Surprise to Start a New Year

[theprivate_ryan]

She had not been able to get what she wanted for him before Christmas, so she had given him other things. However, when the searched for items finally arrived, Ryan was as excited as a little kid, bouncing around until everything was just perfect

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[theprivate_ryan]

Ryan was confused, for a minute, at what Altaf said about the pet store. When she realized, she laughed and shook her head. "Oh, no, I don't mean get one. I just thought he might enjoy looking at them. He seems to like animals." Taking a drink, she thought for a few minutes, then nodded. "I think a fish would be a nice start, for him. They are beautiful, and it will give him something to take care of in his room." She could see that this was pretty overwhelming for the boy, quite a culture shock. "I think maybe a few days at home would be good, let him get used to us, the house...we can swim with him. Nice and peaceful, then we can try more outings." Ryan forgot how noisy and bright and loud America would be to a small boy, and she berated herself internally for aiming for too much, too soon.

She had taken a few bites of her salad when she heard the remarks of that couple. Her green eyes blazed with fury, and she took in the table they had just left, and where they were going. She was very surprised that Altaf spoke out to them, and nodded at him with a smile, but the husband's parting shot stoked a fire in her that was inflamed by the last couple of days. Thank the lord that Kamil didn't hear them. In fact, they had been walking out, so she was not sure if Altaf heard his last remark. This was her FAMILY, and Ryan had been itching to take some of her fury out on someone, and this couple clearly volunteered for the job.

With a sweet smile to Altaf and Kamil, she laid her fork down and rose from the booth. "Excuse me, I am going to the ladies room." Gracefully, she walked behind the couple, until they went out the door and to their car, parked in the blue handicap spaces.

"Excuse me?" She called out to them, and the man turned around, his wife looking over her shoulder. "That was my stepson in there, that you just criticized, and my fiance, who you just told to go back to his own country." The man glared at her, and his wife looked only slightly contrite. "First of all, that little boy's mother was killed yesterday. But he is brave enough to go to a new place and be a good boy in a restaurant. Unlike many American children, that little boy sat quietly, spoke respectfully and was thrilled with rice and vegetables, instead of whining for junk food, like most American brats would." Frankie would have been grinning, had he seen her getting warmed up. Once Ryan was in full bitch rant mode, she was a sight to behold. Ryan tossed her red hair back, from where the wind had blown it into her eyes. "In his country, that is how he eats. I realize you might have missed how well behaved he is, what with the three beers you drank with your senior special, but I'm happy to enlighten you." Now her hands were on her hips, and Seyed was watching her from the van, a grin on his face. "Now, as to your nasty little crack about them going back to Mexico? I am an American, born and raised, and that man is marrying me and that boy will be my son, so guess what, Jack? That makes them like every other person in this nation whose ancestors came here from somewhere else, including yours. But, see, they are too kind and grateful to this country to abuse the privilege of being here by being a callous, ignorant, self centered, drunk, nasty, bitchtacular asswipe. And he is from INDIA, you douchebag, not Mexico. So, the next time you get the thought of insulting someone you don't even know, especially a small child? You had better be using a really strong Polident to hold those teeth in your gob, because someone is likely to knock you on your narcisistic butt. And I don't know why you have that parking placard, but I can safely tell you that your greatest handicap is being a ignorant, uneducated, jerk. Unfortunately, doctors have not found a cure."

[theprivate_ryan]

She pulled out her cellphone and took a picture of their license plate, which seemed to annoy the man, but the woman ran to get into the car, while Ryan walked away. She paid no attention to anything they might have said, because she didn't care and because it was better that they stew, wondering what she might do. Would he get pulled over for drunk driving? Would they get towed? Sometimes the best revenge was the one you never took, but that they would fear for days.

With a sweet smile, she sat back down and draped her napkin in her lap, then ate her salad. The whole confrontation only took a minute or two, but it was well worth it. Large or small, Ryan was prepared to fight for her family, any fight, and for her it was as natural as breathing. "I'm feeling Pizookie today." When the waitress came, she ordered a tiny one for Kamil, and a larger one for her and Altaf to share. The warm, yummy cookie with the small scoop of delicious vanilla ice cream was a favorite of hers. She always did love sweets. God help Altaf if she ever did get pregnant. Ice cream runs at midnight would be essential to survival...his.

[theprivate_ryan]

"I love you, too." Ryan was very surprised at Altaaf's kiss, but she loved it! "And no thanks are needed. I thoroughly enjoyed it." Her grin was wicked, as she knew that he knew her well enough to know that, now and then, she needed to let off steam. Usually she did it in physical exercise, but verbal intimidation was great, too.

The fatigue was starting to hit Ryan, too. It had been a long few days, and with Sufi's murder, the violence they had received and inflicted, and the emotional jolt, Ryan could see that they really needed to get Kamil adjusted to the home he would live in, at least for the immediate future. Her phone rang, and she picked up, seeing it was Bane. After a few minutes, she hung up and tucked her card in the black leather bill holder. While the waitress went to run her card, she looked to Altaaf, and smiled. "Bane says they have the house childproofed. They put an alarm on the back door, to the pool, and covered all of the electrical outlets...stuff like that. They moved your stuff into my room, and are prepping that bedroom for Kamil. Is that okay with you?" That room had been his place to pray and rest, but they did have the bedroom that had been turned into a small home office. She and Altaaf could fix that to suit them both. The bedroom was right next to her room, and had a small bath right there. He would need that, at his age.

"I think that we should go home, unless there is anything else we need?" She laid her hand over Altaaf's, as she signed the bill with the other. She and Altaaf traded off on paying for stuff, now that he had been selling some of his art. It was not a point of contention for them, the fact that she had wealth, because she did not use it in any way. Money had never been emotional for her, she viewed it as just a tool, like a pen or a hammer. Ryan already felt that what was hers was his. Now he was sharing his beautiful son with her, and that was worth more than any amount of money.

They gathered her purse and things, and they headed out to the new SUV, and after Altaaf strapped Kamil into his seat, she sat in the passenger seat while he drove them home. Ryan put on some soft music, noticing that Kamil was blinking, a lot, a sure sign that he was full and tired from his eventful first day in America. "I bet he is sound asleep before we get home." They drove on to the house, down the desert highway, just comfortable and glad to be together. When they drove up the private driveway, she saw her bodyguards unloading the van. The sight of these mercs carrying stuffed animals and such made her grin. They were family, too, in a way, though they lived in the gatehouse across the front yards. "I am so glad we have him home." She really was. It surprised her, but she really did love that little boy, already.

[theprivate_ryan]

Ryan walked ahead of Kamil and Altaaf, and she was glad that the new bed was assembled, ready to slip the sheet and comforter on. It was so fresh and new, and it touched her how different this would be for the little boy. Sufi's place was clean, and she knew that his mom had done everything she could. Ryan had texted Caro, who would try to find all kinds of photos and videos of Sufi, so that someday, Kamil would have them to always honor and remember the mother that gave her life to keep him safe. "Dream big, little man." She leaned over to whisper, softly, and kissed his brow. She flipped on the light, up on the dresser, which had a setting with little, soft lights like stars across the ceiling. It was a perfect nightlight, in case the small boy awoke in the unfamiliar place, and was afraid. She headed down the stairs just as Rocker headed up. Afraid he might wake Kamil, she turned for a moment, then saw that the huge dog laid on the floor between the small boy and the door, a protective stance she found sweet.

When they relaxed on the couch, Missy, the cat, walked along the back to settle herself down on a pillow beside Altaaf, her favorite human. Ryan sighed, knowing where this was headed, and knowing that her lover meant what he said. But it was one thing to thing that one is open minded, and quite another to hear something like the story of the Jacks family, for real. "This is a long story, love, so I need a drink." Ryan got up and went into the kitchen, knowing that she was stalling, but she really did need the drink. It had been a rough few days, and the changes were profound. She opened the cabinet and took out two goblets, then put ice in from the refrigerator door, before pouring Pepsi into one, and some grenadine with Diet Coke in the other. "Hell's bells, might as well." Ryan poured a good slug of rum into hers, before carrying them into her lover. She took a long drink of hers, trying to figure out the right words.

"Many years ago, my grandfather was involved with a shadow organization called The Consortium. He was a mean, rich old coot, and he was involved with my Uncle Alex's family in Russia...the Romanovs. It was all about aliens." She took another sip, feeling the burn of the rum, down her throat. "I don't mean like you are an alien here...I mean...well...from space." Ryan glanced up to meet his eyes, knowing that he would think she was completely nutters and probably grab his kid and run for the hills. "I have some alien DNA, not a lot, I was an early prototype. Elizabeth and Sara are about half...half human, half alien. Do you remember when they came to visit, and Lizzie had her robe burn when she was fighting with JJ for it?" He had thought it was already singed, but that was because they covered it up. "Lizzie can make things catch on fire. She can cause someone to...well...kind of melt...from the inside...if she wanted to." That was heavy stuff, about a teenaged girl.

Ryan shifted, and tossed her hair back, glad that the dark rinse came out in the shower. Yes, she was letting her brain get distracted. But she had been dreading this for so long, her stomach actually hurt. "Sara's gifts are different. She can levitate things...dolls, toys, people...cars..." Ryan glanced up, shrugging. "What they used are this alien tech, called nanogens. Basically, they are like little...doctors...they fix whatever is wrong with someone. Alex used one on me, one time, when I fell through a glass table." Yeah, best not to elaborate on that mess, with her and Frankie playing very dangerous sexyfuntime games that got out of control. "Because I have alien DNA in me, it worked really fast."

After all of that rambling talk, she just shut up, and almost held her breath, waiting to see how the man she loved would react to his girlfriend being distantly related to little green men. Talk about freaky in-laws...

[theprivate_ryan]

"No...it does us no harm. Sara has pretty much gotten full control. Only when she is extremely upset can she sometimes freak out a little, and even that is so much better. Sara is very good about her talents, and she knows that using it is a nono." Ryan smiled, trying to reassure him, as she did understand his worry. "The rest of the kids are perfectly normal. Believe me, Caro and Nick are very careful and they watch over the kids. Carolina found this woman who has some experience in this area, and she is helping the girls with total control and using their talents properly." Ryan sighed, knowing that he would figure out, without her saying it, that this was a danger in a different way. "Altaaf, the Consortium has been gone for years, but make no mistake, there are plenty of people out there who would go to any lengths to get their hands on the girls, or even me. That is why we keep these things so secret. One time, they did manage to get to us. Alex came in and helped us. But we still have to be careful."

His touch and his kisses warmed her, and she knew he really meant it. "I love you, too. I want us to have a home with a nice, big yard, and a good school. I made a promise to Sufi, when I covered her, I promised I would look out for her son, that he would want for nothing, and I meant that." Ryan moved closer to him, putting her arm around his waist and laying her head on his strong shoulder. "He needs to grow up away from all of the fear and pain, to be a little boy and be happy. I will love him, always, just as I will love you...forever. I promise." Her eyes met his, as she looked up and was taken in by those beautiful hazel eyes. She kissed him softly, sweetly, once...twice...the third kiss was deeper, more lingering.

[theprivate_ryan]

"I can't wait to marry you, too." Ryan was serious about that, but she was also turning her attention to the kissing and stroking. Altaaf was becoming more and more sensual, and they had been enjoying some sex in different places, notably the shower, the laundry room, the pool and the kitchen. The couch was a lovely place, and it didn't even occur to her any remembering of the little boy asleep upstairs. In her experience, once Caro's kids were asleep, that was it. If sleeping were an Olympic event, those kids would be gold medalists. Ryan slid her body down, so he was on top of her, kissing. "We should go take care of that, in Vegas. This weekend." She brushed a lock of dark, soft hair out of his eyes. "I don't want a wedding with all the fuss. I just want my family...I just want you."

More kisses, and she was heating up very, very nicely. Aside from Sufi's death, the rest of the mission had been a success. Kamil was safe, happy and he would be so loved. But first, Ryan intended to love his daddy.

Her first clue that something was wrong was a short, sharp bark at the top of the stairs. Ryan's blouse was fully unbuttoned and her bra was askew. But that bark was no whine for food or attention. That was for real. "Altaaf...wait...love...something..." In seconds, she was disengaged, and her ears heard a whimper, much like in the apartment in Mumbai. "Kamil...."

She rose up, and knowing her lover was right with her, she took the stairs two at a time. Rocker gave her a baleful, almost accusatory look, which she was glad of, because she adjusted her blouse before entering the child's room. "Kamil...honey...shhhh...it's okay, baby." Oh, poor kid. He was sitting up, and the first thing she noticed was that the bed was all wet. They should have put a Pull up on him, for overnight in a strange place. Now he was wet, and scared and sad, too, most likely.

She looked to Altaaf, shrugged and sighed. "How about I get some fresh jammies and sheets, and you take him to the bathroom. There are some underwear and some overnight Pull ups in that top drawer." The small boy might be more comforted by his father, in his native language, than by a virtual stranger. Ryan smiled as she set to making the bed, this time with the spare set, and she put down one of the waterproof mats under, so it would stay drier. The comforter was soaked, though, so she pulled out a nice fuzzy throw that JJ liked to use, with puppies on it. The dirty items she put down the laundry chute, which went down to the room below off the garage. Thank heavens it had a lock on it. Going back in the room, she murmured. "How are my men? Feel better?" Ryan could see the child was distressed. Was he hungry, lonely, cold? Overnight parenthood was a bit daunting.

[theprivate_ryan]

"Kamil, the bad men can never, ever, ever get you here." Ryan knelt down in front of the clinging child, speaking gently. "See Rocker? The kutta? Look at his teeth. If bad men ever tried to come here, Rocker would bite them on the leg, and they would run away crying." She rubbed his back, gently, understanding his fear. For goodness' sake, the poor little guy had been through a lot in the last two days. Glancing out the window, she noted that it was still not too late. They were a little off their clock, with the time change. "Remember Bane and Sergei? And Seyed? They stay here in the little house right outside, and they keep us safe, too. Plus, your abba and I both know how to fight and protect you. No one will ever...EVER...hurt you again, Kamil. I promise, cross my heart." Ryan traced her finger over her heart, and gave the terrified child what she hoped was a reassuring smile.

Before she could answer, Altaaf had already asked Kamil, so she didn't want to be the bad guy and say no. Carolina had always said that letting the kids into her bed was a mistake, but this was a very unusual circumstance, and besides, it was only for one night. Problem was, she wasn't tired yet, and it was only eight thirty. "I suppose it couldn't hurt for him to come down and watch TV with us?" She shrugged, and nodded. "Kamil, Abba and I are going to watch a movie. Would you like to come and cuddle with us on the couch? I have some banana bread, if he is hungry." They would have to go to the store, too, the next day. It was so different, trying to plan and think ahead for a small child.

Plus, it occurred to her that all of the spontaneous sexual exploration was going to be seriously curtailed, and not just that night. It was funny enough that sometimes Rocker would catch them, and stare with his head cocked to the side, but it was probably not good for Kamil to find them getting busy in various parts of the house. How Caro and Nick ever found the time, not to mention the privacy, to have sex mystified her. They had four preschoolers! It boggled the mind.

"Okay. It is a special night, so we can snuggle for TV and then get some sleep." Ryan looked at the tiger, which was wet and would need washing, so she grabbed a soft, floppy puppy dog, and handed it to him, before they all went downstairs. The sofa was large, and sectional, so they had plenty of room. Since Kamil refused to let go of Altaaf, Ryan had to slip into the other side, after she stopped to change into pajama pants and a Tshirt. Obviously, there would be no sex, so she got comfortable. She put her drink on a side table, out of the child's reach, and put some milk in a cup, and some banana bread on a plate, on the coffee table, in case he got hungry.

"Well...let's see what might be fun to watch, huh?" Ryan wracked her brain, trying to think of a movie that wouldn't scare the child. Lion King? Nope, father dies in that. Little Mermaid? The sea witch was really scary. Old Yeller? Not even going there. She held up Despicable Me, thinking that the minions might be cute for him, and take his mind of his fears. Thank goodness she had a good selection of films, since the kids came down now and then.

[theprivate_ryan]

"Look at your Papa's big mus-cles!" Ryan said brightly, pronouncing it like Popeye. "Why, your Papa could throw bad guys a mile down the road!" Ryan tried to ease the child's fear. Then, she remembered something in the cabinet, something that she had made for JJ, and would be great for Kamil. She ran over and got the spray bottle, and showed it to him. No, Kamil could not read the label, but they had decorated it with cartoon monsters crying like babies. "This is Monster Be Gone! See? If you are ever afraid, you can spray it under the bed, or in the closet, wherever you want, and poof! No more monster!" It was just water, with a little essential oils of jasmine and lavender, which were soothing and aided sleep. Caro always had these fun ideas for the kids, and they usually worked like a charm.

Ryan loved the movie, too, and never minded when the kids wanted to watch it. "Ooh, I forgot to tell you, I bought the second one! We can see it tomorrow." It touched her heart, seeing the toddler cling to Altaaf, and then to her. Once again, in her heart, she assured the child's mom that he would be safe and loved. It was hard to believe, but this little boy had already wrapped his little hand around her heart, and she knew that it would not change.

When the film ended, Ryan eased up and put the dishes in the dishwasher, and the DVD back in it's case. At her lover's question, she nodded, and followed him up the stairs to their room. One thing she did remember from Caro was that if you told a child something, you had to follow through, because they needed to know that you could be trusted. Sure, she would love to tuck the boy back in his own bed, but they told him he would sleep with them, that night, and that was what they would do. "We should put him between us, so he doesn't fall off. Her bed was a king size, but even so, being on a platform, and this being so new to him, the boy could roll off. She pulled down the comforter, and set a pillow just right, in the middle. Rocker lumbered in and laid down on his giant bed in the corner. It was so cute, how the massive dog took to the small child, but he was that way with Caro's kids, too.

"Night, love...my love..." Ryan leaned over to kiss her fiance, and softly kissed her future stepson on his forehead. She pulled back, her brow furrowing. "Altaaf? Does he feel warm to you?" Maybe it was just jet lag or all the uproar of the last couple of days, but the little boy did feel a bit feverish to her. Ryan sure hoped this wasn't like when Sara, then JJ, then the twins came down with a bug, and they were puking everywhere. That was all they needed, Kamil sick. "Well...let's let him sleep." Ryan heard a noise out in the kitchen, and pulled her pistol out from her purse, before going to the door. She relaxed when she saw Sergei in the hall with a bag.

"Sorry, just wanted to put some children's needs in the bathroom. Got some Tylenol, cough drops, Pepto, stuff like that. Just to be safe." Ryan shook her head at the tough mercenary, touched, because he must have gone out and driven into town, to the twenty four hour pharmacy for these things.

"That was very sweet of you. Go to bed, get some rest. We are all beat."

[theprivate_ryan]

"I know...crazy..." Ryan shook her head in wonder at Altaaf's statement, and if he was blown away by the child being his, she was doubly so, knowing that very soon she would be a stepmom. Ryan was truly excited, though she wished with all her heart that Sufi had lived to raise her son in America. Ryan thought that they probably would have been friends. "We have everything we could ever ask for." That made her smile, and it also kind of scared the shit out of her. Was bliss too much to ask for? Caro had it. Alex had it. Maybe it really was her turn.

"Little monkey..." Ryan mumbled, sleepily, when she was awakened by Altaaf moving around, and she noticed that the grown ups were hugging the edge of the huge bed. She grabbed her phone from the side table, and took a picture of him, so cute just sprawled across the bed. But, then, she gently moved him back to vertical, and then laid down, reaching across to take her lover's hand. "'Night, love..." She needed more sleep. The jet lag was catching up with her, and all of the stress bleeding off. She had a feeling that the next few days would be one of adjustments. No doubt Kamil would be getting used to them, to the house, to a new country. No doubt, like most two year olds, he would test limits. Ryan suspected that Altaaf was going to be a pushover, at least at first. Nick had been that way, with the kids, and Caro had been the bad guy. But then they got on the same page, and when the kids knew that they were a united front, they became more secure and calm. Sara was still of the opinion that she ran the planet, but Ryan doubted that would ever change.