A Birth day

Jessie listened and repeated the word for frog smiling "Broască " he said slowly trying to copy how Cris had said it then he heard Angus say he had some books that could help Cris learn English and him Romanian " Oh that's super" he said "we can learn together." he said to Cris. But looked to Angus "Yeah he is bright and he's teaching me too, I know frog -broască and now the word Cuvant." he said and smiled "Never thought I'd learn Romanian "

Jack finished his patrol and walked over to them both his hands a little dirty from checking bushes and anyplace for strange things buried or hidden " Buna ziua Cris." he said and looked to Angus " hows things going?" he asked " he seems happy"

"Look what we now know about him," Angus said, taking the sketchbook and turning back the pages to show Jack the detailed sketch Cris had done. "He doesn't just draw. He's got huge artistic talent. Oh. That's the sandbox he wants. Would you please order the sand for it and have it sent. I don't think they'll finish it today, but if they'd just deliver it with our next order, that would be great."

Angus leaned down and whispered in Cris's ear, and handed him the little paper bag that Claire Belby had given them. Cris looked in the bag, all excited, and Angus pointed at Jessie, wanting Cris to take the lead at trying to teach Jessie a word.

"Bomboane," Cris said to Jessie, wanting to teach him a new word. "Bomboane," he pointed to the bag. Angus pretended to reach for the bag, and Cris pulled the bag away playfully and pointed to the bag, wanting Angus to say the word.

"Bomboane," Angus laughed. Then Cris offered him the bag, and Angus took a piece. Now Cris looked at Jessie.

"Bomboane," Cris said to Jessie, holding out the bag, not intending to let him have a piece unless he could say the Romanian word for candy.

"Guess who is gaining some self confidence in his ability to teach us his language," Marcus laughed. "He is far too smart for his own good."

Jack listened to Angus and nodded " I'll add it on" he said and chuckled seeing the playfulness of Cris towards Angus and Jessie he smiled as he saw and heard Angus say candy in Romanian then look to Jessie who looked to Angus and Cris as he spoke to him. Jessie saw the bag and smiled as he knew the place it had come from. "Bomboane." he said and took a single piece of candy " Bomboane," he said again pointing to it and smiling when he saw a small nod " candy and I agree" he replied and chuckled as he ate the candy "Yum these are good," he said smiling to Cris.

Yu returned after placing the toys down in the back garden he sat down next to Jessie and smiled seeing how happy he and Cris were being with Angus. " jessie you have your patrol" he said and Jessie nodded standing he smiled at Cris and gently kissed the top of his head before heading out to patrol with Jack leaving Yu with Cris this time.

"That is a very important word when you're seven," Marcus laughed. Cris ate a piece of candy and set the bag aside. Then he looked at Angus, not sure how to phrase the question in his mind.

"Cere," Angus said gently, prompting him to ask.

"Unchiule, de ce m-ai căutat ieri?" Cris asked. Angus's face became a bit more serious now, not expecting the question.

"He's just asked Angus why he was looking for him yesterday," Marcus said quietly to Yulong.

"Un băiat a fost rănit de un vârcolac," Angus said gently. Cris thought for a moment and then pointed to himself, questioningly looking at Angus. Angus understood Cris's question. "Urmele ghearelor sunt mici, ca de la o fiară mică." Cris nodded silently and looked at the ground.

"E mort?" Cris asked Angus.

"Nu, dar este rănit," Angus replied.

"Pot... pot să-i cer scuze mamei și tatălui lui?" Cris asked Angus. Angus hesitated. This would be painful for Cris. "Vei merge cu mine?"

"He wants to go apologize to the parents of the boy he hurt," Marcus told Yulong. "And he wants Angus to come with him when he does.

"Do you have any objections?" Angus asked Yulong, already knowing that this would be painful for Cris, but Cris appeared to believe it was the right thing to do.

Yu listened to the conversation between the two and then at Angus interpritation he heard him ask and smiled to Cris "I have no objections" he said as he looked to Cris "e bine cu mine, your a brave boy" he said in english then looked to Angus "I guess you want to ask the perents first if they will see him" he said "but when ever they're willing , its okay with me" he watched Cris as he saw him return to drawing.

Jack walked with Jessie who ws smiling " your smiling alot more these days" he said and Jessie chuckled .

"I have a reason to smile, I'll be a dad once all the paper works sorted but I feel like one now" he said and Jack laughed.

"your lucky , you missed the diper changes and bottle feeds and early morning wke up calls" he said and Jessie chuckled with him.

"guess I did, but I still have the first day at school and learing new language too, but hes a great kid who just wasnt given a chance, thats womthing Yu and I are ready to change." he added and Jack patted his back gently.

"welcome to fatherhood" Jack said as they continued to walk their patrol route.

Cris stood up and reached for Angus's hand. Angus stood up, and he walked Cris over to the main house. Robert was in the kitchen as they went inside.

"Cris?" Robert asked.

"Trebuie să-mi cer scuze pentru monstrul meu," Cris told Robert quietly, looking at the floor. Robert came over and lifted Cris's face to look at him and asked him if he was sure he wanted to do this today, and Cris nodded. Robert looked at Angus. "He's still in sickbay. Sergio and Ana are there. Do they know about Cris?"

"Yes," Angus said. "How's the boy?"

"Still unconscious," Robert said. "If he does this, you be sure to help him deal."

"Certainly," Angus said. He took Cris, and they walked downstairs slowly to the sickbay. Angus told him it would look like a hospital room, and Cris just nodded. When they got to the sickbay door, Angus opened it just a crack so that Sergio and Ana could see it was Angus with a little boy, presumably the one who had hurt their son. "May we come in?" Angus said. "He'd like to have just a word with you." Sergio nodded, and Ana just watched, unsure this tiny little boy was going to be able to face this--all of this. And at the moment, for all of her past with Angus, she could think of no better champion to help the lad through the horror he was about to see than Angus. Her mother's heart already ached for this tiny little boy.

Angus opened the door slowly. He looked at Sergio's unmoving son, covered in bandages, looking more dead than alive. He wanted to pull Cris bac, but Cris wanted to talk to these grownups. He was already taking a couple steps into the room. Angus walked through the doorway right beside him, still holding Cris's hand. Cris looked at Sergio and Ana and then looked at the figure in the bed. And at the very instant he saw the boy, a horrendous, heartbreaking wail left Cris's lips.

"Era prietenul meu! Prietenul meu!" Cris cried. Angus understood. There was more here. This, Cris said, was his friend. Angus could hear the words instantly etched indelibly in his head as one of the most painful sounds he had ever heard in his life. "My friend! He was my friend!" Angus had every intention of gathering Cris up and whisking him out, but Sergio and Ana, they were lightning fast, and in that fraction of a second, they had flown to Cris and they had both wrapped him tight in a hug to into them both. There was not one shred of hatred or anger left. Sergio and Ana had only compassion and comfort and love for this child who was now sobbing in their arms.

Angus felt a hand on his own shoulder. He glanced to see Robert was beside him, the scream clearly drawing him downstairs.

"Let him grieve," Robert said softly to Angus. "He has lost so much, but now he can start to heal. Angus wasn't actually hearing the conversation that was passing between Cris and Ana and Sergio. Several long minutes passed, and Sergio and Ana continued to hug Cris and comfort him and reassure him.

"Angus," Sergio finally called. "May we take him back to Jessie's?"

"Of course," Angus said. Sergio picked up Cris and Ana and Angus followed, as Sergio carried Cris, who was hiding in Sergio's shoulder, back to the place Cris would now call home.

Yu stood up and cleared away the picnic things as he watched Angus and Cris head into the main house. After a moment he looked at Marcus and sighed " I know the only way he can move forward is to confront what he did." he said "But my heart hurts for that little boy, will you let them know I went home to start supper." he placed the things away in the kitchen then headed back to the cabin to wait for their return.

Jack and Jessie finished his patrol and they moved to the cabin Jack waved as he went to the main house. Jessie walked in to see Yu pacing "What's wrong?" he asked but Yu just smiled at him.

"nothing Cris went to see Sergio and Anna" he paused and saw Jesie's face," he asked to see them and Angus went with him." Jessie relaxed his body and nodded.

"had to happen sooner or later right." he said and Yu nodded with a smile " And Angus is th best one to go with him should anything happen." Yu again nodded and headed to the kitchen to start preparations for supper.

Angus and Robert went along and followed behind Sergio and Ana, and when they got to Jessie's, Robert flicked his fingers at the door to open it, and Sergio went inside.

"All is well," Sergio said to Jessie and Yulong. "He knows we do not believe there is anything to forgive. He grieves because he knows our son. We did not know, but our son has apparently been sneaking food out to the woods for Cris. We wish we had known about him because, if we had, we could have helped. Our boy did not tell us about yours, though."

"Cris," Ana said, forcing Cris to look at her. "Tine minte. Nu ești monstrul tău. Sa nu uiti asta."

"She is repeating Cris that he is not his monster. You know that will be important for him to understand someday that he is not the monster," Robert told Jessie and Yulong.

"He misses his mama," Ana said to them, taking Cris from Sergio so she could sit with Cris and just rocking him. "He is grateful that he is here with you, but right now he misses his mama."

"Such a horrendous weight for such a tiny boy," Sergio said. He looked at Jessie and Yulong. "If we can be of any help, just ask. A part of him will surely always be Romanian."

"They will not let him forget his heritage," Robert reassured Sergio and Ana. Angus felt like a third wheel in all this. This needed to be for Jessie and Yulong to help Cris now. Angus quietly got up and left, heading home. He had his own children to take care of, and they would soon be getting off work and would surely be hungry.

Jessie and Yu saw the door open and Sergio walk in with Cris, Jessie knelt to Cris's level and smiled Taking him into a hug and holding him close to him "We won't forget his heritage and your welcome here any time to see him." Jessie said Yu walked over to them and nodded " its understandable he wants his mama, even after they abandonded him like they did." Jessie looked at sergio and Anna " you can come if for a bit if you want, but Im guessing you want to be at your sons side right now"

Jessie saw Angus make amove to leave " thank you Angus" he said and smiled at him " for taking Cris to the sick bay" he said knowing how hard it mush have been on Angus too. He picked up Cris and held him close to him.

Yu looked at Sergio and Anna and asked them " how do you say whould you like something to drink?" he asked feeling it might be a good praze to know.

"Cris, vrei ceva de băut? Ți-e foame?" Ana asked softly. Robert reached over and touched Cris on the forehead, casting a slight calming spell.

"One step at a time," Robert said. "He does not need to do more than that. How about getting him some lemonade or some juice or something. Let's redirect him just a wee bit from all the intensity of all this."

"Cris," Sergio said, "De ce nu începi mâine o schiță a ta și a lui Luca? Îl va face să zâmbească când se va trezi." Cris looked up and looked at Ana and then Sergio, and they both nodded.

"Unchiel?" Cris was looking around. "Ajută-mă să desenez? Unde este unchiul?

"He's looking for whoever he calls Uncle to help him draw," Robert said. Sergio began to describe someone, and Cris nodded.

"Angus," Sergio said with a smile.

"I presume we can tell him he can see Angus tomorrow if he wants?" Robert asked.