Rhea spent the morning giving Sarah and Sue a detailed description of her evening at their insistence. They sighed, oohed, aahed, and squealed as she shyly bragged about the most wonderful night of her life. Rhea giggled at how much the three of them resembled a group of over-excited teenaged girls.
Her girls all came in when breakfast was done, and they chattered loudly over each other about how much fun their camp-out had been, and when could they do it again? All of the women beamed happily at what an amazing morning it was turning out to be. They all had great friends, good men, and kids they adored. Life was good.
Charlie wasn't able to visit with Rhea over the next few days, because he got called in on the missing persons cases again. The whole department was trying to avoid the words serial killer, but they were beginning to suspect that's what they had on their hands. More and more people were mysteriously disappearing, and they were almost never found again.
The ones that had been discovered were typically deep in the wilderness, far off any type of path, beaten and bruised with broken bones all over their bodies. Their throats had been nearly torn out and the bodies had clearly been moved, because most of their blood could only have poured out from their mauled throats, but there was not enough blood on or around the bodies for them to have been killed where they were found.
Charlie did call to talk with Rhea whenever he got a break, and while he couldn't share much about an ongoing investigation, she gleaned enough information from what he could tell her for her to worry about what might be out there. With what she knew – with what Cass had been seeing – she highly doubted that anything human was responsible for the multiple deaths.
She was getting more and more anxious with every day that passed. Charlie wasn't equipped to deal with what she thought was out there, but she couldn't tell him that, and even if she did tell him everything, he wasn't the type of man that would pull back to keep himself safe.
The only thing that could stop a monster was currently buried deep in the genetics of a bunch of children who were in no way old enough or prepared enough to go up against a deadly enemy. She was going to have to get Sarah and Sue over for a little ladies' council meeting, as Sarah had jokingly referred to their little group. Maybe together, they could think of a way to keep everyone they loved safe while getting rid of the threat.
Though she knew that it was a priority, Rhea also had new kids to concern herself with. A couple had approached her on Saturday, asking for her help. They had been unable to have children of their own, but didn't have the means or the connections to foster or adopt independently.
She sat with them and went through the files she already had, leaving out the girls she already knew would be staying with her. The couple found a twin brother and sister who had been separated after their parents had been shot in a mugging. The children weren't Quileute, they were Hoh, but that didn't matter to the young couple.
Rhea was excited that the couple was willing to take in siblings so that they could stay together. They also were fully willing to adopt after the required waiting period and the documentation was approved. She went over the requirements they would have to meet to foster and eventually adopt.
She would be meeting with them at their home to see about expanding their house to accommodate the kids, and while the husband had a job that was enough to support them living very simply, the wife did volunteer work at the tribal center with children.
Rhea let them know that so long as they passed Michelle's inspection, and completed their fostering courses, they would qualify for the grants she had set up to support families on the reservation fostering and adopting native children. They were very emotional as they left, promising to stay on top of everything, happy tears in both pairs of eyes.
With her first success halfway under her belt, Rhea went to work planning her first weekly activity for any of the kids who wanted to participate. She thought that having them growing and taking care of a garden would be a good exercise for the kids in the community.
There was a large open space across from her driveway that would be perfect, and it had the benefit of not being in her back yard, so the kids could feel comfortable coming by anytime they liked to take care of the plants, or grab some of the veggies for themselves.
After the first couple of days of an impossible schedule, Charlie showed up on Rhea's doorstep with a duffle bag and puppy dog eyes. She laughed happily at him, and invited him in for dinner.
"So, I've decided to have the first kids activity this weekend. I was thinking the kids could set up a community garden in that big space out front. I know it's too late to plant this year, but we could clear it out for next spring." Rhea mentioned to Charlie over the table as he tricked Eris into eating her peas by pretending he was going to steal them for himself. He turned to beam at her.
"That's a great idea! Gardening is a life skill not a lot of people have anymore, and not only would they be learning, they'd also be helping to support the community with any food they grow."
"Exactly!" She was so glad that he was so supportive of her plans, and she couldn't fight off the warm, fuzzy butterflies even if she had wanted to.
"With everything going on, I'm not sure what my schedule is going to be like, but I absolutely want to be there for your activity days. It's one of the best programs I've ever heard planned out for the community kids, and there's no way I'd miss out on being part of it. Even if I have to figure out how to be down here as part of the job." He laughed, and Rhea knew that though he was joking, he was also completely serious.
"I really appreciate that. I get the feeling that a lot of parents are going to use the activities as a sort of day camp so they can get things done, or have a bit of a break. I thought about doing it around one or so on Saturdays, making sure there's plenty of snacks for the kids, and the activities can wrap up around four or five so the kids will all still be having meals with their families.
"Sarah and Sue have already told me that they'll be here regardless of who shows up or doesn't, or how many parents simply drop off their kids. I'll be glad for the extra adult hands."
"I'm sure that there will be others who choose to stay, but even if they don't, I've seen those women wrangle more kids than should be humanly possible, and you are on another level entirely. You're like some kind of magical being – a good witch or a fairy or something." He blushed a little as he threw out that compliment, but it was nothing to the tomato color she could feel her face turning.
After dinner, without even discussing it, Rhea and Charlie automatically coordinated. He slipped Eris out of her high chair as easily as Rhea did with Irene, and as they carried the happily wriggling babies up the stairs, Cassandra, Phoebe, Diana, and Kara followed them up, Diana continuing up to start her own bath. It was one of her few nights without Embry, but he usually bathed himself, too.
"Will you help us with our bath, Charlie?" Cass was only shy until she was comfortable with people, and then she was extremely outspoken.
"As long as it's okay with Ree." Charlie didn't hesitate, and he looked to Rhea for her answer. Her heart went warm again, and she smiled softly.
"Of course I don't mind." It was best he helped the older girls so she didn't have to explain just yet why sometimes the bathwater seemed to simply float out of the babies' tub. They left the doors open so they could occasionally look across at each other and laugh at how soaked the other was. It sounded like all the kids were having a blast.
Once everyone was thoroughly drenched, and the kids were squeaky clean, they drained the tubs and shuffled the kids off to their respective rooms. Rhea could hear Charlie telling Phoebe which arms and legs to put through which holes, and Kara had run off to dress herself, as had Cass.
Rhea was having more trouble with Eris and Irene than usual. They weren't being bad, exactly, just extra wriggly. They laughed and wrestled, trying to keep their limbs away from their pajamas.
"Char! Char!" Eris started to yell, clearly for Charlie, and Irene piped up with her after a few times. Rhea couldn't help but laugh loudly as Charlie strolled in the room trailed by all four other girls, fully dressed.
"Did you ladies need some help in here?" There was a teasing note in his voice as he crept dramatically over to Eris and Irene. Reaching out both hands, he tickled their naked bellies. "Are you girls giving your sister trouble? Don't you want story time?" He asked as he tickled.
The girls giggled manically, barely able to catch their breath as they screamed "Yes!" and "Story!" In a smooth movement, he slid to the floor beside them and pulled Irene in front of him, footie pajamas and all. He looked like a natural as he slid chubby arms and legs into pants and sleeves, zipping her up in a matter of seconds.
Rhea had been too distracted trying not to let her poor heart melt right out of her body to dress Eris. Seeing the look on her face, Charlie laughed at her, and easily scooped Eris to him to repeat the process. Both girls jumped up into his lap and hugged him, giving him identical kisses to each cheek. It was the most beautiful thing Rhea had ever seen.
"Alright, girls, to the books!" Charlie announced, standing with a twin sitting on each hip. All the girls, Rhea included, followed him to Rhea's room, getting comfortable in the bed around him as Phoebe picked the book for the night. She shyly handed it to Charlie, indicating that she'd like him to do the reading for the evening. His genuine, happy smile made Rhea melt just a little more. If she wasn't careful, she was going to turn into a puddle.
Charlie read a quirky story about the animals in Africa, using funny voices for the characters, making the girls giggle and sigh. When the story was through, as usual, all but Diana had fallen asleep. Charlie helped Rhea carry the girls to bed, and he tucked them in just the same as she did, brushing the hair back off their foreheads so he could kiss them goodnight.
"Come here." Charlie rumbled to Rhea once all the girls had been tucked in and they were back in the hallway out of sight. He wrapped one arm around her waist, pulling her to him and dipping his head for a fierce, but short kiss. "Let's go clean up downstairs really quick before I can't control myself anymore." He joked.
Rhea took a second to get her bearings back, and followed him down the stairs. They silently cleaned up after dinner, moving in tandem without even thinking about it as the tension between them rose. Rhea washed the last dish and stood watching Charlie's hands as he dried it and put it away before turning to her again.
"Upstairs, honey." His voice was husky and there was so much heat in his eyes, Rhea was surprised that the kitchen hadn't caught fire. He took her hand and walked a half step ahead of her, leading her quickly and purposefully up the stairs and into her room.
Once he'd closed the door, he took her face between both of his hands and brushed his lips over hers, once, twice, three times. They were soft brushes, barely there, and his thumbs stroked her cheekbones when he tilted his head to fit his mouth more fully over hers, his tongue slipping out to taste her lips, to tease her mouth open and dance inside.
He moved slower, but no less intensely than the first time they had made love. He was savoring her. When he pulled back, he spent minutes just looking into her eyes as they swayed together, moving incrementally towards the bed.
He rubbed her hair between his fingers, leaned in for soft butterfly kisses over her eyes, cheeks, the corners of her mouth. When she felt the backs of her thighs brush against her comforter, they stopped moving altogether.
Charlie kept eye contact with her as his hands moved to her waist, sliding up her sides beneath her shirt, lifting it so slowly as he went. His eyes held hers as those hands skimmed over the sides of her breasts, as she lifted her own arms to let him pull her shirt up further. They only broke contact when the shirt passed between them as he removed it entirely.
He dropped it to the side and laid his hands on the backs of her shoulders, sliding them just as slowly across her back to unhook her bra, then following the straps back up to her shoulders and slipping them down her arms until that, too, was on the ground and her breasts were free.
He still didn't take his eyes from hers as he knelt smoothly before her, brushing a quick kiss across her navel before he easily unbuttoned and unzipped her jeans. She reveled in the strong feeling of his hands as they sank into the legs of her jeans to work them down her thighs.
She lifted one bare foot, then the other for him as he pulled her jeans completely off. He closed his eyes for just a handful of moments as he ran his nose against the inside of her thigh, starting at her knee and stopping just below her panties. He took one deep breath in, groaned and looked up to her again. His hands shook just a little as he fought to drag her panties down just as slowly as he'd done everything else.
Finally satisfied now that she was naked, he stood before her once more, lifted her as though she weighed nothing and laid her down on the bed. He then took a half step back and started removing his own clothes. When she rolled to her side to watch the erotic show, he smirked and went slowly for her pleasure that time.
She raked her eyes greedily over each sliver of exposed skin as he slithered his shirt up and over his head. He smirked at her as his hands lowered to his jeans and he flicked his button open with an audible pop, then lowered his zipper one prong at a time. By the starving look on her face, he wasn't sure whether he was teasing her or himself more.
Once he slipped his jeans down just low enough to give a tantalizing peek at the tent in his pants, he turned himself around, giving Rhea the most gorgeous view of fabric stretched taut over the muscles of his gorgeous ass as he bent to shuck his jeans off his feet. Once those had been dealt with, he turned back to her, cupping himself through the fabric of his boxer briefs and squeezing once to take a bit of the edge off.
He slipped the band of his pants out and around his cock, slowly revealing each inch slowly, loving the way it had Rhea leaning towards him just slightly and licking those sexy lips. He had to fight to keep moving slowly as he pressed his pants down towards his knees before finally letting them drop.
As he stepped one foot, then the other from the discarded clothing, he wrapped his fingers around his pulsing erection, relishing in the way it changed her breathing into breathy little pants when he stroked once from base to tip, letting his thumb slide up over the sensitive head, wetting it a little in the drop of precum at his slit.
He stalked towards her, hand still on his cock, keeping her eyes locked on it until he reached the side of the bed. Charlie knelt on the bed, his knees between Rhea's slightly spread feet as he looked his way up and over her luscious body. As much as he enjoyed the view, he needed to touch – and taste.
He kept his touch feather-light as he grazed his fingers and palms over the sides of her feet, her calves, then her knees. As his hands moved over the softness of her thighs, he bent forward to brush sweet kisses at the inside of her knees. His mouth followed the path of his hands, soft lips and occasionally the tip of his tongue peeking out to taste dewy skin.
As his fingers rounded her hips, his thumbs nearly touching each other over her navel, his mouth was getting closer and closer to her hot core, soft lips against softer skin, and her thighs trembled under his precise, slow movements.
The moment before he reached that wet center, his hands cupped and gently weighed her full breasts, fingers and palms circling teasingly around and around her sensitive nipples. Her breathing was labored, and she was letting loose little whimpers as her body made little involuntary writhing movements.
Charlie forced himself to hover over her honeyed pussy instead of burying himself in it and feasting the way he wanted to. He rolled her nipples once between his fingers as he let his hot breath roll over her wet slit. That dragged a ragged moan and a swift arch of her back as she tried to lift her hips into his mouth.
With a moan of his own at her reaction, he slid himself up further, letting his tongue lave over her soft stomach and dip into her navel before dragging it up the center of her chest between her breasts.
Keeping up with the teasing play, he twirled around and around the soft mounds of her breasts with his lips and tongue while his hands freely moved up and down her body once more. Knowing that he wouldn't be able to continue teasing much longer, he allowed himself to latch his mouth over each of her nipples for a moment, pulling deep and letting his teeth drag on the way out.
He gave her collarbone a nibble on the way up to her neck, and swiftly buried one hand in her hair, his thumb brushing her cheekbone as he took her mouth with his. Their kisses were slow and deep. The passion they were pouring in held all the feelings they knew were building in them, but they weren't truly ready to acknowledge yet.
Rhea's thighs had spread to cradle Charlie's hips as he moved up her body, and they were fitted together like two pieces of an erotic puzzle. As their mouths mated, they rocked together, Charlie's throbbing cock sliding easily through Rhea's slick lower lips, catching on her clit on each slide.
Charlie pulled back to watch Rhea's face as he tipped his hips down and the head of his cock caught on her entrance, sliding it in just an inch. The look on her face as she whined out her need was one of the most gorgeous things he'd ever seen.
He kept watching her as he rolled his hips in circles, the solid length of his cock slipping in just the tiniest bit further on each forward roll. It was sweet torture for the both of them.
"Oh, God. Charlie, please!" Rhea begged as he held her hips down and continued the slow movements. It seemed to take forever, but finally he was fully inside her, his continually rolling hips only serving to grind his pelvis into hers as he relished the feel of her wrapped around him like a hot, wet glove.
Unable to contain himself any longer, he bent down, his mouth taking hers again the same way his body was taking hers. His thrusts were slow but deep, driving them both so deliciously slowly to the ultimate edge.
They moaned into each others' mouths, sharing breath. Rhea's arms wrapped around his sides, her fingers digging into his shoulders from behind, her legs wound around his hips, lifting herself into each of his thrusts and gripping tightly as she felt the wave of her orgasm coming closer and closer.
Charlie still had one hand on her head, the other wrapped under her back, squeezing her to him as tightly as he could. He could feel her inner walls begin to flutter around him as the very beginning of a massive climax hit her.
"Charlie!" His name came out in a wail as her body shook under him violently, her limbs gripping him impossibly tight, and her perfect pussy clamped down on him like a vice. The primal moan ripped from his throat as his cock exploded in her reverberated through the room.
The next thing he was aware of, his face was buried in her throat, his body lax over hers. He moved to roll off her, but she clung to him, so he simply smiled and dropped a sweet kiss on her neck before tipping them both sideways so he wouldn't crush her in their sleep. They were both out in moments.
Over the next couple of weeks, Charlie was good to his word. He was over as much as his job and Rhea's responsibilities would allow. He came over for the activity weekends, to help with all the kids. It was basically a gardening day camp that first couple of weeks.
Parents would drop their kids off for fun and education and pick them up when it was over. Rhea showed the kids how to prepare the land for gardening and worked with them to pull up weeds and move rocks out of the garden space. She talked to them about the kinds of plants they would be able to grow there in the spring.
Charlie was also around for dinner most days, and read stories to the kids sometimes before bed. He stayed over with Rhea when he didn't have to work the next day, and spent a lot of time talking to the kids and playing with them. The girls all loved him, and when Embry was over, he was shy, but clearly looked up to Charlie. Rhea thought it would be good to have a solid male presence in that boy's life. In all of their lives, maybe.
The Friday two weeks after Charlie had brought Rhea home from their first night together brought a new change to their family. Rhea had, of course, been aware of it, thanks to Cass, but she still was happy to get the call the night before from Michelle, letting her know that she'd be getting two new girls.
They had been in the same foster home, but the foster credentials of the family had been pulled because of unacceptable living conditions. It was a coincidence that they had ended up together, but Rhea was happy for it because it meant she was going to get them both together. They were all waiting downstairs when Michelle knocked with their new additions – Iris Conley and Selene Miller.
Rhea had her kids stand back as she knelt down to welcome the new girls. They seemed to be less wary than Diana and Kara had been initially, but they hadn't been separated from siblings in the system. Selene smiled brightly at them all, though, while Iris had a sour look on her face, and arms crossed over her chest. She was going to be a fiery one – not surprising at all with her mop of gorgeous red curls.
"Do you wanna come play with us?" Of course, Cass was the brightest, most inviting of the kids. It probably helped that she was older than most of them, too. Selene leaned around Rhea, beaming and nodding. Iris didn't even bother to look, but made a half shrug and shuffled sideways. Rhea moved out of the way. The kids, of course would make them feel welcome, and Rhea would distribute their things to their rooms.
"Here are their things, and do you mind if I just do my weekly check now for convenience?" Michelle typically showed up later on Fridays, but Rhea had no problem letting her wander the house or talking to the girls while she grabbed the new kids' bags.
"Come on in. I'll just take these bags up. Iris and Selene will be with Diana and Kara on the third floor. If you need me for anything, just let me know." Rhea grabbed the few bags the girls had – actual garbage bags this time around, and hauled them up the stairs.
She quickly unpacked everything they had, and was thinking about a trip to Port Angeles the next day for them. She wondered if Sue and Sarah would be willing to stay with the others just for convenience sake.
When Rhea was done unloading the girls' things, she walked back down to the play area to find Michelle sitting on the ground with the girls, smiling and talking to them all. She had been so helpful with everything, and Rhea was glad that she was smiling for a change. She was always so good with the kids, even when she didn't look happy to be doing her job.
"Can I get you something to drink, Michelle? I was about to make breakfast for the girls, and you're welcome to join us if you'd like." It was a little later than she liked to have breakfast, but she hadn't wanted to inconvenience Michelle by asking her to come back later, either.
"Oh, no thank you, dear. I've finished with my inspection, and I'm just going to head back to the office. I'll see you next Friday afternoon." Michelle stood a little less than gracefully, and Rhea showed her out before heading to the kitchen. Big breakfast for the kiddos was on and she happily invited them all in.
Selene and Iris were both just a year younger than Diana, and it looked like the three of them were getting along pretty well when they came in to eat. The three girls sat close to each other, with Cass of course sitting on the other side of Iris, wanting to be close to the new girls. After breakfast, Rhea called Sarah and asked if she might like to come over Saturday morning and hang out with the girls while she took Iris and Selene shopping.
Of course she agreed readily as did Sue when Rhea called her next. Finally, she rang Charlie at the station, and let him know that she wouldn't be back until nearly dinner time the following day, and that the girls had gotten in okay. He was eager to meet them.
After Charlie got off the line with Rhea, he thought about how happy he was with everything that they had going. It wasn't just her. He had always wanted a big family, since he had been an only child, but had seen how those growing up on the reservation all acted like one big family.
He'd have been happy with just Ree, but the fact that she was bringing so many other people into her life was an awesome bonus. He loved those kids to death. He did wonder what she was holding back though. She was usually so at ease with him, but sometimes it was like her mind would wander off and she seemed to be anxious about something.
Truth was, he worried about her. He wished she would tell him her troubles so he could help. It couldn't be anything so bad that they couldn't handle it together.
When Rhea took them out, Selene chose shades of blue for her room while Iris went with pale shades of green and grey. They would be sharing the bathroom between their rooms, and they picked out things in blue and grey for the bathroom to complement both of their spaces.
Embry had come with them as well, and his color choice was centered around bedding he found that he loved that looked like a sunset. He would have his own bathroom on the top floor, and he continued with the muted sunset colors.
Selene was drawn to a step into magic kit that claimed to teach kids from beginner to advanced magic tricks. Iris picked up a book box set on animals. It looked similar to an encyclopedia, but if that's what she wanted, Rhea wouldn't object. Rhea caught Embry looking at wood carving tools.
Though he didn't ask – the sweet boy never really asked for anything for himself – Rhea tossed them in the cart. She, of course, would need to make sure he learned to use them safely and with supervision, but she believed there was a reason he was drawn to them.
They settled in within a few weeks, and they took to Charlie like ducks to water. Unusually, both of the girls had mild tempers, but they very rarely came out in the safe space that was their home. Charlie had started staying over most nights, and had a key to the house. Rhea knew it was almost time. She'd have to tell him soon.
"Next week, Wednesday we'll have the last of our sisters. Charlie will bring them to us." Cass woke Rhea in the early morning with the results of her most recent dream.
"What do you mean Charlie's going to bring them to us?" Rhea was a little alarmed by that.
"Something bad is going to happen, and Charlie's going to bring them." Cass turned teary eyes on Rhea. She decided not to push she issue because she didn't want to see Cass suffer any more than she already was. She hugged her little sister tight to her.
"If you ever need to talk about anything, Cass, I'm here. I love you, sweetie." This was so hard on her, and she wished she could take the burden of her visions from her.
"I know, Ree. Love you, too." Cass snuggled up to her and fell back into a dreamless sleep, letting Rhea rest a little longer with her cuddled close.
Later that same day, she caught Diana's talent. It was a rare, sunny day, so she'd taken them outside to eat again and Rhea was just helping the twins finish up with their food when her eyes swept the area, making sure she knew where all her girls were.
Diana was on her own, facing the trees and it sounded like she was talking to herself. Curious, Rhea got up and moved quietly behind the girl, hoping not to startle her, and covered her mouth to stop the gasp when she saw there was a chipmunk sitting directly in front of the girl, chittering away, and Diana was talking to the creature like it was responding to her.
"Diana, honey?" The chipmunk squealed and ran, but Diana calmly turned to Rhea with a curious look on her little face. "Can you – what I mean to say is – was that chipmunk talking to you?" There really wasn't a sane way to ask that question.
"Sure. The animals talk to me a lot. They say they talk to lots of people, but most everybody doesn't understand them." She shrugged like it wasn't a big deal.
"Well, that's really cool. I know I don't understand them, but I wish I could." She had to tread lightly to help Diana understand that her gift was amazing, but she couldn't let just anyone see her using it. "Here at home it's a super cool thing that you can do, but I think maybe you shouldn't do it around other people, because they might get jealous that they can't do something that awesome. Do you understand?"
"Okay, Ree." Diana had only had to think about it for a second before she answered. "Am I not supposed to listen to the trees in front of people, either?" She questioned.
"The trees?" Rhea asked gently.
"Yeah. The trees and plants and stuff. I don't usually talk back to them, but they say stuff all the time. They remember when people and animals go by, or when it rains. Stuff like that." Rhea raised her hand to her chest.
"Wow, Di, I never knew that. If you're just listening, I guess it's okay, as long as we're not making anybody jealous, right?" Diana smiled and wandered off to play with the other girls. Rhea just sighed as she processed the new talent.
The next week was stressful in the extreme for Rhea. She still wasn't ready to tell Charlie anything, and she was worried about whatever was coming and whether it would put Charlie in any danger, or what might be about to happen to the girls he was bringing her.
Everyone noticed that she had started to act oddly strained. Charlie had promised her and himself that he wouldn't push her, but he was worried she was going to crack under the pressure from whatever she was keeping to herself.
Wednesday, Charlie was supposed to come for dinner. He was late. Rhea was horribly worried. She tried to hold it together for the girls at least until they were done eating, but when they were nearly through, a knock came at the door, and she shot to her feet, fairly flying across the room to answer.
Her brow furrowed when it was Charlie standing there, wondering why he didn't just let himself in. She raked her gaze everywhere her eyes could reach on him, checking for injuries or other problems that might explain the unusual behavior. Of course, it didn't take her long to see that there was nothing wrong with him.
"I'm here as an officer, Ree. We had a tough call come in today, and I got an emergency protection order put through. I think these might belong to you, if you don't mind a couple extra full rooms." He stepped just slightly to the side, revealing two small girls. Rhea's hand flew to her mouth at the state of them. She already knew who they were.
"Charlie? Can you take the girls up to bed? I have to – I need to…" She didn't know how to finish her sentence, but he just nodded, moving past her and speaking to the rest of the girls like nothing was wrong, taking them up the stairs to help them get cleaned up after their dinner.
Rhea took another long look at what had to be Chloe and Aurora Baker. They had been in and out of foster care because their parents were bad news. The littler one, Aurora was only a few months younger than Cass, but way too small. She was seriously undernourished, but at least she looked otherwise undamaged.
Chloe, all of six, looked at her with frightened, haunted eyes in a face that had bruises in several stages of healing. She was just as terrifyingly thin as her younger sister, but stood protectively in front of her, despite her clear exhaustion. Rhea dropped to her knees before the scared child.
"You're safe here, sweetie. You don't have to trust me right away, but do you trust Charlie? You've seen him around before, haven't you?" She knew that Charlie had been involved several times when these poor girls were being shuffled around. And kids instinctively trusted him. Chloe nodded at her.
"Charlie brought you here because it's a safe place. I have a lot of little girls that live here with me. Some of them are my younger sisters, but I take care of all of them. I'll take care of you, too, if you'll let me. I won't let anyone hurt you while you're with me. I won't touch you, but if you'll follow me, I can show you where you can sleep, and either me or Charlie can help you get some medicine on those bruises, okay?" Another nod.
Rhea led them up to the fourth floor. They'd be the only ones up there for now, except Embry, which would give them some peace of mind, but she'd make sure she showed them how to get to her when or if they needed her.
She showed them her room as they passed on the way up, and let them tuck themselves into Chloe's room. She had set up another trundle just like she had for Diana and Kara. Without moving too quickly or touching them at all, she showed them where she had put their things, and how everything in the bathroom worked.
"I know you girls are scared, and I don't want to scare you anymore. Do you want Charlie or me to help you with your bruises, Chloe?" The little girl sat and thought, biting at her lip with nerves, her eyes darting back and forth across the unfamiliar space.
"You can do it. But we stay together." She looked fierce and determined. Rhea had no intention of arguing with her.
"Okay, sweetie. I'll go grab some salve. You girls just get settled in. There's a little boy who stays on this floor sometimes, too, but he's not here today. You don't have to worry about anyone coming in until I get back, okay?" They huddled together and Chloe nodded at her over Aurora's head.
Rhea went down to the closet outside of her room to grab some topical ointment for the bruises and scrapes the girls might have. She saw Charlie through her bedroom door as she moved back and forth, telling all of her kids a bedtime story. It pulled at her heartstrings. She thought to herself that maybe, just maybe, they were their kids now.
"Alright, girls, we have to check you over for any other bumps and bruises, and put on some pjs, so I'm gonna help you with your clothes, and then we can get you all patched up, okay?" Even skittish, Chloe went first, and Rhea moved slow to show her that she had no intention of hurting them at all.
She carefully helped both of them strip down to their underwear, checking all their limbs and tiny torsos for dings. They each had a few, but nothing deep or major. She knew they would have already been checked for broken bones and things if Charlie had gotten called in.
She was gentle when putting the ointment on, and when helping them slip into their pajamas. They were both slowly warming up to her by the time she was through, and even let her tuck them in with soft kisses to the forehead goodnight.
"Tomorrow I'll have a big breakfast for all of us, and you can meet the rest of the girls. They're going to love you, and you can always come to me if you feel uncomfortable. Your rooms are safe spaces, too. Nobody comes into your space unless you say it's okay in this house, alright?"
Aurora looked half asleep already, but Chloe released a large breath on a sigh, and it felt to Rhea like she was being let in even more. She made her way down the stairs, stopping off in each room to kiss sleeping children that Charlie had handled expertly without her. When she finally made it to her room, Charlie was laying on top of the covers in just his underwear.
"Come here." He held his arms out to her, and she rushed forward, practically diving into his open arms. She buried her face against his chest, and he petted her hair while she cried on him. "It's gonna be okay, honey. They're here now, and they're safe. Social services already has a call in, and you will be through your four weeks with Iris and Selene tomorrow." That only made her sob harder. Eventually, she was all cried out.
"You have to be the most wonderful man on the planet, Charlie. How in the world did I get so lucky?" She looked at him with her red, swollen eyes, and he would swear he'd still never seen a more beautiful woman in his life. He laid his palm against her cheek.
"I'm the lucky one, Ree. You are the most caring, beautiful, generous woman I've ever met in my life. At this point, you would have to tell me to leave if you decided you didn't want me around anymore. Nothing short of that would make me go. I love you, Rhea, and I love all of your girls.
"If you'll let me, I want to be a part of all of your lives for the rest of mine." He didn't propose, though he knew he would eventually. Hell, he was pretty sure this was fast anyways, but he needed her to know how he felt – needed her to be sure of where she stood with him.
"Oh, Charlie." She sighed. "I love you too. We all do, and there won't be any telling you to go anywhere. Not from me." He rolled over top of her, and they spent the next few hours showing each other exactly how much they loved each other until they both fell into an exhausted, sweaty sleep.
The next morning was a hectic bit of insanity full of introductions, messy breakfast, phone calls for both Charlie and Rhea, and schedule rearranging in order to fit in more social work visits. Rhea and Charlie also reached out to the Blacks and the Clearwaters to see if they would be willing and able to swing by and help with the entertainment and wrangling of the children at any point throughout the day.
Charlie took all of his meetings either over the phone or out front to keep any sensitive questions away from the innocent ears of the kids. Sue and Sarah showed up just before lunch with their broods and they took all of the kids outside to play in the back, allowing time for Rhea to assemble a massive lunch spread for all of them. She got done just in time to serve lunch in the backyard and meet Michelle in the house to go over the events of the last day.
After Rhea had explained the progress for Iris and Selene for their regular check-in interview, she went through the arrival of Chloe and Aurora, including their physical and mental states from her perspective. Michelle was back to her professional blank face, and Rhea knew it was because she had to keep up that protective shield in order to do her job every day. She understood.
Michelle did a walkthrough to see the state of the house as the normal part of her routine, and brought Chloe and Aurora in for an interview. Afterwards, she spent some time watching all of the kids play outside together. When Michelle finally left and Charlie was done with his meetings, Rhea was able to let herself relax. She could physically feel the tension leave her body.
"You two seem to be getting pretty serious. Have you talked to him yet?" Sarah asked when Charlie had gone in to start dinner for them. He was really taking on responsibility with that. Rhea knew before they had started dating, he had dinner out every night because he wasn't very good at cooking for himself.
"I think things are getting pretty serious between us. I haven't talked to him about everything yet, because I want all the girls to be a little more settled, but it will be soon. We've, um, talked about a lot of other things, though. I'm super nervous, but I want to talk to him before the kids start school this year. I really want to ask him if he wants to move in then so we can do all of our transitioning at once." Her face was a pretty pink, but the women were squealing.
"I'm so excited for you, Ree! You two are so great together. You are the sweetest couple." Rhea smiled, shaking her head, but seconds later Charlie walked out the door, sat down beside her, and pulled her into his lap, kissing her softly.
"What are you ladies out here gossiping about?" He had a teasing lilt to his tone, and they all knew he didn't really think they were gossiping, but Rhea's face flamed, and she just kissed him again to distract him.
"Nothing much, Charlie. So, what's for dinner?" She played her fingers on his back while she talked to him.
"I just tossed some stuff together for a casserole. You know I'm not good for much else in the kitchen yet, and it seemed like a comfort food kinda day." He kissed her cheek.
So sweet. Sarah mouthed at her from her seat. Out loud, she had other things to discuss. "Tiffany called this morning, and she should be dropping Embry off any minute now. And casserole sounds great, Charlie. Billy for sure can't manage that much."
"She's right, Charlie. Casserole sounds fantastic. And I'm so proud that you're learning to cook for us." Rhea stood and gave a few sweet kisses of her own, much to the other women's amusement. "I'm going to pop in and wait for Tiffany and Em to show up." She wandered into the house, smelling the casserole cooking, and it did smell delicious. It was only a few minutes before there was knocking on the door.
"Hey, Em! Tiffany." She greeted the little boy by dropping down and giving him a warm hug, but also acknowledging his mother. She wasn't outright rude to Tiffany, but she didn't like how inattentive and sometimes cold she was to Embry. He was such a sweet boy, and he didn't deserve that kind of treatment.
"Can he stay the weekend? I have a couple of doubles, and it'd be easier to sleep between." Tiffany asked.
"He's welcome anytime, Tiffany. So you'll pick him up Monday?" Rhea hated how unaffected Tiffany sounded that she wouldn't be able to see her son for several days in a row.
"Yeah, probably after breakfast. I'll let you know." As much as Rhea would like to claim Embry for her own, she knew that all she would be able to do was be there for him. Tiffany had never done anything to lose her son, other than being a self-centered sack of detritus.
Rhea held Embry's hand and led him outside to call in the other kids to wash up for dinner. As they all cleaned up and congregated back outside since there certainly wasn't room enough in the dining room for all of them anymore, Rhea couldn't help but think how happy she was to have everyone all together like that.
With another Saturday trip planned and Charlie offering to stay with the kids this time, they all enjoyed their evening, and Rhea spent the rest of the week taking stock of everything she'd learned, and what else she had yet to finish before the school year started.
She also got Chloe's room painted in the unusual olive and black she'd chosen, and Aurora had hers done in cheery yellows. They were also the happy owners of a new fishing set and a kid's beginner tool kit, respectively.