Summary:
Set six months after the birth of little Richard and Arthur. Sadly the birth of the babies doesnt imply a decrease in crimes, major and minor.
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Chapter Text
Indeed the criminals havent felt much regard for the growing Poole family. So if the parents have been able to reconcile their personal and family life with their profession one, it has been thanks to Richard's parents, who are now permanently settled on the island, to Catherine, to the Best couple and, curiously, thanks to Commissioner Patterson's wife. Even Dwayne has done what he could, but while the children seemed to connect particularly well with him, Camille and Richard were afraid to discover what dear Uncle Dwayne was teaching them, even though the children were still really young.
They don't forget how smart little Rosie is.
But as Richard himself pointed out with great pain in his heart, as his reading and quiet time has been severely curtailed, family and friends cannot be abused. For that very reason he has decided that he will only come to their aid when they have professional, personal (they need to be alone from time to time to 'reconnect' and remember very happy times) and unforeseen commitments.
To make it worse, it seems that little Richard's teeth are starting to come out and he cries disconsolately night after night, day after day. This wakes Arthur, who, in solidarity with his brother, accompanies him with his own cries.
At that moment, in the early hours of the morning, the babies are precisely calm, although Camille is too awake to try to go back to sleep.
The Poole couple have decided that, if children cry a lot at night, for the sake of the functioning of the police station and for their own mental health, when one of them has managed to sleep, it will be the other who will take care of the children when some small contingency occurs.
That night precisely its Camille who, seeing Richard placidly and exhaustedly asleep, has kissed him very gently on the lips, bringing a sleepy smile to his face, and has got up to make herself a cup of tea and see what other book she can read from the library in the cool, comfortable, large shack they now enjoy.
Before that, though, and seeing the smile widen on Richard's face, she kisses him again and says:
"Something tells me you're going to have some very pleasant dreams tonight, my love. Next weekend we'll make it up to you, I promise."
Catherine has offered, along with Samantha Patterson, to look after them this weekend.
Camille closes her eyes in excitement at a weekend off, as their shifts overlap and neither is on call, just for the two of them. She will have to get Richard adequate rest and plenty to eat.
Once she has made her tea, she makes her way with quiet steps to the library. Once again shes impressed by how perfectly tidy and clean this room is, almost sacred to Richard. He looks after it personally.
'You have enough work to do, Camille. I can take care of this.
She smiles at the memory of his comment. He, as always, is unfair, because he helps her a lot with the upkeep of the house and the children. Not forgetting the small tropical garden...
What happens is that the library is his personal whim, and he has been kind enough to include her books along with his own - and some of them are certainly quite explicit, but still romantic!
She knows he reads them when he thinks she doesn't see him. He has learned a lot of things in the bedroom lately and she knows where he gets his ideas from...
She has never asked him for that, though she certainly appreciates it and... a lot. Camille is touched by the thought of what he has done, does and always will do for her.
He never stops showing her how much he loves her, how much he always tries to surprise her.
Fortunately they still argue from time to time. Otherwise, she would think she would be living in a dream and she really likes reality, as she is lucky enough to live it.
She, of course, tries to return the favour. By giving him her whole life.
Those plans for next weekend again!
Sighing, Camille sits comfortably in a wicker chair and opens the book she has chosen. It's one that deals with the meaning of names.
Although the names were clear to them, they were very curious for the meaning of their names, their own and their child's ones.
And they had a lot of fun with the most eccentric or strange names!
She re-reads the meaning of Richard: from the Germanic 'rikja' and 'hardhu'. Meaning: powerful and strong.
In more ways than one, she thinks with a mischievous smile. But she doesnt forget his sense of honour and humour, his great capacity for work, his commitment, his sense of loyalty, his kindness.
"Camille, go on with the other names!"
She has to draw attention to herself so as not to deviate from what she has set out to do.
Aimée… That one is reserved, like her own.
She is amused by the meaning of her own name: Hebrew, Latin origin. "She who keeps the fire going".
"And for many years to come." She comments aloud. No one hears her, anyway.
"I see you have already made your plans quite well prepared, my precious Camille."
The library, the new shack, the book, everything is gone...
"But..."
Camille feels disoriented for a second, until she discovers that it is Richard, who, with an amused look on his face, gazes at her from the bed in her old bedroom. Her timeless shack of the Loa.
"The children, Richard..."
Richard stands up, only his pyjama bottoms on, and it distracts Camille, though she doesn't forget her children.
He, putting a finger to his wife's lips, reassures her:
"They are protected, my love. You know very well that our family and friends are not the only ones who help us with them, don't you? Don't forget that our children are from both worlds... Besides, Harry has helped me get to you. He's always been very considerate of us. You know that. "
He leads her to the bed with a big smile.
"You know? I was asleep and I saw you as if in a dream. There, in the library, sitting so comfortably with your tea and your book. Somehow I was given to know what was hidden in your little head. Those devilishly attractive plans that we may as well go ahead."
"And I wanted to give you a surprise..." Camille comments, fiddling with the string of her pyjamas.
"You're not too subtle at the moment, my dear. And not that I mind. I think we've been too long without being together like you and I are used to. You're not the only one who's missed those times. I know it doesn't seem like it, but I've missed you terribly. Although it has to be clear..."
"That we both adore children and love them with all our hearts!"
They both laugh with all their might as they hug each other tightly.
He whispers in her ear, "I would have kidnapped you earlier, Camille, but you were so beautiful reading that book. At that moment you were, more than ever, my dream. Only for me. For no one else. Besides..." he pulls away from her just long enough to stare at what she's wearing, "...I've told you more than a million times that that little nightgown you're wearing doesn't help me at all!"
With a firm, but gentle push, Richard gets them both to fall onto the bed. Camille on top of Richard, of course. He would never consent to hurt her in any way.
"Richard," she manages to say as they decide they're wearing too many clothes, "you have to know I was looking at the meaning of the names because I wanted to know the meaning of Aimée. And you didn't let me get to read it!"
Making it clear that now is not the time to read anything, he whispers in her ear:
"Tomorrow you'll read it. Something tells me we're going to need that name before too long. By the way, I'd rather show you why my name means what it means."
Neither Camille nor Richard remember anything anymore.
Its early in the morning. The Poole couple have received an urgent call from Fidel, a body has washed up in the island's harbour. A problem, as Commissioner Patterson is not at all happy that some tourists, who are the ones who have discovered it, think its normal to find people violently murdered just when they are about to enjoy an idyllic Caribbean holiday.
The children, apparently calm and playing with each other, seem to be giving their parents a break today.
For once the cereal and fruit porridge is going into their mouths and not into their parents' faces.
While Richard personally sees to it that his children eat everything before taking them to the nursery, as if they have to learn to socialise with other children, Camille watches them.
She is happy with her family at the moment, very happy. And she still remembers what she and Richard experienced yesterday in their refuge - their particular world.
She understands that these are licences granted by the Loa. Evidently because, in return, she and her husband have to protect especially Saint Marie and its inhabitants. They give their lives to the care of all these people and, in return, she and her husband have all this magic at their disposal to prevent this burden from weighing too heavily on them.
When the children are in their wooden playground, carefully filled with soft cushions so that they don't get hurt, she goes to the living room where Richard is already straightening his tie and picking up his briefcase.
When he sees her and, unseen by the children, he hugs his wife and reminds her that he too is grateful for what they experienced yesterday.
She breaks away from him with a smile and asks him seriously:
"Don't you think it's strange that they left a corpse so visible for everyone to see?"
"I understand the Commissioner's concern and anger. The bad thing about an island so apparently secluded from everything is that its ideal for many criminals to take refuge there under another name. I asked the Commissioner again to set up a department to do a background check on every person who enters the island. But it seems that would be a very unpopular measure."
"So you think it's a settling of scores, do you?"
"It has all the hallmarks of that. But remember that nothing is what it seems."
Before leaving the shack securely locked and with Arthur in Richard's arms and little Richard in his mother's ones heading for the nursery, the DI comments:
"But first let's gather all the data that I'm sure Fidel and Dwayne have already collected. With a little more investigation on the ground and all our combined efforts we will solve it. Let's not forget that the victim deserves justice."
"And let's not forget your brain... power and will... strength." She says as she brushes a non-existent speck of dust off her son's little outfit, which she carries in her arms.
Richard looks at her and then at his children, who evidently don't know what their mother is talking about.
That being so, he answers, now happy to have been able to enjoy these moments just for them:
"Well, if I haven't received any complaints about it so far, I'd say that's not a bad thing, don't you think?" and almost in whispers because the children seemed to have their little antennae out for them: "Thanks to that, you and I can face that dark and tragic side of our work and help the victims, fortunately it's not all crime."
She smiles and asks her little Richard, as his father refuses to give him a diminutive:
"And what plans do my little angels have today at the nursery?"
And the children start talking in a language that, for the moment, only they know. But Richard and Camille have no doubt that its something of the utmost importance.
Notes:
I want this to be a surprise for everyone to enjoy. I have tried to review it briefly, but comments of all kinds are welcome! I hope you like it.
