Lost & Found Ch. 06 Pt. 02

This is the last part of this story, it's taken almost 4 years to get here, but I've enjoyed every step of the way. I owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to GrandTeton for his patience and restraint while leading me through the intricacies of punctuation and plausibility, with only the occasional clout on the nose with a rolled-up thesaurus to remind me when I was writing complete nonsense. A big thank you also to my lovely wife and her bonkers friends for entertaining me with their wildly implausible plot-bunnies, and for Lori, a special 'thank you' to Leroy Jethro Gibbs, to whom Jonah Hollister owes so much...

This is just a story, from a time and place that exists in my world only, told solely to entertain. All characters are over 18, and are indulging in consensual activities. If you liked this story, please comment or vote for it, if you didn't, please let me know why.

This final story segment is dedicated to all those nice people who asked for it, and waited patiently for it, and have been following Robbie and his family through all their troubles and triumphs.

All my best,

BB1958

*****

Chapter 3: whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. - Galatians 6: 7-8

Robbie paced back and forth in the waiting area in San Francisco Airport Domestic Arrivals, more for something to do than out of any nervousness; Joey was his big brother, and he was bringing his girl home with him, and Robbie was agog to see her, although you'd never know it to see him; Robbie was the personification of laid-back, Mr. Calm himself. Casey was another story, her nerves stretching thinner and thinner as Joey's flight adamantly refused to touch down even a minute early. She, too, was agog to meet this girl who'd captivated and captured Joey so quickly.

At last, Joey's flight number flicked over from 'On Time' to 'Landed', and Casey moved up to clutch Robbie's arm, her nerves keyed-up to fever pitch as people gradually began to filter through the arrivals gate, but still no sign of Joey. For long minutes she waited, in an agony of suspense, and then he was walking through the gate, flight bag slung jauntily over his shoulder, holding hands with a leggy redheaded girl who looked somehow familiar. Robbie and Casey exchanged a quick glance even as Joey saw them and quickened his pace, a huge grin splitting his face.

He and Robbie hugged each other, pounding each other on the back as they grinned happily, before he released Robbie to hug Casey, kissing her on the cheek as he did so. The greetings done, he took Luna's hand and pulled her forward.

"Luna, this is my brother, Robbie, and this is his wife, Casey. Guys, meet Luna Hollister, she's the girl I told mom about, the girl I'm gonna marry."

*

Joey sat with his arm around Luna for the short drive from the airport to Daly City. She was silent, gnawing her lip nervously, her fingers twined with his as they held hands, a look of apprehension on her face as she waited to see what Joey's family thought of her. Every so often their gaze would meet, and his fingers would tighten on hers as he flashed her a reassuring smile. Finally he leaned over, turning her face to his with a gentle finger.

"Calm down, baby, Mom will love you, I promise. The whole family will. Relax, babe, you'll be fine!"

Sarah was waiting outside the house when Robbie pulled into the drive, her eyes shining, a welcoming smile on her face as she cradled Casey's baby daughter in her arms, little Joe fast asleep in a stroller next to her. Joey hopped out of the car and hurried around to the other side to open the door and hand Luna out; as she stepped out of the car and stood up, Sarah's eyes widened. She quickly schooled her features back into a welcoming smile.

"Baby, I'm so happy to see you!" she grinned, hugging Joey tightly, while Joey smiled in turn, hugging her back just as enthusiastically.

"Good to be home, Ma, I missed you, I missed you all! I want you to meet someone, Ma; this is Luna, and Luna, meet my mom, Sarah Vargas."

As Sarah embraced Luna, a little body squeezed between them, a little girl, maybe three or a little older, with raven-black hair and dark, bright eyes. She had a strong resemblance to Sarah.

"Joey, Joey! Where you been Joey? Mommy said you had to go away, and I asked baby Jesus every night to bwing you home!"

Joey laughed, and picked her up, kissing her and grinning when she grabbed his ears and kissed him on both cheeks, then grinned and scraped the tip of his nose with her teeth before shrieking with laughter as he tickled her. He grinned at Luna, turning so she could see the little girl too.

"Baby, meet my baby sister, Caitlin. Katy, this is Luna, she's my girlfriend! Say hello, munchkin!"

Caitlin smiled and waved shyly.

"Hello Luna, are you gonna mawwy Joey?"

Luna held out her arms, and Caitlin climbed into them. As she did, Sarah handed him little Joe, still fast asleep.

"Would you like it if I married Joey?" she smiled and Caitlin nodded.

"Yes. Will you be baby-Joe's mommy too?" she lisped.

Luna laughed, touching Caitlin's nose with the tip of her finger, making her giggle.

"Only if he'll let me. Do you think he'll like me?"

Caitlin nodded, and hugged Luna even more tightly.

"You're nice. I like you!"

Luna grinned, once again chucking the little girl gently on the tip of her nose.

"Good, because I like you too! Will you be my friend? I don't know anyone here except Joey, so if you want, you can come and play anytime you like!"

The little girl laughed, and wriggled in her arms. Luna laughed too, a happy chuckle that made the hairs on Joey's neck stand up, as once again a fleeting chord of memory struck deep inside him. His grin matched hers. As she put Caitlin down, Joey handed her his son, now awake and smiling at all the attention.

"There's someone I'd like you to meet, baby!" he murmured, his eyes softening as Luna took the little boy and cradled him in her arms. Joe looked up at her, his fingers skittering gently across her face as he tried to touch her vivid green eyes. Joey watched in wonder as Luna and Joe locked gazes, the two of them silently communicating, something seeming to pass between them, something that Joe understood immediately. He gazed intently at her while his fingers twined gently in her hair.

Joey let out the breath he hadn't realized he was holding; somehow, his son and Luna had connected; he'd accepted her in the first seconds of meeting her, something Joey had never seen before. Luna looked deep into the little boy's eyes, his brilliant blue eyes tracking her emerald eyes, the two of them talking on some other level than mere speech.

Joey looked around, and spotted Casey, her baby now in the crook of her arm, and his eyes softened as he saw his new niece. He held out his hands, and Casey smiled, kissing his cheek as she passed him the baby.

"This is your uncle Joey, baby-girl!" she murmured, and Joey smiled, his vision blurring as he gently rocked the little bundle.

"She looks like you," he murmured, his eyes sparkling, "but she's got Robbie's eyes, Case; you did good, sis, you both did! Where's Junior?"

Casey smiled at his concern for his nephew.

"Don't worry, he's with Mom, you know how she loves having him; she's probably spoiling him right now."

Sarah ushered them all into the house and waited for everyone to get comfortable, then smiled, holding out her hands for Casey to pass her the newest member of the family before settling down herself.

"All my children are here, and now we have a new one joining us; welcome to our family, Luna, and thank you for making Joey happy again!"

Luna blushed as she smiled and nodded her thanks, then busied herself adjusting Joe's jacket to cover her confusion. Joey smiled and took her hand, lacing his fingers in hers.

"Guys, it's been a while since I had anything to be happy about, and I'm sorry I made you all so worried, but that's over now, because, finally, I've met someone who makes me happy again. Luna and me, we've been talking some, and we'd like to get married as soon as we can, but nothing special, just a small wedding, family only. I'll leave that up to you, Ma, you and Luna are gonna have to work that out; I'm gonna be busy; I've been away too long already!"

Robbie threw a cushion at him, catching him in the face.

"Jest hold your horses, Tex, ain't no stampede around hyar!" he drawled, while Casey and Caitlin giggled, followed by little Joe. "Get settled in first, Joey. The place won't fall down if you take a few more days; believe it or not, I got it under control, meathead! Tell him, Case!"

Casey knelt on the floor next to Joey and took his hand.

"Take some time with Luna, Joey. Smell the roses. You've got so many responsibilities now, you need to take the time, because it's going to get really hectic from now on!"

Joey looked at her in puzzlement.

"What are you saying Case, what's...?"

Casey stood up and kissed her brother on the cheek.

"While you were gone, all those marketing strategies you had your team refining and getting ready for the 'Ghost Planet' launch? Well they worked, they worked so well you are now the West Coast's hottest, most talked about marketing boy-wonder! 'Ghost Planet' is flying off the shelves, they can't keep up with the demand. According to Elio, revenues are the highest this quarter the company has ever seen, and it's all because of you, Joey! Your name is being noised about by the great and the good as the next big thing in the world of mass-marketing. Everyone's asking who you are, where you came from, and most of all, what will it take to make you leave GameStx and go work for them!"

She smiled at his dazed expression.

"But now here's the best parts: GameStx and 'Ghost Planet' have been nominated for 6 awards at the Game Awards this year, and 'Ghost Planet' has 5 nominations for the BAFTA Games Awards in London; you're going to London, Joey, you and Robbie! What's more, Universal and New Line want to make a movie of 'Ghost Planet', maybe a three-hander, and there's a whole list of top science-fiction writers and publishers queuing-up to write the screen play and publish the tie-in's."

She paused to grin at his glazed expression before continuing.

"MB and Mattel loved 'Ghost Planet'. They think it's 'Toyetic', and they're really anxious to discuss a franchise to produce the Mrindaka, Stahamer and Illustra space ships, all the different battle craft and scout craft, and the Phobian Lightships, and all the main characters: Elias, Captain Jorru, Xyno and Nidia, Legion-Troopers, Skinwalker Cyborgs, Sihuoli Blood-Takers, everything. Congratulations, Joey, you just invented the next generation of collectible toys and tie-in merchandise!"

Joey was looking increasingly shell-shocked, managing only a weak grin as Casey patted his hand.

"Your way of doing things, Joey, all that stuff you convinced Steve and Elio to take a chance on? Well it caught all the big players looking the other way, and now they're wondering why it took a small software house like GameStx to show them how to market so innovatively and effectively that Hollywood bought in almost from the start of the campaign! You came out of nowhere and you've lit fires up and down the West Coast, Joey, and the world of Madison Avenue is baying for you! Everyone wants you, and Steve and Elio are chewing their nails down to the elbows wondering how to keep a hotshot like you on-side and in their game, so... Robbie?"

Robbie grinned, and lobbed another cushion at him.

"Welcome back, Partner!" he grinned, his smile widening at the blank astonishment on Joey's handsome face.

"That's right, big brother; as of today, you are now a full partner in GameStx, with stock options, parking spot with your name on it, and one day, if we ever get around to having an Executive Washroom, you might even get a key. You've arrived, meathead!"

Joey had a dazed expression on his face, but grinned when Casey hugged him.

"Well done, Joey; love you, big brother!" she whispered in his ear. Luna was looking a little confused, so Robbie bailed her out.

"Luna, Joey was Vice-President in charge of marketing; before he went away, he left a whole bunch of advertising and marketing strategies for his team to polish and put into action; they're all nearly as talented as him, so they did, and we took off in a big way, all because of my brother here! We couldn't have come this far without him, and we owe our success to him. Hear that, meathead? You finally got something right; not bad for a meathead jock, not too bad at all!"

Luna looked sideways at Joey, her expression still puzzled.

"Why does he keep calling you meathead?" she murmured, and Joey grinned, scooping her closer.

"Robbie calls me meathead, and I get to call him butthead, because he's a butthead geek, ain't that right, butthead?"

Robbie grinned and flipped him a lazy finger. Joey grinned at that and winked at Luna.

"Of course, if anyone else calls me meathead he's a dead man, and only I get to call Robbie 'butthead', mostly because I know him so well, so I know what a butthead he really is...!"

Luna relaxed, paying only vague attention to what he was saying, relying instead on her other senses to feel the truth of it. She was a highly perceptive girl, talented at reading people with very few clues, and she could tell Joey and Robbie were close, maybe closer than real brothers. She could feel their closeness almost like a sort of buffer-zone around the pair of them; a thousand subtle little cues that said they shared a deep connection. Strangely, she could feel that from Casey as well; she may have been Robbie's wife, but she obviously adored and was deeply attached to Joey as well, though not in a sexual way; in fact, it felt just like that brother-bond the two men shared.

Luna tucked that one away to mull over at a later date; right now, Joey's family was her priority. She could feel the love everywhere, that odd, but somehow right, connection among Joey, Robbie and Casey, the love in Sarah's eyes when she looked at her son, Joey's obvious deep attachment to his beautiful little sister and, most of all, his love for his baby son. As she thought, she unconsciously swayed, rocking and gently patting Joe on the back, softly humming an old song her mom used to sing while working, only looking down at him when Joey caught her eye and grinned as he rolled his eyes at the infant.

Luna looked down to find Joe fast asleep, his hand holding her shirt tightly, and almost gasped at the sudden gust of protectiveness she felt for this little boy. A lump appeared magically in her throat and her breath caught as she held him just that little bit closer, just a little more securely, motherly instincts she never suspected she had leaping high and fierce inside her. She blushed again, slightly wrong-footed, and then her eye caught Sarah's, who nodded approvingly as she gently rocked Robbie's baby daughter. Casey caught Sarah's eye, her small nod, and tapped Robbie gently on his arm.

"I think we should leave now, baby. I think Joey and Luna need some time alone with young Joe. Come on, Robbie; help me get the baby into the car."

They all stood, all except Luna, who didn't want to disturb the sleeping child in her arms. She smiled up at Casey as she leaned down to stroke the child's hair.

"We'll see you later, you guys. Just get settled in; the fridge is full, or we can go out for dinner someplace nearby if you want. We'll all be getting together at Uncle Frank's place in a few days. Aunt Kat had to go out of town with the girls, so we'll go meet them when she gets back. I know she's dying to meet you," she whispered. "Just be ready for the twins; they're a little much to take in all at once!"

With a final flurry of whispered 'goodbyes', the family left them to get settled in. Luna smiled as she settled back in the couch, cradling Joe to her.

"Your family are lovely, Joey; I'm glad I met them," she murmured, holding it down so as not to wake the sleeping infant. Joey sat next to her and stroked his son's hair.

"They liked you too, baby. I think you're gonna fit in just fine around here. It's been a long day, so let's get you unpacked and then we can think about dinner. Casey mentioned she asked you..."

Luna shook her head, cutting off the unspoken question.

"No baby, I'm dead on my feet; please, can we take a rain-check? Tomorrow, once I figure out where I am and what I do next. Do you mind waiting just a little while, just so I can get my bearings?"

Joey grinned, his naturally sunny temperament coming to the fore. He reached out and smoothed a stray lock out of the way so he could see her face properly and nodded at her answering smile. As she made to stand up, a thought struck her.

"Joey, do I know Casey's family at all? What I mean is, is she from Springfield? I have to ask, she just seems kinda familiar, and she sure doesn't talk like she's from around here. And while we're talking about family, when will I meet Robbie's sister? Why wasn't she here to meet you? You've been away a while, why didn't...?"

Robbie bit his lip, wondering how to answer her, but then plowed on; his mom had been right. Honesty was what was important now.

"Baby, you did meet her, she was here," he said, watching Luna's expression closely as he said it.

Luna looked puzzled, then suddenly her eyes widened as comprehension dawned, her mouth twisting in distaste.

"Casey?" she gasped, "How? I mean...what...that's just not right, it's...oh my God, how could they...!"

Joey took her hand as her she trailed off.

"It's not like that, baby, really; remember I told you how Robbie's sister spent all those years looking for him? Well she found him, by pure chance, and she finally got to tell him how sorry she was; all she wanted to do was make it right with him, to connect with her big brother at last. Well, she did, and then they found something else as well; they found each other."

He paused, his eyes far away, smiling faintly at the memory of the first time he'd met Casey in several years, in Robbie's condo in Daly City when he and Karen had stopped by on a whim on their way back to Springfield.

"Casey says that when she found Robbie, she found that part of her that she'd always felt was missing, and I guess Robbie felt the same, because here they are, and they're as tight now as they were then. Don't judge them, babe; everyone needs someone, and Robbie and Casey need each other; they're in love, and it's no-one's business but their own."

Luna stared at Joey, feeling that instant surge of revulsion die away as she listened to his acceptance of what Robbie and Casey were doing. Her own generous nature allowed her to grasp an inkling of what they must have felt, how they must have agonized over this, and finally to have made such a decision in the face of all the prohibitions against it; they must really be deeply in love to ignore all that. Joey watched her carefully, seeing the understanding, and acceptance slowly dawning in her eyes.

"You're right, Joey. It is their own business. I guess a country-girl like me needs a little time to wise up to the ways of you city-folk! Comes to that, I guess you city folk don't have a monopoly on that kinda thing, if some of the stuff I hear about what goes on down in Sweetman County 's even half true!"

Joey grinned, and helped her up, holding her close as she kissed him.

"I still meant what I said, City-Boy; you have a lovely family!" she whispered. "Now let's put the baby in his room. I have plans for you!"

*

Once they'd changed little Joe and tucked him in properly, Luna watched him sleep while Joey put his bottle, made-up earlier by Casey, in the fridge, and then they tiptoed from Joe's room and into the master bedroom. Someone had tactfully put the large framed picture of Joey and Karen on their wedding day in the dresser drawer, Joey saw with a small pang of guilt and regret. Luna saw his expression as he ran his finger lightly over the glass, tracing the outline of Karen's face, and gently pulled the photograph out of the drawer and put it back on the dresser. Joey looked at her in surprise as she smiled at him.