Chp47 Elmo

Christian pov:

It's Sunday after the Gala. I roll out of bed, it sucks, I want nothing more than to lay in bed, a hold my girl. But duty calls. Every year the day after the Gala; report to Grace no later than ten a.m. For clean-up detail. I mean, I hired a lot of people to do this. But Mom demands we help. Elliot has all his crew that in town, they get a nice bonus and pizza and beer lunch.

I swing by getting Steve, and Luke. My head hurts as we drive to Mom's. Arriving I see Mikey wandering the grounds with a trash bag. He sees us. He hurries over. He's his happy self. He has made a game of picking up the trash. Showing us all the cool things he's found. An earring, a fork, spoon, and butter knife, a wrist watch and six pairs of panties. We congratulate him. He hurries away to find more things.

"Luke I don't understand. Mikey took out four CPO in New York. Like it was nothing. Yet Ethan and his assholes pushed him around?" Luke looks at us as the parents have arrived and heard my question.

"Mikey is very, how do I explain this. Mikey is binary in a lot of things. To him it all 1 or 0. He either violent or passive. A last night was because of Grace."

"What do you mean, Luke. That it's my fault Mikey got assaulted last night." Mom looks ready to cry; she is on the edge. Dad moves to hold her.

"No, Grace, that not what I mean. You told Mikey he had to behave. In his mind that means passive. He really doesn't have any middle ground. It either kill or be beaten up. He's just is? Mikey."

"I understand, he relied on me to keep him safe. I failed him last night." She starts to turn. I reach out, hug her. I hold her tight. "Mom no one could have seen the darkness in Ethan heart. To screw Mikey over like that was a calculated thing. Ethan and is friends will pay." "Grace. It's not your fault. The rules are for all the kids; we just have to be a little more cautious of Mikey's boyfriends. It just like Christian touching, and Mia Hyperness." Dad says.

"Alright, I still feel bad about it. I had a long talk with Catharine this morning, it didn't go well. So you and Luke are on chairs. And Steve you're with the dance floor people, like last year. Alright move out." Mom orders. We head out to get the place back in shape. I call Welch, he's very unhappy with Kavanagh senior. It seems Ethan is telling a different story, with Mikey being the bad guy. Demanding Ethan stay here for the Summer rather than Ethan choice in London.

I tell Welch that Ethan in London is a good thing, because I'm tempted to ride over and beat the shit out of him. The detail is over. Elliot foreman Clint is taking the crews to the pizza parlor for beer and pizza. He tried to talk Grace into letting Mikey come Mountain biking next weekend on Hood. She is not hearing it. Mikey can ride with me. the sane one of the trio. At least I know how to use the brakes and not the ground to stop the bike. The girls will be here for lunch. I wander the water's edge. I find Mikey siting on the dock. I sit with him.

"Christian do you think I'm retarded?" I am shocked. Upset, angry. "Mikey you are not retarded, or at fault for last night. You are special. You see the world differently; I envy you little brother. I wish I could have your calmness, happiness, your zest for life."

"I know people think I'm mental, that my head is broken. It doesn't matter to me. except when family treats me like I'm retarded." "Mikey Grey, who thinks that. Tell me?" he looks away. "Me" I see myself. In the broken eyes. The self-loathing, the insecurities, the lost boy searching for a reason to believe the good everyone see in him but him.

"Mikey, you are loved, respected, and above all cherished. You are a Grey now. And Brother that tough enough by its self. So no more doubts. You understand me, or else."

"Or Else what?" I laugh, rising from the dock. Dragging him up. Hugging him. As I walk away. "Or I tell Elliot that your sad, and need some cheering up" Mikey eyes goes big, Elliot is known to be merciless in cheering up family members. He laughs. "Elliot. Is funny. Big brother. Elliot the Great"

"The great?" "Yes, Elliot the Great, Christian the lame, Princess Mia, and Mikey the smart." He proudly announces. I have a feeling that Elliot is written all over this. "Who taught you that?" he smiles "Elliot the Great." "Mikey you need to change it to Elliot the idiotic, Christian the wise, Mia the lovely, and Mikey the caring, ok" he smiles and nods. As we head into lunch.

The girls are vision of loveliness. Except Kate, her morning look is zombie with a hint of valley girl. She is not human till her second cup of coffee. We tease her about the wild hair. She fights back, about my lopsided head. Anna must stop making me sleep on the floor. Anna holds her own. The conversation is happy and light. Mikey is proud of his time last night. I marvel had his ability to but the bad behind him.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Anna pov.

Mid-afternoon; we find Mikey at the boat house, he's skipping rocks across the water. He's really good. We talk to him. Girl talk. He is depressed about ruining Graces party, Ethan, and balling like and infant. We talk him thru the issues. That he didn't ruin the party, Ethan did. That crying is natural, and he was hurt by a calluses, selfish boyfriend. We hug him as we walk back to the house. I see the self-doubt. "Elmo!"

Suddenly all the girls are saying "Elmo!" Mikey is shaking his head, backing up. He turns, a breaks for the house. We bring him down short of the paved patio. Tickling him all over. He's laughing, crying, screaming. We are merciless. "You will never have a bad mood, as long as Elmo is here", as I raspberry his stomach. Mary is wet-willing his ears, and Kate and Shawnee are tickling his legs.

Oh shit! Grace comes running out on the patio, followed by Chris, Steve, and Carrick. We're busted. We stop! as Mikey scampers to Grace. "No Elmo! No Elmo!" "No Elmo! No Elmo! No Elmo! No Elmo!" she folds him in her arms. He looks at us. "No Elmo!" we laugh. "Ok, No Elmo." We cheer. As I get near, He shift to Grace back, still holding her around the waist "No Elmo!" I touch his arm; he smiles as Chris embraces me. Chris looks down into my face "No Elmo!" "Elmo"

"No Elmo! For the rest of the day. what you do at home is your problem. Here it's my rules." Grace orders. We all nod. As we go in and relax till dinner. Mikey lays his head on Graces lap. She strokes his hair; whispers a story, she reads to him. He is so childlike, but a really sweet gentle soul. My little brother-in-law is so perfect, the child like wonder, the beautiful mind, the sweet disposition of a saint. I envy his ability to be happy and awed by the simple beauty of life, the adventure of the wonder of the world.

Later at dinner the clowns screw up, start tickling at the table. Mikey beats a retreat behind Grace, as the clowns are ordered to the Quiet Step on the staircase for a time out. We roar at their embarrassment.

Xxxxx

Grace Pov.

I am talking with Christian and Steve about a boys fishing trip for Mikey. They are all excited to go. "AGH! STOP! NO ELMO!" rips the air. I rush out to the patio. I find the girls have Mikey down in the grass before the steps. Tickling him, torturing him. Good, they see me and stop. They all look guilty, as Mikey scampers to me. "No Elmo! No Elmo!" scrambling over the pavers "No Elmo! No Elmo! No Elmo! No Elmo!" leaping into my embrace, holding him tight. He seems ok. Wary.

"No Elmo!" he speaks looking at the girls, particular Anna. I shake my head. The girls meant no harm, I'm sure. But Mikey has had enough angst this weekend. The girls are Laughing, apologizing, Anna steps towards us. "Ok, No Elmo." Mikey slide around me, I feel his cheek on my back as his arms hug me tighter. "No Elmo!" I give Anna, my motherly don't fuck with me face. I don't need it she is an open book. She touches his arm. He relaxes, and loosen the hold. I pull him around as Christian hugs Anna.

"No Elmo!" Christian speaks. "Elmo" replies Anna. I feel Mikey tensing "No Elmo! For the rest of the day. what you do at home is your problem. Here it's my rules.". they nod. We head in to relax before dinner.

I sit with Mikey's head in my lap, stroking his hair, I use to do the kids like this. I miss it so much, now their grown. I stroke his hair, a quietly read a story about a Mountain Man adventure in the wild. A journey of discovery and self-realization. Mikey likes these type of stories.

I love him so much. My youngest child. I wish I could have gotten him earlier before the bad. He sometimes crawls into bed with us. Nightmares I can't even imagine. Or a deep need to be held. I have so much to give. Cary is checking about us taking in Foster kids. So many Mikey's in the system, so much need.

"Mikey it's ok to fight back, I know you will not abuse my trust." I smile at him. He looks confused. "I don't understand?" Like with Ethan or the girls, you can defend yourself." "I can't, their, my sisters and giiirls!" I laugh. "Mikey, I mean about Ethan. Your right you can't hit girls." He nods "I not ruin your beautiful party, I sorry." My heart aches. "You didn't ruin anything, Ethan did. Period. Ok?"

"Ok, Mommies. I be good, if bad men I be bad. Ok?" I nod. He calls me mommies more and more each day, without think about it. It's becoming second nature to him, my heart is alight with rainbows and butterflies. My kids, my family.

Xxxxxxxxxx

Tuesday morning.

I'm running late. Cary was out late last night working on a big case, for The Hague. So I'm dropping Mikey at Grey House, the new name for GEH headquarters, Mary coined the phrase and everyone loves it, better than the acronym. Mikey is a bundle of last minute, fashion angst and indecisions. Mia left for a Dance practice, she's trying out for the Seattle Univ. cheerleaders. I've already told her, one B grade and she off the team. She countered that the school requirement is C+. I reminded her the Grey family requirement is B. she pouted to practice, I know she'll be fine.

Finally, my fashion diva is in the car. We are off. He wants to drive. I remind him traffic school is still three more weeks. The chest in the living room is locked, no skateboards, scooters, rollerblades, roller-skates, or those summer roller skis, I will kill Christian for buying them. God! at least in the winter the snow provides some cushioning. The video shows guys tearing down the slopes at up to sixty miles an hour. My heart can't take Mikey fearless addiction to speed and wheeled death machines. He smiles good naturally, squeezing my hand.

I always feel like I'm dropping him at school. He gets more and more excite the closer we get to Grey House. He is practical bouncing in the seat, to go to work, well really to him it's play. He loves the Tech and people. I make sure he has real play time, with his friends. Several employee kids and sibling come for couple hours in the afternoon.

The Lego group is building an Imperial Star Destroyer to go with the finished Death Star. Andrea has arranged full Imperial Starship uniforms for them for ComicCon in San Diego. Anna and Christian are going as Rebellion pilots.

Anna refuses to wear the Princess Leia Slave girl outfit Christian got her. Every time he brings it up she punches him, hard. I suspect the outfit is not capable of being seen in public. I smirk, the one Cary got me is way to Ten XXX for public viewing, hell I will make sure all the kids are gone, the doors double locked and the blinds, shades and blackout curtains are in place before I wear that over sexy skimpy outfit. My throngs with more coverage. I full body blushed just looking at it in the box.

Pulling up to the front of Grey House. I go over the motherly drop your kid off check list. Shoes, coat, hair combed, lunch box and snacks. Clean cloths. I lean over and kiss his cheek. "Have a good day, call if you need anything. Love yooo" the door is yanked open, "Retard get out. Don't move Gracie." I look up O'God! No! "Retard get out!" he reaches in grabbing Mikey's coat; I reach for him. He smiles at me. I freeze. "I'm bad." He says.

The world goes into slow motion, the threats Cary talked about. That evil bitch from the grave is haunting us. I smile. As Mikey in pull from the car. He is pushed toward the building. He doesn't let go. Asshole is not suspecting, as he is jerky towards Mikey. The moves are brutal, Mikey lashes a foot into the knee, I clearly hear the crack of breaking bones. The arm he holds is bend in a complicated series of contortion that the body was never meant to do. I hear the sickening snap and grinding of joints and tendons. Mikey's knee arrives high and hard to Linc brow. I watch as his head flops like a bobble head. He goes down.

I see movement to my front. A man exits a car, large, long gun starts spiting fire. I am deafened by an explosion to my right. I look Mikey is standing with a Gun. I jerky back. the man is falling with a hole in his forehead.

I scramble out of the car to my SON. He's bleeding. I scream for help. Henry the lobby security boss is running toward me gun drawn. I dig out my medical bag. It's just a gouge along his arm, and shit his head. "Mommies, it's just dinks. I'm ok. Our you?" I want to cry. But I must save him.

I quickly treat the wounds, as Christian comes full bull out the door, dragging Sawyer and a least one uniformed security. Taylor is trying to hold him back, good luck with that. He drops to the ground. Hugging us. I point at the scum on the ground, he doesn't recognize him.

"Taylor call Welch, it's Linus Lincoln, you remember Linc don't you Christian." He looks confused. "The bitche's husband?" "Yes, Elaina evil husband." He looks at the old, now broken body on the cement. I see the evil that sometime rises in him, the terrible temper, the need to protect his family.

Taylor slams a gun butt into his head. Sawyer catches him before he hits the ground. I stare at him. "The only way Grace. He lost the contest with sanity." I nod. Mikey giggles "I would have, but Luke says we need intel." I hug my brave little man.

As the EMT arrive. They strap me to a gurney, what the hell. Juan the EMT is a friend from the hospital. "Grace you've been shot, it minor, but you're in shock." I look at the car, the windshield is gone. The gunman was aiming at me, not Mikey. "Taylor! The girls. He's going after the girls!" Mikey crawls up on the gurney with me, hugging me. We ride to the hospital.