Porch Pondering - Adum and Megan

Adum Brate watched Addison and Fiona head down the block and around the corner. After school hangout. He remembered it well. Back when he was in school there was no Sigh, but Perkatory was still his personal favorite. But he wasn't in high school anymore. Now he was Chief of Police and father to nine cats. Or father to five and grandfather to four ... he still couldn't figure out how that really worked.

Once the girls were safely out of his sighs, he lifted his mug of chocolate and coffee and a splash of peppermint coffee creamer. Megan had picked up the subtleties of making coffees well ... as long as Adum started the coffee base for her. The first time she did it on her own there was literally coffee everywhere in the kitchen.

But he loved his wife. Passionately. She was able to sit and talk to him about any subject. And now he wondered if he should tell her about his meeting with Darcy that very morning. It wasn't work ... obviously. He had kept to his promise. But clearly he had an officer with unresolved issues.

Drinking he last from his cup he looked at the bottom and wondered if Megan would think to pour the whole thing in a carafe and join him out here on their front porch. The weather would soon be too cold, even if it didn't snow .. which it almost never did.

Megan pulled on a fuzzy sweater and shivered a little watching Adum sitting on the porch through the window. It was so good to have him home. The smell of the coffee still hung in the air and she inhaled deeply and then showed up on the porch with carafe and a mug of her own, not wanting to waste a single minute of time she could have with Adum. It had become so precious to her since the shooting he survived and she was grateful for every moment. She smiled at him and set the carafe down and then eased herself right into his lap and snuggled up "Hi there."

Adum was a second from getting up when Megan joined him. Spreading his arms, he welcomed her onto his lap. "Hi there." he wrapped them around her and considered her for a second. "Crazy idea." he began, even though part of him wanted to talk about Darcy, even though he shouldn't. "Let's go honeymooning ... tonight .. or in the morning ... maybe ... Niagara Falls." it seems very random, but many of his thoughts came to him that way. "I was thinking ... if you get pregnant ... we can forget a honeymoon until out twentieth, and I don't want that." he nuzzles her neck. That didnt change his concern, but it was out there.

Megan tilts her head up and looks at Adum "Well.....I'd have to talk to Kitty and you'd have to get the all clear from Dr. McKinney. I'd love to of course." She sighs at him "It might not happen in the first month of trying you know, as much as we want it."

Adum nods and then shrugs. "I know it might not. But if it DOES ... I'll send Susan a message and .. we'll see." he hugs her and nuzzles into her, grateful just to be alive with her in his arms. It crossed his mind he may be blowing off work in order to avoid a potential problem but ... it wasn't that crucial.

Megan leans into him and sighs "I missed you today while I was working. It was weird to be back but good too....I think it might be weirder for you. Do you want some more coffee?"

Adum nods at the offer .. and more. "I'd love more coffee ... and ... it was a little weird." he pauses as she pours. "As I see people memories flood back. Like ... yesterday I went to Statutes and ran into Tom O'Leary's sister .. never met HER but got memories of HIM. And with you ... YEARS of memories." he caresses her back. "Its a little overwhelming. But staying in the hospital wouldn't have helped, I don't think." he sighs deeply and his hand pauses on her lower back. "I .. ran into Darcy Lynch in Earthcakes earlier .. after I dropped you off..." there ... he had said it. Was he bringing work home ... dragging Megan into it? He didnt know.

Megan pours for them both and then sets the carafe down and sips at hers, listening. "Tom's sister. I think I've seen her out walking, bit eerie how much they look alike...course I guess some would say that about Tams and I too...but we're both women." She laughs a bit. Megan gives him a sweet little kiss when he talks about the years of memories with her. She nods about the hospital and then listens about Darcy. "The helicopter pilot right?...well the other one....sorry I still loose track of some of your crew."

Adum smiles softly. "Yes ... what do I know? I'm an only child." he laughs. "Yes ... one of my helicopter pilots. The other is Josh Greene, the current acting Chief. Both of them ex military."

Megan gives him a little poke "Like you." She smiles and sips "What did Zilpha tempt you with at Earthcakes?"

Adum grins. "Well they did more than I did. I stayed in Canada. It's .. different." and then he considers what he had .. it lost a little in his conversation with Darcy. "I had a couple cookies and a coffee. She almost broke my ribs hugging me." he plucks at his sweater. "She made this one, right? She said she did but with Miss Z, you can't always tell."

Megan looks at it "I think so, unless she snagged it from a craft sale. People dropped off so many sweaters for you I lose track of whose is whose. Gareth felt so bad he told the whole town to start knitting...or shopping. I've had to box some and put them in storage even as well as stealing just a few...I'm a sucker for the cardigans..."

Adum arches his brows. "In other words, I'm about to be buried in sweaters." he laughs. "I can't complain. And I love you in a cardigan ... unbuttoning it ..." he clears his throat, knowing he was almost LOOKING for a distraction. "Listen baby ... Darcy and I were talking about some of the kids around. Specifically Vincent DiAntoni. Do you know him?"

Megan thinks "That name is familiar..." She swirls the end of her coffee thinking some more "I've read it.......does he play the harp? I feel like it was on a poster to do with the festival?"

Adum sips his and grins. "Yea. I have no idea how the kid gets top billing but ... I mean I heard him at night when he plays with the window open .. really gives this place some class. But yea. Thats him." he licks his lips. "He's a music student .. not a normal one. His Dad ... goes to Statutes when he doesn't have something at the Blue Door or on the mainland." he feels like he sounds like a judgmental fifty year old.


Megan squints, trying to understand where this is going "K so is the dad a musician too? You said something at the Blue Door or on the Mainland? Do you mean like a music something? I've heard the harp...it's is quite nice."

Adum sighs a bit. "No I hear the kid learned from his mom ... and shes dead now." he sips again. "No I mean the dad is a drunk with a string of floosies on the side ..." he pauses. "And a hot temper .. talks with his fists a lot. Nothing to get him arrested so far but even I've told him to go home from the Blue Door."

Megan nods along "That's too bad. Did they have to arrest him this week or something?"

Adum shakes his head. "No ... nothing like that. Darcy has sort of befriended him. I guess a lot of us have." he shrugs. "Part of the job, I suppose."

Megan inquires now "The kid or the drunk guy? Sometimes you do just feel sorry for them,"

Adum drinks again. "Sorry ... The kid. I'm not making myself clear." he blows out a breath. "I gotta get it together." he frets.

Megan takes Adum's hand and squeezes it "Sorry, I know it takes time. How about I just let you talk instead of asking the wrong questions that lead us of course? We're in no hurry Adum." She smiles and waits patiently.

Adum squeezes her hand right back. For a moment he considers. Then he rests his head on her shoulder. "I'm not sure where I am going with this." he murmurs. "I was thinking about this kid that I believe is being abused and ... nothing I can do about it because I don't have the kind of proof i need to help. And ... I am seeing ... scars on one of my officers... not physical." he pulls her close. "And I'm thinking about a million other things. It's a small town. Since Friday, I've run into so many people and the memories attached to them." he scoffs. "The only time I didnt have a shit ton of memories flying all over my head was when I patched that bullet hole in the ceiling yesterday." he sighs deeply. "I only remember Nick Callahan holding me like I was his kid and telling me things would get better, then taking me into the cop shop here and securing me a job which wound up being this job .... I wound up Chief." he holds her tighter, almost like a living teddy bear. His comfort. His wife.

Megan wraps her arms around Adum tightly and holds him back "Oh Babe....you don't have to figure it all out in one week. I'm here for you. Take your time." She kisses the side of his head and just leans her face into it after.

Adum blows out a breath. "I know I don't, but it feels like I do." he is silent a moment. "It's like ... there's this missing library in my head. It's being filled up in a few days. Sure a book or two is missing, but I'l okay with that. The ones I treasure most I still have." he moves his head to kiss her lips quickly. "I just don't want to fail you, Megan."

Megan kisses him back and get teary eyed "Fail ME? God Adum...I'm so afraid of failing you. I know this is all really confusing and I just want to do and say all the right things to make it OK for you. I'm still just so thankful you came back to me alive." She stifles a sob and hugs him harder "Please take all the time you need. We have it now."

Adum grins. "You have done the exact OPPOSITE." he looks up at her, cupping her face and touching a tear int he corner of her eye with his thumb. "Not many women would be there every available minute. I know part of it is because we have friends who can help make that possible. But I get this grateful feeling ... like ... you ARE the one because you didn't abandon me. I don't know where that's from, but it's a great feeling that I am with you and you are putting up with me." he chuckles.

Megan feels another tear slide over his thumb "Why would I EVER abandon you? You're my whole life Adum. I love you. I've loved you since I was 16 years old..." she laughs a bit through her tears "And I think it's YOU who puts up with me. I know I'm messy and I'm the reason we have 9 cats. You just roll with it and never complain. Adum you believed in me when the whole world was judging me and you make me feel like a whole person. And don't get me started on what you offer me in bed. I hit the jackpot!"

Adum laughs. "But I KNOW that. I mean, I loved you too at least as long. And I shouldn't but I kick myself for years we missed." he pulls her close. "You give me things to clean and ... those cats are like a start on the kids. And you are MY other half. And sex ...." he chuckles. "Yea ... jackpot." he blows out a breath. "Every day is a blessing with you. I've felt like that since we finally hooked up. Thats a little fuzzy for me ... so I know whatever it was that took me so long had to do with that hole in my memory." he shrugs. "But I have you now and we're gonna make that baby. I don't care HOW many times I have to make love to you." he looks at her and winks. "And I don't think a big ol belly is gonna slow me down too much ...."

Megan laughs with him and puts a hand on her perfectly taught stomach and then extends the hand out and puffs out her cheeks "I'm sure we can work out the positions." She teases "But so far, not an issue yet."

Adum laughs with her. "Don't care, as long as its you and your healthy and our babies are healthy. I took on 'sick' enough for a dozen kids." he seems to consider. "Lets see ... we have three bedrooms for kids .... two kids in each bedroom ... that's six .. but John Reinhardt has his three boys in one bedroom and his daughter in one, so ... could be room for nine, if we work for six boys and three girls." he nods, stroking his chin "One kid for each cat. I think that's fair." he doesn't want quite THAT many kids, but he lives to tease Megan.

Megan gives Adum a little shove "Cat retaliation on my uterus? God, my tits will be down to my knees....you want that? So many kids we have no time to do it anymore and a big saggy Megan." She snorts "Hot isn't it?"

Adum laughs and mocks almost falling out of the chair. Then he looks at her. "I love YOU, Megan Brate. And I dont care if you never trim your .... ANYTHING again, as long as you stay you. So of you gain a little weight, we'll just deal with it. And you can deal with my beer belly." he doesn't have one now does his father, but one never knows. "I need the mother of my cats and kids to be here. Traumatizing the children by locking ourselves in the bedroom every night and making them wonder if Mom's gonna have another or not." he smirks. "My beautiful woman."

Megan laughs with him "It's good that you ended that with a compliment, not the fat and hairy part." She pats his non beer belly "And you can have the beer babies." she jokes "My beautiful man." She leans in and kisses him sweetly, still smiling from their humorous banter.

Adum leans into the kiss. "Oh, before we leave I need to drop the cats off at the vets." he suddenly remembers. "I hear the vet in Cedar Point is good AND it gives us a reason to go there to see Ryan and your family." he had thought about that. There were closer vets, but any excuse to get Megan near her family.

Megan nods "Sounds like a plan. I'll text Tams and email Dad. He never leaves his phone on." She picks up the carafe again "There's still more in here if you want....I'm done. I'll float away if I have another cup...but I know you and coffee." She grins.

Adum grins and holds out his cup. "One more, then I think I need to look in the fridge and see what I'm going to make for dinner." he loves his domesticated life. "Oh and I need to talk to Susan and you need to talk to Kitty." he reminds her.

Megan pours him a cup and then kisses him on the cheek before taking her own empty one and the now empty carafe to the door to go in "OK my phone is charging so I have to do that inside. I may as well take these with me." Megan still in a state of absolute bliss that he's home and well. Life is finally as it should be.