Fan Fiction |
by Jenny Tran
After their lunch break, they were back at gun and battle training. Devin had long ago found Bonnie and to keep her from running away, he tied a rope around her waist and connected the other end to his wrist. Every time it tugged, he knew she was trying to get away. He was in the kitchen looking over the fridge, they were low on food. He would have to go to the market himself and get food.
He felt the pull again and turned to find Bonnie running in one place, she was struggling to get away. Shaking his head with a smile, he pulled her back to him “Bonnie, how would you like to go to the market with me?”
“Can I have ice cream?!” her eyes lit up like a million lights.
Devin laughed, “Ice cream? Isn’t it too cold for that?”
Shaking her head, she replied “Mommy calls me little snowgirl cause I eat ice cream all the time of the year. I love ice cream!” she sang with a little hopping dance.
He figured if Mia allowed her to eat it, there would be no harm. Nodding, he agreed with her “Okay, but you have to listen to Uncle Devin.”
“Okay.” She smiled sweetly.
He untied the ropes and carried her in his arms as they drove out to the market in the van. He parked near a village and walked the rest of the way there. Knowing his team would need more protein than just pork and chicken. He decided to buy steak for dinner that night. He found the butcher and asked for a couple of large pieces of the best beef. He paid for it and turned to Bonnie, who was staring at a woman gutting a fish. Her eyes widened with fear. Devin bent down to eye level with her “Bonnie?”
“Fishy.” She pointed, “It’s still alive.”
He realized the girl was scared “No, it’s dead. She’s just cleaning it for people to bring home and eat.” Devin diverged her attention with a pointed finger “Look, ice cream.”
“Where?” She was out of the daze and turning towards the ice cream cart man.
Devin picked her up and walked over to the man “What kind of ice cream do you have?” he spoke in their dialect.
“Green bean, red bean, yellow bean and lychee.” He said in a monotone voice.
He turned to Bonnie, who tapped her chin “Red bean!” she concluded.
“One red bean ice cream.” He said to the vendor. The man looked bored as he handed it over to Devin “How much?”
“Two dollars.” The man answered.
Devin dug in his pocket for change when someone paid for him “I got it.” A female voice spoke up as she handed the change to the man. He turned to the familiar voice “Long time no see.” She was as how he remembered her. Her smile still as she glanced at Bonnie in her hands “She’s cute.”
He quickly snapped out of the daze “Oh, she’s not mine. I’m babysitting.” He shook his head in amazement that they could run into each other in such a big country “I didn’t know you were back?”
Janine smiled her signature grin “Devin, we haven’t kept in touch for ages.”
“Right…” he nodded awkwardly.
“Mommy!!” a tiny voice called.
Devin turned to see a little boy not any older than Bonnie come running to Janine as he wrapped his small arms around her legs adoringly “I know a place we can let the kids play.” Janine hinted.
He nodded “Sure.” By the time they reached the park, Bonnie had finished her ice cream and was playing with the boy named Ah Ming. Devin smiled as he noticed Bonnie pushing the boy on the swings, they were laughing deliriously “Cute boy.”
Janine’s content smile faded “He should be.” She turned to him “He’s yours.”
His face dropped as he turned to her “He…he’s mine?”
“You don’t have to admit it.” Janine said casually “I married John after he chased me for three years. He doesn’t care that Ah Ming is not his, he treated him like his own. But I know it’s not right for my son not to know who his real father is.”
“So you’re just going to tell him? How can he accept it?” Devin raised his voice as he widened his eyes in shock.
“You mean, how can YOU accept it.” Janine smiled, she was prepared for the reaction “I told you Devin, you don’t have to be responsible. I’m not asking for anything from you.”
“I’m a father.” He said the words as if they were foreign. He was astonished by the news and found it hard to swallow, but knowing Janine, she would not lie to him “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
“After we split, I realized I was pregnant. It did cross my mind to tell you but I thought what’s the use? Would you return to me if you knew? Even if you would, I had too much pride to accept.” she had no grudge left in her heart since her son was well taken care of.
He was shameful and angry at himself “You should have told me.”
She shook her head “No, it was for the best. You had more important things in your life. I didn’t want to be second. I guess it was selfish of me not to be understanding. I wanted a family, you weren't ready. It just didn’t work out.” She shrugged her shoulders lightly.
Devin was prepare to apologize when he heard Bonnie’s scream “Uncle Devin!!!” she was on the slide and pointing to a man holding onto Ah Ming.
In a heartbeat, he was up and chasing the man. The kid looked petrified as he reached his arms out to Devin. He caught up to the man and knocked the back of his knees down at the same time, he grabbed the boy from the man’s weakened grasp. Janine caught up as she reached for her son desperately. Devin noticed the guy trying to get away as he stopped him with another kick. Pinning his arm behind his back “How dare you kidnap a kid in broad daylight!”
“Devin.” Janine placed a hand on his shoulder “Let him go.”
He turned to her in astonishment “What?”
“Let him go.” She tugged his arm away gently as he slowly let go. The guy sprinted away before he changed his mind. She ignored his stare and put on a forced smile “Anyways, it was nice seeing you again. Say bye Ah Ming.” She nudged softly.
“Bye.” The boy repeated.
“Janine…” Devin was not finished and she knew it.
“I’ll be down in Hong Kong in a few months. Look me up.” She turned and left without looking back.
Bonnie rushed over to his side as she pulled on his pant leg “Uncle Devin, is she your girlfriend?”
“No.” he said without acknowledging her.
“Is Aunt Erin your girlfriend?” she recalled her mother specifying the question to ask.
Devin was snapped back to reality when he heard her name. Leaning down at Bonnie, he shook his head “No. She’s not.”
“Why not?” Bonnie questioned further.
“Because she’s not.” He answered shortly and picked her up as he went back to the bench and picked up the beef to return to the temple.
“You don’t like Aunt Erin?” the little girl tried.
Devin turned to her with a sly expression “Bonnie is too small to understand. When you grow older, Uncle Devin will tell you anything you want to know.”
“Daddy says I’m a big girl now.” She argued.
He decided to make a deal with her “When you grow as tall as your mother, then you are a big girl.”
Bonnie lowered her puppy eyes “Mommy says that I will never be tall because I have daddy short genes.” She scratched her head “But I can’t fit daddy’s jeans. It’s too big.”
Devin laughed at the innocence of her explanation “Oh…little Bonnie. You are too cute to be Mia’s.”
*************
During dinner, Erin noticed Devin especially different. She didn’t want to appear too concerned so she made eye contact with Darren and nodded slightly wards Devin. He took the hint and cleared his throat “Hey boss, thanks for the steak dinners.”
“You’re welcome.” He nodded briefly.
“Yeah, what’s with the steak dinners?” Mia stopped eating “They better not have any medicine in here and we wake up on a deserted island you tell us we have to build a raft and get back home on our own.”
Devin couldn’t help but laugh, “Now I know where Bonnie got her crazy imagination from. Your little girl is quite the handful. Did you know she climbed the tree this morning claiming she saw her cat and made me go fetch it. But when I went to look, there was nothing there.”
The group stifled their laughs with shaking heads “Were you living under a rock?” Mia asked, “Bonnie has an imaginary cat named Felix that follows her everywhere.”
“Since when?” Devin apparently was the only one that didn’t know.
“A few months now.” Doug answered with a mouthful “I accidentally stepped on his tail a few weeks ago and Bonnie was mad at me for days.” he whispered.
“Well, I guess that makes more sense.” Devin turned to Mia “But maybe you should have her talk to Jessie. It’s not normal for a kid to imagine pets.”
Doug shook his head and pointed the fork at Devin “Actually, that’s not true. Jessie said it was normal for a kid to have imaginary friends or in this case pets. It helps them get away from social anxiety syndrome. Something 3 out of 10 kids have today. Especially at the age of four to eight. It’s most crucial that you do not make them feel silly for having such an imagination.”
He had earned everyone’s attention with the explanation. Jenna turned to Ryan “You get the holy water, I’ll get the cross.” She began climbing off the bench when Doug pulled her back.
“I’m not possessed, you freak.” He snapped.
Reina smiled “But you’re educated. We’re just not use to it.”
“I guess the saying is right. You lean more to light, you become smarter.” Mia laughed with a shaking head. This time, everyone turned to her in confusion.
“Brighter.” Erin corrected her friend.
“What’s brighter?” Mia was completely lost.
“Never mind. “Erin laughed as she continued eating. She glanced at Devin and noticed a worried expression on his face.
After they finished dinner, everyone returned to their rooms ready for an early night. Erin made an excuse that she had to go to the bathroom but headed to the guy’s room instead. She was about to knock when her eyes moved over to a figure in the garden. She recognized his silhouette as she approached him. Without saying a word, he knew it was her “You couldn’t sleep?”
Erin took the empty seat next to him on the stone bench “I think it’s the opposite.” She turned to the full moon “It’s gorgeous tonight.”
“But the moon in Hong Kong is still the best.” He sighed with the double meaning that she couldn’t begin to comprehend.
She smiled at him with a tilted head “So we made it through the small talk. Are you going to tell me what’s bothering you or should I guess?”
“You couldn’t guess.” He whispered more to himself. Erin reached her hand out and took his. He looked up with surprised, shocked that she wasn’t afraid “You’re not worried that Mia might be behind those bushes?” he nodded to her left.
She didn’t bother turning and shook her head “I think you need this more.” She tightened her grip on his hand. He smiled gratefully as he pulled her hand to his lips and kissed them. Switching hands, he reached one arm over her shoulder and hugged her warmly “Whatever it is, I’m here if you ever need help.” He nodded into her shoulder but wasn’t ready to tell her.