randomplaces | Breaker 'verse 4

The road ended in a swamp.

Alvin stopped the hummer and turned it off, then glanced over his shoulder to make sure that Star was sleeping peacefully in the car seat. "Stay here, Sweetheart."

"Sure, Vader." She didn't look up from the brightly-coloured picture book that she was studying.

Alvin quirked a grin and got out of the hummer to walk to the end of the dirt track and stare into the murky water. A big ugly fish stared back.

Yeck. He grimaced at it absently, his mind on the past week.

SE had stayed around for another day, but then a worried call from Shana had sent the silent man homeward with a kiss for Star, a silent word for Sweetheart, and an encouraging thump on the shoulder for Alvin. Sunny had gone with him.

Last thing I want is that old cat bein' gator bait. Too bad Bert's allergic to cats. Ah well, Timber'll take care of him. Alvin chuckled at the thought of the wolf fussing over the elderly feline. Then he hunkered down and scooped up a handful of pebbles, which he proceeded to throw at the fish one by one as he thought of the old soldier who was now staying in his house.

Dove had recovered her strength, though he suspected that she wasn't the most robust kid among her people. She'd been astonished when he'd sat her down for an arm-wrestling contest and she had beaten him without even trying. The next day he'd gone clothes shopping and spent way more money than he'd ever been tempted to on himself. Dove and Star now had full wardrobes, complete with a little fatigue onesie for Star and the pair of camo cargo pants that Dove was presently wearing with her pink 'angel' T-shirt. He'd also stocked up on formula and diapers, buying some of the last in a larger size for when Star grew.

Though he doesn't seem to be doin' that very fast. Not like Dove's wings. Those've doubled their size since I first saw her.

He cocked an ear toward the sound of someone approaching, then looked down to see the fish still watching him, though from further away now. "You keep that up 'n I'll go get my fishing rod."

"Dat ol' gator fish, she ain't worth eatin'," said a deep voice. "Tough as boot leat'er."

"Hey, Ettiene. How's life?" Alvin didn't look up.

"Quiet." The big marine hunkered down next to him and picked up his own handful of pebbles.

"Quiet?" Alvin shot him a disbelieving look. "Didn' Jeanette just have a baby?"

"Yeah, but jus' 'cause I a proud oncle don't mean I gotta stay in de house wit de chil'." Ettiene grinned broadly.

"Ah." Alvin tossed another pebble, one ear cocked toward the hummer as he listened for Star.

"So what's new wit' you?" Ettiene tossed one himself and beaned the fish, which disappeared with an angry flash of scales.

"Not much," said Alvin, his mouth twisting in a wry grin. "Just became a father of two overnight."

"Dat's... What?" Ettiene frowned at him. "Somebody give you kids?"

"No, I found 'em." Alvin dropped the rest of his rocks and dusted his hands, then wiped them on his pant cuff. "And I need ta keep 'em outta sight. That's why I'm here."

"Somet'in' wrong wit' de 'tites?" Ettiene's golden hazel eyes darkened with sympathy.

"No," said Alvin softly. "Well, Dove's missin' her mama 'n daddy something fierce, 'n goin' through some pretty bad culture shock. But other than that I think they're okay." He looked at the larger man and took a deep breath. "You gotta promise to be cool. Dove's scared to death of strangers. I've ben telling her that you're Uncle Ettiene, but you're a lot bigger than her."

"How old she be?" rumbled Ettiene, leaning his elbow on his knee.

"Dunno, about twelve, I think. Her English isn't that good yet."

"Can't ya jus' ask her in 'er own talk?"

Alvin shook his head. "No. It's one I don't know."

"Where she from?"

"I don't know. Someplace real far away, I think." Alvin stood and turned toward the hummer. "She'n Star aren't human."

"What?" Ettiene frowned at him.

"Dove calls herself a Desert Fairy." Alvin prayed for understanding from his friend. "She's got wings, and a tail."

"Is dis some kinda prank?" Ettiene stood and folded his arms across his chest, looking unamused.

"No." Alvin started as the hummer door opened, then bit his lip as Dove hopped out and walked over to plant herself between him and the scowling cajun.

The scowl vanished from Ettiene's face. He blinked and rubbed his eyes, then looked again, his expression changing to slow wonder.

"C'est un ange," he murmured.

Dove flinched at the sound of his voice, but lowered her head defensively and spread her wings slightly. "Be nice!"

The big cajun nodded and slowly went into a crouch, his hands held out in a gesture of peace and reassurance. "Easy, sha. Oncle Ettiene, he don' wan' hurt ya. He t'ink y' look like an angel... wit' big blue eyes, like de sky."

Dove's ears perked toward the soft rumble, then pointed back again. "You lost me."

Alvin went to one knee and gently put an arm around the little girl's waist. "This is Uncle Ettiene. He's sayin' er möchte nicht Sie verletzen. Daß er Sie aussehen wie ein Engel denkt, mit grossen Augen die Farbe des Himmels; hij wil niet u kwetsen. Dat hij denkt kijkt u als een engel met grote ogen de kleur van de hemel."

"No Angel." She flicked her ears. "Dove. Sveetheart."

"Yeah." Ettiene's rugged face broke into an engaging grin. "Y'be my sweetheart? Yer Oncle Ettiene ain't seen such a pretty lil dove in a long time."

Dove stared at him for a moment, then put her ears back with a snort. "Goober."

"Ah!" Ettiene fell back onto his bottom. "M' heart! Y' broke it!"

Dove leaned back against Alvin, one wing wrapping around his shoulders as she regarded the Cajun with wary interest.

Ettiene drew up one knee and rested his arm on it, then lowered his face to the crook of his elbow. "Oh, de pain..."

Alvin glanced up at Dove with a smile, then chuckled as he saw her ears starting to twitch.

"I ain' never gon' get better. Poor me..." Ettiene gave a very fake sniffle, then looked up with a grin as Dove giggled.

"See? He ain't so bad," said Alvin.

Dove tapped the side of her head with a finger, then made a stirring motion and said, "Gestoorde lache."

"She says your brain's muddy," Alvin translated with another chuckle.

"Heh. Lil' bit." Ettiene got off the ground and dusted his butt, then settled back into a comfortable hunker. "Henri went 'n made more wine den 'e 'ad bottles, 'n I had'ta help 'im out. De stuff was more like white lightenin' den wine."

"Baby." Dove's ears turned toward the hummer.

Alvin let go of her and stood, then walked over and opened the back door to find Star happily conversing with the big soft bear that SE had given him. "Hey, Buddy. Wanna come meet Uncle Ettiene?"

Star gave an excited little squeak behind his soother, his arms and legs waving madly inside his fleece cocoon, then paused and arched his back.

"Okay, just settle down." Alvin rubbed his tummy and cautiously started to unfasten the straps. "I don't wanna get socked again."

Star perked his ears and made a little begging sound.

Alvin finished undoing the seat belt and scooped the baby into his arms, grinning down at the big eyes fixed so intently on his face. "What're you lookin' at?"

Star gasped in delight and cooed in reply.

Grinning even more widely, Alvin kissed the tiny boy on the forehead, then turned back toward Dove, shutting the door behind him.

"Y'know what you 'tite fille just did?" said Ettiene.

"Ate a bug?" Alvin pushed the hood on the cocoon back slightly so that Star could see.

"Dis monster dragonfly." The cajun shook his head. "She do dat often?"

"Whenever they don't run or fly away fast enough." Alvin grinned at him ruefully. "She's gonna love crawdads."

Ettiene brightened. "Y' want me t' fix a mess o' Mama's gumbo?"

"Can't say no to that." Alvin felt his mouth start watering. "But Dove won't eat it."

"Why not?" Ettiene frowned at the bundled baby. "Y'gonna give dat chil' heatstroke, wrappin' 'im up like dat."

"Nope. He'll start shiverin' if I take 'im out." Alvin walked over and set the bundle into the marine's arms. "That's Star. Don't let 'im get hold of your fingers."

"Star?" Ettiene frowned slightly, but then grinned at the friendly little sounds being directed his way. "Hey, 'tite." Gently bouncing the little boy, he murmured nonsense in his distinctly Acadian dialect.

"Yeah," Dove spoke up unexpectedly. "Star." She pointed to the sky. "No dark. Light on."

Alvin looked at her with surprise, then grinned. "Yeah, stars are lights up there. Who told you that?" He repeated his words in Dutch and German.

"Dove's Wüste Fee vader." She perked her ears toward the hummer. "Dangit, there goes the phone again."

"I don't hear anyt'in'." Ettiene looked up from making funny faces at Star.

"I've got it set to silent ring." Alvin walked back to the hummer and reached through the window to get the phone off the seat, then looked at the screen and sent a text message back to SE to let him know that they'd arrived safely.

"Den 'ow Sweetheart hear it?" Ettiene came and looked over his shoulder. "Tell ol' Snakes 'e owe me money."

"He just said you owe him." Alvin slipped the phone into his pocket. "'N Sweetheart kin hear things we can't. She was havin' conversations with Snakes before he went home."

The big marine leaned against the vehicle. "Heh. Y' don' say." He doffed his hat and scratched his gleaming head. "How dat be? Snakes, he don' talk."

"You ever talk in the back of your throat when yer thinkin' hard?" Alvin looked around for Dove and found her crouched at the end of the road, staring into the water. "Sub-vocalization? She can hear that."

"Well, I be. Dat Dove, she be a smart one. Not like dat silly gator who be givin' her de eye." Ettiene put his cap back on and stalked toward where the girl sat motionless. Going to one knee next to her, he pointed out the pair of golden eyes staring across the way. "See dem? They b'long to Maxie. She not a nice gator. She might try to bite ya. Understan'?"

Dove looked up at him, then leaned closer and peered at his hand before shaking her head. "Dove can't see that, she's blind."

He cast a worried glance at Alvin as the dark haired man came up behind them. "Y' had her tested? T' see how bad it be?" With a look at the lurking gator, Ettiene got his point across. Hello? Swamp land. Gators. She needs to be able to see...

Then the little girl's flicking ears suddenly zeroed in on the predator, her head turning so that she was 'looking' right at it. "Draak?" she asked, pointing to the creature. "Maxie draak?"

"Um, sorta. No fire." Alvin blinked and looked at her uneasily. Dragon? Is she thinkin' of what I am when I hear that word?

"Oh." Dove relaxed and looked up at Ettiene, who was watching her with a frown of concern. "Dove okay. Sandeidechsen kunnen nicht me essen." (Sand lizards can't eat me.)

"Wassereidechse," corrected Alvin softly, then turned to Ettiene. "She says the big lizard can't eat her."

"It gets 'er 'n pulls 'er down 'n it won't need t' eat 'er right away," said the cajun grimly. Then he quirked an eyebrow and settled Star more comfortably in the crook of his arm. "Y'sure she can't see? She lookin' right at it."

"She hears it." Alvin scowled at the alligator, wishing there was some way to get rid of it.

"Was ist dat?" Dove looked down into the water, her ears tracking the progress of the big fish. "Somebody in there."

"Gator fish. She bite you too, if y' not careful." Ettiene picked up another pebble and beaned the fish again.

"Food?" asked Dove thoughtfully. "Dove eat?"

Alvin narrowly missed swallowing his gum as he snorted at the thought. "Yuck."

Dove looked up at him. "Bug yuck?"

"Oh goobers." Alvin put a hand over his face. "Dove no eat. Too big." He looked at Ettiene, who was giving him a 'you've got to be kidding' look. "She asked the same thing 'bout Sunny when she first saw 'im. I don't think there was too much to eat where she came from."

The marine regarded Dove for a few minutes, his face concerned and thoughtful.

Then he looked up. "We best be gettin' y'all back t' de cabin. Ain' no fun boatin' t'rough dem stumps in de dark."

"Do you have somewhere to put the hummer?" Alvin kicked at a pyramid of empty beer cans. "This don't look like a good place to leave it sittin'."

"Yeah, got a shed ober dere." Ettiene stood and handed Star back, then reached down and gently tugged on Dove's nearer wing. "Come 'way from de water, Sweetheart."

She looked up at him, then glanced at Alvin and got to her feet. "Ving." She shifted it in front of her face and ran her hand along the top of it. "Groß!"

"Yeah, Sweetheart, it's gettin' big." Alvin gave her shoulder a squeeze, then offered her the baby. "Hold Star while Uncle Ettiene 'n I put stuff in the boat?"

She put her ears back and shook her wings, then took Star and hopped up on the hood of the hummer.

"Hey." Alvin went over and lifted her chin with one finger. "What's wrong, Sweetheart?"

"Ving," she said sadly.

"Yeah." He frowned, trying to figure out what she was trying to say.

"Sveetheart ving big." She pulled Star's soother out of his mouth and was rewarded with a raspberry and a squeak of startled delight.

"Yeah, your wings're gettin' big." Alvin frowned slightly, praying for understanding.

"Pretty angel wings," said Ettiene, walking past from bringing the boat around.

"You lost me." Dove followed the cajun with her ears.

"He said Dove's wings're schön," Alvin translated softly, then blinked as the little girl seemed to light up. Oh, that's what she wanted? He grinned. "And they are. Now stay put while we get this stuff loaded."

"Sure, Vader." She twitched her ears at him, still glowing from the praise.

Alvin ruffled her hair, feeling amazed as always at how soft it was, then turned and went to the back of the hummer.

"Y' know der be diapers y' kin wash." Ettiene hit him in the chest with a case of disposables.

"Don't even go there." He shuddered and set it on the ground, then stacked another on top of it and carried it to the boat. "I don't even wanna think about it."

"Sissy." Ettiene carried three cases over and stacked them in the flat bottom of the boat, then hopped back on shore and went back to the hummer, gently tugging on Dove's foot as he passed her and beaming at the giggle he got.

"Can tell you're a big brother." Alvin pulled out a couple cases of formula and loaded them.

Ettiene just grinned. "Y' jealous, Papa?"

Alvin winged a loose can of formula at his head and laughed.

Ettiene brought two loads through the swamp and unloaded it at the cabin, taking a little longer to come back the second time.

"What happened?" Alvin looked up from where he was feeding Star.

"I stopped at Elise's house fer somethin' t' eat." Ettiene tossed him a chunk of salami wrapped in bannock, then took another bite of his own and chased it with a long pull from a bottle of cream soda that he held by the neck between the second and third fingers of his hand.

"Thanks." Alvin offered the food to Dove, sighing as she sniffed it and shuddered. "Just try it?"

"No!" She scootched away across the hood.

Ettiene frowned and looked at the third pig in blanket that he held. "She don' wanna eat it?"

"She never eats stuff like this." Alvin bowed his head briefly, then took a bite and set the food down on his knee as Star fussed at having his meal interrupted. "The only things I've got her to eat so far is shrimp and boiled eggs without any salt."

"Dat no good." Ettiene took another drink of his pop, then walked over and sat on the front bumper, taking another bottle out of his left hand cargo pocket and setting it on the hood. "Dr. Pepper, right?"

"Yeah." Alvin grinned his thanks, then looked at Dove, who was in the middle of a massive stretch, her wings and arms straining backward as her back arched. "Ow."

"No." She twitched her ears and set her wings down to either side of her, then began combing the mane on her right ankle.

"What're you eating?" Alvin raised an eyebrow as he noticed her chewing. He hadn't seen any large insects close enough for her to catch.

"Gum." She cracked it without looking up.

"Oh boy. I should've packed more." He took the empty bottle from Star, then put the baby up to his shoulder to rub out any air bubbles the little boy might have swallowed.

Ettiene snorted and finished up his supper, then dropped the bottle on the ground in front of the hummer and got up to load the last of the stuff.

"Whatcha got in here, Breaker?" He hefted a wheeled suitcase. "Rocks?"

"Schoolbooks for Sweetheart. At the rate she's soaking things up I figured I'd need 'em."

Ettiene set the case down and opened it, then took out a weighty tome and flipped through it before running his fingers down one seemingly blank page. "Y'know enough braille t'teach 'er?"

"I can read it." Alvin tried to lay Star on his lap and discovered that the baby had a tiny hand clenched on his T-shirt. "Whoops." He started working the little fingers loose.

Ettiene nodded and put the book back, then lifted the suitcase and started to step into the boat.

Alvin saw the serrated back that rose from the water and brushed against the bow, saw the boat move slightly, and saw Ettiene's arms go up as he lost his balance. The suitcase of books fell into the boat as the marine toppled backward into the water. Alvin shouted and yanked out his gun as the gator lunged and closed its jaws on his friend's shoulder, then blinked as a white blur shot past him. "Sweetheart, no!"

The little girl was already in the water, her arms gripping the big reptile's neck. A sickening crack echoed over the sounds of struggle and agitated water, then a second. The bayou went still but for ripples.

Then white wings spread beneath the surface, pushing powerfully against the water, and Dove's head came out into the air, her arms firmly wrapped around Ettiene's chest.

"Vader!" she cried. "Vader!"

Alvin darted to the driver's door of the hummer and skinned out of his shirt, dropping it and Star onto the seat, then ran to pull the unconscious cajun out of the water.

"Can't breath, Vader!" gasped Dove, crawling out after her honorary uncle and putting a hand on his chest.

"Just gimme a minute..." muttered Alvin, flipping Ettiene over and pressing on his back.

Dove recoiled and wrapped herself in her wings, then scurried to the hummer and got the frantically wailing Star.

Alvin continued his resuscitation efforts, letting out his own breath as Ettiene flinched, then coughed and spat water. "Easy, buddy. I think you bashed your head pretty good."

Ettiene coughed again and rubbed his eyes with his fingers, then turned himself over and stared blearily at the sky.

"How many fingers?" Alvin held up three.

"Too #$&%& many." Ettiene squinted at them. "What hit me?"

"That big rock." Alvin looked at the bloody tooth marks on the cajun's shoulder and winced. "You nearly ended up gator chow."

The marine lifted his head slightly and looked at the wounds, then struggled to sit up. "Gotta first aid kit? Where my hat?"

Alvin nodded and got up to get the kit from the hummer, then quirked a slight grin as he saw the khaki cap sitting neatly on the dirt at the very edge of the road.

Ettiene went to one knee to get it, growling and squinting and pressing the heel of his hand against his right eye. "What happen, anyway? Dat boat, she shouldn'a moved."

"That gator pushed it." Alvin looked at the floating corpse and grimaced at the dark stain in the water around it.

Ettiene rubbed his eyes again and squinted, then blinked. "How'd y' do dat?"

"I didn't." Alvin knelt next to his friend and opened the kit. "I hope you've had your shots."

"Yeah." Ettiene settled back on his butt and looked around for Dove. "Whaddya mean, y'didn'? I do it?"

"No." Alvin glanced at the wet child who was watching them anxiously from a couple of feet away. "Sweetheart did."

Ettiene turned back and gave him a slightly unfocused stare, then grumbled and took the disinfectant wipe he was offering and started to clean the front of his wounded shoulder.

"Uncle Ettiene?" Dove inched closer. "Sveetheart go in vater."

The cajun didn't look up from what he was doing. "Yeah, y' did, sha."

"No?" She put her ears back.

Ettiene squinted at her, then grinned. "Y' did good, Sweetheart."

Her ears came forward and she breathed a sigh of relief. "Good. Eat gator?"

The marine snorted. "Why not? She ain' dat old."

Alvin just shook his head and finished cleaning the back of Ettiene's shoulder, then started applying disinfectant ointment.

"Careful dere!" growled the cajun, then mumbled and rubbed his eyes again.

"Lemme see your eyes." Alvin moved around in front of him.

"It ain't no concussion." Ettiene gave him a muted glower and carefully pulled on the khaki cap. "Lets get dis wrapped 'n get dese 'tites inside.

Alvin gave him an answering scowl, but decided that the older man's eyes looked alright. "Does your shoulder feel sprained or anything?"

Ettiene rolled it and winced, then shook his head. "Ow... No. Jus' bruised." He reached out his good arm toward Dove as Alvin wrapped gauze over and around his arm and chest. "C'mere, Sweetheart."

"No." She flicked her ears uncertainly.

"Don' know me good enough yet, eh?" Ettiene sighed and leaned his head on his fist.

"There." Alvin taped the end of the bandage down, then looked at it and winced. "Doc'd laugh at that."

"So would I, if m' 'ead didn' hurt so bad." Ettiene got to his feet and reached into his pocket. "Dis d' key to de shed. Go put de jeep away while I deal wit' Maxie."

"Don't you need a license for those things?" The dark-haired man took the keys and looked at Dove, who was singing softly to Star as he stared up at her intently.

"Jean-Pierre got one." Ettiene squinted into the water, then turned and scowled at him. "Hurry up, dese 'tites need t' go t' bed soon."

"Don't go fishing that dead lizard out of the water." Alvin scowled back. "Last thing Dove needs is to have her 'uncle' drown his fool self because he went swimmin' with a bashed head."

"If y' don' get goin' I bash you head."

"Be nice." Dove looked up and flicked her ears back.

"Yes, ma'am," said Ettiene absently, then shook his head as Alvin snorted and herded the children toward the hummer.

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