raynedanserwrites | Fic - Southland

Fandom: Southland
Title: An Accidental Family
Author:

raynedanser
Pairing: Cooper/Sherman
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: ~ 2200
Author's Notes: Future-Schmoopy Fic. It started with Rainbows and Lemon drops and wouldn't let go. It wouldn't be a bad idea to read the other first, but it's not necessary as this fills in that little burning question. How?

*****

Ben stood with John and watched the little girl as she played in the break room. She looked so lost and alone - which was precisely what she was. Earlier that morning, they'd found her while they'd been out on a call, playing on the floor with her dolls next to her mother's dead body. Her father was long gone and there was no other family to be found. Something twisted inside Ben's gut as he watched her. When the little girl looked up and caught the two of them watching, she smiled brightly and waved, giving Ben an idea. It was either the worst or most brilliant idea ever. He was about to find out which as he turned to face John.

"We can take her," he said suddenly. He stepped close to John so they could talk with some illusion of privacy. Rule number one was keeping their private life out of the station or squad car. This kind of counted as their private life in a big way.

John stared at him as if he'd sprouted another head. "Have you lost your fucking mind, Boo? What kind of life is she going to have with us?" he hissed quietly.

"Better than when she lived with her addict mother. Better than her life would probably be once she ended up in the system. We both know what that can do to kids. Come on, John. How can you say no to that?" Ben asked, indicating the little girl. Even grubby and unkempt, she was still adorable. She had blond hair that cascaded down her back and Ben thought of how they'd have to learn to put in pig tails, then wondered if his sister would help them. "What's it going to hurt to at least check into it?"

When John sighed and his shoulders relaxed, Ben knew he had him. A moment later, John stalked off to find their captain, muttering something about pain in the ass former rookies as he went.

To kill time, Ben went into the room and got on the floor with her. He picked up a doll and a tea cup and fed the "drink" to the doll. That was where John found him a short time later - long legs spread out in front of him, thirty five pounds of four year old terror giggling and climbing all over him.

"Let's go," John said gruffly as he tried not to grin. Ben could tell it wasn't working very well though. As much as he tried to be bad ass, John had a weak spot for kids caught in the middle and he could see the grin tugging at the corners of John's mouth.

"What about Emily?"

"Yeah, her too," he answered. His stern, straight face finally cracked when Ben grinned broadly. "She goes with you. I'll meet you at home after I stop and pick some stuff up. We have temporary custody pending a home visit, then we'll go from there."

As if she'd sensed something huge was underway, Emily was quiet the entire way to John's house. She sat in the back seat looking small and frightened. Ben wished he knew what was going through her mind.

He'd given her a bath and now Emily wore a tee shirt Ben's sister had forgotten. She swam in it, but looked too cute. Her hair stuck up crazily and Ben was suddenly thankful the next day was Saturday. He had a feeling he was going to have a lot of questions for his sister.

Ben watched as she sat at the table eating a bowl of macaroni and cheese, watching Ben with open curiosity and he wondered when she'd last had a decent meal.

John came in moments later, juggling several bags and Ben laughed. "I thought you said a few things?"

John opened his mouth, then closed it, surprising Ben because he always had something to say.

"I'm just teasing," Ben said, pulling John in for a gentle kiss. "So what did you get?" he asked as he peered into the bags.

"Um. Clothes, bubble bath, tooth brush and toothpaste, these things for her hair," John said as he twirled brightly colored elastics for her hair. He pulled a stuffed purple chenille bunny and matching blanket out of the bag. "I wasn't sure what she needed," he admitted.

Ben plucked the stretchy bands off John's fingers and dropped them back into a bag, then picked up the bunny. He turned it over in his hands, then held it out for John. "I'll call my sister in the morning. You should give this to her."

John snatched the bunny back, picked up the blanket and sat next to her at the table. Ben watched in silence as John waited patiently for an opening, then said something softly to her. Within moments, the spoon was carefully placed into the bowl and she was climbing onto his lap. She clutched the blanket and bunny as he wrapped his arms around her and looked at Ben helplessly. Within moments she was asleep and they were carefully laying her down on the couch.

John plugged in a dolphin night light he'd picked up. "Shut up," he told Ben gruffly.

"Who would have thought you'd be such a big softy?" Ben teased affectionately.

"I said shut up," John repeated as he wrapped his arms around Ben and pulled him close. "I think I'm insane."

"Why do you say that?"

"Well, there's you - Ow!" he exclaimed when Ben punched his arm. "What are we doing here, huh Ben? We know nothing about kids."

Ben grinned so widely, he thought his cheeks would crack. "I'll call my sister in the morning and she can help."

John groaned and dropped his forehead on Ben's shoulder. "Oh God, your sister."

*****

When Ben woke the next morning, he was sprawled on his belly, John's big hand in the center of his back, warm and possessive. Ben closed his mouth against the wet spot on his pillow and opened his one eye facing the door while the other remained squashed against the pillow. Emily stood in the open doorway, wide eyed and watching them sleep, clutching her purple bunny like it was a lifeline.

Ben swallowed and slowly sat on the edge of the bed as he tried not to wake John up or scare her any more than she probably already was. “Hey,” he said quietly. “Did you sleep well?” She nodded her head quickly, blond curls flying crazily. “I bet you're hungry now, huh?” Again with the nod. “Why don't we go downstairs and see what we can find for breakfast, huh?”

“I'll get her breakfast, you call your sister,” John rumbled from his side of the bed.

Ben watched as John took her hand and walked down the hall with her, and then picked his up cell phone from the night stand. He scrolled to his sister's number number and dialed. “Olivia? Do me a favor and call me when you get this, huh?” he said when the call went straight to her voice mail. Then, he snapped his phone shut and clutched it in his hand as he went to find John and Emily in the kitchen.

Much to Ben's relief, coffee was brewed and Emily was sitting at the table eating a bowl of cheerios as milk dribbled down her chin. John leaned against the counter, clutching a steaming mug of coffee like it was a lifeline and indicated another on the counter for Ben.

“Call your sister?”

Ben dumped cream and sugar into his mug. “Got her voice mail. She's probably not up yet, so I left her a message. Hopefully she calls back soon,” he said, eying Emily as her hair stuck out all over the place. He figured if it was really necessary, one of them could try to do something with her hair, but was really hoping it wouldn't come to that.

He was just rinsing out the mugs and Emily's cereal bowl when the doorbell chimed. He and John exchanged quick glances, then Ben shook his hands dry and went to answer. He stood in shock. “Liv?”

His sister was obnoxiously bright and perky so early in the morning as she shrugged her way inside. “You sounded like it was important, what's up?” she asked as she continued into the home. When she came to the kitchen, she stopped. “Ben?”

“Congratulations, you're an almost-aunt?” Ben said weakly. At her confused expression, he continued, “I promise you that we'll explain everything later, but in the meantime, we need girl help. Please?” he begged.

Much to Ben's relief, Olivia sat at the table and immediately took over. She took the offered comb and bands from Ben after he'd dug them out from the bag of goodies John had picked up the night before and then expertly combed and tugged her hair until there were two neat pony tails on either side of her head. If it was possible, Emily looked even cuter than she had before.

“What about clothes?” Olivia asked.

“Clothes? Um.”

“Benjamin Sherman! You don't have any clothes for this little girl? Where's her room?”

“Well, see... We sort of don't have one done yet.”

Olivia got a weird expression on her face that made Ben very, very nervous. A quick glance at John showed that he agreed. Then, she looked down at Emily. “Emily, would you like to go shopping with me? We'll buy you clothes and all sorts of good things while Ben and John get a bedroom ready for you,” she said pointedly, then with a whoosh, the two of them were gone, leaving Ben and John staring at each other helplessly.

“What just happened?” John asked.

“What happened was my sister. She's right, you know. If we're going to pass that home visit, we need to have a proper bedroom set up for her. You feeling manly today?” Ben teased as he started a running list in his head of everything they'd have to do while the girls were gone.

John growled and pulled a face. “I'll show you manly.”

Ben gave him a quick kiss. “Good, because we have work to do, tough guy. Let's get crackin.”

The rest of the morning, John and Ben spent packing up and cleaning out the spare room. Papers rustled, books thunked as they were moved, clothing placed into another box and taken away for donation.

Ben sat on the floor, a stack of photos and picture frames in front of him. He moved one photo out of the way and picked up another, staring. Something twisted weirdly inside him as he recognized the couple in the photo.

John glanced up, dusty a yearbook in each hand. "Whatcha got, Ben?"

Ben cleared his throat. "Um. Wedding photo. You uh, you look good." Ben stared at the photo. A much younger John was grinning, arm awkwardly around Laurie. He'd worn a dark navy suit, she a simple white dress.

John slid in behind Ben, legs closing him in, framing him securely. He wrapped his arms around Ben and placed his chin on Ben's shoulder, pressed his chest to Ben's back.

"Boo?" he asked quietly, using the name that had started as a joke and stuck as a pet name.

"You look amazing.” John chuckled and Ben could feel it rumble through him. "Think we'll ever get the chance?"

"Ben -"

"Would you do it again?" Ben asked as he leaned back into John's embrace, still staring at the faded photo.

"In a heartbeat," John assured him as he slowly smoothed his hands slowly up and down Ben's arms. "Ben, pack that away. That's from another life," John finished gruffly.

It didn't take much longer and soon they were left with a shell of a room, ready to be furnished and decorated for a four year old. Not for the first time, Ben wondered what they'd got themselves in for, but the rest of that thought was cut off as the door banged open and tiny footsteps flew down the hall, followed closely by another set.

"Big brother, we have got Emily all set," Olivia said proudly. "We have clothes, dolls, hair scrunchies and barrettes, shoes and sandals. We even bought paint for her room and ordered furniture."

"Liv-"

"Ben, really. It's no big deal. It was fun to spend money on someone else for once. Let me enjoy it, ok? But she still needs more. You should have a house warming party for her!" Liv exclaimed excitedly.

Ben looked from his sister's face to Emily's hopeful face to John's carefully closed off face. No help there, Ben realized. "John & I will have to talk about it, ok?" he finally conceded, hoping that that would be better than nothing.

"Great!" Olivia continued, before going on about the furniture on the way, how first they'd have to paint the room and again Ben wondered what they were doing.

But then he looked down, saw Emily's bright green eyes, sparkling with happiness and hope, and knew that they'd figure this out.