Brad & 'Tanaya Ch. 08

Brad met his gaze over the short distance and realised how much he had missed his best friend since his own release; in fact how much he had missed Ren since their estrangement when they had found out who the father of Janey's baby was. Not only had they been best friends since their first day of school together but also they had been more like the brothers neither of them had.

Ren watched as Brad walked down the steps and across the grass towards him. He watched as the larger man smiled hopefully and put out his hand to shake hands.

"Damn but I've missed you mate!" Ren said with heart felt feeling as he clasped Brad's hand and pulled him into a quick backslapping hug.

"I should have come before this," Brad said ruefully.

" 'Tanaya says you been busy with your boy," Ren said evenly. It was the first time they had really openly talked about the situation since Brad had informed him of Janey's first visit.

"Yeah, I get to see him most weekends, Janey is pretty good about it." Brad said with a guarded glance at Ren.

"I always thought she had a good head on her shoulders," Ren said evenly.

"How about we sit down? My foot is sore." 'Tanaya said as she took Brad's hand.

Brad immediately turned worried eyes on 'Tanaya and picked her up before she could take a step towards the seats beside the picnic table. He carried her to one of the seats and sat her on it gently.

" I could have walked," she told him.

"You're supposed to be resting that foot." Brad said with a frown as he sat beside her, put an arm around her and pulled her close.

"I see you two finally got together," Ren said as he sat on the seat on the opposite side of the table.

"Yeah, best thing that's ever happened to me." Brad said with a fond glance at 'Tanaya.

"Anyway how is Janey?" Ren asked as he looked away towards the guards.

"She's fine, when she's away from the cop. When he's around she's nervous and scared looking." Brad said trying to keep his tone light.

Ren looked at him trying to read his expression, "You think he mistreats her?" he asked worriedly.

"Not so much mistreats as doesn't let her forget all the bad stuff that could happen," Brad answered tightly.

Ren gave a brief nod and looked away for a few seconds.

"So what does Graeme think your chances are at the appeal?" Brent asked as he sat down while Matty squatted out from the table and benches.

"Roy and Zane are up for parole the week after next and Graeme believes we got a sympathetic Judge who'll see things from my side," Ren said quietly.

"That really stinks that those two bastards would be up for parole before you!" Matty snarled.

"They didn't break a no contact order," 'Tanaya said with a frown at Ren, "You want to be a good boy if you get out on Wednesday." She warned.

"Not if, when. " Brad corrected in a hopeful tone.

"So what's been going on? You no-goods still are working?" Ren asked with a grin.

"No-goods?" Matty demanded with mock offence, "I'll have you know we are good, well we must be good at something. The boss still keeps us around and 'Tanaya hasn't given us the flick yet."

"Who would cook the weekend bbq if one of you didn't?" 'Tanaya asked wide-eyed.

The conversation ebbed and flowed around the group; all were glad to see things back to normal between Ren and Brad, none gladder than the two friends themselves.

Lunch was a fresh salad 'Tanaya had picked up on the way through the local town and high quality steaks that Ren grilled on one of the bbqs supplied for inmates and their visitors.

At the end of the day they left the visiting centre and headed for a local hotel while Ren returned to the main area of the jail, the following day they would visit again.

* * * * *

Brad pulled uncomfortably at the neckband of his shirt and fidgeted before finding a slightly more comfortable spot on the chair.

The courthouse comfortably warm and the lighting bright but not harsh; the steady procession of cases before the Judge was tedious and boring but Brad and 'Tanaya were waiting for Ren's appeal to go before the Judge.

"Look, isn't that Janey's brother? The one who's the cop?" 'Tanaya asked in a whisper as she nodded towards two men who had just came in to sit in the public gallery.

"Yeah, that's him." Brad confirmed softly, "There's no sign of Janey yet."

"And Adam just walked over to speak to the Police Prosecutor," 'Tanaya whispered.

Brad looked to where she had indicated and watched as Adam clearly had a serious talk to the Prosecutor.

"I don't like the look of it," Brad growled softly.

The court bailiff announced the next case and Ren was ushered into the court wearing a suit and surprisingly no handcuffs. Ren sat down in the chair beside Graeme Walsh; Graeme got to his feet and approached the Judges bench with the Police Prosecutor.

There was a quiet conversation between the Judge and two Lawyers for a few minutes then the Judge made some notes on the paper in front of him; seemed to read for a moment then spoke quietly to the Prosecutor.

Both men moved away from the Judges desk and Graeme motioned for Ren to get to his feet.

Whatever the Judge said was lost in the vastness of the courtroom leaving Brad and 'Tanaya none the wiser as Graeme and Ren left the room followed by the court Sheriff.

"I'm going to see if I can find out what exactly happened," Brad whispered and edged out of the bench seat with 'Tanaya following him.

Outside the courtroom Brad checked several of the small rooms until he found Graeme and Ren at the counter of an office while someone behind the counter taped away at the keyboard of a computer.

Ren glanced towards the doorway at the sound of their approach and grinned widely when he saw them.

"I though I caught a glimpse of youse in the back of the public seating but couldn't be sure," Ren said happily.

"So how did it go? We couldn't make out what was said from where we were sitting." Brad said with a worried frown.

"Both sentences to run concurrently and parole granted effective immediately," Graeme Walsh said with a pleased smile as he turned to face them.

"So Ren's free to go? He doesn't have to go back to the jail?" 'Tanaya asked hopefully.

"As soon as he signs the paperwork he can pick his stuff up from the police station and you can head off where ever you like." Graeme said with a grin.

"We'll go out for a slap up feed and then back to the house for a few cold ones," 'Tanaya said as she sat down and began to mentally plan the evening.

"How about a few cold ones at the pub and then a simple meal with just our friends?" Ren asked as he leant against the counter comfortably.

"Yeah, we can do that." Brad agreed.

'Tanaya frowned but didn't argue as she knew they would go along with whatever Ren wanted for the evening.

Within half an hour Ren had signed the necessary paperwork and went to collect his belongings from the police station while Brad and 'Tanaya bought the vehicle around to the police station so Ren could find it easily.

'Tanaya climbed into the back seat letting Ren sit in the front with Brad, she turned slightly sideways so she could put her injured foot up on the seat and glanced happily between Brad and Ren.

"How about we grab some take-away for lunch before heading off?" Ren asked with a glanced over his shoulder at 'Tanaya.

"Sounds like a plan," 'Tanaya agreed as Brad started the vehicle and headed for the main road.

"I didn't see Janey here today." Ren said quietly.

"We didn't either," Brad concurred, "Adam and her brother the cop were there but."

'Tanaya met Brad's quick glance in the rear view mirror and darted a nervous glance at Ren, he seemed unaware of the silent exchange between Brad and 'Tanaya but there was a certain tension emulating from him.

Brad turned into the drive-thru of the first fast food place and they ordered their food, paid for it and picked it up at the outlet window. Brad had driven back onto the main street before anyone broke the silence in the vehicle.

"What is it that you guy's aren't telling me?" Ren asked evenly.

"Ahhh..." 'Tanaya struggled to find the words.

"We got a surprise visit from Janey Thursday evening, seeing if I wanted Nicky for a while Friday night since she had other plans for last weekend. It turns out Janey and Adam got engaged and are working on a playmate for Nicky." Brad said evenly without looking at Ren.

Ren was silent for nearly ten minutes before giving a slightly bitter laugh, "Well there's many a slip between the question and the alter." He said tightly.

"Janey's been really good about letting me see Nicky. Most of the time one of her brothers James, is with her. Occasionally it's Adam and once or twice she's been able to make it by herself." Brad said lightly trying to divert Ren's thoughts.

"Is there a hidden message in that?" Ren asked with a glance at Brad.

"No. Just saying how it is. Janey doesn't go out by herself much but she has managed to bring Nicky to see me by herself several times lately. So she's been doing pretty well. But I got a feeling that Adam will be poking his nose into things a lot more after today." Brad said evenly.

"Thanks for the warning," Ren said as he looked out the window.

There was silence for several minutes as all three ate their food, when they were washing it down with cans of soft drink 'Tanaya sighed with relief as she finally let herself believe that Ren was out of jail.

"So do you want to stay at the house with Brad and I or bunk at the flat with Brent and Matty?" 'Tanaya asked curiously.

"Where ever there is some room, I'm not fussy. Hell after where I been just the floor in a normal room would be welcome." Ren said.

"We can do a bit better than that. There's a choice of two bed that you can stretch out on, no feet hanging off the end to worry about." Brad said with a grin.

* * * * *

Gerald Brinkley watched as his neighbours parked in front of their garage and got out of the vehicle; he noticed they had a visitor with them as he walked over towards the fence separating the two houses.

"Hallo there Brad!" Gerald called in greeting.

Brad turned towards the fence and nodded in greeting as he saw their older neighbour, "Hallo Mr Brinkley, it's a lovely day to be out in the yard today."

"Yes it is. Ahhh, your ex-wife was here about ten minutes after you left this morning. She seemed upset and she's come back several times since then." Gerald said.

"Ex-wife? Oh! You mean Janey, the one who has my son." Brad realised, "Did she say what she wanted?"

"No, she only asked me to tell you she wanted to speak to you. She didn't seem to be in the best of moods either." Gerald said with a touch of worry. He hoped there wouldn't be any trouble; he and his wife enjoyed seeing the little boy in the backyard most weekends.

"Oh well if it's important she'll either ring me or come back later," Brad said trying not show his concern.

"She did say she would be back," Gerald agreed.

"I hope you don't mind if I go in, we got a visitor." Brad told Gerald with a half smile.

"I'll see you later," Gerald said with a wave of his hand.

"Yeah, see you later." Brad agreed as he turned away and followed Ren and 'Tanaya into the house.

Brad found 'Tanaya and Ren in the lounge room, Ren had already placed his few things in the spare room and was looking around with interest.

"Ren was just saying he wouldn't mind going to the pub and having a few games of pool while we waited for Brent and Matty to get off work." 'Tanaya told Brad with a smile as she slipped an arm around his waist and lent against his side.

"Sounds like a plan," Brad agreed.

"Tomorrow I'll have to do something about getting some more of my gear here." Ren said as he glanced down at his clothes.

"You look fine, you'll have all the single women and some not so single flirting with you all evening." 'Tanaya said with a smile.

"Yeah, you've always had more than your fair share of luck with females," Brad grinned.

"Well how about we head off for the pub? I have really missed being able to play pool." Ren said and headed for the front door.

Brad and 'Tanaya followed him outside; Brad forgetting that Janey had been looking for him in the pleasure of having his best friend back.

* * * * *

'Tanaya sat in the kitchen chair watching as Brad put the food in the oven to cook, Ren was still at the pub with Matty and Brent enjoying a last game of pool before heading back for the evening meal.

There was a loud knocking on the front door and Brad grinned at 'Tanaya, it seemed that the three guys had finished their game of pool quicker than they had thought they would.

"Door's open, come in, we're in the kitchen!" 'Tanaya called with a smile for Brad.

Brad glanced towards the kitchen door as he heard the front door open then turned his attention back to the stove where he was settling saucepans on the stovetop.

"Where have you been? I've been looking for you all day!" Janey accused from the doorway sounding very angry and agitated.

"Oh hi Janey, we been..." Brad was startled as he remembered Gerald telling him she had been looking for him.

"I don't want her near Nicky! Not ever!" Janey exploded suddenly.

Brad heard 'Tanaya give a sharp gasp as he kept his attention on Janey. "What's this all about?" he asked guardedly.

"Don't tell me you don't know what kind of person you've let near my son!" Janey retorted angrily.

"Exactly what is that supposed to mean?" Brad asked starting to get annoyed.

"Her!" Janey retorted pointing at 'Tanaya, "That drug-dealing whore!" Janey almost yelled in her anger.

"Oh no!" 'Tanaya sobbed as she covered her mouth with both hands, tears streaming down her face, "Oh God no,"

"You had better start explaining," Brad growled angrily as he glanced from 'Tanaya to Janey to 'Tanaya once again not sure whom to talk to first.

"It's all in there!" Janey said loudly and angrily as she slammed a folder on the table and sheets of paper cascaded from the folder. "I will not have her near Nicky! Ever!"

"I was a kid! It's not what it looked like!" 'Tanaya sobbed in self-defence as she stared at Janey in horror.