fallen | ✓

Chapter 40: "Responsibility"

"..Huh?" I glanced at Mitch.

"Joao adopted a kid. Her name is Brook. I've been watching her for a while because he's been out so often.." He grumbled. Joa flipped him off. "She was going to find out sooner or later.."

"A child is a huge responsibility, Joa," I warned. "If you're gone all the time, how are you going to take care if her?"

"Relax, Carmen. I wouldn't have gotten a child if I thought I couldn't handle it.." He sighed. "I was considering taking everyone for a 'family outing' back to Florida for a bit." My cheeks burned a bit. Was I family? Or did he consider me the mother? "Yeah, uncle gets to come, too." He nodded at Mitch, turning and going up the ramps to receive Brook. I was eager to meet her.

I got up, pulling on my backpack. Mitch and I waited around for quite a while before Joa finally came around with a little girl holding his hand. She had black hair, like me, and a leather hat with goggles sitting on top of the bill. She also had a white shirt with the words "I Heart NY", then a jacket draped over her shoulders, covering most of it.

She clung to Joa's sleeve and glanced up at him. He motioned towards me. "Go say hi to your mother." He told her. My heart beat quickened and she waved to me. "Her name is Carmen." He glanced at me, then down, muttering, "You've already met Mitch."

"Hi, I'm right here." He growled, annoyed. I raced back to my apartment to grab my supplies when a small boy came and bumped into my leg. He lifted the pan on his head away from his eyes and stared up at me. He instantly smiled. My hand was on my door. I was so close to just darting inside.

His sweater was too big for him, and the pot on his head wasn't rusted. His boots were untied and he was literally adorable as fuck. "Will you be my mommy?" He asked. I flinched slightly. I felt the urge to ask Joao first, but he got a child without my consent so what's the big deal? He seemed nice and well behaved.

"We'll see alright?" I said, frowning a bit. He pouted and followed me into my apartment. I grabbed all my gear and I heard his little voice again.

"Where are we going?" He asked.

"On a little trip," I said, turning and picking him up. He cheered as I carried him out. I locked my door and left, catching up with Mitch, Brook, and Joao. And the best part was that he didn't question me.

~~~

I'm not going to lie, the trip was long. But there was a lot of laughing and talking in it, which made it feel shorter. We went up to Joa's house and I put Jackson down, letting him run free in the house. Brook stayed still in her own spot, sitting on the floor, with a stuffed duck plush.

Surprisingly, I found that she was only a year older than Jack. He was seven, and she was eight. I sat on the couch with Joa when a sudden creak in the floorboards was heard and a head peeked around into the room. As did the barrel of the gun. I could immediately see it was a man when he laughed and stood up straight, pulling down his bandana. I glanced at Joao and he relaxed, his hand on the holster of his gun. "I was just about to shoot y'all." The man snorted. "Joao, come on. You can bring them too." I felt a pulse of confusion. Bring us where..?

Joa shook his head. "Adrien, they're not coming." A bunch of questions flooded through me. Then I remembered that Joao was a Black Water Barracuda. Did that have to do with this?

"Come on, man. Ease up a bit." Adrien said coolly. Joa frowned at him, his brow creasing. Then there was loud stirring in the floor underneath us. Joa got up, grabbing his gun, going down the stairs. Then a gunshot, and a girl's scream. Adrien shot down the stairs, going after him. I picked up Brook and Jackson, taking them to the room downstairs, putting them to bed. There was no way in Hell I was going to let them watch this.

I was taken back a bit at Joao's reaction to the intruder. He must've been expecting Adrien if he didn't shoot at him when the barrel of his gun peeked out. I walked out, then outside through the back door, and the scene was right there. Joa shot a whole clip into her gut as she screamed again. "Hey, hey, hey!" I shouted, grabbing his arm. He shook me off, loading his gun again. I kicked it out of his hands, and it almost smacked into Adrien's face. Anger flooded through me and the girl suddenly passed out from the pain. I shoved him away from her and growled. "IN." I vigorously pointed to the door, my blood boiling. I was more than pissed. What the Hell was his problem?

"I want my gun back." He said plainly.

"INSIDE!" I yelled. I heard a snort from Adrien when Joa pulled his mag and started unloading it on her again. That's when I slapped his arm and shoved him through the door, inside and up the stairs. I didn't care where Adrien went. I was mad as fuck. The girl he shot was young. Younger than me. There was no way that she could cause harm to us. I forced Joao to sit on the couch.

"Can you stay with me?" He asked, tilting his head slightly.

"No," I said, maybe a little too harshly.

"Why?" His voice had a pang of hurt.

"Stay," I said lowly, going back down the stairs. I was half pissed at how he treated the young girl, but I also half trusted him for shooting her down. But, let's face it. That was an over-kill. Adrien did end up leaving, and I grabbed the girl and took her inside, keeping her downstairs, healing her and then giving her pain-killers. Good thing the kids weren't awake through that.

She eventually woke up and I sent her off. I eventually went back upstairs with Joa, but I didn't talk much. Neither did he. He could tell I was pissed, so he left me alone. We went back to Hawaii shortly after that, in fear for the children's safety. After a month or so, I finally accepted the fact that Joa was going to do shit like this, and all I had to do was be prepared.