "I won't let anyone hurt you."

Jason may have failed Indira, but he wasn't going to fail Ramon. He intended to keep his promises.