Author's Note: As a reminder: Cameron and Natasha are brother and sister who first appeared in Chapter 89 of Forsaken, before starring in their own offshoot: Hit Girl Hits Britain. Brooke first appeared in Chapter 169 of Forsaken and yes; she is the same Brooke who appears in KA2.
The following morning
Wednesday
West Ridge
"Well done, both of you!"
"As Mindy said; well done. You have now both graduated from the Fusion Boot Camp!" I said as seriously as possible.
"Thanks, Dave," Selina said, giving me a big hug.
"It's been fun, but more than a little painful!" Bruce added hugging Mindy.
"We'll arrange to be with you, the first time you go out in Gotham. Fox should have your combat suits ready in a few more weeks – then Batman and Catwoman can wreak havoc!" Mindy said.
"I am very proud, Master Bruce and I do believe your father and mother would be, too," Alfred commented.
"Thank you, Alfred," Bruce replied.
"Now, you can both rest and do what you want until Saturday – but don't miss the parties on Thursday night – they should prove interesting!"
"Girl's behaving badly?" Selina asked innocently.
"Oh yes!" Mindy replied.
"What about us?" Bruce enquired.
"It will be an education, Bruce!" I warned.
Thursday
Glenview
They were starting to arrive from across the globe, literally.
First, to arrive were our friends from the United Kingdom, Cameron and Natasha King.
We hugged tightly almost the moment they set foot in the house. They were very good friends and we had missed them.
"Oh my God, they are so cute and adorable!" Natasha exclaimed when she saw the twins.
"Believe me; they are not!" Dave laughed.
"You told me that you had kids, but wow!" Cameron added.
Both kids looked very pleased with the praise; they just ignored Dave's comments.
"You two have funny accents – you both sound like Josh!" Anne-Marie commented, always quick to point things out.
"We come from across the North Atlantic, just like Josh," Cameron explained.
"Where?" Danny asked curiously.
'Where' was one of Danny's favourite words, along with 'who', 'when' and 'why'! I quickly taught him how to use Google!
We all went upstairs to Danny's room where there was a huge map of the world on the wall.
"Okay," Cameron mused, examining the map. "You live here – in Chicago."
He pointed Chicago out on the map, in North America. Then he ran his finger in an easterly direction and then north.
"The United Kingdom. We live about two thirds up – in Scotland, in the middle there," He finished.
"Wow!" Danny exclaimed.
"Over three-thousand miles away!"
"Awesome!" Anne-Marie added, examining the map closely. "Can we go to Scotland?"
"Maybe – if you're good, we'll go back there next year..." Dave suggested.
"Is it safe?" Cameron asked meaningfully.
"I think so," I replied.
"Do they know?" Natasha asked quietly, indicating the kids.
"No, they do not."
Next, to arrive was our newest friend from New York.
"Hi, Brooke, good flight?"
"I've had worse. Good to see you Mindy and you Dave..."
"Am I missing something here?" Brooke asked, indicating the twins who stood patiently waiting to be introduced.
"Long story – please meet Anne-Marie and Danny – our kids..."
"Wow – you two don't hang about!" Brooke quipped. "They are so sweet!"
"Wait till you get to know them!" Dave laughed and received a scowl from Anne-Marie.
We had also received a lot of cards and packages over the preceding couple of weeks.
'Good luck to you both and Congratulations
From all at the GCPD
Jim Gordon'
'Congratulations from GCHQ
Lt Craig Lawrence RN'
'Best Wishes to you both
Damon would have been proud
Sergeant Mackenzie, NYPD'
I had no idea how GCHQ had found out, but then I figured that was what they did! It was also good to hear from Jim Gordon and Mackenzie.
We had put the King's and Brooke up in a hotel in town; we did not really have the space for many people to stay.
That evening
Lawndale
There was a knock on the door.
Marty was busy with Matty, so I got up to answer the door. I grinned after looking through the spy hole and pulling the door open.
"You have a warrant?"
"I do; a warrant to see a beautiful baby boy!"
"Come on in then; what a wonderful surprise...!" I exclaimed. "Marty; it's Hank and Trudy!"
"We had to come and see you guys; took a while – we've had a lot of activity at the District!" Trudy explained dryly.
I tried to look innocent, but Voight just smiled at me with his knowing smile. It was next to impossible to hide anything from Voight! I led them through into the living room.
"You guys moving?" Voight asked eyeing up the piles of cardboard cartons.
"Yeah; up to West Ridge – we need space for the little guy to grow..."
"Damn good idea – well here's something from all at the District," Trudy said, handing over a large bag and an envelope.
"Thank you," I said, hugging them both.
"Extortion – SPECTRE had nothing on Trudy!" Voight laughed as Trudy blushed slightly. "After the second round the District was empty for almost two days as everybody hit the streets to avoid the front desk!"
"I remember what that was like – every time somebody had a kid the District was suddenly very empty!"
"Oh my God; he's so sweet!" Trudy squeaked as she saw Matthew Todd Eisenburg for the first time.
The boy was only a week old, but he gazed up at the visitors. Marty passed my son to Trudy; I was amazed at the transformation from fire-breathing dragon to gentle, caring person. I knew that Trudy had a heart, but she kept it well hidden!
"You getting much sleep?" Voight asked with a grin.
"Since Matty appeared?" I laughed. "Not a chance!"
"You're looking good, Kim," Voight commented. "Going back out as Hawk once he's grown a bit?"
There it was; straight out, no beating about the bush!
"You know what my response is to that, Hank..." I cautioned.
"Yeah, I know; I'm damn proud of you. You too, Marty."
"I second that sentiment!" Trudy agreed, while gently rocking little Matty. "He has his mother's eyes, but the looks of his father; he'll be a knockout when he's older – fending all the girls off!"
"He getting a sister?" Voight asked innocently.
"Anything's possible!" I replied with a smirk and a blush.
South Cottage Grove
Apartment 202
Living with my favourite boy has rather opened my eyes a bit; notice I used the word 'rather' – he is growing on me and changing how I speak!
I was noticing things about him that I had never really noticed when we were not living together. There were a few noticeable things really. Number one and the biggest one, was toast! He will eat the damn stuff twenty-four-seven, if I let him. Me, I might have the odd slice at breakfast, but very rarely – I see nothing special about the damn stuff.
Josh has three, thick slices every morning covered in thick, very tangy, orange marmalade – I hate orange marmalade, but I tolerate him eating it. Mind you, we can come back from school and he will promptly make himself a stack of toast and a mug of tea, and then plonk his ass, sorry arse, onto the couch in front of the TV to watch reruns of Stargate: Atlantis. He loves his toast; he says it makes him feel comfortable and he sees the toast as a bit of a treat – toast as a treat, in the middle of the afternoon?
What could be worse than that, you might ask?
Marmite!
It stinks!
I hate it!
It is vile!
He likes to smother it on toast and then bring it to bed of all places! The smell almost makes me throw up and then there is the 'toast crumbs in the bed' problem. Okay, I know that I have some bad habits that annoy Josh, but Marmite on toast…!
..._...
I will tolerate the gallons of tea that he drinks, as I drink the odd cup here and there; despite the fact, he refuses to touch 'American Tea'. He will only drink 'English Breakfast Tea', or that foul stuff: 'Earl Grey Tea'. Nevertheless, he also has to have certain 'comfort' foods that he says 'remind him of home'.
HP sauce – what, the hell, is in that stuff?
I admit it has an interesting taste, but I generally avoid it, although Josh loves to smother his 'chips' in the vile looking substance and by 'chips', I mean fries. Just do not get me started on his terminology for things – he refuses to use our words, as in American words, which just causes confusion for me as I try to translate things in my head!
We have met halfway on that. I cook 'chips' instead of 'fries' now and eat 'crisps' instead of 'chips'. However, he now goes to the 'bathroom' for a pee, instead of going to the 'loo', 'bog' or 'head'; it just sounds better and less crude!
One thing, though, that I have found myself in the habit of, is eating stuff on toast. Yeah, I slammed him for eating toast, but he loves emptying a tin of something over some toast, especially baked beans – quick and easy, can sometimes be messy, but very tasty.
My, err disturbed mind also got curious when he came home one evening with a couple of small tins of 'Heinz Spotted Dick' – spotted dick! That just sounded so dirty and I was supposed to eat it smothered in custard... I just had to try it – I ended up making Josh buy more that weekend. However, I drew the line at suet pudding – when I saw what suet was, I almost threw up at the thought of eating it. The British have some weird eating habits! Mind you, you should have seen Mindy's face when I told her that I had had custard with some of Josh's spotted dick for dinner and that she should try some...
..._...
Do not get me wrong, moving in with Joshua has been wonderful and it is working out great, I just seem to have picked up his British habit of complaining constantly! Josh says he is determined to make me speak properly and for me to learn to use a knife and fork properly. I am even getting in trouble at school for misspelling things now; I am putting extra 'L's in and 'U's. Josh can get away with that, I cannot!
I will readily admit that we spend an inordinate amount of time naked; well I did anyway. Josh was a little more reluctant initially, or maybe the word should be reserved.
I was a nymphomaniac and proud of it!
The next morning
Thursday
North Park Elementary School
"You two behave now and remember that you are being picked up by Paige and staying with them tonight, okay?"
"Will Megan be there?" Anne-Marie asked.
I knew that Anne-Marie adored Megan and the feeling was mutual. I just hoped that Megan was not teaching them anything bad!
"No, she will be at the party, tonight; I told you earlier."
"Oh yeah, you did – never mind!"
"Will we see you in the morning, before school?"
"Not sure, Danny, but we will pick you up after school, okay?"
"Okay – see ya..."
Tonight, we were all going to have some fun!
I wondered what we would be like, on Friday morning and I was a little worried about what I might be letting myself in for – I had a distinct feeling that if Erika and Chloe had anything to do with it, I would be spending most of the night naked!
Oh, well, it was not every day that you got married, so I figured that letting my hair down, figuratively speaking, was okay. I grinned to myself as I remembered the last time that I 'let my hair down'; I ended up naked and in a threesome with Chloe and Erika!
I had no idea what the 'men' would be doing; I just hoped that they would behave. Admittedly, they were all a little more reserved than Chloe!
Mind you, the thought of them all naked... Behave Mindy; you are getting married in less than seventy-two hours.
God I was nervous!
Marty was in charge of the entertainment for the men.
I had no idea what it was going to be, but I had an idea. You just have to try to have fun, otherwise what's the point... I also had an inkling what the girls might be getting up to as well!
Us, we were much more mature and reserved...