Chapter 62: Back Home
Hondo came back to his team. He wanted to announce them the good news. He found them in the hall, still talking and teasing each other.
"Hey, hey, look who's back!" Luca was the first to notice him.
"Hey boss, what did you talk with Hicks? Is everything ok?"
"Yes, yes, yes, no need to worry, Chris. Everything is ok."
Hondo was quickly surrounded by an ocean of eyes looking right at him, waiting for answers.
"Alright, alright, killing the suspense now. Chris, you're back in 20-Squad from tomorrow. Street, I asked to keep you with us one more week. We're not gonna kick you out like this. So Nora can also enjoy one more week with 50-Squad before being on replacement again."
"Thank, boss!" Street immediately said.
"Oh no, one more week to stand this jackass!" Tan started to tease Street before rubbing his head with his fist.
"One more week with Street? My ears are already bleeding because of his jokes!" Luca kept going.
"Oh come on, you didn't complain about them when we lived together!"
"I was forced to listen, not the same thing!"
"Oh come on, bro! You even asked for them!"
"Busted, Luca!" Deac shamed his friend.
"Ok, I may have but it was only because I was bored, I swear!"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah to others! You like them, just spit this out!"
The team continued to tease each other for a while. Hondo left them to end his leader assignments. He still had work to do before he could join Nichelle at home.
"Hey boss!" Hondo turned hearing Chris's voice coming from behind him.
"Thanks… Thanks for everything."
"My pleasure but it was all you, Chris. Hicks told me you killed the game. Alpin was very impressed."
She kept focusing on her line to run away from the growing awkwardness coming inside her after Hondo's compliment.
"No thanks for keeping Jim for a while. He will never tell you but he was really anxious for days to the idea of being kicked all of a sudden from the team. Of course, he was happy I was back but he was also sad to leave you…"
"You know my opinion about this, Chris. I would have never split the team if it was not for the HR. Couple or not, you and Street are great professionals and I trust both your judgements. I know you are able to make allowances."
"Thanks. Really thank you, boss. Means a lot, for both of us."
"You know you'll always have my back, Chris. Respect the professionals you all are. And now, go home! Your boys are waiting for their mama! And it's a mama's boy who's telling you this!"
She snickered and hurried to the locker room. She did miss her boys. The day had been so exciting, she had a lot in mind, enough not to think about Aaron and Nate. At least not completely. She changed clothes and tidied everything in her backpack.
"As hurried as I am to come home?"
She jumped hearing Jim's voice. He was already ready, his bag on his shoulder.
"Already ready? But when?"
"While you were talking with Hondo. Guys went for a beer but I told them I'd rather go home with my wife, to see my boys."
She smiled at him, he was so sexy when he was talking family. Not that he was not before but it was an added value. Fatherhood really fitted him well.
"Our boys! Not the lender type!" She grabbed her stuff and walked out of the room, Jim next to her. So close she could feel his warmth. Not that she was complaining.
[…]
The road till their house seemed like an eternity. Traffic was jammed. Cars everywhere. Jim regretted not to have taken the bike this morning. They should be home by now if he had done this. He could see Chris was losing patience as her fingers were tapping the wheel stronger and stronger.
"What if we cut by West Hollywood and then bypass by West Sherman Oaks?"
"You read my mind! Was thinking about taking the next exit. No way we're staying here a little longer."
She took the exit a few minutes later and used the little roads to get to their house where Auntie Elena was waiting for them with the boys.
"Hey Auntie, we're back !" Chris was overjoyed when she saw her aunt with the two boys in the living room.
"Chrissy, Jimmy, esta aqui! Ninos, mira quien esta aquí ! Papi y Mama !"
"Mi carinos! Mama te extrañó ! » Chris hugged them one after the other.
"Papi tu!" Street made her a goofy smile. "Come and see Daddy, little angels!"
Street and Chris kept nurturing their kids for the next minutes. Making faces and hugging them. Kissing them and finally smelling their so-special skins. Chris eventually looked at her aunt who was packing her stuff to go back home.
"Ohhh lo siento Tia, we almost forgot you! It's just… look at those cutie faces!"
"Oh I know! I spent the whole day with them and I hugged and kissed them so many times I've lost the count!"
"Won't blame you, our sons are the cutest! How was the first day, Elena?"
"We had some time to get used to each other and for them to understand I was not Mom, delivering milk on demand but passed that, it was perfect. They both slept perfectly so you may have some alcapurrias in the fridge for tonight."
"Elena…"
"Jimmy, I know you like this, maybe a little too much. I made some extra so you'll have for tomorrow lunch."
"Elena, you know how to talk to me!" He hugged her. Chris looked at them. She was grateful to have them in her life.
"And don't worry, Chiquita, they ate well, didn't remember babies could eat so much, they took their baths, diapers are cleaned and they have fun looking at whatever this is in the living room."
"I totally trust you, tia, why are you telling this?"
"I recognize the look of the worried mama. Don't take it wrongly, I was the same. Still am even if you are all grown up with kids or not, with a job and your own house." She giggled. "This is the brand of all the great mamas, carina!"
Chris blushed at her aunt's answer. She could say whatever she wanted, she will always worry for the two little treasures that were smiling at the ceiling light and moving like hell at each move of the curtain right now.
"And what about your first day?" Elena asked, feeling the uneasiness of her niece. She had never liked receiving compliments.
"Hondo announced Street could stay with the team one more week." All of a sudden, Chris seemed more relaxed. "Time to adjust things and for me, to come back slowly in action."
"Awesome! Jimmy, you must be so happy to remain with your old team!"
"More than happy, relieved not to leave them too brusquely and to look after this little gem who killed every time today at the evaluation!"
"Really, Chrissy?" Elena was so proud of her to follow her dreams and achieve her goals.
"Let's say, times were not so bad."
"Please, Hondo said you have the best of all SWAT for years! Be proud, C! You're a real beast!"
She smiled and pouted to her aunt and husband. She couldn't go against them.
"Yeah, gonna tell this to Aaron and Nate when I'll put them in bed."
"You should, Chrissy. They need to hear about how awesome their mama is! And now if you excuse me, I've got to go home, it's getting late. Sarzo must wait for me to eat. Same time tomorrow?"
"Later, we start shift at 10 AM and end at 8PM, won't be a problem?"
"No, will tell Sarzo to eat alone or to join me here after work! We 'll eat with the kids!"
"Thanks again, Tia…"
"Anything for you, my Chrissy." She took her stuff and hurried to her car to get home. She couldn't wait to tell Sarzo about her first day with the twins.
[…]
"Finally here! We've almost waiting for you!" Chris and Street got teased by Tan from the moment they arrived in the locker room.
"Ah ah ah" Street answered sarcastically.
"We see you, guys. All disheveled! What did you do before coming here?" Luca added with a smile on his face.
"I wish we did. But Aaron and Nate decided to play tricks on us this morning. First, Aaron threw up on J. Then, Nate's diaper overflew… I let you imagine the rest. " She nervously laughed.
"Spoiler alert: it was not pretty at all!" Street added oversmiling.
"Oh I love my kids but I'm not nostalgic of these moments of solitude at all!" Deac laughed.
"What about you, Tan? How is Joyce?" Chris turned to her friend to ask him news about his daughter.
"My daughter is a lady, like her mom. She sleeps at night, she doesn't throw up, at least not often and she cries when she's dirty so it rarely overflows."
"Stop parading! Wait to have two of them and then, we'll talk, bro!" Street teased his friend.
"What did I miss?" It was Hondo entering the locker room.
"Tan, Chris and Street arguing about which baby is the cleanest. " Luca announced proudly.
"Definitively a girl thing!"
"You see guys, I've told you Joyce was the winner! Thanks Hondo!" Hondo nodded at Tan.
"And now time to roll, people! Who's ready to catch some bad guys?!"
"What do you have for us, boss?" Chris was overexcited to be back at work.
[…]
Chris was already back at work for one week. Since they had caught gang dealers, carjackers, robbers… Not a single second to get bored. It was good to be back. The only thing that annoyed her was that from next shift, Jim will be back in 50-Squad. And whatever he said, she knew he was sad.
"Hey, you alright?" She came closer to Jim and put her hand over his shoulder. He smiled at her, raising his head from his feet.
"Yeah, kind of nostalgic but it was the contract."
"Sure?" She whispered in his ear.
"Yeah, just the right course of things. And 50-Squad is cool! Not as cool as 20 but it's ok. And I've learnt Nora is staying there, so sure to have the best back-up there!"
She pressed his shoulder before taking her stuff and walked to the bathroom. As he turned to his locker, he saw Luca put a big banner with a pic of him on it.
"Ouch, very bad pic! You should have chosen better!"
"You see, guys, the pic in the mud would have been better!" Alicia started to laugh.
"Not this one, Alicia!" Tan laughed at his turn. Soon followed by Street.
"I don't blame you, guys, I'll have done the same!" He grabbed the ban and put it in his bag.
"Bring home this masterpiece, Deac and I put all our hearts, printed it!" Hondo teased.
"Ah ah ah ah" Chris passed her head to look at the scene. " I swear, J. you put this thing anywhere in the house but I don't want to see it !" And she vanished again.
"Good old times are gone again! Damn HR! Damn rules!" Luca hit his locker with his fist. He was bitter all of a sudden.
"No hard feelings, guys. It was great to roll with you, it's just … You know… Life…"
"What have you done with Street?" Tan started to joke to ease the atmosphere.
"What a philosopher!" Hondo continued to joke.
"No, just growing up and accepting the rules. Whatever to be with her." He looked at Chris who was brushing her teeth over the sink of the locker room.
"Oh Mister is romantic now?" Tan made a face to his friend.
"Just for her and don't say another single word!" He blushed, feeling awkward about the whole situation.
"Kind of cute." Deac finally told.
"It is!" Luca admitted. "Lucky kids!" He hugged Street. "And now I've to go, dinner with Kelly and Tuana, tonight."
"Woooooooow." Tan, Deac, Hondo and Street did at the same time.
"Don't imagine things, it's just about Kelly's play at school."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah" Street added naughtily. "Have a good night."
"He still sees Tuana tonight?" Chris joined the conversation, emerging from the bathroom.
Tan and Street nodded at her with big eyes.
"Third time in a week. Things are going pretty well!" Chris smiled, giving her friends a malicious look.
"Let you guys, Bonnie just texted me, Joyce is almost walking on her own!" Tan ran outside the locker room in a hurry.
"Guess, we should all go home. Day has been pretty busy."
"Couldn't agree more, boss."
"So why are you still talking?" Chris rebuffed her husband.
"See you, guys!"
Deac, Hondo and Alicia watched them walked through the door before packing their stuff and imitated them. They were tired and they wanted to go home.