Chapter 10

Rollie was still sitting on the couch lost, again, in his anguished memories. Kieran and Joshua could see him from their vantage point on the stairwell. The cousins decided it was time to go downstairs and accept the consequences. They had heard the detectives and Rollie ‘discuss’ what was wrong.  "It always comes back to us, Uncle Dingo and *her*," Joshua stated.

"Think it’s ok to go downstairs now?  I don’t hear Rollie yelling anymore." Joshua looked at Kieran for some kind of sign that he was ok now; he didn’t want another brouhaha to happen.  Things were becoming strained in the Tyler household…very strained.

"Does it matter anymore?  He does what he wants. I know it’s his place and he’s our boss, but that doesn’t give him the right to get mad at me just because some girl up and died on him" came the bitter reply.  "Let’s go out; I’m getting hungry and if I stay up here another bloody minute, I’m going to scream.  Coming?"

"Yeah, I’m hungry too.  Ok, let’s go."  The cousins went downstairs, passed Mira and were heading for the door when Rollie noticed them.

"Just where do you think you are going?"

"Out.  We’re going to get something to eat, ok?  I mean we do get a lunch hour here.  That is the law."  Rollie didn’t have to look up to see which of the cousins said that.  As much as he hated to admit it, Rollie knew that he deserved that from Kieran.

"Joshua, will you go and get it, please?  I would like to talk to Kieran, in private."  This was meant more for Frank and Mira than for the cousins.  "I promise Kieran will be fine; I’m not going to hurt him.  OK?  I promise, really."   The looks that he got from the other four people made him stop and think ‘Have I gotten that bad that my friends would think I would hurt my
cousin?’

"Ok, if you say so.  Anything in particular you two want for lunch?"  Taking in the shake of head from both Rollie and Kieran, he turned to the detectives, "How about you two?  Are you staying for lunch?  Do you want me to pick up anything?"

"Actually, we came by to see if Rollie wanted some lunch but seeing how you three being a family need to work things out…we’re outta here!  Lert’s  go, Frank.  Rollie, I’ll stop by tomorrow just to see how things are, ok?" Mira asked as they departed.

"Sure.  Why not?  Not as if I’m going anywhere." Rollie answered her sarcastically. Then with a look towards Kieran, he got up off the couch and walked to him.  Rollie noticed how his younger cousin stood his ground but was very wary.  ‘I can’t say that I blame him; I would be too.’ Rollie’s inner voice told him.  "OK, Kieran.  Looks like you and I need to talk, right?  I think now is a good time."

"Sure.  Why not?  Not as if I’m going anywhere."  Kieran mimicked.

"Um…if it’s ok with the two of you, I would like to stay here and ya know…stay." Joshua looked lost again; he didn’t know how much more of this arguing he could take.  He loved both of them dearly, but if Rollie threw Kieran out then in essence he was throwing Joshua out also.  Joshua couldn’t turn his back on the only one that had been there for him during his rotten childhood.  With a smirk to himself, Joshua thought that maybe that is something Rollie could understand, after all he kept saying that about him and Angela.

"I have no problem with it, do you Kieran?"  Noticing the shake of his head, Rollie continued, "OK, looks like it’s going to be three of us.  Let’s get started."

"First off, Joshua, I apologize.  I should never have put you in the position that would make you choose between me and Kieran.  It’s obvious that there is no competition; Kieran would be the winner.  I mean you two have spent a lot of time together over the last couple of years…" and then something amazing happened.  Rollie Tyler actually laughed out loud.  That was a rare sound; the Tyler cousins haven’t heard it all that much since joining him and were speechless at how hard he could laugh.  They were sitting there looking as if his name had just been changed to the Amazing Karnack; especially Joshua, who was going thru a very weird moment due to his thoughts moments before.

"Don’t look at me as if I have three heads; I do know how to laugh.  Just haven’t done it in a while.  I know what you are going thru Josh, trust me I do.  I didn’t read any of your minds.  It just took me all this time to realize it.  Sorry.  Now as for you Kieran….   I don’t know how to tell you how sorry I really am.   I had no right to go after you the way I did; Frank’s right, we are family.  Family shouldn’t fight...ok once in a while is good but not like this.  I love having you two here.  Believe it or not if it wasn’t for the two of you and your help, I don’t how much worse I would be."

"I want you to stay and keep working for me.  The two of you" he added as he noted the skepticism in Kieran’s eyes.  "There is no doubt in my mind that the three of us could make Tyler FX better than it is now."

"Rollie, that couldn’t be too hard.  I mean you have only done one or two shoots in the last six months.  If it wasn’t for that game that never seems to end, I don’t  know how you would have paid your bills."  Kieran pointed out to his cousin.

"So, this is all over with?" Joshua asked, giving Rollie a double entendre. He hoped that ALL of it was behind them. He wished that they could now move on with Tyler FX.  He wanted to prove to those that watched them pass up shoot after shoot that  Rollie Tyler was not retired, as that was the rumour going around the circuit.

"Joshua, Kieran, I…I can’t promise anything.  You know that.  I am really going to try to move on.  It’s hard; the hardest thing that I have ever had to do.  I knew her  nearly fourteen years when she died."  His voice got a little lower as the sentence drew to a close and then with a wistful smile he added, "See?  At least now I can say she died and all it took was nearly beating the living daylights out of my cousin."

"Hey! What’s family for?" Kieran smiled at his cousins. Sobering up a bit, he directed his attention to his older cousin, "So, we are ok?  I mean I really never wanted to hurt you.  I mean you have done a lot for us in the last couple of months.  There would be no way for us to ever repay; you *are* our family.  I’m not mad at you; I just wanted you to get better quick.  Ok, maybe I should have listened to Joshua and not read your mail…but you have never really told us anything about her.  I just wanted to know more so I could, dunno, help you I guess.  Does any of that make sense?"

"It makes perfect sense.  Now, as for our movie, when do want to get started on it?  I say after we have dinner.  It’s too late for lunch and yes, Kieran it’s on me."

"I’m game, Rollie.  Does this mean that we are finally going to work on the schematics that we brought in from the print shop?  Because if so, I had thought about some colour patterns that we could use…" Joshua stopped in mid sentence when he noticed that Kieran wasn’t sharing in his exuberance for the job.  With a sense of dread washing over him, Joshua began a little prayer that first the first time in his life, please let Kieran show some sense and like this job!!!  PLEASE!!!!

"Uh…um…Rol, does it have to be tonight?  I want to work on this with you and Josh but it’s just that I already have plans" he said sheepishly.

"Got a date, little cousin?" Rollie teased.  It felt good to be somewhat happy; it felt great to tease Kieran.  ‘What goes around comes around’ popped into Rollie’s head.

"Yeah!!  You don’t mind, do you?  I could call it off."

"NO!!  Go, have a good time; just be sensible about whatever it is that you are going to do tonight. OK?  See ya in the morning.  Oh, one more thing: Take your damned keys; I hate it when the two of you forget them at 3am!! Bloody nuisance!" Rollie smiled as Kieran raced out of the loft.  Turning he saw Joshua just stare at the door. Chuckling he said, "Don’t worry, there will be dates for you too."

"What about you, Rollie?  Will there be dates for you? I’m not prying or anything of the like…but you haven’t had a date since we’ve been here.  It’s because of *her*, isn’t it?  Are you going to date soon?"

"Josh, you are beginning to sound like Mira, Frank and Sarah.  It’s not time yet; I can only do one thing at a time, right?  But I will promise this, I will stop not mentioning her."

"Really?  So that means you are willing to talk about her to us  I have a lot of questions for you!!  If you had answered them earlier,  maybe none of this would have ever happened."

"Josh, later.  I promise.  Right now, I am starving.  What do you want to eat?" He asked as he propelled his apprentice towards the door and grabbing his coat at the same time.

"Rol, you *are* still paying, right?" and for the second time that day Joshua Tyler heard his cousin Rollie laugh.  It was a nice sound echoing in the warehouse.