Chapter 32: Job Site with Mum
Thomas was in his room, finishing up his report on his job with his dad. Thomas sighed as he sat back in his seat trying to think of what more to put in his report. Deciding to put his mind off just to relax a little bit, Thomas put his report to the side and started drawing. Besides playing music, it was another thing he loved to do just to pass the time and clear his mind. There was a knock at the door while Thomas was drawing. "Come in," Thomas said while drawing more. "Hey mate what are you..." Bandit said but stopped himself, after seeing his sons drawings. "You draw mate?" Bandit asked now looking closely at his son's paper. "I do, mom taught me," Thomas said looking up at his dad. Bandit placed his hand on his son's shoulders and looks at the paper. "I guess you really got both of out talents," Bandit said with a smile.
Thomas smiled back at his father. "Yeah I guess I did," Thomas said softly. "What else did you mom teach you?" Bandit asked, sitting on his son's bed. "She taught me how to draw and cook some of her favorite meals from traveling," Thomas explained. "She sure liked to travel," Bandit said with a smile remembering all the good times. "Actually, that was the reason why she came to study here in Australia," Bandit added. "Yeah..." Thomas said spacing off. "What's wrong mate?" Bandit asked notching his son spacing out. "Just miss mom, that's all," Thomas said turning away from his dad. "I know you miss your mother mate and I do too," Bandit said standing up placing his hand on Thomas's shoulder. "What did you do when you found out mom had cancer?" Thømas asked looking up at his father.
Bandit sighed, as he remembered that day, the one day Emily called him to tell him about the cancer. He still remembered the heaviness on his heart when he heard her saying those three words: 'I have cancer'. "When your mother called me and told me about the cancer… it was like… the all world just fell on me, I love Chilli with all my heart, but your mother… she was my first love, and you never forget your first love, even after… what happened between us, I cried… a lot, all I wanted was to vent my frustration, to break everything at my sight," Bandit told. "That sounds… exactly what I felt when mom told me about the cancer," Thomas confessed. "It took me a lot of strength to contain myself at school… to not vent my frustrations on my colleagues… and my friends," he added. "With me, I had Chilli and your sisters to help me, but you… it must have been hard," Bandit said. "I would talk to uncle Stripe on occasion, but… it was never enough, he didn't quite understand me," Thomas said.
"If only I found the courage to talk to you…" he added. "It's okay, son, now we have each other to support one another," Bandit replied, putting a hand of his son's shoulder, with him smiling at his father. "Yeah, we do…" he said. "Okay, let's talk about something more cheerful," Bandit told. "Are you ready for tomorrow? Chilli is excited to have you at her work," Bandit asked. "I guess… I just hope her work can be as exciting as yours, dad," Thomas said. "Don't worry, it will, I mean, all I do is being in an office studying old bones, going only occasionally on a field work, but your stepmom gets to help to keep our country safe by watching over who gets in and out of airplanes," Bandit told. That caused Thomas to drop a chuckle. "You really know how to make anything look cool, can't you?" he asked. "Hey, I am cool, you know? Between me and your uncles, I was the one with more style," Bandit replied, causing Thomas to laugh. "Yeah, sure…" he said. "However, sometimes there's no need to make anything look cool, and Chilli's job is one of them" Bandit told, before giving a tap on his son's shoulder and getting out, leaving Thomas to finish his report.
Next morning, Thomas got in the kitchen, where Chilli was ending up making breakfast. "Hey, there, sweetie, I'm just finishing making you pancakes," Chilli said. "That's great, mom, thanks," Thomas replied, while sitting down. Chilli then proceeded to put some before Thomas. "So, excited to come work with me?" she asked. "Yes, I am, I loved seeing dad's job, so I can't wait to see yours," Thomas replied. "I know that it may not be as impressive as your dad's, but you'll see that is not that bad." Chilli replied. "To be honest, mom, the main reason why I wanted to see dad's job first was because his last one wasn't that much interesting," Thomas confessed. "Yeah, I know what you mean, especially because it was not his real dream job," Chilli commented. "Yeah, I also wanted to see why dad loved archaeology so much… I think I got to know it," Thomas replied. "I'm glad for that… Okay, eat everything, you'll need all the energy you can get, we're going to let your sisters in school first, before going to the airport."
After dropping off the girls, Thomas and Chilli went to the airport. "Alright we're here, time for some work" Chilli said as she unbuckled herself. Thomas unbuckled himself too and then he and Chilli walked to the building. "So what do you do exactly mom?" Thømas asked as they walked into the airport. "I'm an airport security guard," Chilli said with a smile. "So do you get any action?" Thømas asked. "Yeah, sometimes," Chilli said as they walked along. "Let me guess? Stop bad guys and save the world?" Thømas said a smile. Chilli laughed, "You got a good imagination like your sisters," Chilli replied. "Actually, I got that from dad," Thomas revealed. "Yeah… what I just said still applies," Chilli joked. "Your dad may like to look cool, but he likes even better to make others look cool, and that's something I really love about him, just like you, but I'm afraid what he said about my job is not that simple" Chilli commented as they walked up to the security office.
Chilli put on her uniform and then sit down at a desk looking at some security screens. "So we just wait for something to happen?" Thømas said getting his note pad out to take some notes. "Yeah… I'm sorry if you had to come visit my work when I have to be in the security camera surveillance duty, I know it can be boring but something usually happens during the day, don't worry, you would be surprise how much action it happens in an airport" Chilli said with a reassuring smile. "It's okay, mom, it's not like I gave you days of advance" Thomas told. "So what did your mom do for work?" Chilli asked looking at her stepson. "She made art and sold it and ran a gallery," Thomas answered. "Wow, now that's impressive," Chilli said with a chuckle. "Yeah, it was…" Thomas replied, with a nostalgic smile on his face. "There were times she would take me with her to visit places she would paint… and, while watching her at the gallery, I got to see many pieces of art… and, when everyone would get out, we would just sit side by side and watch the paintings, quietly," he remembered.
"That sounds… lovely, but, you know, if you loved that, you may appreciate this as well, I mean, I don't have paintings, but I have screens," Chilli replied. "I know it's not the same thing, but… at least it may allow you to remind you of better times," Chilli said. "Yeah, I guess…" Thomas replied. It was then that he noticed on something on one of the screens that was showing the inspection procedure. "Mom, is that normal to happen?" Thomas asked. Chilli turned around and saw what he meant, one dog being inspected seemed to be in some trouble and then he just punched the security guard inspecting him and started running away. "Looks like we got our action a little too early, Thomas can you make me a favor and keep an eye on our little suspect?" Chilli asked, while going to get her walkie-talkie. "Sure, mom," he replied, while starting to look at the screens. Meanwhile, Chilli talked to her colleagues in pursuit through the walkie-talkie and, with help from Thomas, they were able to capture the suspect.
"Wow, this was… awesome!" Thomas exclaimed. "See, I told you we got some action from time to time," Chilli replied. "And you did well, good work," she added. "Thanks, mom," Thomas replied, while he went to write down everything. "I guess that spending all that time with my mom looking at paintings really paid off," he commented. "Well, she would be very proud of you, I know that, she wouldn't stop talking about you… like a mother normally does," Chilli told. "You… used to talk to my mom?" Thomas asked. "Well, not normally, but when she got real sick, she started to reach me… to talk, I think she wanted to make sure you would be loved and cared after she was gone, she told me to be a mother to you," Chilli told. "I didn't know that…" Thomas said. "Well, mums do that, they try to take care of their kids and they do it without them even knowing, not that she would need to worry about that, you were already like a son to me, even before you came to live with us," Chilli told.
"And to think that… I treated you so badly when we met… and when I came to live here," Thomas commented. "You were hurt, I can understand that, I'm just glad that you came to accept me… and that you started to see me like a mother," Chilli replied. Thomas then grabbed her hands. "You are my mother, I just have to thank dad for giving two wonderful mothers, one that gave me life and took care of me during all my life and one that was able to accept me like a son and never gave up on me," he told. Those words caused Chilli to get so touched that tears appeared on her eyes. "You better stop saying all those things, or else my eyes will be to swollen to do my job," she joked, while cleaning her eyes. "Well, it's a good thing I'm here to help you, right?" Thomas asked. That caused Chilli to drop a laugh, a type of laugh that only Bandit normally was able to cause. "Yes, it is a good thing," she replied.
After the day was over thømas went back to his report and continued. After he was finished he was called to dinner by Bluey. Thomas smiled as he got up from his desk and went out of his room and joined his family for dinner. "Hey mate! How was the job site with mum?" Bandit asked while taking a bite of his food. Both Bluey and Bingo looked to their brother, also curious about his day with mum. "I helped mom catches some bad guys and saved the day," Thomas explined before taking a bite of his veggies. "I want to help mum catch bad guys next!" Bluey exclaimed, "I want to help too," Bingo spoke up. Chilli looked to her son and her head with a smile. "I love you mom," Thomas said before taking a drink of water. "I love you too son," Chilli said as Bandit placed his hand on Chilli's. "Hey I'll help your save the world after dinner okay?" Thømas said as he looked at his sisters. "Hooray!" Bluey and Bingo shouted as they started to eat their dinner. Bandit and Chilli both laughed as the family started to enjoy their meal.
When it was time for bed, thømas was in his bed reading a book about ready to go to sleep. *knock knock* "come in," Thomas said putting his book away. "Hey mate," Bandit said softly as he came in and sat down on his son's bed. "Hey dad," Thomas said with a smile. "I told you that Chilli's job was cooler than mine," Bandit said with a smile. Thømas chuckled as he looked at his father. "Dad, you can call her mom around me I already told her today that she was my mother," Thomas said keeping his smile. Bandit's heart felt warm from hearing that. "Do you really mean that mate? I know how much your mother really meant to you," Bandit said making sure his son was alright. "Dad," Thomas said placing his hand on his dads leg. "Chilli is very important to me like mom was and she told me herself that she talked to mom and and got her approval. I love Chilli and she's my mom too," Thomas said with a smile looking at his dad in the eye.
Bandit felt warm hearing that from his son. "Okay mate," Bandit said as he got up from the bed. "I love you son," Bandit said as he stood in the doorway of his son's room. "I love you too Dad," Thomas said as she started shutting his eyes and going to sleep. Bandit wagged his tail as he shut the door and let his son sleep.
Kodiwolf321 A/N: hey guys! Here's another new chapter! This one is also one my favorites because we see lots more bonding with Chilli alright guys hope you liked this chapter and I'll see you in the next chapter!