Title: Mango
Rating: PG-13 (some violence, angst, a couple f-bombs)
Characters: Charlie Crews, Dani Reese, Kevin Tidwell, Ted Earley, a few OCs
Pairing: Crews/Reese
Summary: Crews and Reese, five years post-series. Life is changing.
Spoilers/Time Period: Set five years after One. (May 2014)
Disclaimer: Most of the characters (sans the Ayers) aren't mine, but the situation is.
Author's Note: There have been complaints about the tense, but that's pretty much a signature of mine, so I'm sorry if it offends anyone. Re: Jamie's suicide, some stuff is revealed in this chapter that makes it make a little more sense. Also, Dani's opinions about his suicide are totally her own and meant to fit with her character, not an editorial comment on suicide in general.
Chapter Four: Groundwork
Corporal James Fitzgerald Ayers is buried with full military honors befitting a much-decorated veteran of several campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan. Apparently, soldiers can clean their guns, too.
The whole thing makes Dani sick to her stomach, and not just because she's almost three months pregnant. Though she keeps a passive face through the funeral and burial, Charlie can see the anger beneath the surface and felt its full impact in the car this morning when, away from Daniel for the first time since Thursday, she unleashed her rage over Jamie Ayers's cowardice.
She flinches and freezes when they got to hand her one of two folded flags, this one destined for D. Charlie notices and leans forward to accept the symbol, nodding to the young Marine who offers it.
After, Dani and Charlie see Sergeant and Mrs. Ayers to their van, promising to bring D by the nursing home later in the week. On their way back to their car, Dani is worried about, and already on the phone calling, Little D. Charlie smiles just barely, mostly with his eyes, refraining from telling her that it is such a mom thing to do. They're approached by a man in uniform before the connection is made, so Dani snaps the phone shut and fixes a Reese glare on the late middle-aged man.
"Mr. and Mrs. Crews," he begins.
Charlie clears his throat. "You might wanna call her Sergeant Reese. Things will go better for you."
"My apologies, Sergeant. I didn't know."
Reese nods. It's not that she minds using Charlie's name (outside of work), but she worked too damn hard for her rank to accept a plain "Mrs.".
"How can we help you, Mr…?" she asks.
"Major. Major Dray. I was the psychiatrist at the Corporal's base."
Reese and Crews remain silent, waiting for Dray to explain further.
"I don't know if you yourselves are struggling to find answers at a time like this, but I was told that you have taken custody of Corporal Ayers's son Daniel, and one day, if not now, he will want answers."
Charlie hears Dani's explanation in his head.
"He's a fucking coward, Crews. Couldn't handle it, Abandoned his own son."
Was there a greater sin in Dani's eyes than a father purposefully walking away from his child?
"What's the point you're approaching, Major?"
"Daniel should know someday that his father suffered from severe post-traumatic stress disorder and that…"
"Wait. You were treating him for PTSD?" Dani demands. Katie had never said a word. Had she even known?
"Treating, no. Jamie refused all treatment since he came back from his first tour."
"You're the military! You couldn't force him?"
"Policy is…" Dray scrambles.
"To let sick, highly trained soldiers suffering from trauma you ordered them into, roam the streets? You didn't even bother to tell his wife."
"I…"
"Major Dray," Charlie cuts in, more calmly than his wife. "Are you telling us that a soldier suffering from PTSD was not only untreated for a long period, but also left alone with his six-year-old son in the aftermath of his wife's murder without so much as a warning to his family?"
Dray squares his jaw. "Yes."
"You've heard of criminal negligence, right?" Charlie asks, faux-brightly.
"Pay a little more attention," Dani says, deadly calm again. "Next time, someone will find some charges to stick."
The implicit "get out of my sight" is picked up on, and Major Dray vacates their presence with a curt nod. Dani looks up to Charlie.
"Let's go home," she sighs.
***
"Aunt Dani?" D questions.
Dani looks up from her very serious task of grilled cheese making for herself and Katie to answer Daniel, who's contentedly munching away at his own sandwich. He's seated at the counter, towel draped over the stool, goggles pushed up onto his head, feet swinging.
"What's up, D?"
Charlie comes in behind her and steals his grilled cheese away with a quick kiss to her temple, moving to join D.
"Are you and Uncle Charlie married?"
Her grilled cheese has suddenly become even more interesting.
"Out of the mouths of babes," Katie teases, trying her hardest not to laugh.
"No, D," Dani answers the four-year-old. "No, we're not."
"Why not?" he presses.
Katie snorts. Charlie grins.
"That's a very good question, Little Danny," Charlie tells him.
"You should get married," D informs them.
"Yeah, why's that?" Charlie smiles.
"'Cause you live in the same house."
"He must have been talking to my mother," Dani grumbles.
"And weddings are fun," D ignores her and continues.
Katie laughs. "We just went to his babysitter's wedding. He liked the dancing and the free juice."
"Aha. The powers of free juice and Maamaan-bee have combined," Charlie teases, using the variation of the Farsi for grandma (maamaan bozorg) that Daniel has invented for Noor Reese. "Well, Little D, I will get you some free orange juice right now, and we'll see what we can do about some dancing when we go back out to pool. Will that do for now?'
D shrugs and nods, now entirely focused and getting every last piece of sandwich that isn't crust off of his sandwich, leaving two L-shaped crust-husks in his wake.
Katie grins and meets Dani's eyes, "Kids say the darndest things."
She ducks the incoming kitchen towel even as Dani starts to throw it.
***
"Good morning," Charlie smiles warmly as her eyes creep open. He leans down to kiss her softly. "You're not gonna puke, are you?"
"Romantic, Crews," she groans and pushes him away.
Still grinning, he captures her as she tries to get up, pulling her back down and spooning himself behind her. His face quickly buries into her neck, his hand finds her stomach.
"I'm not a teddy bear," she grumbles. "Or a Troll doll."
He chuckles into her shoulder. Settling back into his arms, she looks to the nightstand clock.
"Crap."
"Puke?" he questions, immediately freeing her.
"No. Oversleep. We have to get Daniel up now or he'll be late to school."
"Okay. I'll start breakfast; you wake the devil. Meet downstairs in 15?"
She pulls on a pair of sweatpants over his boxers and then leans back to actually kiss him good morning.
"You taking him this morning?" she asks on her way to the door.
"Yeah, I'll get dressed. I'm gonna go check on the grove afterward, so I'll be gone 'til dinner. Can you get him to his therapist?"
Dani nods as she turns to leave. "Mom and I are going shopping for summer clothes for D. He's outgrowing all of his shorts. Need anything?"
"Not at Gap Kids."
She rolls her eyes and is out the door.
***
"Morning, Little D," Charlie greets the boy as he wanders into the kitchen, school uniform of khaki shorts and navy polo complete except for his stocking feet.
"Mornin', Uncle Charlie."
"Where'd you put Aunt Dani?"
D flicks his eyes down, briefly, then shrugs.
"Alright. Eat up. I'm taking you to school today."
"I don't really wanna go to school," D admits.
"Why's that? First grade is great."
"My friends all act weird now."
Charlie smiles sadly. "I know, buddy. But school is important. I'll talk to your teacher."
"Okay," D acquiesces.
Dani comes down then, arms full of sheets, with a grim set to her jaw. Charlie follows her into the laundry room.
"Another wet night?"
"He was mortified," she says, voice full of sympathy.
"Poor buddy. Dr. Brooks said it was normal for him to regress, though. Hey, I think we should think about changing schools next year."
She looks up from shoving the sheets into the washer and takes the offered detergent.
At the inferred 'why?' in her look, he explains: "Well, for one, his school right now is in Van Nuys."
"But all his friends are there."
"He says they treat him differently now."
"Do we wanna mess up his routine even more?"
"A clean break might be good. To go somewhere he's not 'that kid'. Ask Dr. Brooks what he thinks?"
She nods and starts the washer.
"All done," Daniel announces from the doorway.
"Did you put your plate…?" Dani starts.
"In the sink," D nods.
"Nice work," Charlie praises. "Grab your shoes and your backpack."
"Don't forget to check it," Dani reminds him.
"Right. Teacher says we have to make sure the homework is in there."
"I did my homework," D complains.
"We know. That's why we have to make sure it's actually in your backpack. Don't wanna get to school without your homework, do you?" Dani smiles at the boy.
Charlie glances at his watch. "Alright. We're late. Let's do it this way. You get the shoes and kiss your godmom. I will get your backpack and check for homework. Deal?"
"Deal," Daniel agrees. He goes to get his shoes from the pile next to the washer, slipping into them quickly and then bending to tie them. Then he stands up and reaches for Dani, burying his face in her middle and then tilting his head up for kiss.
"Be good."
"Okay."
"And have the teacher call us if you need us."
"Okay, Aunt Dani," Daniel sighs.
"And less attitude, mister."
He smiles softly for her. "Sorry."
"Yeah, okay." She can't help but smile back at him. "Love you."
"Love you, too."
"I'll pick you up after school. You have an appointment."
"Dr. Brooks?" He makes a face.
"Yes, no complaining."
"Ma'am, yes, ma'am," he salutes.
Her breath catches, like it does every time one of Daniel's few Jamie-isms comes forth. His Katie-isms she's come to adore in just the few weeks since the funeral, like she still has a little piece of her friend around. The quirks he's inherited from his father just bring terrible memories.
"Okay," she recovers just as Charlie enters the room with Little Danny's backpack. "Have fun."
"Bye, Aunt Dani," Daniel calls over his shoulder as he heads out the laundry room door into the massive garage. "Oh. And say 'bye to the baby for me."
"Seriously, you two, it's a fetus. It doesn't know you're talking to it."
"Actually," Charlie grins. "Studies show…"
"I know what the studies show." She swats at him as he heads out the door.
"I'll be home for dinner!" Charlie calls as he makes sure D is buckled.
Dani rolls her eyes and goes to eat breakfast. She's really craving bananas.
***
"Do you think Little D's right?" Dani asks later. Charlie's sitting up in bed, reading a book, and she goes about getting ready to turn in for the night.
"About what? When he says the water's too chlorinated in the pool, or a recent crop of peaches is too soft? Yes, I absolutely trust his young judgment. When he tells me quite seriously that the dinosaurs are coming back? No, I don't think he's right. But I told him we're prepared, just in case."
"Crews."
"He's pretty sure the dinos'll be scared of you, so you're in good shape. I think I'll stick close to you if the dinosaurs come back to reclaim their Earth."
"Crews."
"What? We're boys; we talk about these things."
"I'm not asking if he's right about dinosaurs, though he is eagerly awaiting their arrival. I'm talking about us. Getting married."
"Dani Reese, are you proposing to me?"
"No. Maybe? Don't you think we should at least talk about it? Think about it?"
"I think about it," he says seriously.
"Really?"
"Of course," he answers simply, setting down his Zen book and sitting up straight in their bed.
She's been slowly making her way around the room, straightening things and avoiding his gaze. Their guns and badges sit on his dresser, and she arranges them a couple times, fidgeting.
"I don't think he's right about why we should get married, though weddings are fun," Charlie clarifies.
"But you think we should."
She feels his eyes on her, measuring, taking her in, all of her, with those searching eyes.
"I think we could. Dani, look at me."
Her hands stop their fidgeting, and she turns to him. He smiles gently, mostly with his eyes.
"We're here, in the moment, now. And I always try to stay in the moment. I like when you're here in the moment, with me. You keep me here."
Dani approaches the bed. She climbs in on his side, one knee landing on either side of his lap. Her hands brush against his sweet face, holding it in her hands. He watches her, eyes full of love, just patiently waiting for her next move. He knows her so well, knows when to push and when to let her be, when she's avoiding and when she's thinking. She kisses him, his mouth warm and familiar and intoxicating against hers. His hands settle in the small of her back. They drift apart, and she opens her eyes, meeting his.
"I'm staying right here. Keeping you right here," she promises.
"And I don't need dancing and free juice to know that."
"Let the juice go, Crews," she groans playfully.
"It was a cute thing to say. He likes juice. And weddings."
"It would have to be small. Ted, Rachel, the Ayers, my mom. A couple more. Bobby? And I can't promise I'll wear white. No churches."
"What about the orange grove?"
She smiles, that rare, lights up her whole face, softens her eyes, smile that he first saw so long ago in that hospital.
"Wanna get married?"
"That's the second time you've proposed to me tonight."
"I promise not to tell Stark."
"No, I'm not ashamed."
"But you still haven't answered."
"You already know the answer."
"Charlie…"
"How about in two weeks?"
"Two weeks?"
"Why wait? We'll put a tent up, and after a small ceremony, we'll have a party with at least all of your family. Maybe some of the station?"
"We'll have to make sure it fits into Mom's schedule."
"Of course."
They stare and smile at each other for a few minutes.
"Dani, are we getting married?"
"Yeah, I think we are."
"Need to call Katie? She'd want to know."
"Not the first thing on my mind right now."
Her grin turns a bit wicked as she pushes Charlie back down.
He smiles, another one that actually reaches his eyes, and kisses her.
"Okay," he tortures her a little. "But then you have to call Kate."
"Crews," she rolls her eyes. "Katie will understand."
"I don't want to get in trouble!"
***
tbc