I feel the pricky weight of Pop's gaze, and so does Nat obviously because we press our knees against each other at simultaneously, trying to convey exactly the same thing by the action. Instead of vocalising anything we just slide a breath in through our noses and well, ignore it. We are pros at that. Not so much from practice against Pop but from Angus and sometimes Dad and Daryl quite frequently. We both watch Sam as he continues to grasp his throat like it was a deadly poison, not a beer and garlic soaked potato slice that he ingested incorrectly, all the while Pop's attention never shirks from us.
Nathan finally lifts a massive arm and thumps Sam on the back and instead of bestowing Nat a snarling glare Sam seems grateful.
"Sam," I drawl, raising an eyebrow and allowing all my scorn to heave into that one word. He glares back at me like it is my fault! Nathan, his idol, faultless. Poor Seth when he stumbles across this new mesmerised Sam.
Harry was continuing on in reply to someone's question about his children being lost along with his wife, my heart lurches against the pit of my stomach and I felt Pop's gaze waver in it's intensity. Pop would never have let Nan be buried anywhere than where she wanted to be bloody buried. There is no way in hell. Pop is fun, passionate and quite out there at times, Nan always said Nathan and I had been generously trickled with those genes way more than our brothers, so I knew he would do what we were thinking. He must have considered that too because all of a sudden the feeling of his stare changed. Nat and I instantly and simultaneously swing to him.
He rolls his grey eyes, huffs and turns to Harry. We grin, excitement and purpose welling up inside me to obliterate any vestiges of tiredness and the tiny niggling aches of my annoyed ribs.
I listen to Harry describe the many efforts he had exhausted to be granted rights to returning his family home until he had just given up. I also knew what he wasn't saying... that it literally killed him every day. That there was something missing. It seemed that he couldn't stem the tide of words pouring out and I got the feeling that he had had enough of the subject, so, apparently, did Pop, he extended a hand and squeezed Harry's shoulder, just as I rose to give him a hug. The next moment it was a massive group hug and everyone there, including Sam, had arms around him. We all gasp from the lack of oxygen and seriously experience asphyxiation when Chops and Nathan join in.
"Stop," NAt's voice bellows. "My sister's in there!" From the sounds of the ooompfs he is panicking and throwing bodies left, right and centre.
When it's just me and Harry, Flea and Pop making a hasty retreat of their own accord, Harry's eyes are shining with moisture. His gaze drops down and hands begin picking at a thread on his moleskins.
"So," Pop starts flicking his gaze over the others, "which of you young reprobates are joining the forces?" His hands rise in a WTH movement and his brow not happy either, furrows at the lack of enthusiastic response. Pop is enthusiatic.
"No way," Wade grouses. "You have to iron yourself!"
I pfft, "Iron yourself! Don't think we'd have much of army if that happened."
"You know what I meant," he deadpans, folding his arms to make his stance clear. "How boring, getting up and ironing all the time, everything you own. Even your undies!"
"Yeah," Jaime chimes up clapping his hands together rapidly three times, I have no idea what for. "They make it all exciting on the ads, but come on, really... no soccer or anything ... who would want that?"
"We did, so much so that we changed our names, our ages and ran away to be enlisted," Flea flourished a hand at Pop. "Best adventure of our lives! And there is soccer, boofhead." He aimed at the two skeptical boys.
Nathan shifts in his seat, I know he's hoping Black Jo stories might emerge with new twists now that Flea was here in the flesh.
"What?" Tina gasps. "You changed your names and ages? Isn't that illegal?"
"Yup," Pop smiled proudly. "Illegal dallies seem to run in my family if you haven't noticed." He stares straight at Nat and I... and then the story began how Pop and Flea weren't allowed in so they stole two dead blokes name and age and shot off to the city, they both end up becoming very high up in the ranks. I've heard the stories many times so my mind starts to devise ways to get Harry's family members back here. I flick a glance back at him, his body portraying something I had seen before; discomfort, regret and uncertainty.
I get up and move closer to him, "Hey, Haz? Want to help me grab some more drinks?"
After blinking for a second he nods gratefully.
I walk silently beside him. He makes it until we pull some more cold water out of the fridge and watch the cordial swirl around in the jugs in funny little clouds. We rarely had cordial at the station, Daryl said it was because of our teeth but I think it was from the one time I poured it in the water and loved the cold clouds it made, I end up using bottle after bottle on different liquids to see what it would do. Turns out no one was impressed with Frutti tutti or lime flavoured beer. Men. I grab a few unaccosted beers and set them out on the counter.
Harry stops and studies a framed picture of his wife. "It just came over me like a wave," he starts, raising a finger to stroke their faces. "The thought that... that... that," He sucks in another breath, "that out there is how it would have been. Could have been. Our kids, their kids, everyone enjoying this place. Having fun. Stories. I - I don't know how all that came out," he trails off, seeming more vulnerable than I had ever seen him; an old man that hadn't heard the words a lot of people take for granted for so long.
"Harry," I move to stand in front of him and raise my arms to perch my hands on his shoulders. I grip him hard. "You are family. Everything about you matters, everything you think matters, you hurt, I hurt... all because I love you."
The shudder passes under my hands then and tears slide down his face as he creases his eyes shut. After a moment he wipes at them and smiles. "I never thought I would hear that again," his voice is barely audible. "Convinced myself I didn't need to."
"That's grumpy old man stuff," I give him a light punch to lighten the mood. " And you, my friend are now not a grumpy old man, you can thank me later "I wink at him, "Hold on, you aren't unless you've shot kid's ear off in the last week?" I chuckle thinking of it. "Which you better not have because I would not have wanted to miss that."
"I'll let you know when it's on the agenda, kiddo," he makes a move to the beers and jugs and we head outside, him looking lighter and more secure and me feeling way more purposeful to get his family here.
Nathan's eyes swing toward me and then assess Harry, he smiles lazily and relaxes back into listening to Flea who is in full flight story mode.
After passing the jugs around I retake my position next to Nathan and lean happily into his side, his warmth feeling good on my side, waiting a minute to make sure we had heard this particular part of the story before I whisper through the side of my mouth, "Do you think movies might help?"
"Del?" he nods, one side of his lips tugging upwards.
I pull out my phone and moan as I catch sight of the numerous messages that I have ignored over the last couple of days. I text Del asking what movies would give us some good info on graverobbing, exhumation and discreet movement of coffins.
Nathan grabs my phone and taps on mum's unread messages, I didn't want to know what she had to say about anything.
A low growl that vibrates from his huge frame startling Sam from his rapture at Pop and Flea's adventure.
"What is it?" he whispers, alert.
"Mum," I drop my head on Nat's shoulder, wondering what Noah is doing and thinking about the hospital bed.
"OHhhhh," his face falls into a distasteful cast.
Nathan eyes him, "You've met our egg donor?"
Sam shrugs, "Av tried to gift me to her but she rejected me. Damn."
Nat's body stills for a moment before he chuckles and I know that Sam had just made it past another of Nat's shells, probably the first person to do so in a long time. Good job. Sammie bear, I silently cheer.
"What the fukk..." Nathan growls again.
"Do I want to know?" I sigh. Sam peers over the phone and repeats Nat's expletive.
"There is no excuse to get out of our deal." Nat read the text softly in my mum's voice. "One night at Seth's per week is non-negotiable. Unless of course, you are pregnant already..."
"Pregnant?" I repeat, shudders running through my body as memories of the size of quidditch babies filter through my brain like a mini-movie. Suddenly the hospital scene seems to have a scary ending tinge.
"Nice," Sam says dryly.
"Give it here," I hold out my hand.
I press some letters, not in the mood. "Yup, you forgot that blind, deformed men with no hands still have workings penii." I type, not interested. Nat's body radiates with hate when he reads it and he almost crushes my hand as he snatches the phone.
"Penii?" Cackles Sam.
"Well, octopus, octopi," I shrug.
"Dude," Sam shakes his head. " That's words ending in 'us'."
"Fine," I grab the phone the phone and change it. Nat asks for it back with a hand movement.
"No," I say lowly, glancing around. I know what he wants to do. "She doesn't know you're here! We could... surprise her!" I waggle my eyebrows at him and the fire in his eyes turns from deadly to just plain cold. "And then we can stay at Seth's afterward and maybe head out for some scouting."
"Maybe Frank would like to surprise her too," he laughs evilly.
"Oh God, let me watch please," Sammie rubs his hands together.
"Only if you help us, do you know what," I say behind Nat's back. "I can't dig and we need an extra gravedigger."
"My dreams come true," Sam huffs. "Getting asked to be the extra gravedigger, great, awesome." He rolls his eyes at us. "Yes. Fine. Nothing else to do in the middle of the night."
"Why in the middle of the night?" Nathan asks him.
Sam just stares at him. "You're joking, right?"
We both stay silent. Both of us thinking... I bet...that sometimes doing things in plain sight is way easier. But which would be the better to get it done? Darkness? Is there security at cemeteries? Would we need to dress as security? who digs up graves anyway? Hurry up Del!
"Right?" Sam prompts us again. "There are tons of people visiting during the day!"
He stares again, not knowing we are thinking it through. Trying to visualise what we have never seen.
"Argh, fine!" he folds down on himself. "Whatever, whenever, I'm in."
Two grins aim in his direction. He colours and grabs his cordial.
My phone beeps and we all look to see if its mum that has responded. Noah. I smile automatically.
How are you, Thornie? What are you up to?
Just planning to dig up 3 bodies from the cemetery and rehome them, probably in your car.
There's no immediate reply.
Nathan smirks.
Sam's phone beeps, he reads it and turns to me. "Seth is worried about you, says you haven't answered any of his texts."
"Tell him to expect my illustrious company tomorrow night, and maybe gives Sue a heads up to do a Naked Chef show." I raise my eyebrow at my brother who grins broadly and nods.
"I've got one," D pipes up, and we jerk as we realise Pop and Flea had finished there break.
"What is it?" Nathans asks.
"For Sam to run across Frank's paddock," she replies, "naked."
"Woooooooooo," everyone cheers at D's first task for Sam, except of course Sam and me. Sam because he's copped an eyeful of my big baby and me because I know old Frankie.
"We do it now," Nat stands up, he turns to Sam and jerks him to his feet. I hear him whisper. "He's off a fair way, you'll make it. Whatever you do, don't. look. back."
We all follow him to the paddock gate, D striding next to Chops looks ill. Another one to have maybe have let words out on their own accord. Jaime and Wade had their cameras out, Pop was biting his lip and turned to me with eyes that pretty much said if he gets to close get in there. I would but...
"Hey Sam," I say to his naked butt, "can I take a pic of your penii to send to Mum?"
AUTHOR NOTE - sorry for wait, trying to write more regularly now... just getting prepared in this chapter for a few things that happen down the track :D