"Row row row row row row," a small voice chatted aimlessly, blissfully. Ro lifted her head away quickly from the comp-book that was balanced on her up drawn knees. She didn't even bother the surprised blink when the sight greeted her, merely groaned and collapsed sideways.
Zee raised his head and blew a raspberry, then went back to the blocks.
She banged her head against the cushion. "No, no, no, no!"
"Row row row row!"
Ro glared at the mimic. "Don't mock me."
He threw a block at her head, but his aim was off and it merely bounced off the sofa cushion. Even still Ro jerked back and sat up in protection. "Bad boy, Zee!" she scolded, waving a finger at him. He copied her, laughing and chatting with silly baby talk.
His attention went to a block, and he held it up to proudly show her the letter O. "Row!"
"No." She took it away, lest Zee tried to test if it would sprout wings as well. "It's the letter O."
He whimpered angrily, trying to reach his toy. Ro grinned devilishly, holding it just above his reach and swooping it past his hands, but gave it to him once it seemed like he was going to start to cry. He looked at it happily and plopped it down, clapping enthusiastically and making a gurgling sound.
Ro blinked at the use of blocks, how they were arranged, and prayed that it was a coincidence, but deep in the pit of her heart she knew that it wasn't. There on the blocks, some of the letters sideways or upside-down, was Z-E-T-A A-N-D R-O, and Zee was beaming. "Good job, Zee," she whispered as she slid down next to the words, although unsure it that was what she should actually be saying. She picked up a block and started to set it the right way, Zee turning his attentions elsewhere, when the sudden arrival shadows sprawled over them. Ro looked up and gasped when she saw the familiar face of Agent Bennett.
"Hello, Ms. Rowan," he smiled pleasantly, and at that Ro was lost. This was not her Bennett. Bennett would never smile at her like it. It was almost warm and . . . and paternal. This smile hinted gooshy kindness and trouble, like melted chocolate in a jeans pocket, like there was some private joke just between the two of them. The face was all right, Ro could work with the face, it was still hard and stern, but the smile just destroyed Bennett. It was like he was, or was trying to be, friends with her, which was just not going to ever happen as long as he insisted on shooting at her and Zee.
Of course, currently he wasn't shooting at her or Zee . . .
"Batahha!" Zee welcomed, clapping and pointing at the taller man. Bennett smiled and knelt down.
"And how are you, Zeta? What have you been up to that's got the Paulnos all worked up this time?" Zee chatted in a very amble fashion, picking up a block and brandishing it in a manner that almost removed the agent's nose from his face.
"Bleghth," he raspberried.
"That's a 'B', Zee," Bennett stated calmly, backing away slightly on the balls of his feet and turning his head to look at the people behind him. "Now would you please tell me what is going on, Mr. and Mrs. Paulno." Huh, even this Bennett didn't ask questions.
Her attention finally turned towards the parentals, somewhat due to the fact that the letter 'B' suddenly bored Zee and he threw it at Mr. Paulno's scuffed shoe. Mr. Paulno wasn't as tall as Bennett, but he was of some height. He had balding mousy brown hair in the snips that indicated Home Bathroom Salon, a last decade wardrobe, and a nose with a bit of character. His wife was tall and thin, a wicked-witch-in-training dropout, blond hair that escaped her hair band and had constant dates with static electricity, in a dress so clean-cut and ironed it looked like a piece of cardboard was set in front of her.
Mr. Paulno kicked the block away while Mrs. Paulno waved a hand in the air irritably for a moment, like the problem was the world in general, then managed to lower her specifics to a set of blocks. "Your recommendation on this, Mr. Bennett?"
Bennett drew his attention to the blocks indicated and stared, and Ro followed his gaze as well, growing speechless. A dogged-eared book—an actual book with pages and pictures—was open, and above it was a messy, waving set of blocks, blocks that made words:
W-H-E-R-E A-R- Y-O-U G-O-I-N-G -N-D W-H- -T D-O - -U - -S-H
T-H- O-L- M-O- - -S-K- -D T-H- T-H-R- -
"I see," Bennett said carefully, face and voice perfectly blank.
Zee ignored the attentions that were slowly graced on him, chatting with a block, and Ro had to fight the sudden urge to slap the toys out of his hands. Instead, she did her best to subtly unarranged any blocks that might make words or possible logarithms. "I did that. We need more blocks, ran out of e's."
Mrs. Paulno pierced her with a leveling gaze. "Quit lying, Rosalie. We saw him do it."
Ro glared at her. Her instant dislike was manifested into true dislike. How dare they call her a liar, even when she was lying, in that tone? That tone that said you weren't worth the time of day, because you were just a kid, worse, a kid under their care.
"Zeta is just as exceptional child, Mrs. Paulno," Bennett said calmly, watching as the "exceptional child" went cross-eyed as he examined a drool-covered edge of the block.
"Yeah, right," Ro scoffed under her breath, carefully gathering all of the blocks out of Zee's reach. Whatever this Zee had gotten himself into, she was going to do her very best to get him out of it.
Who was she kidding? She couldn't keep her six-foot Zee out of trouble. What chance did she have to keep a two-foot one out of trouble? He could duck between legs and probably crawled faster than she could run.
Well, she'd still try.
"I hardly think we're capable to dealing with a child such as Zeta," Mr. Paulno stated in a sort of tone that hinted something other than a complete truth was being spoken. "Perhaps he should be placed in a different home."
Bennett stood up, brushing off his meticulous trousers. He towered over both Ro and Zee, and briefly Ro had a flash of how intimidating Agent Bennett could be at times. Suddenly she was glad he was apparently on their side. "I understand the idea that you might feel intimidated or inadequate caring for a child such as Zeta, but there truly is not reason for concern."
"He's just a whittle boy," Ro put in childishly, keeping the blocks away from Zee. Apparently large piles of blocks deserved more attention than a drool-covered one, as Zee's interest showed, and the two were currently semi-fighting over the toys.
"Rosalie, give Zee the blocks."
"We're playing!"
The parentals glared at her while Agent Bennett almost rolled his eyes. "Is there anything else?"
It took a moment for their attentions to get off Ro, and Mrs. Paulno strained her neck slightly. "Perhaps we could discuss this more privately." She was already walking a discrete distance away, and Ro watched the others follow, curious.
Her attention was drawn back when Zee smacked her sock-clad foot with a block. "OWW! Zee, no!" she ordered, taking the block somewhat forcefully away from him.
His face scrunched up at her tone, and Zee whimpered and gave her a classic kicked-puppy face, reaching carefully for his stolen plaything. "Roooow?"
"No," she said quietly. "Don't act smart, Zee. Parents don't like it when their kids are smarter than them. Be dumb. Okay."
"Gdahph," he started, slowly moving to an unguarded block. Ro caught the movement and snatched the toy away. His face scrunched up and prepared to cry, and Ro started to look around wildly for a safe distraction. Her eyes spied something on the table and she grabbed it, waving it quickly in front of the child's face.
"Lookie, Zee! Look, look. Pretty! Don't cry, don't cry, pretty!" she cooed.
Either this child had a very short attention span, or he was a good actor and knew how to get her wrapped round his little finger quicker than a bunny, for Zee cheered up and cooed, reaching for the little orb. "Row row row!"
"No blocks!" Ro ordered happily, watching as he pudgy hands grasped the smooth surface and gapped in the inside with little saucer eyes.
Bennett's voice brought her back to the other problem. "If you have any more questions, Mr. and Mrs. Paulno, you know where to reach me." He didn't appear pleased, in fact his face looked . . . normal. He looked angry and pissed at something, all sharp edges and glares. That was her Agent Bennett, and it was probably one time Ro was going to be happy to see him. "I'll see myself out. Good bye, Zeta, Ro."
The Paulnos looked at each other after the agent left, then looked back to the children. "Rosalie, take that away from him!" Mrs. Paulno screeched. "He could hurt himself."
"No, he couldn't!" she argued snidely. "He's not stupid."
Mrs. Paulno didn't appear to like the comment and stalked over, taking the knickknack from Zee. Zee blinked in surprise and stared up at is confiscated object and raised his hands, making upset sounds.
"No, Zeta! Ro should never have given this to you! Totally irresponsible!"
He made a louder noise and upset face, and Ro decided to step in. "Maybe you'd better—"
"No!" Mrs. Paulno turned abruptly and took her husband's arm just as Zee realized he wasn't getting the toy back and expressed his upset.
Zee had strong little lungs, and it was all Ro could do not to take cover behind the sofa. Tears streamed down his baby-fat-filled face, eyes scrunched up.
"Ro! Settle him down!"
She gave a whimpering, helpless sound, looking around wildly to see if another Ro would suddenly appear or if this world would just go away.
She wasn't so lucky.
Carefully, Ro moved over to Zee and awkwardly took him in her arms. "Hey, hey, shh, shh. I know she's mean, isn't she? Shh, shh, don't cry, Zee," she pleaded, bouncing lightly. Hey, it worked in the movies.
Zee kept crying, although quieter, and buried his damp face into her shirt. She rubbed his back and kept bouncing and rocking until he settled down.
"All better?" she smiled down.
He sniffed and looked up at her with red-rimmed blue eyes, damp eyelashes, tear streaks still marking themselves, and snot. "Rows," he sniffed, a slight roll to the name and hiccup.
"Zeee," she buzzed back, and pushed his nose, attempting to ignore the mucus. He grinned up at her and rolled the word again, like a giant kitten. Ro buzzed his name in a flighty tune and varying pitches. Zee laughed and tried to purr louder and longer.
She shook her head at the laughing, continuing the game, and wondered why it was always snow globes that caught Zee's attention.