Calm before the storm my ass, things hit the wall at the end of this chapter.
Warnings: None
Disclaimer in Chapter 1
Unbetaed AF 3333333
Christmas Wish
Chapter 18
Fire Away
"Are they allowed to fire that gun in this neighborhood?" Stephanie asked, looking out the window of Lester's house, watching the couple argue and fight about the gun in Lester's hand, "Are they allowed to fire a gun outside period?"
"Don't know," Carlos said from his spot on Lester's couch, with Heidi on his lap, looking at a picture book, "Don't care, we own this area, woods included, I say, it's private property, we can do whatever we want."
"Wait," Stephanie walked away from the window and over to Carlos and Heidi, "We own these woods?"
"Yeah, Tank, Lester, Bobby and I bought this land years ago," Carlos said, with a shrug, as if he didn't confess to being the owner of a few thousand acres of land, "We thought we would put Rangeman out here, make a training ground, the building on Hamilton street does the work and so we just let the land sit and grow in value, a housing company came up to us ask to buy part of our land to build this area up, we sold them the land but then, well you know, our son ,and afterwards, while you were mourning, we bought the land back from the housing company, didn't you think it was a little odd that there were only four houses in this place?"
It was a big area and with only four houses, Stephanie had been curious, "Why did you buy the land back?"
"Because, I remember going to the housing company, before his death, complaining about the kids that raced their cars on the roads in the neighborhood. They did nothing, after we bought the land back, I put up the gates and the security, if people were living here, I wanted to make sure that they didn't have to go through what we did."
Stephanie leaned down and kissed Carlos on the lips, muttering, "Thank you, but that sale must have cost you an arm and a leg."
"It did, but it was worth it," Carlos said as Stephanie curled up against him, "I don't want-" he stopped and looked out the window and covered Heidi's ears just as a gun went off, "Luckily it's just us in the area," he lowered his hands, causing Heidi to look up at him, "Nothing, sweetie, you can go back to reading."
"Have you heard anything about the group that's you know," Stephanie started but Carlos shook his head.
"No, I've contacted people," He said, his eyes dark, "Nothing, they don't-it's like they're not even a real group and it's dangerous, because, I don't think it's Heidi should be worried, Dr. Ivan and Dr. Heidi should be concerned as well. A contact said the groups you don't know about, they're the dangerous ones, who knows what they're doing with Unmentionables, if they have some or if they're trying to get some."
"They don't know where they are, right?" Stephanie asked looking at Carlos, "These people, they have no idea where we are or where Dr. Ivan and Dr. Heidi are."
"I don't know, they could be anywhere," Carlos rubbed a hand over Heidi's back as she looked at the book, "They could be anyone."
(~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~)
"That is not how you hold a gun," Lester said, taking the light pistol from Brittany's hand and shifting her into position, "You fire that gun the way you were holding it, the recoil from the gun would have broken your nose."
"I don't fire guns," Brittany said as she looked up at Lester with a glare, "I think they're dangerous items and should not be used."
"Yeah, well, this dangerous item might one day save your life," Lester said as he let go of her and leaned against the wooden post that rested behind his house, his breath lingering in the air, "You should have told me earlier that there were bad men out there, gunning for Heidi and you."
"They're not after me," Brittany said as she lowered the gun, "They're after Heidi."
"I'm going to call bullshit on this one," Lester said, looking at the woman, walking over to Brittany, "They're after Heidi, Diesel, Dr. Ivan and you and anyone else who's an Unmentionable," he placed a hand on the hand that held the gun, "You told me yourself, Unmentionables can poof in and out, you can't, you're at risk of being trapped and taken, you are, not Heidi, not Diesel, not Ivan."
He helped her shift her feet and said, holding the gun up, "If that happens, you should be able to protect yourself for as long as you can."
"I just hate how this feels," Brittany mutter as Lester helped her aim the gun, "Like it's clunky and heavy but a small killing machine."
"Yeah, well this killing machine saved my ass a few times," Lester said, wrapping his finger around the trigger, "Wait, ear protection first."
He and Brittany slipped on the ear plugs and then Lester got her back into position. They fired the gun once and Brittany jumped back, with a yelp, looking at Lester. Lester laughed, put the safety on, tucked it back into the holster on his belt, "You'll get used to that noise, and if not, I'll get you a muzzle, a muzzle makes your gun quieter but it's only good for a few shots, make them count, is what I say."
His smile faded and he said, "And, since you've a bunch of bad guys after you, you can't be going anywhere alone, I'll get you a tracker, see if I can find someone to-"
"This sounds very intrusive," Brittany said, folding her arms, "Give up my privacy and freedom for safety?"
"I guess, yeah, when you say it like that," Lester said, resting his hands on Brittany's shoulders, "But I want you safe, you said it yourself, people get sucked in by these people, they don't come back, I don't want that for you."
"Can we make compromises?" she asked earning a head shake, "Lester, you're getting all Alpha male on me."
"Can you blame me!?" Lester asked, looking down at Brittany, "I don't want you gone, Brittany!" he began to pace, "Damn it, you act like it's the end of the world if I give you an escort or personal guard! This is serious! There's a little girl in that I think of as my daughter and I want the best life for her and she is getting chased down by some shadow group-"
"Lester-"
"And now, I think-no it's not a 'I think' moment, it's a I know moment, they're going to be after you and take you because the last line of defense most Unmentionables have you don't have!"
"Lester!"
"I can't just let the woman I want to marry someday walk around defenseless so she can get kidnapped-"
"LESTER!" Lester jumped, turning to Brittany, who looked at him with big eyes, "What?"
"You want to marry me?" Brittany asked, her face etched with shock.
"I-yeah, yeah! Fuck yeah I want to marry you!" Lester said rounding on Brittany, with a smile on his face, "You're not like any other woman I know, you're smart, kind, and a super hero!"
"What did I tell you about calling me a super hero?" Brittany asked as Lester grabbed her round the waist and spun her around, "Lester!"
"Everything about you is great," Lester set Brittany down and kissed her thoroughly, "I want you in my life, so will you marry me? I'll get you a ring later."
"I don't need a ring," Brittany said, looking up at Lester, "I'll marry you, of course."
"Can I still get you a ring?" Brittany nodded her head, with a shrug, who was she to stop him from his happiness, "Good, I'll get you the prettiest ring out there, but first, let's go inside and talk about this, okay?"
"Okay," Brittany said grabbing Lester's hand and walking with him to the house, "Nothing big, though, I want a small wedding."
"We can do that," Lester hummed, as he opened the door, "By the way, for safety reasons, you can't leave my bed."
"You Cad!"
"I'm your cad, though."
(~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~)
Heidi sat at the table with Carlos and Stephanie, eating her dinner, her eyes trained on her plate. She listened to Stephanie and Carlos talk softly to one another, looking over to her and then back to each other. Heidi knew they were talking about her, because she spied them looking at her. She wondered what they were talking about.
"Heidi," Heidi looked up from her meal, kicking her feet in her booster seat, licking pasta sauce off her fork, "We wanted to have a talk with you."
"Kay," Heidi said, grabbing her cup of juice and drinking from it.
"Well," Carlos looked over to Stephanie and then to the child, "You've been with us for a bit, and we happen to enjoy your company, very much."
"But-" Stephanie started, looking at Heidi, we have a question for you."
Heidi leaned back in her seat as Carlos grabbed one of her hands and squeezed it gently, "Heidi-would you like to stay with us, with Stephanie, Lester and I?"
"I thought I here already," Heidi asked, tilting her head, earning a laugh from the two, "What?"
She sucked on her thumb as Carlos pulled her out of her seat and into his lap, turning so that Stephanie could look at her as well.
"We want you to stay with us," Stephanie said, looking at the girl, "For good, you would live here, with us and with Lester, of course."
Heidi blinked her eyes and said, "Kay…I go play now?"
"Yes," Stephanie said, pinching Heidi's knee before the child slides off Carlos's lap and toodles off to play with some of the toys she had, "I don't know what I was expecting from her."
"I think her 'I here already' said more than enough," Carlos said, getting up and cleaning up their dinner mess, "She is home, well, one of her homes."
Stephanie looked over to where Heidi sat, playing with one the dolls she had gotten from her adoring Rangman fans. From what Brittany said and from what Ivan said, Heidi had no real home before this, she lived in a cell, she was tortured, no form of comfort, treated like an object. What she was experiencing now was home to her, so why should they ask her if she wants to stay?
Well it's only common courtesy that they ask her but, she truly was home. She needed more, she deserved more. She had been through so much in her short life.
"Well, if we're her home, we should make it the best home she has" Stephanie said, helping Carlos clean up their dinner mess, "Maybe we should…decorate it for the season."
Carlos looked over to Stephanie, "Are you sure, Babe?"
"You know what, yes, I am 100 percent sure, I mean, did you see the pile of presents Lester has under his tree, we can't be out done by him," she starts but then she looked down and says, "And I'm sure Ricky would want to see this place filled with Christmas magic once again."
Carlos went over to Stephanie and hugged her, saying in a soft voice, "I think he would be happy to see some Christmas magic in here again."
Stephanie kissed Carlos and then turned to Heidi saying, "Heidi, how about we-" she stopped, seeing Heidi standing stark still, looking out the window, her eyes big, her breathing coming out in heavy pants, "Heidi."
"Help me…." Heidi whispered, her frame trembling, "Help me..it's cold, I'm hurt…help me…help me…" her eyes roll back in her head and she faints.
"Heidi!" it only takes seconds for Carlos and Stephanie to go over to Heidi, who they turn around, trying to wake her. They were trying for several minutes when the sound of the garage door opening has them looking up to see Lester and Ivan both of them looking grim.
"They took Brittany, ran her car off the road," Lester said, he looked like he was going to faint.
"We don't have a lot of time," Ivan said, looking at the couple, "The blizzard's coming in heavy and once it ends, they'll be out of the area."
"We have to wake Heidi up first and then we'll figure it out," Carlos said, as Ivan came over to them.
"Stand back," Ivan said, placing his hand on Heidi's chest, "I've got this."
Seconds later, Heidi sat up and let out a whimper, looking up at the adults, "Bad place, Dr. Brittany in bad place! Bad people hurt her!"
She sucked on her thumb, crying while the adults looked at each other. What were they going to do now?
TBC…
Dum dum dum! Now, off to my fav place, the trash heap!