Chapter 2
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"OK we're here" Jim climbed out of the truck. The two boys quickly scampered out of the truck. Beau was climbing over the tail gate and handing backpacks over the side to Dev. Then he helped Jim gather up the grocery bags. Jim looked from his laden arms to the boys' backpacks. Beau silently held Dev's for him to slip on and then pulled his own on. Dev pulled the door open and waited for Jim to catch up.
"The elevators out so we have to take the stairs," Jim sighed. The boys started clamoring up the steps. While Jim watched carefully from behind. "That one on your left, Dev" Jim indicated a door. A quick knock and Blair answered.
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"Hey Big Guy, about time you got here," he told Jim.
"Chief, they followed me home can I keep them," Jim smirked as the boys peeked around him at Sandberg. Blair gazed down speechlessly at the identical little faces and mops of golden curls. Huge sapphire blue eyes looked back at him.
"Vin's little favor?" Blair exclaimed. Knelling he extended a hand, "Hi, I'm Blair.
"I'th Beau, he'th Dev," Beau shook hands.
"Hey guys, we have company," Blair called as he waved the trio in.
Jim handed the groceries over and hung his jacket up. Tossing his keys into the basket he turned to help the children. Backpacks rested against the wall under the coat hooks. Smiling Jim realized they were sitting on top of the boys' shoes. Taking their jackets he hung them up. "Think you could teach Blair to do that?" Jim asked softly.
"Who are your friends Jim," Simon asked. Dev stood protectively in front of Beau watching the strangers.
"Capt'n Jim?" Beau whispered.
"These are my friends, boys. The tall black man in the suit is Captain Simon Banks. The fancy dresser is Bryn Rafe. The one in the lounger is Henry Brown. The lady is Megan O'Connor. The man next to her is Paddrick O'Connor, her father. That giant over there is Joel Taggert and you already meet Blair Sandburg," Jim introduced. "Major Crimes met the boys.
"How do you do Lady, Gentlemen. Thince Mr. Ellithon hath been remithth allow me to introduthe my brother Devin Blue Dumont and mythelf Beau Jameth Dumont," Beau spoke.
"Jim?" Blair asked with a chuckle.
"I'd say they spend to much time with Standish," Jim muttered. "Vin's got a lot of explaining to do," Jim growled softly. Dumont? These are Blue and Shannon's boys. How in hell did Vin get them? They smell like Vin though? Ellison took a deep breath and considered thoughtfully.
Dev began to prowl the room examining everything but touching nothing. 'What does that remind me of?" Simon asked himself. Beau walked over to Megan.
"Mth. O'Connor a beautiful flower among the thornth. It ith truly a pleathure to finally meet you," Beau stated formally as he brushed a kiss on the back of Megan's hand.
"You have been around that rounder Wilmington entirely to much," Megan chuckled into the sparkling eyes.
"Ah, but unlike Uncle Bucklin, I dear lady have thtyle," Beau smiled sweetly as the adults laughed. Mr. O'Connor you thir must be a man who knowth the value of beauty," Beau shook hands with Megan's father. Beau turned and offered a tiny hand to Simon. "Captain Bankth ith a pleathure to meet you thir," Beau smiled into the bewildered man's eyes.
"Glad to meet you Beau. Is Dev alright?" Simon indicated the still prowling boy.
"Dev'th checkin' out tha territory ith all," Beau explained. Jim's eyes widened as he heard the soft whisper Beau directed towards his twin. Which happened to be on the other side of the room from him at the time. Dev turned and came over to the others offering his hand to Simon.
"Dumont? Must be their mothers name. They have to be Vin Tanner's the way they look," Simon stared down at the identical lopsided grins.
"Mr. Rafe it ith a pleathure to meet thomeone with thuch dithcreminating thathte. Thilk wearth tho well. Ith that from Thergi'th winter line?" Beau asked the openly amazed detective.
"Yes it is," Rafe stated.
"Unca Ezra thayth that one ith never to young to develop good tathte," Beau continued. "Yer H?" Beau asked Henry Brown.
"Yeah" H shook hands with the boys.
"We want ta thank ya fer helpin' Tad out latht year," Beau switched from a deep south to a Texas accent and speech patterns with out a pause startling the adults.
"I was glad to help," H looked over at Jim who only shrugged.
Beau and Dev walked over to Joel who sat on the couch. "Tad tolt uth how ya give 'im tha jacket offen yer back tha firtht time ya met. Rekin yer a mighty thpethial kinda perthon Mr. Joel," Beau snuggled up beside him.
"Thank you Beau," Joel's face softened as the boy cuddled up. A small tug on his pants leg brought his attention around to Dev. "That's some shiner son," Joel noted as he considered the black eye and frowned.
"Unca Chrith done that'n," Beau giggled. "Dev done caught him a frog. We named him Athburne. Thomehow he gotted loothe in tha kithen. Unca Chrith tripped over tha da.. thair trying not ta thquith him. Popped Dev wit' hith elbow on tha way down. Unca Nate thaid he figgered that tha idjit had him a confuthion but wouldn't go ta tha hothpital ta thee," Beau told the story of the black eye.
"Did you think it was going to be easy Jim?" Simon smirked over at his suddenly disturbed detective.
"Don't worry Jim their just little kids" Blair soothed.
"He says don't worry. I just suddenly realized I have two baby Tanners in my loft," Jim shuddered.
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Dev pointed towards the table laid out with cards and poker chips. "Dev wanth ta know iffen yer gonna play poker?" Beau asked.
"Yeah we were," H smiled over at the spunky youngsters.
"Kin we play too?" Beau asked sweetly. Adults looked at each other and shrugged.
"What would your Tad think?" Jim asked sternly.
"He'd thay not ta let Unca Ezra deal from the middle of tha deck," Beau grinned.
"I don't think so you little card sharps," Blair grinned.
"Ain't card tharpth but Unca Ez ith.," Beau grinned, "Thaid he'd teach uth when our handth ith big 'nough".
Paddrick O'Connor smiled and waved towards the coffee table, "Mates how about our own game?".
"M & M'th fer tha thakth?" Beau asked.
"Sounds good," Paddrick sat on the couch. Dev carried the bowl of M & M's to the coffee table.
"Dark brown'th ith one. Gweenth are worth five brownth. Redth are worth ten brownth. Blueth are worth twenty-five brownth. Orangeth ith worth fifty browns. Yellerth ith worth a hundret brownth and tanth ith worth five yellerth," Beau explained.
Someone has been teaching them about currency. Jim supplied three bowls for the gamblers to divide the stakes into. O'Connor ate enough of the candies for them to start equal they settled into play, much to the adult tables amusement.
"Mr. O'Connor could ya uthe a different deck thith oneth marked," Beau growled softly.
"Oh Da, you weren't going to cheat the ankle bitters were you?" Megan demanded.
"No, love just the cards I had in my pocket," O'Connor chuckled.
"Someone certainly taught you boys well. I know professionals that couldn't have spotted that," he complemented. The cards were dealt and play began. Simon nudged Jim and nodded towards the coffee table. The two small faces were calmly smiling revealing nothing. Bids were called and raised.
"Cripes your not children your midgets aren't you?" Paddrick blurted losing his third hand. Megan smothered her laughter as the professional bookie lost to the children. "Mates I'm going to think your cheating if that Royal Flush shows up again," Paddrick warned.
"Figured that'th how ya wanted ta play thince yer dealin' from tha bottom?" Beau smiled mischievously. Jim choked at Megan's glare.
"Da your bottom dealing to children," Megan fumed.
"Hey they know the score, love," Paddrick stared at the expressionless little faces. Paddrick shuffled the cards and stacked the deck neatly. Dev cut the deck. Paddrick put the cards back in his chosen order before he delt. Blair winked at Megan and waited for the explosion. Play at the adult table came to a halt as they watched the children's game. The cards were revealed.
"Da... alright mates tell yer Uncle Paddy how you managed to switch the cards," Paddrick grinned at the boys.
"We didn't yer tha one that did that," Beau smiled sweetly.
"What?" Paddrick looked at the cards.
"When ya rethacked the deck after Dev didn't cut the cardth," Beau explained. Paddrick laughed delightedly.
"Do you want to go to Australia?" Paddrick chuckled.
"No thir, Unca Ezra thayth tha betht play ith in Europe," Beau giggled.
Blair was handing out beers to the others. "Not you two" he declared passing a bottle to Paddrick.
"Don't drink beer," Beau and Dev's noses wrinkled.
"How about some milk?" Blair offered.
"Cain't drink milk meththeth up our innardth," Beau explained.
"Their lactose intolerant no dairy, Chief," Jim ageed.
"Kin have thome hard cheethe or real yougurt ever so often," Beau corrected.
Beau stood up stretching for a moment and wandered over to the counter. Getting a paper plate he put some chips on it. Dev jumped up and snatched the plate away.
"Dev there's plenty let Beau have his plate and you can have one of your own," Blair corrected. Dev walked to the kitchen and dumped Beau's plate. Bringing the plate he picked several types of chips for his brother. Jim walked over and made a production examining the packages.
"Good thing you were on the ball Dev, 'cause I sure dropped it that time," he smiled over at the worried looking boy. "The boys are allergic to peanuts. Those chips have peanut oil in them," Jim indicated the first bowl. Blair frowned at the bowl looking from the coffee table to the package laying on the counter out of sight.
"How allergic are we talking here?" Simon asked suddenly.
"Hothpital, could get dead," Beau answered calmly. Blair grabbed up packages looking at the ingredients.
"These are peanut M & M's?" Paddrick looked at the table stakes.
"Thure but we didn't eat none theyth currency," Beau answered.
Several hours later Jim noted the heavy eyes and stifled yawn. "Time to get ready for bed," Jim ordered.
The boys reappeared in their footy pajamas, with freshly scrubbed faces and hands. Jim quickly checked the bathroom as the boys crawled up on the couch with Blair each clutching a stuffed animal and a hand pieced quilt. It's spotless, they even folded their clothes.
Jim and Blair exchanged a warm glance as they saw Beau's stuffed wolf. The two boys were waiting impatiently for their story. Blair's voice trailed off as Beau settled deeper against him. Jim spoke softly as he lifted the tiny boy and carried him to Blairs' bed. Dev stood sleepily and shuffled after them.
