Team Us

"Hi. We're sorry to just come over unannounced but we're looking for our Grandson. . .Sebastian." The man said.

"Yes. We were told by Bridgette that she dropped him off here and-"

"Nanny!" Nicki whipped her head around to see Sebastian running towards them. At first she thought that he had said "NiNi" but he jumped into the woman's arms.

"I'm sorry. Who are you?" Nicki asked as she pulled Sebastian out of the woman's arms.

"I'm Joan and this is my husband Arthur. We're Stephanie's parents."

"And?" Nicki asked with an attitude.

"We've come to get our, Grandson." She had a look of confusion on her face.

"You can't just come in here and-"

"Um, ma'am -" Safaree interrupted Nicki before she could go off. "Sebastian has been here for two, almost three months. You can't expect us to just hand him over when we don't even know who you are."

"Actually, we have rights. Legally we are his guardians. Have been for some time now." Arthur said.

"Is that so?" Nicki asked. She was growing increasingly angry. Sebastian was one of hers now and she couldn't help but be protective of him.

"Yes, yes it is. We have the papers to prove it." He pulled some folded papers out of his pocket and Safaree took them and read them.

"Well, where the fuck have you been?!" She yelled.

"Nicki-"

"Bash, go color." She put him down and watched him walked away. "In the middle of the night that little boy was dropped off and not once did anyone come back to get him! He's fine with us!"

"We understand that you might have grown an attachment -"

"An. .an attachment?" Nicki laughed. "That might be a bit of an understatement!" She took a deep breath when she felt her stomach tighten. Safaree saw the look of distress on her face.

"Are you ok?" He asked.

"Yeah."

"Well, we have two options here." Joan began. "Either we can leave right now with my grandson or we can call the police and inform them of the kidnapping and leave with my grandson."

"Kidnapping?" She asked shocked. "Kidnapping!?!"

"Nicki, calm down." He grabbed her hand and squeezed it. She squeezed his hand back tighter. Something he had always had her do in an attempt to calm her. "That won't be necessary, ma'am. See, Sebastian is my son and we intend on-"

"No, he's not." Joan said.

"Well, we took the test and-"

"Sebastian's father was a marine. He died in combat several months ago. I told them not to get married but-"

"So, because she was married to this man that automatically means that he's the father?" Nicki asked.

"Stephanie wanted to be married for all the wrong reasons and when she found out she was pregnant started this talk about leaving Allen because the baby wasn't his. Of course, we got a test as well and when our he died we got partial custody in case Stephanie flew off the handle again. We didn't think to look for him because Stephanie loses contact with us for weeks at a time. We thought that was what was happening."

"How do we know that you don't just wanna take him and drop him on another doorstep?"

"He's my grandson." Joan cried. "He's all I have left."

Nicki rolled her eyes. Safaree pulled her to the side.

"What are we gonna do? The test hasn't came back and they have legal documentation."

"But it has." She swallowed hard.

"What?" He looked at her funny.

"Yeah," She scanned his face then looked at the ground. "A while ago."

"Please, excuse us." Nicki said to the couple.

"Ma?" She looked at Micaiah who wasn't necessarily her favorite person.

"Micaiah, take them to the living room." She said aloud before pulling his arm and whispering in his ear. "If they try to leave this house with Sebastian while we are upstairs scream as loud as you vmcan and let it be known."

"But-"

"Just do it." She said before turning to Safaree. "Come on."

"How long have you known?" He asked as she tossed her shoes around the closet.

"I don't know. I never opened it." She put her hand inside of a tall boot and smiled. "Got it."

"What it say?" Safaree asked urgently as Nicki read the paper over.

"I-I'm not understanding. I think-"

"Give it here." He snatched the paper and read it over. He clenched his jaw.

"Safaree-" She grabbed his arm. "I'm so sorry, baby."

"I guess we need to pack his stuff." He pulled his arm away.

"What if-"

"Nicki, don't make it harder than it needs to be."

"I was just trying to help!" She said defensively.

"You helped enough." He turned to walk away but felt a tug on his shirt. He looked into her face and could tell that she felt bad.

"I'm sorry. I was just trying to avoid all of. . .all of this!" She wiped the tears from up under her eyes. "Please, can we just be on the same team today?"

"Yeah." He sighed and kissed her forehead. "Yeah, come on."

Nicki and Safaree packed Sebastian's things in silent. Neither had anything to say for the fear of further upsetting the other person.

"Alright. Is that all?" Safaree asked.

"Yeah, I think so."

"Lets go."

"No, go ahead."

"You ain't gone say bye?"

"No." She shook her head.

He sighed, "Alright." He said not wanting to push her.

Nicki listened from upstairs as everyone said their goodbyes. Sebastian was completely oblivious to what was going on. When Safaree asked when they could see them again Joan said that they needed time to "heal" as a family. When Nicki heard the front door close she realized that she couldn't let him leave without saying goodbye. Micaiah was sitting in the middle of the stairs and Safaree was by the door. She walked pass them both without saying anything. When she got outside, Arthur was putting the last of Sebastian's things in the trunk.

"Can I say goodbye?" She asked.

"Of course." He closed the trunk.

She climbed into the back seat but left the door open. Sebastian's booster seat was in the center. He smiled when he saw her and she immediately teared up.

"NiNi, we go bye bye." He said.

"No, just you, Bash." She forced a smile.

"I come back?"

"Umm hmm." She wiped the single tear that had fell and blinked rapidly to prevent more from falling.

"You ok?"

"Yes."

"You got a boo boo?" He asked and she laughed and nodded. "Where?" He sat up and looked her over.

"Right here." She pointed to her heart.

"You need 'sage?" He asked and she laughed as her tears escaped. Every since he seen Safaree massaging her feet because they hurt he thought that everything that hurt could be fixed that way.

"No." She wiped under her eyes. "Listen, be good for Nanny and Grandpa."

"Pop Pop." He corrected her.

"Ok." She smiled. "Be good for them and come back to see us."

"I come back."

"I love you, Bash."

"Mhmmm." He nodded and she laughed.

"I'll see you later, ok?"

"Ok." She kissed his cheek and got out of the car and closed the door. She walked into the house and up the stairs.

"Ma."

"Not now, Micaiah." She said as she continued her walk up the stairs.

Once she made it to her room she laid in the bed. She pulled a pillow in front of her and squeezed it while she cried hard. It seemed like once things were perfect they fell apart once again. She heard the door open and knew that it was Safaree. She felt the bed shift and a much smaller arm wrap around her body. It was Micaiah.

"I'm sorry, Mommy."

Nicki held on to his arm as he attempted to comfort her. She wouldn't have asked for anyone else to be there for her in that moment. Despite his age and the things that had just previously transpired between the two of them, she knew that he had a full understanding of how she was feeling. Safaree watched from the door with a strong sense of pride in his son. One day, he would be a better man than him and that's all he ever wanted.


A few days later Nicki was still in a slump. Everyone was but she was the worst because she wasn't expressing anything. Like a blank canvas. She displayed no emotion. Safaree walked into the dining room where she was on her laptop and shut it.

"Stop!" She went to open it and he put his hand on it. She looked up at him angrily.

"Go get dressed."

"No."

"Go get dressed, now. I'm not asking."

"And I'm not asking you to move your big doofy ass hand. Move!"

"No, we going out." He unplugged the laptop from the charger and picked it up. He began walking away. "Lets go!"

She got up and followed him with the intention of retrieving her laptop. She was in no mood to play his game but little did she know, the feeling was mutual. When she reached their room she looked around for her laptop.

"You'll get it back after dinner." He came out of the closet. "Put this on."

"Safaree." She rolled her eyes.

"Shut up." He warned her. Before she could speak he spoke again. "Yes, I said shut up. I'm not arguing with you. This ain't up for discussion. You got an hour to get dressed. We're going out to eat. The two of us. No kids. No attitude. If you ain't ready in an hour I will take you as you are."

He walked out of the room as she stood their stunned. He had never gotten her together so quickly and with so much ease. She picked up the dress that he had picked out and tossed it to the side knowing that she wouldn't be able to fit it. She mumbled and cursed him out all while she got ready.

"You look pretty, Ma." Micaiah said.

"Thank you, baby."

"You wearing heels?" Safaree asked and she cut her eyes at him. "I mean, you look beautiful."

"You look, alright." She shrugged and he laughed.

"We shouldn't be out too late." Safaree told the nanny.

"Ok." She said.

They kissed the kids goodnight and left. Safaree tried to conversate with Nicki but she was still mad that he had dragged her out. They pulled up to a hotel and she huffed.

"Are you trying to drop me off again? It didn't work last time and-"

"Chill." He popped the trunk before handing the keys to the valet. After he got the bags out of the trunk and checked them in they headed up to the room.

"Why do you do stuff like this?" She asked.

"Like, what?" He laughed.

"The hotel rooms. Anytime you surprise me with something its in a hotel."

"When I take you out it turns into a paparazzi circus. You don't never say nothing but most of the time it change your mood."

"True." She smiled at the fact that he knew her so well. She leaned against the wall while he went in his pocket for the key. "I just feel like a whore."

"My whore." He winked and she punched him in the arm and walked in.

She had her mine made up to be mad at him but once she saw how the room was set up she forgot all about it. He had candles lit all over and rose petals all over the floor. There were trays sitting on the table. Under each tray wasn't a gourmet meal from the five star hotel but the things that she had been craving the most. She turned around and he caught her lips with his lips. She smiled.

"Thank you."

Hours later they were sat in the bed with food all around them. They did nothing but eat and talk since they had arrived.

"Alright, what was the high of your week?" Safaree asked.

"What?" She smiled and tilted her head.

"The best part of your week. What was it?"

"Um."

"Don't say this."

"I wasn't." She rolled her eyes with a smile. "Ok. So, I was laying in the bed with MacKenzie and I was sad about Bash or whatever and she just randomly crawled up to me and kissed me then laid her head on me and then Micaiah came in right after and told me that he loved me and kissed me." She smiled. "It was like, perfect timing. What was yours?"

"Feeling the baby kick." They both smiled.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"I can't believe we have three kids, Faree. Well, three and a half. Bash is always gonna be apart of this family."

"Yeah. We gone see him again. Don't worry."

"But-"

"What I say?"

She rolled her eyes, "If you say so. I just can't believe everything happened like that. I guess I was just in denial."

"How?"

"I don't know. I just thought that if we ignored the test results and the possibility of somebody coming to get him then he could stay forever. Are you ok?"

"Yeah. I mean, I kind of knew but like you said. . . I was in denial."

"You know how I knew?" She didn't wait for his answer. "Micaiah and MacKenzie both look exactly like you when they're mad. You ever notice that?" She smiled.

"Nah."

"Its the cutest thing." She smiled. "Sometimes, I make all of you mad on purpose."

"Really, Nicki. The kids?"

She laughed, "I be bored."

"And we here for your entertainment?"

"Basically." She yawned. "Can we go to sleep?"

"Its only 8:30." He laughed.

"Do you realize how great this is that I can sleep when I want and not after I just got done cooking, cleaning, homework, baths-"

"Ok." He laughed. "Let me clean this stuff up."

After he had taken all the dishes out of the room he returned. Nicki had already dozed off. He laughed lightly before lifting her legs to put her up under the covers. He turned off the lights before getting in the bed and finding something to watching on tv. He knew that everything wasn't all right but they were no longer all wrong.