The Lycan King's Scars

Jordyn POV "Lulu, Derek needs a p***s mint!"These are the first words I hear as I answer the incoming call from my sister. Fortunately, I talk to my nephew often enough to know what the heck he is saying. "Slow down, little man. You know I need the facts before we discuss punishment," I say, trying to calm the agitated four year old. He sighs deep and argues his case as if presenting to a court, "Lulu, Derek beat me with a triceratops, and he just won't listen. I told him to stop, and he kept going. Then he said a bad word, and he needs a time out." "Hmm, is that everything? You know I need to hear from both sides, so go get your brother," I answer when he is done. "Luluuuu....." he whines over the line. "Nope, you know I won't decide until I hear everything." I hope he can't hear the laughter in my voice. "Derek, Lulu is gonna yell at you, take the phone." Baxter screams across the house. "I didn't do it, Lulu. I said the bad word, but I apologized, I didn't do nothing bad..." Derek quickly rattles off before I can say anything. "Calm down, Bud, I am not gonna yell. I just want to know what happened, and I am glad you apologized for the bad word." I say soothingly. "OH, okay we were playing dinosaur battle and Baxter was the T-Rex I was the ceratops I beat him then he got mad and bit my foot so I said a bad word, but I said sorry brother, then Baxter called you. I didn't do nothing wrong, Lulu. I promise I apologized." He belts out so quickly that if I wasn't actually paying attention, I would have missed half of what he said. "It's alright, Bud. I have a clear picture now. Do me a favor and take the phone to your mom and call your brother, please. We need to clear some things up." I know he can't see me, but I shake my head at the phone, my poor sister. I love my nephews to death but at six and four I know they are a handful and being that I live across the country the only way we really interact is over the phone or video chat, except when I can get away on vacation. "Mooommm, Baxter, Lulu wants to clear some things up." I can hear Derek call out while he is walking down the hall. "Derek Oliver Green, did I give you permission to take my phone and call your aunt? Hey, what's up?" I can hear my sister's tired voice as she comes on the line. "Hey kid, it was actually Baxter that called to tell on Derek, but I've gotten to the bottom of things." I try to keep the smile out of my voice. "In that case, I'm sorry, Derek. These boys, one day I'm gonna ship them to you via FedEx." She states exasperated. "Hey, don't threaten me with a good time." I respond as I hear Baxter come into the room, and my sister puts the phone on speaker. "Does anyone have anything else to say before I ask my questions and present this case to the judge?" I ask the boys. "No, Lulu." both say simultaneously. "Baxter, before Derek said a bad word, did you bite his foot?" I jump right in. "Ummmm, yes, but he made me." Baxter quickly blurts. I hear my sister snort in the background as she is trying not to laugh as I ask my follow-up question, "Why did you bite your brother's foot?" "Cause it was there, and he beat me, I was the T-Rex. you're not opposed to beat the T-Rex. I told him no, and he still did it he needs a time out." He argues adamantly. "Whoa there kiddo you do not get to determine punishment that is up to the judge, and now that I have all the facts for the judge to consider, she can make her ruling. During the course of my investigation , I found the boys were playing dinosaur battles, one lost to the other, which caused a disagreement, assault and subsequently a bad word to be said. The child who said the bad word then apologized and has since moved on. It is my recommendation that the court show leniency on the bad word sayer and ask the biter to apologize and for both parties to go play." I deliver the case to my sister. The boys, having heard arguments broken down like this for years, are used to the way my sister and I talk things over, and they wait patiently for her to decide who gets punished or not. Not that she is really strict. The harshest thing she will do is make them sit in a corner for 5 minutes. "Based on the facts presented," She starts, "It is the courts finding that Derek you should not have said a bad word so even though you apologized you need to put a quarter in the bad word box, and Baxter apologize to your brother for biting his foot and don't be a sore loser even T-Rex didn't win all the battles. Now both of you go play so I can make lunch." "Okay, mom, can you take a quarter from the piggy?" Derek says satisfied with his punishment. "Come on, brother, tag you're it." "Sorry brother, I won't be sore and bite you," Baxter says before running out after Derek. "I can't believe he called you to punish Derek," my sister states, now able to laugh freely. "Please, when he started with Derek, needed a p***s mint. I almost hung up the phone, thinking it was a prank call. Thank goodness I talk to them enough to understand." I laugh with her. "So what's going on, you sound stressed?" I ask as I sort though the mail piled on my desk. "Are you asking as my sister or an investigator," she bites back. "A bit of both, you know mom is gonna ask, but you know always as your sister first. Look, I've got some time between cases right now, and nothing is pending that can not be handled from there. Why don't I come and see you for a bit? Take the boys camping so you and Don can have a break." "Can you afford to take the time off?" she asks hopefully. "Of course, Crusade practically runs itself now, and you all have been saying I need to trust my team more, so no better time than the present. I'll send you the details on my arrival. Don't tell the boys I want to surprise them." I sign off of the call and book a flight to leave the following day. As I pack my bags, I ask Alexa to search for camping locations in upstate New York. I make a quick review of everything, send some emails to my clients and employees, let them know how to reach me, and order a ride to the airport. I crawl into bed, excited to visit my sister's family and make some memories with my boys. If I could only predict what would happen next.