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Chapter 34
I walked back over to Nick and looked through the sandwiches for mine. "Where was I?"
"The girl's dad taught her not to do something." Nick picked up his sandwich and after picking out chips and a pop went to sit at the small table in the corner of the room.
I gathered my food and followed. "Yeah, he taught her not to trust men. I think it was just because her mom hyperventilated and I helped her."
"Hyperventilated?" Nick questioned.
"Yeah I told her who I was and she freaked out." I shook my head and took another bite of my sandwich.
"So she won't trust us?"
"I'm not saying that, I'm just saying it might be hard."
"Ducky?" The little girl crept up behind me, trying to hide from Nick.
"Yes sweetie?" I turned and pulled Honey in my lap.
"Why does that man have some many drawings on his arm?" Honey peered over my shoulder at AJ.
Nick nearly choked on his food at that and had to cover his mouth to keep from laughing.
"Well Hon, he likes them. I have one."
"You do?" Her eyes went wide with excitement. "Let me see."
I pushed up my sleeve and she traced the designs with her small finger.
"Nick has a few."
She turned to look at Nick. Nick dusted his hands and lifted up his sleeve to show his shark tattoo. She climbed down and walked around Nick's chair to take a better look, taking great care not to touch him. Hesitantly, her finger went to the shark. She retracted it after touching his skin and looked at him.
"It's ok."
"It's a fish." She touched it again.
"It's a shark."
"What's a shark?"
Nick looked at me like 'how do I explain that?'
"It's a fish." I told her with a grin.
"More?" She asked Nick.
"I have a note on my back. And-"
"Why do you have a letter on your back? Who's it to?"
Nick smiled and Aj piped in. "Yeah Nick, who's it to?"
I turned to see we had the attention of everyone. Looking back at Nick I could see he was trying to explain.
"Just take your shirt off already." I shook my head to Honey. "He's so dense sometimes."
Honey giggled and clapped her hands.
Nick unbuttoned his shirt and turned to show her.
"Oooh." She touched the note. "What's a note?"
Nick turned back to her and pulled his shirt back on. "Is music."
The little girl lit up and clapped her hands. "Ducky sang to me."
Nick chuckled. "Really? What did 'Ducky' sing?"
"Don't call him that!" She ran around Nick onto my lap. "He my Ducky."
I bit back a laugh.
Nick held up his hands, surrendering as the guys laughed. "Sorry, didn't know. So what did Rok sing?"
"He sang a pretty song. What was it called?" Honey looked up at me.
"Anywhere For You."
"Oh, that's a nice song." Nick nodded to Honey.
"He said he'd go anywhere for Manda and now for me." She hugged my neck. I patted her back and stood up holding her against me.
"I think you've talked everyone's ear off."
She giggled, and then yawned. "Ducky I tired." She rested her head on my shoulder.
"Then let's get you to bed." I walked into the connecting room.
"Will you sing another song?"
"Sure."
Maranda
"Mom?"
"Maranda." My mother stood up and hugged me. I would have hugged her back but I couldn't lift my arms that high.
"What are you doing here?" We sat down and my mom kept hold of my hands.
"Brian found me and brought me."
"How'd he find you?"
She smiled and shook her head. "He looked up every Hunter in the Mississipi State."
"What? He's nuts! There have got to be a thousand Hunters in Mississippi!"
"I know, but he found me and…your sister."
"My…my sister? I have a sister?"
My mom nodded. "She's seven. And acts just like you." My mom smiled and shook her head.
"What's her name?"
"Honey." My mom shook her head again. "I let your father name her."
I smiled. "It's a good name. Honey Hunter. It's cute. How's dad?"
"He's working, but fine."
"I…I'm sorry I left."
"Don't apologize. You were too bull headed to stay. I was almost surprised you stayed that long." She looked down at our hands. "I'm just surprised to see you again."
"You are?"
She nodded. "I knew that after you were gone that'd be it, that's why I stayed away."
I blinked back tears that threatened to surface. "Mom, I was afraid you didn't want to have me as a daughter. That's why you stayed away."
Her head shot up and she squeezed my hands. "No, I've been listening to everything I could about the trial. You got the President to vouch for you! You're trying to right the wrongs. You don't know how proud of you I was to see you on CNN."
"I thought it would have killed you, or dad at least."
Maggie laughed. "No, it just gave us a jump start. I listened with an open mind and an open heart. I understood what you were trying to say."
"I'm glad because the government will always be a part of my life. I don't want to be a spy but I do like the work…most of it."
"I know, I've been reading about you. You are the hardest woman to watch and even harder to catch. They say that if you wanted to you could be a free woman." She paused, wanting an answer to the unspoken question.
"It's true. That's why they keep me chained when I'm out of the cell. They don't want me running around." I smiled a croked smile.
She shook her head smiling. "I…it's just so you. I can see you in the black, nosing around, protecting people."
I laughed. "Nosing around?"
"That's what spies do, don't they?"
"Yes, but I never heard it put quite like that."
She nodded. "We're, me and your sister, are staying with your friends till the end of the trial. You're father's working or he'd be here too."
"I know, you don't have to. You won't like what you hear, I'm sure."
"I know, but I'll be open minded." She patted my hand and when the guard tapped a metal table with her stick she stood to give me one last hug. I did and she gave me a kiss. "You'll be fine just remember that you have a mother, a sister, friends and a boy who loves you more than life itself, all here for you."
I nodded, finding it hard to see with a blur of tered vision. "I will."
She nodded and kissed my cheek and then left. I sighed. My mom was here to help. I smiled, and I had a sister.
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