Chapter 19: Six Months Old

BB returned Sheila's call after the meeting. His first task was to reassure her that Martha and Seth were happy to let her stay at the ranch until the wedding. Sheila had expected a call back soon after she hung up and it had been hours. BB explained what had happened and what they decided to do about it.

"Sheila, I don't want to put you in danger but I was told that you should be the one to decide," BB said. "I want you here but, at the same time, I want you safe. Can you understand that honey?"

Sheila was quiet for so long that BB thought she wasn't going to say anything. Finally she cleared her throat before carefully replying. "You need to understand something before we get married BB. I am a nurse by training and temperament. I am leaving professional nursing to be with you but that doesn't mean that I won't still be a nurse." She hesitated before continuing. "I love you BB. I love you more than I can say and I don't regret leaving nursing to be with you. That doesn't mean I'll be a different person. I've been in dangerous situations before. I've been at fire base camps. I've been at military camps in war zones. I don't like to be in dangerous situations but fear is not a good reason to not do what needs to be done. I know in my heart that being at the ranch with you is the right thing to do. It sounds like you might need a nurse at the ranch so that's where I'll be."

It was BB's turn to hesitate before replying. When he did reply his voice was choked with emotion. "I love you Sheila. I'll spend the rest of my life looking for ways to show you how much I love you because words will never be adequate to show you how I feel."

"You can bet on that BB," Sheila said lightly. "And I'll eat it up before feeding it right back to you because I love you too baby," she said more seriously. "Now, I've got to go and finish packing. I'll let everyone here know what is going on so everyone is aware of the danger. Pete is supposed to help us so I'll let him know too. I think Pete and Susan are coming up with us tomorrow. Would you let Marta know?"

"I'll let her know," BB promised. "I'll see you tomorrow. I love you."

"Tomorrow," Sheila agreed and smooched into the phone. "I love you too honey."

BB was grinning as he reluctantly hung up the phone and was still grinning when he walked into the kitchen.

Udit glanced up and with a smirk said, "Someone throw a bucket of water on the boy before he sits down. We don't want him to start any fires."

"Grandfather," BB replied with a grin. He refused to be embarrassed for being so happy. "I just got through talking to my future wife and she's more determined to come because of the trouble we're having. I couldn't stop smiling if I tried."

"I can understand smiling," Udit said with a smile of his own. "But if that grin gets any bigger then you're going to break something."

"That's okay Grandfather," BB said grinning harder. "If I break something then I have my own special nurse coming to take care of me. Maybe I'll need to go on bed rest."

"If you go on bed rest before the wedding then it'll be Pappy taking care of you," Martha warned, only half joking.

An image of Sheila's face flashed across BB's mind as he looked at Pappy's gap toothed grin. A look of horror crossed his face and he said, "No bed rest for this boy until after the wedding."

Sheila's face was grim when she hung up the phone and turned to the room. Pete and Susan were laughing about something Susan had whispered in Pete's ear but they sobered quickly at Sheila's expression.

"They had some trouble at the ranch," Sheila said. "BB told me a Brujo attacked them but no one was hurt."

All of them had been kept up to date with the latest developments about Sean over the last few months. BB relayed Udit's revelations about Sean and they hadn't really surprised any of them. Udit's explanations about the darker side of the wizard coin was surprising and had been met with some skepticism.

"Do you mean a wild animal attacked someone," Pete asked doubtfully.

"Did someone get attacked?" Liz asked as she walked into the room.

"BB said a Brujo attacked the ranch," Sheila repeated.

"How do they know it was a Bra, ah, a Brujo?" Susan asked stumbling over the unfamiliar word. "It could have been a wild animal. They do live in the mountains and there are a lot of wild animals."

Susan and Pete whole-heartedly believed in Sean's abilities. It didn't bother them that someone wanted to call him a Mage or a Wizard because of his abilities. They both considered Sean a wondrous miracle and it didn't matter what he was called. However, the idea of evil men with Sean's powers or anyone else with his type of powers caused both of them to doubt. Susan thought that Sean could possibly be the first of a new evolution in human development. Pete didn't know what caused Sean to have his abilities. Pete's law enforcement training was designed to make him skeptical of everything. If he could see it, touch it, or experience it, then it was real. He had first-hand proof that Sean's powers were real. Any claims of extraordinary powers by anyone else were met with skepticism. He did admit that after being exposed to Sean that his skepticism was more open to acceptance than it had been previously.

Ben and Liz were more accepting of Udit's explanations but still had more of a 'wait and see' attitude. They decided that it didn't matter what the old Indian Shaman wanted to call Sean. The baby was still wonderful. They also decided that if someone with Sean's abilities could exist, then it was possible that others with similar abilities could exist.

Sheila slowly sat down with a thoughtful look on her face. She hesitated a moment before answering. "I know that all of you were raised and taught in the white man's schools. I was too but we had a different view of what we were taught in school because of our life at home." She hesitated again while glancing at Liz, Susan and Pete. "I mean no offense but black people lost much of their culture when they were brought to this country. In a very real way they adopted the white man's culture and I think that's where part of the problem is."

Pete looked troubled and Susan started to say something but Sheila held up her hand in a wait-a-minute gesture. "You know I love both of you like sisters," she said including Liz with a glance. "I'm trying to explain a difference in our, well, I guess the best description is world views. I'm trying to explain why it means something and applies in this case." Susan nodded so Sheila continued. "White man schooling and history is proud of the dedication to hard, cold facts. Those 'facts' are what the mainstream of white training teaches us to believe. Some fringe groups like the Wicca follow a different path but they really are fringe groups. Pete, what are your first thoughts when I ask you about what the Wicca is?"

"Well, I guess a bunch of nuts dancing around trees?" Pete said hesitantly. It was a question; not a statement.

"Don't feel bad for feeling that way," Sheila said with a smile. "That's how you and nearly every other person taught solely in the white man's schools believes. The Wicca are a small minority and anyone outside their numbers view them with skepticism. Remember though, the White Culture has been formed and controlled by the same religion for over 2000 years. That isn't a bad thing but it does restrict your view, as a culture, to what that religion defines as acceptable."

Susan nodded thoughtfully and said, "And our view is defined by the bible, no matter which version we read. Doesn't the bible say something about not allowing witches to live?"

Liz nodded and said, "I'm pretty sure it was Exodus 22:18 - 'Thou shall not suffer a witch to live'. Daddy always used to quote scripture on Sundays and that was one of his favorites. He always said that mama caught him by bewitching him." She grinned and said, "Of course the rest of the week he cussed like a sailor."

"So that's where you learned all those words you use at work," Sheila said with a smile. Then she got serious and said, "By that instruction from the bible we would need to kill Sean. I know that's not going to happen but I wonder how many there have been like Sean or even Brujos that were killed because of that understanding of the bible?"

"I know you aren't saying this to insult our heritage," Susan said. "So, what's your point?"

Sheila sighed before saying, "The Native American tribes in North, Central, and South America have cultures and belief systems that go back for thousands of years. There are differences from tribe to tribe. Creation stories are different but many are remarkably similar too. The mythical heroes from the different tribes have different names but what they do are similar between tribes in many cases. There are also many points of commonality between the cultures and beliefs of almost all the tribes. One of those points of commonality is the knowledge of Mages and Brujos. I'm not talking about just believing something is real. I'm talking about knowing something is real like I know the chair that I'm sitting on is real."

There was silence in the room as the others considered what Sheila said. Finally Pete said, "Um, okay Sheila. I know that you believe in Wizards and Mages and Brujos because of your culture. I can accept that you believe that and why. Can you understand why we're, well, I am a little skeptical?"

"I can Pete," Sheila said with a little laugh. "All that I'm asking is that you keep an open mind and be on your guard when we go to the ranch tomorrow. Just because you don't believe in something doesn't mean that it can't hurt you. People not believing in Brujos is partially why they have power. No one believes that someone can kill or cause the damage they do with their powers."

Pete met Sheila's eyes and knew that she believed absolutely in what she was saying. He thoughtfully nodded his head. "Just because I don't believe in something doesn't mean it can't hurt me," he said. "That I understand. Before I became a cop I didn't believe that people could be as ruthless or depraved as some people can be. The first thing that any cop learns, who survives, is that just because you don't believe a person can be that bad, doesn't mean that they aren't that bad." He nodded his head again thoughtfully and said, "Why don't I bring along some extra weapons tomorrow?"

Sheila smiled in relief and said, "Thank you Pete. I know you doubt and that's okay. But, I'd rather you didn't go than to go unprepared. You and Susan are my friends and I don't want something to happen to you."

"Is there anything else we can do to stay safe when we go to the ranch?" Liz asked with a frown. "I want to be there for Sean's six month birthday party but I want us to stay safe when we go."

Pete snorted.

Liz looked at him and the grin he was trying to hold in. "What?" she asked.

"Oh, nothing," Pete said before snorting again from trying to hold in his laughter.

"Pete, if it's dangerous then it isn't a laughing matter," Liz protested.

Susan slapped his arm and said, "It isn't the danger he's laughing at. He's laughing at a sixth-month birthday party for a baby."

"Why? " Liz asked. Her brow was wrinkled with genuine confusion. "What's funny about a birthday party?"

Ben walked into the room and took in the scene. Pete was working hard to hold in his laughter, and failing miserably. His wife looked puzzled and a little angry. "What's funny about a birthday party?" he asked.

Liz shrugged and said, "He thinks having a birthday party is funny."

Pete lost it and through choking gasps said, "six ... month..."

Susan rolled her eyes and said, "He thinks it's funny that we're throwing a sixth-month birthday party for Sean. What he doesn't understand is that he may well be the first groom in history to end up on the couch on our wedding night."

"Ah," Ben said and his lips twitched as they tried to smile. "Pete, here's some unasked for advice from an old married man. The correct answer any time babies are involved is 'Yes Dear.' Anything else, including laughing, will get you in a lot of trouble. I know it may seem crazy from a guy's point of view but it is perfectly rational to these women. It's the same with a lot of things they do but it's worse with babies. Try to put a pink shirt on a baby boy and see what kind of trouble you get into. Or a blue bonnet on a girl. When babies are involved, all guy logic goes out the window and girl logic prevails. You really don't want to try to fight that."

"I'll try," Pete said still snickering. He turned to Susan with an obviously false pleading look on his face and said, "But you have to give me a chance to learn to control myself as well as Ben does. He's had years of practice as a married guy. I've been single for a long time and learning how and when not to laugh may take some time."

They all cracked up when Susan slapped his arm again before pulling him close and kissing him.

Sheila asked, "So what kind of extra weapons will you be bringing tomorrow?" after Susan let Pete come up for air.

"I was thinking of a couple of shotguns," Pete replied.

"Why are you taking extra weapons?" Ben asked.

They had to explain the whole Brujo issue to Ben and the warning from BB.

"I understand if you don't want to take Liz to the ranch," Sheila said. "I would hate for something to happen that would cause her a problem."

"I got the results of my last checkup Friday," Liz said defensively. "The doctor said that I have a remarkably stable pregnancy and a very healthy fetus. Especially in light of the problems that we had before. He doesn't understand why this time is so different. Doctor Warren helped me through three pregnancies that didn't even make it to the end of the first trimester. He knows exactly what kinds of problems that I've had in the past and knows what to look for. He said if all his pregnancies were as solid as mine then he would be out of business."

Ben chuckled and said, "And thank God for that. I don't know what's different this time either but Sean keeps coming to mind." Turning to Sheila he said, "I don't think I could keep her from going even if I wanted to." To Pete he said, "Maybe it's time we started carrying some kind of weapon when we go to the mountains. There's a lot of dirt roads up there and anything can happen. Once we get moved, after the new year, we'll be living in a relatively remote area too. Having something for defense would probably be a good thing. Do you have any suggestions?"