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CHAPTER 12 - TENDERFEET AND HARD HEARTED


MICHAEL


“Where has this nastiness come from?! What did we do to you?!” 


“You are always making snotty asides about me, which I can take, but you two being nasty to Gus, I will not! And if I have to take your ‘toys’ away to make you toe the kindness line, then so be it!” 


“Justin.” Raven calls out. “Let me get them away from here, a cab will take ages…” He gives this some thought before nodding. “...I can drop them off at the Diner at least that covers the food part…”


“Diner’s closed.” Ma declares. “It’s deep cleaning day.”


“Just get them away from here. Thanks Raven.” Justin orders before stalking inside.


JUSTIN’S STUDIO - FORTY MINUTES LATER


NANCY


We are all crying with laughter. Turns out that Handsome had been taping the entire encounter from Justin’s room. The expressions on their faces are so fugly, Handsome told me about that word, but said I shouldn’t say it to Ronald. When I googled it I realised why.


Anyway, I was so focused on Justin, in shock and admiration, that I didn’t look at the tiresome twits. 


“So, would it be okay to show this to H?” Handsome grins.


“Yes, but only when he’s here or you are there, do not forward it.” Mel chortles.


“Okay, Mom!” He beams. “Now, can we see what you did up there, Dad?”


Once more I am stunned, because Justin looks uncharacteristically nervous before they  load up the laptop; we all aww as the video plays of the otters swirling and diving in the water.


“Freeze frame!” Mel exclaims as one of the otters takes a piece of fruit from Justin’s hand. “I need that as my lock screen!”


“Cute, isn’t it?” Justin scrutinises the image. “Maybe I can do an abstract of them?”


“I think that would be...oh, hey now, what’s got that smile on your face?” I demand as he looks at his phone. I go from teasing to worried as he looks stunned. “Justin, what’s happened?!”


“It’s Odin…”


“Oh no! Justin, I am so sorry!” I immediately fear the worst and try to take the phone off him, but he shakes his head.


“She’s in labour! Brian says we’ve gotta come now. Gus, he says, pack an overnight bag as there's no telling how long it could be.” He orders whilst texting back, then he looks down at himself. “Shit, I have to change!” 


“I’ll pack for you and Gus!” Mel yells and sprints out the room.


“And I’ll drive!” Ronald declares as he follows them out the door.


MEL AND LINDSEY'S HOUSE - AN HOUR LATER


LOUNGE


MICHAEL


We’re still so very annoyed. “Any idea why was he being a queenly bitch this time?” I ask Lindsay as she comes in with coffee. 


“I don’t know, but I’m not being treated like this. He may have the money…”


“Lindsay, as I said when I won, you are my best friend. I will always have your back. We will have enough to have a better say.” I grin at her, then hand her my phone. 


“Michael, a millionaire?! You? How?!” She gasps. “I can’t believe you kept this from me…”


“I had to make sure that our position is secure first, it was so hard to keep it a secret, I hated it..” I soothe, she doesn’t look totally convinced. “Look, the money involves Gus. It will help you have a bigger say, and me being in his life more…”


“What do you mean? You are in his life. You are his Uncle, and…”


“Not as far as his father is concerned.” I grumble. “But I would like to be made a legal guardian of Gus.” 


“You would? That would be...be great, but not sure how Mel would feel about that. She might think it's too much.”


“Why would she be against...what do you mean, ‘too much’?” 


“He already has legal guardians.” She tucks her feet under her whilst still staring at my phone.


“He does? Who?”


She looks up, puzzled. “My parents. If anything happens to one of us, they become his guardians, and they co-parent.” 


“They...when was this agreed, and why didn’t you tell me?!” 


“From birth, I did tell you. Why are you so angry?”


“I’m not angry…” Even though I am! “...I know you told me, but you were so against it, I thought that wasn't confirmed.”


“It was one of his ‘tenets’ before he would touch his dick! Can you imagine me co-parenting with them? Beggars belief, but I got Gus out of it.” She hands me back my phone. “So...why are you living where you’re living, when you can afford somewhere much better?”


I gather my thoughts, then paste on a smile. “I like living around here, but you’re right, I could upgrade a little. But could you speak to Mel, get her onside, then we can present Justin with the idea of me being another guardian should anything happen to your folks? In the meantime, I will speak to Ma; let her know what’s happening.”


“Okay, I will try.” She rests her head against the sofa. “Shall we order some take out?”


“Yes.” I reply, safe in the knowledge that I’ve no intention of speaking to Ma on this at all!


KINNETIC REHABILITATION CENTRE - THREE HOURS LATER


STABLES


BRIAN


“Such a good Momma.” I whisper as Odin whickers before pushing again. “Can you get him to move?” 


“Zeus, come on, let us see.” Justin touches his side. For a minute, I don’t think he’s going to shift, but then he does, just in time for the second foal to be born.


“Holy crap.” Hunter breathes, having never seen a live birth before. “That was awesome.”


“They just need to stand. Hunter, grab some straw, and help dry them off.” Justin orders. “I need you to go real slow. She has a lot of emotions right now, so does he, so keep the movements slow, but most importantly, let them see what you’re doing.”


“Come on, G!” Hunter grins.


“I can’t, she doesn’t know me, also right now Zeus is picking his cues from her. They both know you, so just do as Dad says.”


Hunter carefully moves around Zeus, then whilst Odin cleans one foal, he does the other.  


“Can you see what they are?” I lean into Justin’s touch on my back.


“This one’s a girl...oh!” Hunter gasps as she starts to stand. “Come on, you can do it.”  We all hold our breath as the little princess wobbles to her feet. “There you go! Now go feed.” It takes a few minutes for her to get her bearings, but when she does, she and her sibling are locked onto the same teat. We keep our giggling to a minimum until they figure it out. Soon, the suckling sounds fill the barn. “And this one is…” He ducks under. “...a boy!” 


“I’m so happy!” Justin hiccups. “But we can’t move them now. For at least a month or so right?”


“No we can’t.” I admit, then turn at the opening of the barn door, I signal for quiet as everyone else comes in. 


“Ooh, look at the little darlings!” Ems coos. “So I have girl and boy names, which list do I need to look at?”


“Both.” I grin. “But that can wait, let’s leave them alone. Come out slowly, Hunter.”


“Should I take Zeus back to his stable?” He asks.


“H, nothing is getting him out of there. I remember when Zeus was born, his dad was just the same.” Gus closes the stable behind Hunter. “It helps them to bond. Apart from my Dad, there is one person that got instant obedience from Zeus, and that’s his Dad.”


“He’s still alive? Where is he?” I frown at Justin.


“Back in Saudi Arabia. I get updates.”


“Saudi Arabia?! Whose horse did you use?” I help him to stand, checking for any signs of pain on his face, there is none.


“The Sultan of Brunei. He liked my work, I liked his horse, so we came to a deal.” He dusts himself down. “Can we eat? I am starving!”


“Uh yeah.” Daph replies. “Got a cheese and bacon stuffed rump cap roasting. And despite what the recipe said, I don’t trim the fat.”


“Oh that sounds good! Don’t suppose you have fries as well?”


“Of course! Come on!” She orders before they link arms and head out.


“Did he say the Sultan of Brunei?” Ted looks awestruck.


“Yeah.” I peek over the stable door, they look so cute and content. “He’s full of surprises. Let’s go help Daph with dinner.”


BRIAN AND HUNTER’S HOUSE - THREE HOURS LATER


GARDEN


RONALD


Nobody says anything as Brian and Justin ‘go for a walk to discuss lineage and names’. I’m not sure what Nancy is more peeved about, the fact that she wasn’t here for the birth, or that she couldn’t orchestrate the ‘walk’. Everyone is most relaxed, except for Gus, who is looking a tad pensive.


“Handsome, what’s wrong?”


“Momma. Just got a text. She’s asking if I have eaten.”


“Why?” Ted frowns. “It’s not as if either Maya, Debs or Justin would starve you.”


“It’s not that, and it’s not her. Uncle Michael is being cheap again!”


“Explain this to…” I begin getting to my feet, so we can talk in private.


“Us.” Emmett interjects, gently pushing me back down. “You’re not going anywhere.”


Gus sighs. “They know the codes to each other’s phones, it’s a best friend thing. But he uses it as his way of trying to see if there are leftovers. Maya sometimes over cooks and when she does, sends us home with ‘snacks’ as she calls them. And he conveniently is around to take some back to his lair or eat with us.”


“I see. And whilst you have said ‘Momma’, could you tell us why you’ve started to call…”


“Because she deserves it.” Handsome asserts way too firmly, but now is not the time to chastise, he needs to get this off his chest. “I heard them. They were crowing and cawing, he said to...” He sniffs. “...Momma that she was lucky that she had all the rights but none of the responsibility, since she, meaning Mom...” He sniffs then gulps. “...wanted to be the mother, but having a desiccated uterus meant she couldn’t be in any other way but in name only. And Momma said nothing, nothing to defend Mom; she just laughed alongside him!”


“Oh my goodness.” Tears fill my eyes and I do the only thing I can for now. I gather my Handsome into my arms and let him cry. 

 

Rump cap: https://www.tomhixson.co.uk/foodie-news/Cheese_Bacon_Pichana/

Chapter End Notes:

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