"A Man Must Accept His Fate, Or Be Destroyed By It"

–Spartacus: Blood and Sand

CHAPTER 18

Kit held onto and looped around the light pole at the last intersection to avoid slowing down, "Just one more block!" His stomach began to growl and protest, he hadn't eaten since he had had breakfast at the air circus, if it could be called that. It was a soggy biscuit with rancid butter and wouldn't ya know it? Surprise, surprise! Daring Dan had made him pay for that too along with all the other basics of living. It was overpriced, cold, and had such a repulsive taste that Kit finally had something that rated lower in quality than the dumpster dinners he used to eat before his pirate days.

The concrete of the sidewalk changed to the wood of the dock but still Kit kept running. The shining yellow hull of the Seaduck bobbed up and down with the waves of the bay. He was home! Any second now he would turn that corner, fling the door open, and see his Dad along with the rest of his family. He had been thinking about that as he had been running home; a family, one to call his own, it seemed impossible yet he was so full of joy that it had to be so. He remembered when he was nine, almost ten back before he had ever met Ms. Cunningham, Molly, or Baloo, back before his back had been ravaged by Don Karnage and his beatings. He remembered walking the streets back to his sheet metal hut in the shady side of town of Marshall's Island where he was living at the time after moving freight for whatever pilot would hire him for the day. He was always on the lookout for cops, orphan hunters, hobo busters, and other lowlifes who would cut his throat just to stay alive. It was only a matter of time until one of the aforementioned caught up to him again and he remembered that this time, on this day he had just been mugged for what little money he had earned that day. He was walking the sidewalk, his stomach and body aching alike from being empty and the punches he'd just taken, and he stopped and looked through his teary eyes into the window of a restaurant. There he saw a family of bears eating and laughing and enjoying their meals together. He saw the mother and father dressed up for business and a little girl holding a fork wrong. And lastly he saw a boy not much older than he was at the time eating a giant lobster. He watched them imaging that he was there with them; imagining an entire life with them, having a little sister, an older brother or twin to play with or cause mischief with. He also remembered how his heart jumped and he ran when his daydream broke upon realizing that they were all staring at him. "Why did that kid get to have a family? Why was I doomed to a life alone?!"

Kit had multiple thoughts like this during his run home, each one springing from one chapter of his life to the other. But now he saw them all in a new light. Orphan of Freeport, Absconded Lost Boy, City-Hopping-Vagabond, Air-Hobo, Sky Pirate, Abuse Victim, Criminal. None of those included family member and now, just like that, his new title was 'Son'. He hadn't stopped smiling the entire run home. Like ocean tide waves to a mighty and tall mountain, again and again his past rose to crash upon him, yet his future stood strong and immovable, yielding not to the darkness he had finally risen from.

He was now running along the outer wall of the building, only a few more seconds and he was home. Just then Baloo turned the corner and Kit slammed right into his belly, knocking him to the ground; Baloo flat on his back, arms outstretched to his sides and Kit directly on top of him.

Baloo laid there for a moment trying the breathe, the surprise impact of a full speed three foot nine inch twelve year old boy to his chest had completely knocked the wind right out of him.

Kit shook his head around in a dazed confusion to gain his bearings, rubbing his eyes before opening them to realize what had just happened, immediately giving into trepidation.

"I'm Sorry! I'm Sorry! I'm Sorry! Baloo? Are you okay? I'm so Sorry! Don't be mad! I didn't mean it! Honest! I swear! Please! Don't be mad at me! I'm Sorry!"

Baloo inhaled deeply before breathing faster, Kit rising and falling with his belly effortlessly with each breath while continuing to apologize over and over again, talking so fast and loud his high pitch voice made him sound like a siren on a fire truck.

Baloo groaned and Kit immediately shut his yapper to see what was going to happen next, listening to Papa Bear as he spoke between breaths, "No one….said it would be…..easy being a….dad."

"Yeah, but you're real good at it." Kit leaned forward and put his arms around his dad's neck and shortly thereafter felt a big arm come across his back and hold him tight. Baloo didn't want to ever let him go and so he held him close, closer than before in the very definition of a bear hug.

Kit's eyes opened wide as what air remained in his lungs made barely audible the words, "Too tight…..can't breathe."

A half smile crept across Baloo's face as he lessened his grip only to hear Kit inhale deeply.

After a solid minute of just catching their breath the bruin removed his arm from Kit and sat up causing the boy to slide down from his chest to his belly, "Hay, Little Britches…are ya hungry?"

He lit up like a chandelier, "Am I?! The last thing I ate was a soggy biscuit at the Air Circus!" Kit shook his head, "I…..I wouldn't recommend it."

Baloo's face turned green as he became nauseated and threw up a little in his mouth, bringing his hand to his lips to keep them shut, forcing it back down to speak, "Kit…..that's disgustin'…also ya might not wanna tell that story ta anyone else…ever."

"Why?" Kit's face contorted and his head cocked to the side with confusion.

"Kit, just trust me on this one. Now let's go get some real breakfast." Baloo stood up and lead off toward the front door. Kit threw his hands up as he followed and Baloo was sure he heard the young'un mutter, "Whatever" accepting Baloo's advice.

.

.

.

.

Molly heard a noise from the kitchen and got up to investigate, making no effort to conceal the pitter-patter of her feet as she made her way across the room, pushing the door to the kitchen open with impunity.

Rebecca had heard her daughter coming and quickly rose up and faced away from the door, pretending to be hard at work preparing another meal.

"Mom, did you hear something fall in here?"

"Not a thing, you probably heard me getting out more food." She still hadn't faced her daughter. She looked up to the window on the wall and quickly changed the subject, "Molly, do you want anything else to eat?"

"No, I'm full." She said while rubbing her tummy.

"BECKERS! We're home!" Baloo shouted as he entered Higher for Hire. He and Kit strolled into the business together, one right behind the other.

Rebecca dropped the spatula she was holding onto the counter, "Could he really be back?" She picked up Molly and went into the living room and there he was, there they were. Father and son. Both of them looked to each have a radiant glow.

Kit stood by Baloo, both hands behind his back humbly requesting. "Ms. Cunningham, is there any food left? I'm starving." Rebecca saw his eyes, they were glad and shining; there was a happy child in there after all, oh how far he must have been buried over the years.

"Of course Kit. Common, let's see what else I can whip you two up real quick." She went back into the kitchen, put Molly down who went back to the living room to get a puzzle and returned to the kitchen table, grabbing a snack along the way. She didn't want to miss whatever might happen with everyone in here.

Baloo took a seat at the table and shot off a wise crack. "Hay, Becky, I'll have a loaded omelet."

"Don't push it Baloo!" Rebecca stated through clenched teeth. Although there were plenty of ingredients for it. "And don't get used to me cooking for you all either."

He leaned back in his chair and laughed holding his belly as he did so.

"Kit, what would you like?" She asked kindly.

"At this point, whatever is put in front of me." He made his way to the table and sat in his normal spot and waited. He watched her cook, seeing the ugly mark he had left on her face made him feel uneasy. Did she really hold him guiltless?

Ms. Cunningham was a master short order cook, having children has a way of training parents to efficiently prepare quality healthy balanced meals under fire. Everything was quickly ready in due time. Given that it had all been sitting out awaiting for Kit to awaken, which according to Ms. Cunningham was about an hour ago, very little preparation was needed. She made their plates and brought them over to the table. She served Baloo his omelet and just as she was about to place his plate down Kit got up and went around the other way to get a drink from the fridge; he was avoiding her, did he still feel guilty? He came back, set the glass of milk on the table and was about to get back in his chair when Ms. Cunningham stopped him.

Upon seeing Kit walk by her she could not help herself. She bent down, grabbed the kid midstride as he was walking by, wrapped her arms around him and said in his ear, "Welcome home Kit."

With this action of hers any guilt or unease that remained within Kit was immediately swept away and it suddenly became clear to Kit that she had forgiven him and that she wanted to be more to him than just a boss. He took half a step back, looked at Baloo, thought about it, what should he do? He had a combination of emotions passing through him. Baloo looked at him, He looked at her, she looked at him, and Molly was staring at all three of them from across the table, shoving chips into her mouth like it was a movie. He stepped forward again, threw his arms around her and squeezed tight before uttering words that caught all of them by surprise, "Thanks Mom." The extra son the world would never need finally had somewhere he belonged, he finally had a home.

THE END.