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Ebony hasn't seen Erik in years, long before he decided to usurp the throne from his cousin, T’Challa. Now, he’s back in Oakland, eager to find his queen, but he comes back to more than he thought he would.

Btw, Erik is not king, this is AU where he doesn’t die, but when has anything ever stopped this nigga from thinking he the shit?

“Nandi!” Ebony ran behind her daughter, the sound of her bare feet slapping the ground filling the halls of their new home, muddy footprints keeping her on the trail of her rowdy eight year old. She could understand why Nandi was upset, but she would be cleaning up her mess before the day was out.
 
Despite her mother’s many attempts at making her into a “little lady”, she was a tomboy through and through, and Ebony was fine with that. She was smart, healthy, athletic, and respectful. She didn't get into trouble, and was grown up in ways even Ebony herself wasn't.
 
“Nandi,” she called, clutching the lacy contraption her mother had sent through the mail for her to wear to family brunch, and if Ebony was completely honest with herself, she didn’t want to go. First, was the flight to Alabama, waking Nandi up early in the morning to have her ready, then

waiting

at the airport. They would get some sleep and wake up in Alabama, where her daddy would greet them while they were getting their luggage, talking about how her mama was driving him crazy. Once they got home, then came the questioning.

“Baby, when you gone to settle down?”

“I know you wanna focus on her career, but them books won't keep you warm at night.”

“I'm sure Nandi'd like a little brother or sister, wouldn't you precious?”

“Have you met Clifford? He's a doctor. Real handsome, too.”

It was always the same, and had been since he left eight years ago, and it would never change.
 
Who was he? Erik Stephens.
 
The very use of his name sent shivers down her spine, no matter how long it had been. She had been best friends with Erik since she'd come to Oakland from Alabama at thirteen, her father sending her to live with her uncle to keep her safe. Cali was a bit of culture shock and he was Ebony's next door neighbor.
 
Their last summer together after college was filled with drinking, partying, and fucking until the morning hours until they would be thrust into the real world. She could even remember the first day she realized that maybe her best friend of eleven years was more than just that.

House parties had never been Ebony's thing, but when Erik dragged her to one in Palo Alto, she couldn’t say no to him. This was how she ended up sitting in the corner of the crowded living room, nursing the same drink she’d been given when she walked in the house.

She caught small glimpses of Erik here and there, surrounded by his friends from college, a girl or two hanging off of his arm and she couldn’t help but notice how much fun he seemed to be having, which she felt he really needed. Since the anniversary of his father’s death, he had been on edge and easily irritable to the point where he even avoided her to cut the possibility of a screaming match. In that time away from him, she was really lonely, but she couldn’t hold it against him.

“What's a pretty girl like you doing sitting here all by herself?” Looking up, she made eye contact with a guy that seemed like he was her type. Dark skin, full lips, wearing a USC tee that fit snugly against his muscular chest, his hair cut low, waves shining in the lowlights of the house. He was really handsome, and when he smiled, showing pearly white teeth, she nearly swooned.

“I’m here with my best friend, they kind of dragged me here, but parties aren’t really my thing.” It wasn’t a complete lie. She liked parties, but not the types of parties that Erik liked, which usually ended up with him being too drunk to drive and her making sure he got home safely, or at least to her house to crash.

“Well my name’s-”

“Wassup, Princess?” She jumped at the sudden interruption, turning her head and making eye contact with Erik. Furrowing her brow, she searched the crowd to find the group he was with, but they had all dispersed, joining other groups.

“Hey Erik, me and,” she trailed off. “I’m sorry, how rude of me, you didn’t get to finish introducing yourself. I’m Ebony.” Erik scoffed as she offered her hand to the man, who all of a sudden looked uncomfortable.

“Jakari,” he said, gripping her much smaller hand in his, a slight blush coming to her cheeks as she felt how rough his hands were compared to her much softer ones. It wasn't often when men approached her at parties anymore, mostly due to her usual proximity to Erik after a guy tried to drug her. Erik had beat him so bad, he had to go to the hospital.

“Jakari, this is my best friend, Erik. Erik, this is Jakari. He was keeping me company for a minute. I’m sorry, I’m probably taking up your time, you don’t have to sit here with me, I’m a big girl.” Jakari smiled, running a hand over his freshly cut hair, a nervous look on his face.

“Actually, I was just about to get me another drink.” With that, he hurriedly excused himself, leaving her a bit dumbstruck.

“That nigga lame, Ebony. At least get with somebody that got a little bit of clout.” Smacking him on the shoulder, she smiled, turning to see that he was glaring in the general direction Jakari had gone. He often stated that she had bad taste in men after the death of her last serious boyfriend, Marcus. He was the only guy she ever dated that Erik actually approved of, mostly because of his willingness to stand up to Erik no matter what he said.

“Leave him alone, Erik,” she said in a warning tone, feeling his large palm rest on her hip as he lifted her onto his lap, making more room in the chair that she was sitting on. Rolling her eyes, she got comfortable, resting her head on his shoulder. “He was sweet,” she continued, closing her eyes as she inhaled the scent of his cologne. It was new, almost mouth watering. It had gotten to the point She was halfway convinced to steal it the next time she went to his apartment.

“Sweet my ass, he was tryna fuck.” She wrinkled her nose at his choice of words, sitting up and punching him in the shoulder again. He was always so crude when he said things, often saying that it was just Oakland. She said his pea head ass was just roguish and nasty.

“Stop hitting me, I bruise easy!” An eye roll was her response as she stared around at the many drunk bodies, half of them too gone to drive and the other half likely about to make stupid decisions. Turning back to Eric, she was met with his smug expression.

“Boy, nobody at this party is tryna fuck me,” she says, laughing as he gave her the, ‘you a damn lie’ look. “All he did was ask me my name and what I was doing all by myself. He was a concerned gentleman.”

“Yeah well his concerned ass is over there tonguing down Jessica as is.” She perked up to see Jessica, the only white girl in their friend group, looking like she was about to eat Jakari. Cringing, Ebony moved to stand, to go and save them both from a bad decision. Jessica was drunk, and when she got drunk, all reason went out the window. Erik tightened his grip around her midsection, motioning for one of their friends to take care of it.

“I don’t see why you act like nobody want you out here. Niggas came all the way from Oakland just for the off chance that you touch they hand so they can go home and beat they dick with it.” This sent her into a fit of laughter, her head falling back on his shoulder. He smiled, holding her tighter as the sound of a slow jam filled the air.

Turn your lights down low

And'a pull your window curtain

Oh let Jah moon come shining in

Into our life again

She heard the faint sound of his name being called as he rested his head against the back of the chair, taking a deep breath. It was times like this where she was glad that Erik trusted her not to try and take advantage of him when he was vulnerable. These were times of bliss, of absolute peace for him, even if he's surrounded by chaos, and she wanted him to have as many as he could.

“I think your suitors are calling,” she teased, running her hands over his fade, allowing her nails to lightly scrape his scalp. “You want me to wave them over? They look like they want some of little Stephen.” His lips turn up as he bopped his head to the music.

“Gone do it and imma tell Tiara you was staring at her ass.” Narrowing her eyes at him, she knew he wasn't lying. His thumb tracing lazy circles into her hip made her feel relaxed, almost as if it was a regular day at home, Erik laid across her bed as she siphoned all of his body heat to her body, just the two of them. It might have relaxed her a bit too much, as the next thing she knew, she was covering her mouth as she let out a big yawn.

“I swear you the only one that can come to a ratchet ass house party and go to sleep.” She smiled, fishing her keys out of her pocket as she stood up, stretching her arms over her head. She felt him stand not long after her, likely mirroring her actions. Turning, she realized for the first time in a long time just how

big

he was. Sure, he had always been a bit taller, but he had muscles in places she'd never paid attention to him having them.

“Lemme take you home. Can't have yo lil lame ass falling asleep behind the wheel and dying on me. I gotta protect my stomach.” Rolling her eyes, she gave no further response than to toss her keys at his face, walking off he called to his friends, telling them he'd be right back.

The ride to Oakland was peaceful, filled with Erik humming along to the “freakum playlist” he kept on hand everywhere he went, due to the fact that he was a thot.

Somewhere along the way, she fell asleep,

awakening to his arms hooking under her knees and hoisting her into the air and headed towards her apartment. Frowning, she stirred, about to get down when he held onto her tighter, grabbing the door keys from her hand and unlocking the door, carrying her to her bedroom and laying you down.

“I’ll be back in,” he started, checking his phone. “Four hours. If you don’t hear from me-”

“Call the FBI because it’s a matter of national importance,” she finished sleepily, cracking her eyes to stare at him, just in time to catch the smile that came to his face. Leaning in and placing a kiss on her cheek, he chuckled.

“Take yo ass to sleep.” And she did, surrounded by the scent of his cologne and a tingling on her skin. In that moment, she knew that she was in for a word of trouble.

…

“Ma!”  Snapping out of her trance, Ebony looked down to see Nandi standing in front of her, a concerned look on her face. “I washed my feet and I didnt get mud on the carpet.” A smile crossed her face as she kneeled next to her, the atrocity her mother sent dragging the floor slightly.
 
“I know Nana can be a bit much,” she started, running her hands over her daughter's curls. “She means well, but it comes off as her being a little too aggressive. She wants you to look pretty, and to her, this is pretty.” Nandi sighed, looking at the dress with suspicious eyes. “I know how it is. They itch, it's stuffy, and it's

white,”

she said, waving it in her daughter's face.
 
“I wish Nana would accept me for me,” Smiling, she wrapped her in her arms, rocking her from side to side. “Nana

does

love you, Mama. She just needs a little help thinking outside of things being meant for boys and things being meant for girls. You remember when she first came to one of your games?” A smile came onto her face as she pulled back. “She was screaming for you, telling all the other women, ‘

that’s my grandbaby!’

and she almost got kicked out of the game when you were fouled.” Nandi giggled, the dress incident completely forgotten about.
 
“You wanna go get some ice cream?” She looked at Ebony, seemingly unsure if it was a test or not, finally giving in. With a nod, she was off. Sighing, she tossed the dress on the couch, imagining the fit her mama would throw if she saw it. But, being back in Birmingham, she couldn't do anything.
 
Making her way to her room, she decided on a simple grey sundress and a pair of black sandals. Running a comb through her shoulder length bob, Ebony did a once over and nodded, deciding that was enough aside from a small bit of dark red lipstick. Grabbing the keys to her Rover, she went ahead and walked down to the kitchen to see Nandi waiting impatiently, her basketball tucked under her arm. Stopping, she watched as her daughter paced the floor, seemingly warring with herself.
 
She took that moment to really admire the beautiful creature that she cooked up. To say she was all Mama would be a lie, but she was mostly Ebony, even if she acted just like her damn daddy.
 
She was tall for her age, skinny too, with the most beautiful dark skin she had ever seen. Her hair was kinky and coily, but her mother loved it, it added to her looks. With Erik's bone structure, she had her lips, very full, covered with a thin layer of lip gloss, her one girly exception. Her hair was up in box braids, a protective style of her choosing, almost a spite gift after Ebony’s mother suggested relaxing it. Dressed in a pair of skinny jeans and a white tee shirt, some pair of jordans or other that she wanted, she looked ready to take on the day.
 
“What are you staring at?” Blinking, she realized that her daughter had been watching her. Shaking her head, she grabbed her house keys from the bowl on the kitchen island, pulling the door open to let Nandi out.
 
“Hey Mama, I was wondering if you would let me get my nails done.” Looking up in the rearview mirror, Ebony watched as she shifted uncomfortably in her seat, all mommy instincts screaming that it was for a boy. After a while of silence, you smiled.
 
“Okay.” She nearly leaped out of her seat in excitement, drumming her fingers on the rubbery surface of the ball. The rest of the ride went on in silence, all the way up until they pulled up to Nandi’s favorite ice cream spot.
 
“Some people don't have the sense God gave a rock,” Nandi fumed as she held onto her prized caramel chocolate ice cream. She'd had to endure twenty minutes of standing in line in front of a man who kept “accidentally” touching her butt with the back of his hand. He continued to do it until Nandi “accidentally” elbowed him in the groin. He went to complain, but a stern look from the woman behind him with her phone in hand shut him up. Taking a lick of her own dulce de leche ice cream, she pat her daughter’s head, leading her to the end of the very same shopping center, home of her favorite salon.
 
“Jayden, don't make me beat yo little red ass!” A smile came onto her face as they entered her best friend's hair and nail salon. The previously mentioned red ass ran into her legs, nearly knocking her over as she used one arm to lift him up on her hips.
 
“Hey boyfriend,” Ebony said, kissing him on the cheek as she made her way over to where her best friend, Shanice, was doing a client's nails. At the sight of her, Shanice rolled her eyes, shooing the woman off to wash her hands.
 “I'm about to kick your little boyfriend ass if he break anything else.” The two year old smiled up at his mother with a look that showed he knew she was nothing but hot air. His facial expression breathed, “You aint gone do shit.”. Standing and stretching her arms over her head, the sound of popping bones met Ebony's ears. Cringing, she walked up to meet her friend, wrapping her in a firm hug. 
“What are you even doing here? You just got your nails done yesterday.” Her eyes darted down to her nails, done in a gradient shade, from red to black. Nothing was out of place, so her confusion was definitely understandable.
 
“Actually, Nana wanted to get her nails done.” A hush fell over the entire shop, every eye turning to land on Nandi, who stood in her same spot, hands behind her as she stared at her feet.
 
“Baby I will pay-”
 
“It better not be for no pissy tail ass boy I know-”
 
“Ain't that just precious.”
 
Nandi's eyes widened as several elderly women surrounded her. They'd watched her grow up, and even they were surprised at the sudden request. Smiling, Ebony turned to look at Jayden. “Let's give Mommy a break and get some candy.” He cheered loudly, Shanice offering a look of gratitude as the two of them left the store.
 
“Okay what do you want, Baby?” She opened the door of the small convenience store, allowing him to enter. It was a bit crowded, which was a bit off, but she paid no attention as she and him made their way towards the candy aisle. Grabbing whatever he wanted, she made her way to the register, bumping a few people to get to where she needed to be.
 
“Damn, Princess. You just gone walk past me like I aint even here?”
 
That voice. It set her soul on fire just simply hearing it, her knees going weak at its proximity. Turning slowly, she was met with the smirking face of
 
Erik.
 
Fucking
 
Stevens.
 
She didn't know what to do, so she did the first thing that came to mind, her open palm coming into contact with his cheek, grabbing Jayden and storming out of the store without even paying.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Okay, so Ebony has seen Erik. She's a bit messed up, but let's see how this plays out.
 
Nandi POV
 
“Okay, let’s see what we got.” Nandi watched as her auntie laid several shades of fingernail polish. Half of them looked like they were the same color, and others were just… too much, especially the pinks. Hot pink, candy pink, super pink, fairy pink. it was all just a mess. Going for the more neutral tones she chose one that was just darker than her own skin. She’d seen her mama wear it and she liked it a lot. Nodding, Shanice went to work.
 
She wasn’t even two minutes into getting her nails done when the doors of the salon burst open, revealing her mother. She smiled, but it immediately went away when she saw that her mother’s face was scrunched up, almost as if she were in pain, tears falling down her face as she rushed through to the back of the salon. She started to get up, but she was pushed back into her seat, Shanice getting up and rushing where her mother was.
 
Shanice wasn’t even in the back a full five minutes before she came out, her eyes holding a fire that Nandi had never seen. To put it simply, Auntie Shanice was

pissed

. She was mumbling to herself, grabbing the nail file off of the nail stand, storming towards the door and past the group of older women who tried to stop her. Hurriedly rising to her feet, Nandi followed her Auntie at a safe distance.
 
“Where the fuck you at?!” She gasped at her use of curse words, which was out of her character when it came to the big ones. She was just in the process of wondering who in the world Shance could have been talking about when a man rounded the corner and Shanice lunged at him.
 
They tussled for a minute, Shanice scratching at the man’s face and him trying to pry her off of him until they were broken apart by a tall, bald woman. Once they were separated, Shanice delivered a swift right hook to the man's face, causing him to stagger. Gasping, she watched as he recovered quickly, staring at her like it didn't phase him.
 
“Stay your ass away from her! You made your decision when you left here and didn't speak to her again. She doesn't need you, so go back to whatever hole you crawled out of!” Though she couldn't see the man fully, he looked familiar, even though she knew he was a stranger.
 
“Look, I just wanna talk to her. It ain't got shit to do with you Shanice, so get the fuck outta my way!” He tried to push her out of the way, but she stabbed at his hand with the fingernail file. He hissed, fist balling tightly.
 
“Stay the

fuck

away from her Erik. I'm not about to let you destroy her like you did when you left. You been in this bitch ten minutes and you already got my girl crying. She doesn't need this, not from you, you fuckin bum.” He glared at her as she turned away from him, freezing when she made eye contact with Nandi.
 
“Come on baby, lets get you back in.” As she got closer, Nandi got a good look at the man's back. His hair was curly like hers, in twists and tied away from his face. His back was wide, probably from lifting lots of weights. He was very intimidating to look at, she didn't see how her aunt got the courage to even swing on him. Feeling herself being turned around and led back to the salon, her curiosity about the man steadily increased.
 
When they got back inside the salon, Shanice went to work on polishing her nails instead of the style they'd previously agreed on, and iif she was honest, she was alright with that. The day was exhausting and she just wanted to go home.
 
Ebony
 
“He's my dad, isn't he?” She felt herself freeze at her daughter's question. After the whole drama at the nail salon, she was nowhere near being in the mood to cook any meals of any kind, so they went out for Nandi's choice, which was an old soul food place close to her old house and Oakland.
 
Placing her fork next to her plate, she cleared her throat, taking a good look at her daughter. This was big, likely much bigger than Nandi thought. It wasn't finally admitting to her that Santa Claus isn't real, or telling her the truth about her hamster that had been living an unnaturally long lifespan of seven years. It was her

father.

Just thinking of it gave her an odd feeling. She had a daughter with Erik Stevens. She had birthed an incredible, beautiful, intelligent black child with an incredible, handsome, and intelligent black man.
 
“We met when I was a little bit older than you,” she started, feeling Nandi's eyes on her as she talked. “It was actually kind of funny how we met.” With that, she allowed her mind to wander off to her first day in Oakland.
 
…

“Daddy why I gotta stay her with Uncle Ray?” Eboni pouted as she stared at her father, who was kneeling in front of her. What was supposed to be a vacation to show her where he grew up before he met her mother and moved to Birmingham to be with her head turned into a goodbye.

“Listen here, Ebony,” he started, grabbing her small hands into him much larger ones, his thumbs rubbing small circles in her palms. “It's not safe for you back home, but it will be in a little while. Uncle Ray is gonna keep you safe and I will call you every week, you understand?” She nodded, wiping tears from her eyes as she stared at him.

“When are you gonna come back?” She had never been away from home, away from her parents. Wherever they went, she went. His face told her that he wouldn't be back any time soon, but her young mind held onto the prospect of such a thing. Even if it was a fool's hope, it was hope nonetheless.

Much to her younger self's disappointment, he never answered her question, simply leaning forwards and planting a kiss on her cheek and pulling her close to his body. She wanted that moment to last forever, but a snickering caught her attention.

Separating from her father, she followed the source of the sound, making eye contact with a boy sitting on his porch. He was wearing A tee shirt with the sleeves cut out, accompanied by baggy jeans and sneakers. Blushing off her dress, she walked up to the fence separating his yard from her uncle's.

“Is something funny?” He cocked an eyebrow at her sudden attitude, raising his hands in surrender, a chuckle sounding behind her as her father placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Ebony, this is Erik. Me and his mama were really good friends when we were kids. I hope you two can be really good friends, too.” She looked up at her father with a confused expression before turning back to the boy who had laughed at her.

Erik. It was a nice name. Simple and to the point. It started with an E, just like hers, though not as unique. Sighing, she walked up to him, sticking out her hand. “I guess it's nice to meet you.” Even she almost cringed at how icy she sounded, but there was no turning back.

He narrowed his eyes at her, crossing his arms over his chest. “I ain't trying to be friends with no stuck up lil church girl.” she gaped at him, fuming at his audacity. Placing her free hand on her hip, she leveled him with her harshest glare. “Now of I come over there and bat the piss outchu, you'll think I did you wrong. Somebody had to raise you better than that, acting like you ain't got no sense or home training.” His eyes were the size of saucers as she turned around and stormed towards the house, her father not far behind, chuckling to himself as he went.

…

Nandi laughed loudly as her mother recounted her story, wiping her mouth with her napkin, having mashed yams on her face. She couldn't believe her mother had even said anything like that to him.
 
“All this time, Nana had been telling me that I act like this because of my daddy, and all along, it's because I act like you!’’ shaking her head, Ebony went back to eating her food, waiting for Nandi to get herself together.
 
“Is it bad that I kind of want to meet him?” that wasn't surprising, but her heart still beat like crazy. Nandi was young and she was curious, all children were, but meeting Erik was a big step, a giant one. She didn't know if she was ready to share Nandi when she'd been just hers for so long. Introducing Erik would change everything, and she wasn't sure she wanted to do that.
 
“I think,” she started off, careful to choose her next words wisely. “I think that in order for you to grow as a person, it has to happen. I can't deny that it makes me feel a bit odd to imagine you and him meeting one another, but I can't take that opportunity away from you. Do I want you to meet him?” She pondered on that for a few minutes before answering. “No, I don't want you to meet him. I want everything to stay as or was, I want him to go back to wherever he came from and never have him bother me or us again.” She knew she had her full attention, and she couldn't deny that it was nice.
 
“When he left, I didn't know I was pregnant. I was fresh out of college, had just secured an internship at this office that looked promising, I was good. Erik was off to the Navy, and it was almost like he disappeared off of the face of the earth. No one had heard from him, no one had seen him, it was like he was a ghost, like he never even existed. When I found out that I was pregnant, I had no idea what to do. I was by myself on this one. Granddaddy and Uncle Ray helped, but it wasn't the same, you know?” Nandi seened completely engrossed in her mother's words, food forgotten as she placed her arms on the table, resting her head there.
 
“Were you mad at him?” It was such an innocent question, with a simple answer, but she found it hard to answer it. It felt odd, having such a conversation with an eight year old, but she was very mature, so Ebony felt it was alright to discuss certain things with her.
 
“Baby, mad isn't the word for what I was.” She chuckled, running her fingers through her hair. “I was angrier than I had ever been in my entire life. Here I was, twenty-four; a single black woman who had no earthly idea where in the literal world the father of my baby was. I had a low paying job and I didnt even live on my own. With every doctor's appointment, every time I heard your heartbeat, every push, and every night I was up five and six times to feed, change, and tend to a newborn, I got angrier and angrier.”
 
“But,” she said, holding up a finger, catching the child's full attention from her likely wandering thoughts. “Being a mother is the best thing that could have ever happened to me and I wouldn't change any of it for a second. I really became a more patient and tolerant woman. I became completely independent and I learned to grind harder than I ever had, just for you,” she said, reaching over and pinching her cheeks softly, making the much younger girl smile widely. Leaning back, she went back to her food before her bladder let her know that it needed to be attended to. She jumped up so abruptly that she didn't even notice Nandi reaching over and grabbing her phone off of the table.
 
Looks like Nana is up to something. Whew chillay, this child is finna stir up some shit.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Nandi
 
“Ma,” her whispered voice echoed through the house. Having found a note next to her pillow stating that her mother would be in the office, she felt that it was time to put her plan into action.
 
In the three days since “The Incident”, as she now liked to call it. Not a word of it had been spoken past the talk at the restaurant and she could tell that her mother wanted to talk about it, but couldn't find the right words. It was typical of her, and kind of cute if Nandi did say so herself.
 
After looking in her mother's room and her home office, she decided that the coast was clear, running up to her room and rummaging through her closet to find something to wear.
 
Picking a tank top and a trusty pair of her Nike leggings, she made her way over to her vanity, being sure to moisturize her skin thoroughly. Once she was finished, her socks and shoes were next before she grabbed her house keys, her backpack, jacket, and her basketball. Grabbing an apple and locking the door, she made her way to the bus stop. It was a big day, and she couldn't afford to be late.
 
“Hello Nandi!”
 
“Good morning, Mrs. Kingsley.” Mrs Kingsley was her bus driver. Well, not I

her

I bus driver, but her bus was the only bus that Nandi had ever ridden alone. Her mother trusted Mrs Kingsley to get her from point A, which was her house, to point B, which was the park where she played basketball.
 
“Mrs. Kingsley,” she started, tapping nervously at the ball that rested in her lap. The woman looked at her as she fiddled, waiting patiently for her to say something. “Yesterday, I saw my dad for the first time.” The older woman sighed, sure not to miss the newly installed stop sign.
 
“What did you do, Jitterbug?” She smiled at the use of her nickname special for Mrs. Kingsley. It was almost like she could see through her, even when her mother couldnt, and it was credited to her successfully raising seven children as well as being her mother's former middle school teacher, as well as her high school English teacher when she was a junior. At that thought, she looked up at the woman. If she was her mother's teacher, he probably taught Erik too!.
 
“Jitterbug, are you on a love mission again child?” She blushed, squirming in her seat, and that's all the answer that the older woman really needed. Her mind went back to the time she pretended to run away to stop her grandparents were fighting, spending the entire day at her house with her granddaughter, Tianna, which was two doors down from her great-uncle Ray. Knowing that her grandmother would never entertain the idea of telling her mother, they were able to spend the entire day working together, realizing that fighting was pointless.
 
“I found his number in her phone a few days ago. She's been holding onto it for I

eight yearsI

, can you believe that? Also, who has the same number for eight years? They're tragic.” The woman's stern look was not lost on her, but she went on anyway.
 
“My mama has been walking on eggshells around me for the past three days and it's really getting annoying, so it's time for action. I tricked him into thinking that I was her and he's going to meet 'my mom’ at the park. I'll meet my dad, let him know that he broke my mom's heart, and help him get her back. They obviously can't be trusted to do it themselves,  Qso I have to help them. Simple.” Looking up at the older woman, she saw that she gave her one of

those

. It was a look, a look she hated. It told her that what she was doing had BAD IDEA written in big, bold letters.
 
“You know, if you was my child I'd whoop your little sassy black ass.” She felt herself coloring as she clutched the rubbery ball to her chest. “But you not, and I'll be damned if it ain't like somebody took your daddy and put him in your mama's body to make you.” Shaking her head, the woman pulled up to Nandi's stop. Before she could make it to the door, a hand on her shoulder stopped her.
 
Turning back towards the older woman, she watched as she unbuckled her seatbelt, grabbing something off of her belt loop, placing it in her hand. “Now I'm not saying you need it, but if his ass get hostile, you flick this red cap and you spray his ass and run straight to your Uncle Ray's house, do you hear me?” looking down at her open palm, she realized quickly that it was pepper spray, she knew because her mom carried it. Nodding, she stepped back, clutching it close as she began the walk to the park, which was in her line of eyesight.
 
When she approached the park, she scanned the area, placing her backpack in its usual spot on the gate hook. First, she noticed some boys playing basketball on the big court. She usually came with her friends, but sometimes, it was just her practicing. Next, she noticed some couples sitting in their cars and talking, half likely doing something they had no business doing, but she wasn't anyone to judge.
 
Then, she saw him. He had his back to her, almost as if he were surveying the area. She used that time to slow her pace and really get a good look at him.
 
He was tall, easily over six feet. He had lots of muscles, but not to the point where he looked like a giant turd, like her Uncle Jay. He was wearing a pair of light blue jeans and what looked like Timberlands, accompanied by a black jacket, though it wasn't really cold outside. His hair wasn't like it was when she saw him the first time, braided back, though it was tapered. Once she was truly up on him, she realized that he was a lot bigger up close.
 
Clearing her throat, she waited for him to turn around, which he didn't. “Excuse me,” she started, her mouth falling open slightly when he still ignored her, likely waiting for her to go away and stop bothering him. Placing her hand on her hip, she used the nails on her index finger and thumb to pinch his skin, watching as he jumped.
 
“What the fuck?!” She leaned back to stare at him, her brow furrowed.
 
“Don't cuss at me, and I know you heard me talking to you and you just gone stand there and act like you don't see me. I'm little, but I'm not invisible!”
 
“Listen here lil girl. I'm waiting on somebody and I ain't tryna buy no damn girl scout cookies so take,” he started, hooking his hands under her arms with ease, “ya lil bad ass on somewhere.”
 
When he placed her back on her feet, she turned back around to face him, pulling out her phone. “You mean you waiting on Ebonnyyy?” He looked down at her with wide eyes, blinking a few times. “Gullible,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest.
 
“Ah hell naw,” he said loudly, fisting his dreads as he loomed down at her, his loud voice causing her to flinch away slightly, stepping away from him. He froze, taking a deep breath and straightening his shoulders.
 
“This is nothing like in the movies,” she groaned, scratching the back of her head as she straightened her posture, offering her hand to him. “Hi, my name is Nandi.” He stared down at her hand. “This is the part where you take my hand,” she said, seeming to spur him into action.
 
“I'm Erik. How old are you?” She perked up at his question.
 
“I'm eight. I'm in the fifth grade and I like basketball,” she said, holding up the ball that she had brought from home. She opened her mouth to say something, but the sound of her ball exploding next to her, accompanied by several loud bangs. Something hard crashed into her and she fell to the ground, surrounded by a really strong scent.
 
Her chest hitting the ground knocked the air from her, a wheeze leaving her as she heard people screaming and fleeing. The scent didn't make it any better, it was really strong. Reaching out, she grabbed onto something bumpy, digging her nails into the hard, but soft material.
 
“Nandi?!” She couldn't breathe and her chest hurt. Opening her mouth, she tried to vocalize her discomfort, but nothing came out. Her vision was beginning to back out around the edges. Feeling a slapping against her cheek, she tried to focus, but she couldn't. Her chest was painfully constricting and her mind was fuzzy. Suddenly, she felt like she was flying, and then everything went black.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“Ms. Agu!” Ebony looked up from her computer, pushing her glasses up on her nose. She'd been in her San Francisco office all day after getting a call from her agent about a manuscript that needed to be pushed through for editing. Sighing, she stretched her arms above her head, smiling slightly at her assistant, Eidi. When she got a good look at her, the smile on her face fell.
 
“Is something wrong?” Eidi seemed nervous. Her usually dark skin looked ashen and it was almost as if she had seen a ghost. “Eidi?” The woman's lip quivered, her phone clutched tightly in her hands.
 
“Shanice just called. It's Nandi.” At the mention of her daughter's name, she felt as if someone had dumped a bucket of ice water over her heat. She was on her feet and across the room in an instant. “Your Uncle Ray said that there was a shooting at the park and Nandi was there. She was taken to Benioff, but no one is saying anything.” Her voice faded away as Ebony grabbed her phone and her keys, leaving everything else for a later date, running to her car and climbing into the driver's seat.
 
As she drove, she called her daughter's phone repeatedly, but the lack of answer was serving to do nothing but frighten her further. She was speeding, praying that no one tried to pull her over as she went, nearly screaming for her bluetooth to call her Uncle Ray.
 
“Hello?”
 
“WHAT HAPPENED?!”
 
She could barely hear him over the sounds of sirens in his background, meaning that he was likely at the park.
 
“Ion know what the hell done happened, I ain't even know Nana was going to the park today. I wouldn't have known she was here if I ain't see her bookbag on the gate hook. I been asking around and somebody said she was took to Benioff.” She didn't even say goodbye, simply hung up the phone and went back to focusing on the road.
 
Her heart was in her throat and she could hear her blood rushing in her ears. She knew her eyes were probably bloodshot red and her mascara was running, but she didn't care.
 
“Don't worry, Mama,” she whispered as she jabbed the steering wheel with the heel of her hand. “GET THE FUCK OUT OF THE WAY!” A woman flipped her off just as her phone began ringing. Her mother's face popped up on her monitor. She felt bad for declining the call, but she was a woman on a mission. Checking her GPS, she read that there were fifteen estimated minutes left, meaning that she was driving too fast. As if the universe heard her thoughts, red and blue flashing lights shone in her rearview mirror. She contemplated not stopping, but that wouldn't help anyone. Reluctantly, she pulled over, waiting for the officer to get out of the car.
 
“License and registration,” a familiar feminine voice sounded. Rummaging through her visor, she pulled out both and turned to hand it over, her dark eyes coming in contact with a pair of bright green ones.
 
“Jessica,” she said, the woman smiling widely to say hello, but took in her appearance. In an instant, she was alert, looking for the source of the problem.
 
“What's wrong?! Are you okay, is someone following you?!” The immediate concern took her off guard and when she went to open her mouth, all that came out was a choked sob before she felt her body slump forwards on the steering wheel. Jessica, unaware of what to do, opened the car door, unbuckling her seatbelt and looking over for her for any signs of injury.
 
“My baby,” she whined pathetically, both embarrassed and relieved that she had someone there. “My baby, Jessie,” she tried to start again, her phone vibrating in her pocket. Picking it up, she saw it was her dad calling. Handing it over to Jessica, she pressed the talk button, watching as she talked. There was a lot of background noise.
 
“Hey Daddy Jay. Yes, it's Jessica. I got Ebony right here, she's lucky I pulled her over. She was doing 95 in a 75, what's going on?” Her father's answer was mixed in with the background noise.
 
“Oh Lord,” she said, reaching over and grabbing Ebony's hand in hers. “Well we're on our way right now, we'll call you back when we're done. Okay, tell Mama Tee to just keep praying.” With that, she hung up, grabbing Ebony by her hand and pulling her towards her cruiser. “Come on, Ebony. Let's get you to Oakland.” She nodded, barely remember to lock the door on her way.
 
The ride was filled with Jessica whispering prayers as she sped towards Oakland, one hand on the steering wheel and another tightly clutching to Ebony's knee. Her grip was so tight, she was shaking, Ebony remembering how not so long ago, their positions were swapped when Jessica's son was killed in a drug deal gone bad. It had nearly destroyed her, and she had never been the same since.
 
“Go on, call me and let me know how it goes, alright? You got this.” She nodded, giving her hand a squeeze as she hurriedly unbuckled her seatbelt, kicking off her shoes and breaking into a run as soon as she was sure she wouldn't get hit by a car.
 
When she entered the hospital, her bare feet slapped against the floor, gathering the attention of the receptionist, who seemed to be on her phone. Placing her hands palm side down on the counter, she wheezed out her daughter's name. The woman seemed to be taking her sweet time, which did nothing to calm her nerves. When she was finally finished, she lazily gave the room number, handing out a visitor sticker and sending Ebony on her way. Resisting the urge to punch her out, Ebony rushed to the elevator, repeatedly pressing the button until a ding sounded and she rushed into the first available elevator, not even bothering to wait for the person approaching.
 
When she finally made it to Nandi's room, she nearly fell to her knees, resting her hand over her heart as she caught her breath. She knew she probably looked a hot mess, stockings wet from stepping in a puddle after taking her shoes off, sweat soaked shirt, and raccoon eyes, but none if that mattered, because Nandi was safe . “Hello.” She looked next to her daughter to see a man standing there. His white coat gave away his position as a doctor, and she stuck out her clammy hand to shake his.
 
“We gave her a mild sedative because she had gotten a little upset and put up a fight. She should be up in a few minutes. Do you want to sit down?” She nodded, grabbing a chair and pulling it closer to her daughter's bed, grabbing her hand into her own. Looking over her, she recognized that her daughter had blood on her clothing. Before she could ask, the doctor spoke up.
 
“She wasn't brought by ambulance, a man carried her in. His adrenaline levels were very high and he didn't notice that he had been grazed. When Nandi saw that he had been injured, she was visibly upset and began fighting at us whilst we were trying to treat her, so she had to be sedated due to the stress agitating her condition.” He grabbed her chart, straightening his back as he stared at the paper.
 
“Her ribs are bruised, her left ankle and right wrist are both sprained, and she suffered two asthma attacks. Other than that, she is fine and will be able to go home with you tonight.” She nodded, reaching over and running a hand across her daughter's forehead. “I'll give you two the room,” he whispered, rising and leaving, being sure to close the door behind himself.
 
“My poor baby,” she said softly, running a bit of hair out of Nandi's face. Even though she knew she should be upset with her for not calling before she left home, she couldn't be anything but grateful that she was okay. Placing a kiss on her forehead, she continued to hold her, the only sound being from the nebulizer running in the background.
 
The sound of the door opening brought her attention, her eyes widening as Erik poked his head in. The two stared at one another for what seemed like forever until he seemingly decided that she might not attack him, being wrapped so tightly around her daughter.
 
“Sup.”
 
“Hi.”
 
It was quiet for a while as both tried to think of something, anything to say, but they both came up blank. It was as if they knew what they wanted to say, but they didn't know how. Then, as if they both shared the same thought, they decided to just go for it.
 
“Look-”
 
“Why?”
 
His words froze in his throat as he watched her. Her lip quivered, but she didn't seem affected otherwise. Opening her mouth, she continued.
 
“You left and I was all alone. I was scared . I had no idea what to do. I had to learn everything by myself. I called you, I wrote you, emailed, everything, and I never heard back. You just disappeared and it was like you never even existed. Every trace of you was gone.” She hated herself for crying, she hated him for coming close to her, for comforting her when all she wanted to do was choke the hell out of him.
 
She wanted to punch him, kick him, scream at him, do something, but all she found herself doing was wrapping her arms around him and clutching him to her almost as if her life depended on it, because it did. No matter what his stupid ass did, she couldn't help but he relieved that he was back, safe and sound, and that Nandi had a father, even if it was him.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“Ow!’’
 
“Be still and it won't hurt so much.”
 
“I should've accepted help from the doctor, that shit burn!”
 
“Stop fuckin moving and it won't burn, dumbass!”
 
Ebony sighed as she poked the needle through Erik's skin. She was slowly regretting thanking him for shielding Nandi from the bullets at the park because he was being so whiny. Not only did he refuse to remove his clothes so that she could get a really good look at his wound, but he was making it very difficult for her to even get anything done, though Nandi seemed to be enjoying watching her frustration.
 
Looking over at her daughter, she smiled, sending a secret thanks to whoever was listening that once again, her baby was okay. Despite her mother's insistence that,

“You need to whoop her ass, out here scaring me and shit,”

she wanted to wait to have a talk with her about the entire fiasco, because it wasn't okay. Making a mental note to sit her down and talk to her, she finished Erik's stitches, grabbing a pair of scissors and snipping the strings.
 
“What happened to your bodyguards?” They both looked up at Nandi's question. She was still a bit loopy from the anesthesia, but even Ebony remembered what she could only describe as an African Amazon. The two women were tall, bald, strong in stature and could probably beat the hell out of Erik, let alone anyone stupid enough to attack him.
 
“To be honest, I don't even wanna know where they at.” She seemed to accept his answer, pulling her blanket closer to herself. Standing, Ebony went to get her another blanket, preferably one from her bed while Erik cleaned up the mess he made all over her floor.
 
When she came back with the blanket, she draped it over her Nandi, running a hand over her dark curls. Her phone had been ringing nonstop, the callers varying from angry to concerned relatives, Jessica, and Shanice. Even coworkers from her jobs had called and they were all relieved to hear that Nandi was alright. Erik sat on her side allowing her to use his body as an insulator of sorts, which she likely needed.
 
“This shit crazy.” She looked up from her spot, raising an eyebrow to signal for Erik to continue as she stroked her daughter’s curls. The medicine hadn’t seemed to have completely worn off and Nandi was fast asleep, resting her head on her mother’s chest. He was quiet, which a younger Eik wouldn’t have been able to do for so long.
 
“It’s been what, nine years almost? It’s like ain’t shit changed. You living in a nicer house, but it’s still Oakland, When I met Nandi at the park, it still felt the same, down to the shootout and everything.” She licked her lips as she looked up at him. it was a bit surreal, but she was getting used to the fact that he was right there, sitting on her couch and she had barely attacked him, if you could call that slap at the store an attack.
 
“You could leave for a day, a year, or a decade and Oakland is going to stay the same. It’s both comforting and scary. Yeah, your childhood is preserved, yeah you can show your kids where you grew up, but something in you always doesn't want to, you know?” She straightened her posture a bit, Nandi shifting in her sleep. “I feel like a sellout, leaving my community behind because I was afraid to live in Mama K’s old house. I was there three months after I had Nandi. Uncle Ray wanted me to stay home, but Aunt Rhea put me out, said she wasn’t gone be raising no babies. I was working a 9-5 and I could afford motel stay, but Mama K wasn’t having it.”
 
“She drew me up a lease and within a week of sleeping at Shanice’s parents house, we had a home. People came together and they helped us, gave us furniture and everything. I really felt like I was a grown up, you know?” She felt the pad of his thumb on her cheek, not realizing that she had been crying.
 
“I had a place to call my own for the first time in my life. I couldn’t go back to Alabama, I had built my life in California, it was all I knew, and even though my daddy begged me to come home, I couldn’t. This was my home. Oakland was my home and I don’t think I can leave it.” He smiled slightly, wrapping an arm around her shoulders, eyebrows raising when she leaned into his body, her left hand resting on his thigh and her right hand still stroking Nandi’s hair absently.
 
“When I first got deployed, I felt the same way. I always found myself waking up early every Saturday morning to watch yo goofy ass uncle struggle with some home improvement shit he had going on. When my hair was nappy as fuck, I wished I had Shaniece to comb the shit out. Saturday mornings I missed the cookouts on the block and Sundays I missed dinner at Mama K house. Shit, I still get paranoid sometimes when the street lights come on,” he chuckled, smiling when she let out a quiet laugh, the same memory going through both their minds.
 
…

“Erik come on!”

Sixteen year old Erik Stevens sighed as he looked away from his basketball, his eyes landing on Eboni, who stood with her bookbag in hand that clown ass nigga Marcus standing behind her.

“He old enough that he don’t need no babysitter to watch his ass, Nee. Let's leave him.”

Dropping the ball on the ground and turning towards the two of them and glaring. Marcus was always inviting hisself to Erik and Ebony time. All year, every time he saw Ebony, that wack ass nigga was with her, offering to hold her books and carry her lunch and all types of corny ass shit like that. It was clear that this nigga was interested in Ebony past being her “friend” and her lil fine ass was oblivious as fucking usual.

The summer had been better to her than it had been to a lot of the girls on they block and Ebony was attracting the attention of every nigga in Oakland it seemed like. She had always been pretty, but now, she was BAD. That birth control she got on over the summer made her gain weight, and with sports and everything, she toned right the fuck up, though he couldn’t say she didn’t look good with a lil weight on her. Her hips bowed out, thighs got thick, and her ass was fat. She walked around like she had a whole donkey on her back, and paired with her country ass mouth, it was like it was nigga bait. And with the niggas came the weak ass bitch he was looking at.

“Nigga who the fuck you talking to?” His voice was dangerously low, and he watched as Markus swallowed thickly, but stood his ground. He couldn’t lie, the nigga had heart, which would’ve been admirable on anybody else.

“I’m talking to you! I don’t care about you having a attitude nigga!” he would’ve swung and bust him in his mouth if it wasn’t for Ebony standing in between them, trying to hold them apart.

“Come on y'all. We better than this. Let’s just-”

“You better be glad she standing right there-”

“Fuck you bitch-”

“Imma kill yo weak ass-”

“You better be glad my mama offering to feed you orphan ass bitc-”

SMACK!

He didn’t see anything but the back of Ebony’s head as she reared back and slapped Marcus so hard, Erik bet his ears were ringing.

“Don't you EVER say anything like that to him again, Marcus! Never, you understand?!” Marcus was frozen where he stood, shock written clearly across his face as his hand clutched his cheek. Her chest was heaving and even Erik didn’t know what to say to that. With nothing but a glare at Erik, Marcus grabbed his bookbag, slinging it over his shoulder and walking away from them.

“Imma kill that nigga-”

“N’Jadaka!”

He froze at the use of his name, knowing he was in trouble. She never really said his name, but when he did something bad enough, he was damn sure the whole block knew it because she would scream that shit at the top of her lungs.

“Sit yo lanky ass on them bleachers right now.” He knew she meant business, but he couldn’t help but poke the bear, which he shouldn’t have because it gained him a punch in the stomach.

“Sit and I mean right now, boy. Don’t play with me, I’ll smack yo beanpole body ass too!” He complied, hearing her footsteps behind him, turning to look at her, not at all surprised how mad she looked. She always got that, it was her Save A Nigga Complex. As he sat down, he looked up at her, ready for her to go into a rant about his behavior, and she didn’t disappoint.

“You need to stop antagonizing him. He is having a hard time adjusting to Oakland and he chose us to help him out. I know it’s always just been us, but you need to be open to letting somebody in. He's a guy, I thought y’all would’ve gotten along much better than this, out here at this park acting a goddamn fool.” He moved to protest, but she held up a finger, shushing him as she walked up to him, plopping herself in his lap, which he welcomed happily, feeling the softness of her lips on his temple, her fingers threading into his curly hair.

If he didn’t know any better, he would assume she had some kind of spell on him the way he felt his eyes begin to sting, wrapping his wiry arms around her waist and pulling her closer, burying his face in the crook of her neck and swallowing thickly.

“I got you, baby,” She whispered in his ear, feeling his shoulders shaking, causing her to grasp to him harder, whispering comforting words in his ear as she rocked him from side to side, nails grazing his scalp. He had seen her do it plenty of times when her cousin brought her son over and he would get emotional after being called a crybaby and yelled at for not being tough enough by is mama. It was hypnotizing almost, and he knew that one day, she would make a great mama to some dumb ass fool’s baby.

“You know I love you, right?”He nodded, not trusting his voice as he reveled in her presence for just a little longer. She did love him, more than anyone ever had, and that both made him sad and hold tighter, praying to whoever was listening that it be the one thing he didn’t fuck up.

Feeling her thumbs swipe across the tops of his cheekbones as she pulled back, he returned the peck she placed on his lips, heart sinking at the platonic implications of it. He didn't know if it was her Southern upbringing, but she was affectionate as hell and mouth kisser. A peck on the lips may as well have been the gate to the friend zone to Ebony. His hands fell to his sides as she got up, grabbing his hand and trying to pull him up with her.

“Come on, you know it's Sunday, Erik. Mama K gone he looking for us and we need to be there by the time the street lights come on.” He sighed, pulling his hand back, smiling as she stumbled forwards, his legs opening as she caught herself against his shoulders.

“Look, Mama,” he started. “I’m not gon act like I like him, I draw the line at that fake shit. I know you want me to make new friends, but I’ll make some on my own time, alright? I got you, that’s all I need right now. You got Shanice and Jessica I know, but you gone have to accept the fact that I don’t need a Shanice or a Jessica, I just need a Ebony.” He smiled as she frowned at him, obviously not having dropped the situation, but she thankfully didn’t bring it up again, simply ruffling his hair and backing away, heading towards her bookbag and picking it up.

“Have your ass at Mama K house before the streetlights come on, okay? I’m going to go do my homework and you need to do yours too while I do your hair.” He rolled his eyes, watching as he walked away, ignoring the faint call of a man asking her how old she was in the distance.

He stood and went back to playing basketball after making sure that she turned the corner safely. Before he knew it, it was dark and a shoe was flying at him, hitting him square in the forehead as he broke out into a run, Ebony screaming for him to run faster as the older black woman chased him with her other shoe in hand. “I told you to come before the streetlights came on,” she yelled, trying to calm down the irate woman who had come home to everyone ready for dinner except Erik and damn near went wild, seeing as he missed Sunday curfew four days in a row.

…

“Mama?” The two of them jumped, the comfortable silence they had fallen into breaking with that one word. Looking down, Ebony watched as Nandi sat up straighter, stretching her arms above her head and looking around before freezing. “Erik! Is he okay?!” She tried to scramble to her feet, but she fell, Ebn trying her best not to laugh.
 
“Nandi baby, He’s right here. You don’t remember talking to him before you fell asleep?” She shook her head, sitting up and looking at him, ber bottom lip trembling slightly, fat tears sliding down her face as she hung her head, Erik nearly knocking Ebony over to kneel next to Nandi, seemingly checking her over for injuries.
 
“Aye now, quit all that crying.” She nodded, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, but not actually stopping the tears.
 
“I’m sorry, Erik. I tricked you and got you shot. Miss Kingston told me it was a bad idea but I didn’t listen! I just wanted to meet you really bad and I didn’t want Mama to worry because she hates your guts and I didn’t want to make it awkward so I tricked you and I’m sorry, I know I was wrong. It’s just that all this time I never thought about not having a dad, I don’t even know when father’s day is-” Erik chuckled and she looked up at him, eyes wide, the tears gathered there and shining in the light.
 
“Look.” He lifted his shirt, is back turned to Ebony, likely showing Nandi the spot where the bullet grazed him. Her chocolate orbs widened as she reached out, hesitating for a second, though his expression must have told her that it was okay for her to touch him, because she ran her small hand over a spot on his chest, where she guessed his stitches were, and he didn’t even flinch, though Ebony was sure it was just for Nandi’s sake because his crybaby ass was whining while she was trying to stitch him back together.
 
“It’s just a scar, okay? Just a sign that if you ever in any trouble, I’m gone always be there, no matter what happens, you feel me?” She looked up at him, nodding slowly and casting a look at her mother, Ebony nearly bursting into tears as Nandi tackled Erik in a hug, burying her face in his neck. He froze, seeming to not know what to do before wrapping her in his arms, squeezing her tightly into his body.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Having Erik around was… weird. After his emotional moment with Nandi, he seemed to back off a bit, which meant coming over at appropriate hours to see Nandi. She had cancelled work for two weeks just to spend time with her daughter, but she could tell that Nandi was tired by the time the weekend was presented to them, but thankfully there were things to take her attention off of her being more than a little overbearing. “Nana!” She smiled as Jayden tackled Nandi to the floor, the two of them falling into a lump of giggles as he planted kisses all over her face, Shanice entering with a slight smile on her face. Embracing her friend, she closed the door behind herself, hanging her jacket on the coat rack. “I hope he don’t think shielding his child away from gunfire is supposed to make up for eight years of not being there for y’all.” Sighing, Ebony worked on her sauce, a hand on her hip. She wasn't even going to bring up the fact that Erik didn't even know that there was a family to not be there for. Instead, she made her way over to her freezer and pulled out a bottle of wine, one her aunt gave her for her birthday. She wasn't too crazy about it so she zoned out while it was being explained to her, but from what she gathered, it was some good shit. Pulling the cork, she poured a generous glass for Shanice, handing it over to her. “In just saying Eb. He bring his fine ass back to Oakland, flash them gold fangs and act like everything alright kee keeing with my niece and shit.” She rolled her eyes, remembering how big of a crush Shanice had on Ebony when they were younger. It was so obvious, Ebony didn't see how Erik hadn't noticed it. He was always oblivious to the customary crowd of girls that always seemed to flock to him every time he came around. Shaking her head, she went back to stirring the liquid in the pot. “AUNTIE JESSIE!” She looked up from her task, Nandi leaping to her feet and launching herself at the slender woman, who clutched to her tightly, rocking her from side to side. Her outfit was simple, she'd worn a nice pair of jeans and a white thermal. Her red hair popped against the material as she walked in the kitchen, freckles sharply contrasting with her skin as she wrapped her arm around Shanice, giving Ebony a kiss on the cheek.” “I hope yall almost done. In hungry as hell, I just left the hospital seeing my mama and I swear she is a mess.” Placing the aluminum foil wrapped pan she'd brought in on the counter, making her way over to the oven. “I'm gonna try my potatoes with dill this time, one of my coworkers said she really liked it and it's not very heavy.” Shanice rolled her eyes, taking and with from her glass, biting her lip at Ebony's mouthing for her to behave. “So Jessica, what do you think about Erik coming back here trying to win Ebony back like we living in so goddamn Tyler Perry movie?” Ebony smacked her on the butt with the spoon she was stirring her sauce with, leaving a white spot on the back of her black jeans, earning her a glare as she rubbed the stinging spot. “Oh I love Tyler Perry-” “Bitch you supposed to say-” “Don't call me a bitch you-” “HEY!” The two of them immediately shut up as Ebony smacked the table with the palm of her hand, glaring at the two of them. “We are going to have dinner without showing our asses so the children can laugh at us.” They seemed to see that they were being ridiculous, Jessica placing her potatoes in the oven so that they could cook through. As Ebony was stuffing her salmon, there was a knock at the door, causing the three of them to look at each other with confused faces. Shanice, on her third glass of wine, stood in the kitchen doorway. Looking back, she froze, and Ebony didnt need Nandi's scream of excitement to know who it was. “ERIK!” “Shanice,” she said stiffly, her hand whacking Jessica's back as she choked on her drink. “Shanice,” she said again, nails clicking against the marble countertop, which seemed to gather Shanice's attention. “Come here,” she whispered harshly, the slightly taller woman nodding and walking towards her, resting her back against the stove. When Erik entered the kitchen, it was almost as if the life hand been sucked out of the room. The three of them stared at him, both in equal stages of speechlessness. Ebony didn’t know what to Say, Shanice was gripping her glass firmly enough to shatter it, and Jessica just stood there, seemingly drinking in the sight of him, which made Ebony realize that Jessica hadn’t seem Erik at all yet. “Hey y’all,” he started. Shanice made a noise at his audacity, Jessica clearing her throat and turning her head away from him to hide her discomfort. bony was the only one who offered him a response, though it was barely audible. “Aye, Eb. Can I talk to you for a second?” She opened her mouth to say something, but Nandi’s voice piped up. “Mama, can Erik stay for dinner pleeeease?” She hopped from foot to foot as she held onto Erik’s arm. Not one to deny Nandi anything, she nodded silently, though her gut screamed for her to say no, don’t do it. Nandi smiled, patting Erik’s arm and leaving the room, saying something about leaving the two of them to talk. She managed to get out of the kitchen with little to no protest from Shanice, Jessica saying that they would finish stuffing her salmon and get started on wings and fries for Nandi and Jayden, knowing that they would put up a fuss about having to eat the salmon and not be able to watch cartoons and eat at the same time. Following Erik past Nandi trying to pick Jayden up off of the floor so they could go in her room, she pulled on a jacket, slipping it on to combat the crisp fall air. “So what did you want to talk about?” When he suggested they take a walk around the block, likely to hide away from the inquisitive gazes of her friends, she agreed, sticking close to him, seeing as he nearly radiated heat. They were two houses away and he had yet to speak. “My cousin wants to meet Nandi.” She raised an eyebrow at that, but she could tell he had more to say. She was rewarded when they reached the end of the block and he turned to face her. “If I’m completely honest,E, I can’t stand the nigga. He always in my business and I can’t trust him to be and her without running his big ass fucking mouth, so I think it’s better if you hear it from me and not from him.” She nodded, leading him over to a bench at the end of the block and taking a seat. They had been installed for her neighbor, Mrs. Viola, but she was on vacation and had no use for them. Crossing her legs, she turned to face him, watching him give a slight smile, likely remembering the times they sat on benches at the park and he would make fun of her for sitting cross legged in the benches. “When I left Oakland to join the SEALS, I don’t know what the fuck I was thinking. i sat through enough of your boring ass lectures to know that the military ain’t no place for a black man, but one trip was all it took me to know that was where I needed to be. You was getting your feet wet to get ready to write books and I didn’t have any thoughts on what my future was gonna be, so I took the first chance I got and I left. If I had known you was pregnant, I wouldn’t at least tried to come back but that shit eat you alive.” “Two years in and that shit ate me alive. I learned to obey, to do as I was fucking told, to not step a toe out of line or my ass would pay for it. I was killing niggas left and right, watching my friends die around me. That shit change you, and I ain’t wanna come back to Oakland like that.” “It’s like I went off the fucking rails. That shit drove me crazy and I did shit that even looking back on it now, I don’t know if I’ll do that shit again. I ain’t got no regrets, but maybe if she was done differently, we would be having a whole nother conversation entirely.” “I went to Wakanda,”he said after a long silence, running his hand over his face. She could tell that he was trying to find a way to say what he wanted to say, so she just let him continue without interrupting him. Before I got there I linked up with this shady ass white dude from England or some shit. Named Ulysses Klaue.” She felt her eyes widen at the mention of his name. She remembered that name, stories of the horrible things he did, the giant museum robbery that was posted all over the world coming to mind. Putting two and two together, she felt her eyes widening, and watched as his head fell. “That shit was dumb. Obviously, but he was getting something I needed. Something important.” She closed her mouth, but her posture remained stiff, almost as if she was bracing herself for more bad news. “It was this girl I was kickin it with. Her name was Hope. She was smart as fuck, funny as fuck, and we got along good as hell. Honestly, she reminded me a lot of you. Icloud sometimes talk to her about my feelings and shit and I was happy. Or at least I was happy as I could be. It always felt like something was wrong, like something was missing and I had no fucking idea what it was.” “The military turned me into a monster. I turned my back on people who actually needed my fucking help, people who could have used my skills to really make a difference in the world. I was so blinded by my dreams, my revenge, and what I wanted, I couldn't see that I was hurting the very people I claimed to be fighting for. I was becoming the colonizer. I got bodies on me, Ma. Black bodies, the very ones I swore to serve and protect from these white ass mofuckas out here. I was the colonizer and they were being oppressed by me.” “After a while, they gave me a name, Killmonger. I was nothing but that to them. i was a mindless killing machine who came to the military with a pipe dream thinking I could save people that look like me, but all they did was hand me a gun and send me out there to pile they asses up and show the world that the future is white. You know how that shit feel?” She didn’t know what to say, and he didn’t let her take time to think. “That shit felt good . I didn’t care what they called me, as long as they feared and respected me. As long as they ain’t think they could come a me like they came at other niggas, because I wouldn’t hesitate to ‘accidentally’ shoot one of they ass.” He shook his head, running a hand over his dreads. “When I went to Wakanda, I went as Killmonger. I didn't go as Erik Stevens, I didn't go as N’Jadaka. I don’t even feel like I deserve the name my daddy gave me. They say that when the village don’t accept a child, he’ll burn it to the ground just to feel its warmth, and that’s just what the fuck I did. I fucked Wakanda up in ways that I had no right to, and that was only because instead of trying to stop me from fucking shit up, they let me. They wanted to have a duty to the throne but they duty should have been with they people. You seen the Dora, they could have collectively killed my ass in one fell sweep and it would’ve been no less than what I deserved.” He shook his head, sitting back in his seat. “When it was all over and the smoke cleared, I was sitting in a cell in Wakanda ready to accept my fate. I was willing to take responsibility for what I did and you know what these niggas did?” He chuckled, but she could tell that he didn’t find any of it funny in the slightest. “That nigga T’Challa sent my black ass back to Oakland. As an ambassador for Wakanda. I tried to destroy his precious city, I hurt people I did all this fucked up shit and he trusted me enough to come here and help people. Like I always wanted to do when we were younger. He put me in a position to put my money where my mouth and who the fuck am I to tell him no?” “It’s like no matter how much I fuck up, I’m always back in this position and at this point,” he allowed his voice to trail off, but she knew what he meant. Sighing, she reached over, raising herself onto her knees and running her hand over his hair, pushing it out of his eyes, offering him a small smile when he looked up at him. “You’re afraid you’re going to fuck it up again.” He didn’t answer as she scooted closer to him placing a hand over his own, sure to gather his full attention. “I think that there is a plan put in place for you, N’Jadaka.” You are going to make mistakes, you are going to stumble, but in the end, you are here to help those that Wakanda ignored for all those years. Do you think that you can do a lot to help people? Now that you have Wakanda behind you, do you think that you can do what you always wanted to do?” He blinked at her a few times, skin tingling as she stared at him intently. She took that as a yes, straightening her posture. “You are probably going to stumble a few more times, but you will have people in your corner this time. You won’t do it alone .” That seemed to calm his nerves a bit, as he unclenched his fists, little half moons appearing on his palms. Standing, he grabbed the bottom of his thermal, pulling it over his head. She was confused, but it was all cleared up as she got a good look at his body, his brown skin illuminated by the soft glow of the street lights. Where it was once smooth, there were raised bumps that covered his skin, her hands reaching out to touch it them, finding his skin to be hot to the touch, almost as if the sharp chill didn’t phase him.  “I don’t ever want to forget the shit I did.” She nodded, scooting closer to the edge of the bench to get a good look at them. His skin was almost like a crocodile’s, her mind going back to the ritual scarring some african tribes did when a person was considered an “adult”. Her grandfather had facial and forehead scarring from when he was young, and her grandmother had scarring on her face as well as her belly. He was Sudanese and she was Ethiopian, though they would never tell her exactly where they were born. It was something of a well kept secret in their family, and even her father claimed that he did not know, as neither of them liked to talk about home. Her grandfather was proud of his markings, stating that it showed that he was a man, but her grandmother detested hers and often refused to go outside because she said they made her hideous, though she was one of the most beautiful women Ebony had ever seen. “I don’t think you should forget them. Outr mistakes become lessons for future generations, so iif what you did and what you went through will do anything, it can teach your children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, any that come after you or will be affected by you in the future that even when you lose your way, there’s always someone there to help you find it.” He stared at her for a while, her getting nearly lost in the pull of his gaze when a loud voice yelled, “MAMA! ERIK! TIME FOR DINNER!” Laughing, she rose to her feet, stumbling slightly as she felt the feeling return to her limbs, Erik steadying her as he chuckled to himself. Once she had gathered her footing and Erik put his shirt back on, they made their way back towards her house, Ebony opening the door and running smack into what she knew was a back. Erik kissed his teeth, catching her as she stumbled back, the owner of aforementioned back turning to stare at her and she was nearly mesmerised. He was a very good looking man. It was different in how Erik was, but his entire aura seemed to encompass her. He was tall and a bit on the thin side, but she could tell his figure was lithe, almost feminine, which meant that he was being fet well at least. He was simply tall, dark, and handsome, and not in the way Hollywood liked to make it seem. He was not some white man with a slight tan and average looks, which were “made up for” by a shirtless scene in the middle of the movie. He stared down at her, making her feel a bit aware of how small she was, as well as the fact that she was in the middle of a sexy sandwich, Jessica and Shanice staring at the man’s back. “Man nigga can I get five seconds away from yo ass?” The man’s attention went to Erik and he smiled, revealing a nice smile with the cutest gap she’d ever seen. She nearly resisted the urge to pinch his cheeks, which was the most motherly thing she had ever thought about a grown man who was likely several years older than her. “Hello Erik,” he said, his accent sounding like syrup falling off of his tongue. “I was in the neighborhood,” he started, which was obviously a blatant lie, but Erik allowed him to continue without interruption. “And Okoye contacted me saying that you were not answering her calls, so I wanted to see if you were alright. While i was in the neighborhood, that is, not for anything else.” He had to work on his lying, that much was definitely evident. “Oh? So why were you in the neighborhood? I ain’t know you knew anyone here.” He was caught in his lie and it was obvious, so he went the smart route and changed the subject. “Anyway, while I came to see if you were alright, your delightful daughter invited me to stay for dinner if her mother said it was okay for me to stay.” Her eyes drifted to Nandi, who stood in the doorway with a smile on her face, one that said she knew Ebony wouldn’t say no to feeding someone. “Oh,” she started, clearing her throat and looking around. “Alright, I don’t see anything wrong with having another mouth to feed. Let me just go in here,” she said, trailing off as she entered the kitchen, Shanice and Jessica hot on her tail as T’Challa and Erik seemed to have a heated conversation in Xosha, Nandi watching them curiously, which was probably why Erik hadn’t gotten loud. “Bitch that is the king of mothafuckin Wakanda.” She raised her eyebrows at Shanice’s quick whisper, smelling the strong scent of wine on her breath. Looking over at the kitchen island, she saw that the bottle was nearly empty, and the Jessica’s empty glass in the sink caused dread to pool in the pit of her stomach. “I’ve never dined with royalty,” Jessica teased, seemingly taking the responsibility of plating all of the food Ebony cooked, as well as her potatoes, likely thinking about the leftovers she could have taken home. Nand and Jayden had a shared plate piled high with wings, half of them lemon pepper for Nandi and the other half honey barbecue for Jayden, as well as a plate piled with ranch fries for the two of them. She worried that it was too much, but with Nandi playing sports, her appetite had greatly increased. “Shan, are you okay?” Shanice waved her off, taking her last sip from her glass and taking it over to the sink and putting it in. She kept her balance, which was admirable, as Shanice never really drove when she spent the night, a she was often too drunk to drive, which meant sleepovers for Jayden and Nandi and Ebony nursing her out of a hangover the next morning. Sighing, she crossed her fingers, hoping that nothing would go too wrong. …
Nandi
 If she was honest, se was surprised that she and Jayden were able to get through half of their movie before the screaming reached her ears and it was evident that there was an altercation in her mother’s dining room. Running down the stairs, she felt her eyes widen at the scene before her. The first thing she noticed was Erik’s cousin standing by the door eyes wide as he watched her Aunt Shanice clawing at Erik, nearly wrapped around his torso as he ran around trying to get her off of him, her mom and aunt Jessica looking like added weight as they tried to get Shanice off of him. “Shan,” Jessica yelled, grabbing onto her midsection and pulling, avoiding Erik’s swatting arms as he tried to physically push her off. Her mother was caught in between fighting off a pissed off Shanice when she thought she’d grabbed at a tuft of Erik’s hair and yanked hard, and hooking her arms under Shanice’s shoulders to try and hoist her into the air, but Shanice held fast, scratching and biting like she was some sort of rabid chihuahua. They were somehow able to get her off, Jessica and Ebony carrying her into the kitchen kicking and screaming. She was about to leave from her eavesdropping position when she heard T’Challa breathe, “What a woman.” At that, she lost it, bursting into laughter as she leaned against the doorway, gathering the attention of the two males in the room, T’Challa smiling and Erik giving her a confused look. “Tough crowd, huh?” She sat down with Erik at one of the chairs that weren’t overturned  in the screaming match, her inquisitive gaze on her as she assessed his injuries. He had a busted lip, scratches on his cheeks, and she was sure his chin was starting to bruise, but it was hard to tell because of his beard. “Your auntie really can't stand my ass, huh?” She smiled, her mind going back to a conversation she vaguely remembered. When she was younger, about six, she heard Shanice talking about her dad and she asked her Uncle Ray what it meant. She had said that Erik had abandoned them all and left them to fend for themselves, and her Uncle Ray said that sometimes, people made decisions that weren't mistakes, but they sometimes hurt people. He said that they were all so used to Erik being there that when he wasn't, they didn't know how to deal with it and they had a hard time for a while. “I think she'll come around,” she finally said, looking up at him and offering him a smile. He chuckled as she reached up and ruffled his dreads, rising to her feet and leaving, though not before tossing T'Challa a small smile and a wave. It would all play out, it would have to.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Of all the ways that Ebony thought she would be spending her Monday afternoon, watching Nandi and Erik play basketball from the kitchen window while Shanice nursed a massive hangover was not one of the ways she figured she would be spending it.
 
“I have no idea what came over me,” Shanice groaned as she forced herself to eat a forkful of eggs. “I was supposed to ignore him, act like he wasn’t even there!” She winced at her own raised voice, swallowing thickly as she chewed the food in her mouth.
 
“You did make quite the impression on the ‘king of mothafuckin Wakanda’,” Ebony said, imitating her best friend from the night before. That only served to get a bigger groan from her, Ebony laughing lightly as she mentally went over the itinerary for the day.
 
It was Monday, and what was referred to as Nandi and Erik day, but this particular Monday was out of the question, and for a reason that she didn’t know whether she should lie to Erik about. At least one Monday out of the month, Ebony and Nandi made the drive to Stockton to visit the one person Erik always strictly told her he never wanted anything to do with. Ever.
 
His mother.
 
When they were teengers, Mama Kay managed to find out enough information for Erik to be able to visit his mother and she had been so cold to him, he never wanted to come back, and she didn’t want him to come back, actually taking him off of her visitor’s list. For so many years, she had been in prison and never had a single visitor, but after finding out when Nandi was going to be born, Ebony felt the urge to give it another go and it took several weeks before she broke down and agreed to see her. She remembered it almost as if it were yesterday.
 
…

Masozi Jones was a hard woman to get a hold of, even though she had been in one place over twenty years. She did not take calls, she had an empty visitor’s list, and her mail was screened, but somehow, Ebony could tell her letters were reaching her.

Twenty-four and alone, Ebony didn’t have many women on her side to help her with her pregnancy other than her friends and Mama Kay, who had spoken against her decision several times. Despite it all, she knew that it would be different, coming to this place and seeing this woman. She just wanted

someone

on his side to know.

As she stared at the woman, she couldn’t help but be intimidated. She stood at an easy 5’10, her dark skin unblemished despite the two decades of hard time she was serving. Her eyes were light, hazel and warm, a surprising contrast to the deep, earthy tone of her skin and her dark aura, which made the younger woman’s flesh crawl. She parted her full lips, voice flowing like honey.

“You annoyed me all this time just to come here and stare at me?” She jumped at the sound, clearing her throat as she pulled her seat out and placed herself into it, the woman following her lead.

It was quiet between the two as she tried to muster up something to say to this woman, the grandmother of her future child, but she was drawn a blank. Before she could embarrass herself further, she blurted out the first thing that came to her head.

“I'm pregnant.”

The only sound that filled the air was that of the murmurs that surrounded them. Masozi didn't speak, simply stared at her, likely wondering what the hell she was even doing there. Her gaze seemed to bore into Ebony's very soul, leading her to believe that she was performing some sort of x ray on her very character, picking her apart bit by bit.

“He dont know.” She jumped at the sudden words coming out of the woman’s mouth. To say that she had been expecting to do all of the talking was an understatement. Shaking her head, she looked down  at her hands, wringing them as she opened her mouth to speak.

“I haven’t seen Erik in a  while. I've been trying to get in contact with  him, but there has been some complications. I just,” she stopped, almost lost for words at the bizarre feeling that overcame her. “He joined the

army

, can you believe that? Of all the people that I thought would give up their freedom to be a slave to the government, his dumb ass is the one that decides to do it like he’s lost his fucking mind!” People stared at her and she felt her face heating up, clearing her throat and settling herself in her seat. Shaking her head, she apologized, adjusting herself in her seat.

“I don’t know much about my son, but if he’s anything like his Daddy, I don’t know how that’s going to end up.” She perked up at the thought of hearing about the legendary N'Jobu. Her father often spoke of him when she was younger, but once she became friends with Erik, she never heard him speak of him again. It was as if it were almost a taboo.

“Him, your Daddy, and Ray used to get into all types of trouble thinking that they were helping the community when they were just helping themselves feel better.” This was a completely new feeling, looking in the eyes of a woman who likely knew N’Jobu very well, not hearing all of the positive things that her father and others who grew up in Oakland had to say about him. She watched as the older woman looked down at her hands, running her fingers along the edges of her nails.

“They say the road to Hell is paved with good intentions, and I know that his father had good, honest intentions, but somewhere along that very road, he lost sight of what he came to America to do in the first place. He became less of a man begging for change and deliverance to a people long forgotten about and he became just another roguish niga looking to kill the next person to survive. Once I began to wake up, it was too late and my fate was already sealed. When I saw Erik,” she started, her lip giving the tiniest of quivers, one that was barely noticeable. Clearing her throat and squaring her shoulders, she looked up at Ebony.

“When he came in here, head held high and fire in his yes, I saw N’Jobu all over again and I knew that eventually, he would end up in a place like this. I knew that he would get lost in this world, especially with no one to guide him to where he needed to be.” Ebony jumped as she quickly rose to her feet, calling for a guard and telling her that she was ready to return to her cell. Dumbfounded, she allowed a female guard to lead her to the door of the visitation area, wondering what the hell had just happened.

“Eb!” She jumped at the sudden use of her name, her eyes refocusing to see Shanice staring at her with a confused look. Clearing her throat, she moved from one foot to the other, motioning for Shanice to continue with whatever she was talking about. Her friend didn't get the chance to say anything because the door burst open, revealing Erik, a frightened looking Nandi behind him.
 
“Ebony what the fuck is Nandi talking about, saying she going to see her Mama Sozi?!” She allowed her eyes to wander over to Nandi, who hovered behind him, looking absolutely terrified. Her slender frame was shaking, eyes wide and filled with unshed tears. She bet if she was close enough to touch her, her heart would be beating a mile a minute. Shanice seemed to sense that an argument was about to happen, so she scooted away to the corner of the room, watching the situation warily.
 
“Come here, baby.” She chose to ignore him as she held her arms out, Nandi scurrying towards her and gluing herself to her side, holding on tight enough to cut off her circulation. Erik seemed to be fuming in the doorway, not used to being ignored probably. Sighing, she ran her hands through her daughter's hair, shushing her as she felt her tears soaking through her shirt. True to her thoughts, Nandi's heart was beating so hard, she could feel it through her clothes.
 
“Shh,” she whispered, rubbing comforting circles in the eight year old's back. By some miracle, Nandi managed to hold on tighter still, painfully pinching the skin of her stomach as she tried to separated her.
 
“Its okay baby, Erik's just upset, okay? He's not gonna hurt you, okay? Right Erik?” He didn't say anything to help his case, so she sent a glare his way, only to be met with his own. Instead, she decided to try and pull Nandi towards Erik, but the smaller child dug her heels into the floor, making a whimpering protest that she couldn't ignore for the life of her. Sighing and continuing to rub her daughter's back as Shanice approached Erik, grabbing him by the material of his tee shirt and pushing him through the doorway with much protest.
 
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“Bitch have you lost your fucking mind?!” Erik glared down at Shanice, but she stood her ground, crossing her hand under her chest. “I don't remember stuttering and you ain't deaf so what the fuck is yo problem?”
 
“What's the problem?! Ebony know how the fuck I feel about that shit and I gotta find out from Nandi that she buddy buddy with that bitch?!”
 
“Masozi in prison and she was more help than

you

was you bum ass bitch.”
 
“Man call me another bitch and see what-”
 
“BITCH!”
 
He balled his fists and she held her arms wide. “Yeah go ahead and hit me nigga. Go ahead!” He closed his eyes tight enough to hurt, trying his best to calm his breathing in front of her. No matter how long they had been apart, Shanice always managed to agitate the hell out of him.
 
“You sitting here with yo ass on your fucking shoulders and you fail to realize you done scared the shit out of my niece? You been a father a hot fifteen seconds and you already got her crying. What's next, huh?! She was

afraid

of you Erik, is that how you want your daughter to see you right now? Cause she really the only one that even like yo dumb ass!” He felt himself deflate at that.
 
“If you go in there flying off at the mouth and you talk down on Masozi, you aint shit. You don't get in front of your kids and open your mouth to disrespect your mother. Whatever beef you got with Ebony going to see Masozi, you talk that shit out with Ebony and you

don't

do it in front of Nandi. Nandi

loves

her grandmother. Loves her to hell and back and there aint shit you can do that will change that. So you better suck that shit up before you catch a beat down.” She said it with so much conviction that he knew that with one wrong word, she would start swinging, and he didn't have the energy or help to get her off of him. Instead, he bumped her with his shoulder, ignoring the way she yelled after him in favor of going and sitting on the porch. He was rewared for his patience when Ebony showed up about 20 minutes later, taking a seat next to him.
 
“Ebony, yo ass got some fucking nerve taking Nandi to see that crazy bi-”

Smack!

“Shut up.” There it was. Not be quiet, not lower your voice, but shut up. If she was anything like he remembered her, then even telling him to shut up was almost seen as a taboo for her. He held his stinging cheek in his hand as he watched her glare at him, chest rising and falling heavily. Like any sensible man in a situation like that, he was sure to shut his fucking mouth.
 
“For eight years, I have taken care of my daughter

by myself

, Erik Stevens. I am a damn good mother and I will not have you coming here after ONE FUCKING WEEK AND TELL ME WHAT THE FUCK I HAVE THE NERVE TO DO! I won’t have you or anyone else questioning my capabilities as a mother, you get that?!” He felt his eyes widen at the sight of tears running down her face, but he couldn’t move to comfort her.
 
“You

scared

her, Erik! Because you can’t control your damn temper, my baby is afraid of you, do you know how that makes me fucking feel?!” She sniffed, wiping her eyes as she presses her back to one of the pillars on her porch.
 
“I know you want to be a good father and she wants to let you so bad, but you can’t do shit like this and expect it to be all cupcakes and sunshine! You had better come up with a

damn good

apology when you go back in there!” He looked up at that, eyebrow quirked in confusion.
 
“What, did you think I was just gonna let you leave here without apologizing for making a ass out of yourself? Nah, homeboy, it don’t work like that, and if you

ever

scare my daughter like that again, you can kiss this goodbye because I won’t stand for it.” He nodded dumbly, watching as she wiped her eyes, taking a deep breath and relaxing against the pillar. She meant every word of it, that much he knew, and even though he hadn’t known he long, he couldn’t imagine a life without Nandi in it.
 
After several minutes of silence, he rose to his feet, his feeling as if they were made of lead. Dread filled his chest as he opened the door, seing Nandi sitting on the couch, playing with her fingers. Shanice was in the kitchen, getting her son ready to likely go home, glaring at him as she did so. Turning his eyes back to his daughter, he  felt his heart constrict in his chest when she gripped the arm of the couch so tightly, she probably could have shredded the fabric. Sighing, he took a seat that put a cushion in between them, knowing she would need her space.
 
“Hey,” he started, staring at the side of her head. If he was honest with himself, he didn’t truly know what to say to her in order to make her feel better. The realization almost pissed him off in and of itself, but he knew that he needed to keep a calm head when talking to her.
 
“I know I probably scared you, and I’m sorry for that. Sometimes, I act before I think and it get me in a worlf of shit.” She still didn’t speak to him, but he saw that she visibly relaxed, so he kept talking.
 
“I don’t have a relationship with my mama like you have with yo mama, Ahunna.” He felt his heart warmed when she seemed to react to her nickname that he had given her just a day or two prior. “I didn’t meet her for the first time until I was a lot older thsn you and it wasn’t a good meeting.” She nodded, tuening to face him fully.
 
“Nana Sozi said that she was mean to you when she first met you because she didn’t want you to see her in prison. She used to be mean to me too, hoping that mama would stop bringing me to see her, but over time, I grew on her and she’s really nice and fun.” He nodded, opening his arms and bracing himself for when she decided to run head first into his chest, which she did not disappoint. Wrapping her in his arms, he rocked her from side to side.
 
“I’m sorry, okay? I won’t be scaring you like that ever again.” She nodded as she burrowed herself into his chest, both feeling Ebony’s eyes on them as she watched from the window.
 
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“What do you think?” Ebony felt T’Challa’s eyes on her as she watched Erik and Nandi hug. He had pulled up and approached her right after Erik went inside to speak with Nandi, saying that he was ‘in the neighborhood’ again.
 
“I think that my cousin is changing for the better due to exposure to his own child,” he responded in his rather thick Wakandan accent. “She is good for him.” She raised an eyebrow at that, but she said nothing more as they stared on.
 
“Is it weird?” He jumpoed at her sudden speaking, cusing her to smile. “I mean, you’re married, newly appointed king, and you probably have a lot of expectations from your elders, one of them likely being to hurry p and bear and heir. Is it weird that Erik has a child before you do?” He smiled, placing his hands in his pockets.
 
“A little. I dont know Erik as well as you probably do, so I can’t really get a good read on him due to most of his distrust of me. I try my best to communicate that I am only here to help him, but he doesn’t seem to get it. What should I do to gain his loyalty?” She looked over at him before her eyes cut back to Erik ad Nandi. Despite only having had met him for a short amount of time, she could definitely see herself becoming friends with the ‘King of Mothafuckin Wakanda’. Here he was, standing in front of her and asking how he could gain

Erik’s

loyalty. If anything, Erik should have been working his ass off to make sure that T’Challa didn’t throw his ass in prison.
 
“I think he likes you,” she said, emembering how nasty Erik could be to those he didn’t like. If this Killmonger persona was anything to go on, it was just a much more intensified version of what was already sometimes one of Erik’s nastiest traits. He was quick to hate, which reslted in a lot of people getting hurt. To see Erik merely complain about T’Challa almost in the way he constantly complained about Shanice, it was a testament to how much Erik was pretending to hate his cousin. She bet at this point, Erik would kill anyone who tried to hurt T’Challa, even he’d deny it to his dying breath.
 
“There is another reason that I came here, Ebony.” She looked over at him, wondering what could possibly be going through his mind, noticing the way his eyes darted towards the window at Shanice, who was zipping hr jacket up. He seemed rather smitten with her, not often able to take his eyes off of her.
 
“She’s single, you know.” He jumped at her voice, clearing his throat awkwardly. She was sure if he were of a lighter complexion, he would be as red as a tomato, but she chose not to tease him on the subject. Running a hand through her hair, she continued on.
 
“The story behind the father of her baby is rather,” she wondered what word she would use to explain the crazy ass situation that led to Shanice’s pregnancy. “Complicated.” Yeah, Complicated. Everything was complicated if she was completely honest with herself. “It’s not my story to tell,” she said as soon as she saw him open his mouth, likely ready to ask what was so complicated about the situation. He nodded, seemingly satisfied with her answer.
 
“Lemme guess, you in the neighborhood again nigga?” They both looked up from their positions to see Erik and nandi standing in the doorway, Nandi smiling at T’Challa as she clung to Erik’s side, earlier incident likely tucked away for later, when she felt like she needed another Erik story.
 
“No, I came to see Ebony.” She felt her eyes widen slightly at his admittance. “She has agreed to attend lunch with me tomorro to discuss matters of utmost importance. She has been sworn to secrecy, so she will not reveal what we talked about.” Erik’s eyes travelled to her and she was nsure what to do exactly.
 
“U-Uh, yeah! Completely secret stuff that he wanted to talk about. But anyway, I’ll be heading in now, Nandi, you should go in and get your shower and everything out of the way so i can do your hair for school.” With that, she ushered her daughter in, leaving the two cousins to their glares and innocent looks.
 
“What were you talking to ‘Challa about?” She looked back at Nandi, pulling an innocent face. Before she could even think of any lie to tell, the living room phone rang. Thanking her stars, she hurried to the kitchen, smiling at the familiar number.
 
“You wouldn’t believe the day that I had today, Sozi.”
 
A chuckle on the other end of th line caught her attention and she smiled, happy that the older woman wasn’t in a bad mood. She wondered breifly if she should tell Masozi that her son had returned to Oakland, deciding to go with her gut.
 
“Did you watch the news?”

“Yeah, I was worried sick about Nandi, but when they said there were no casualties, I slept a lot easier.”

“He’s back.”
 
There was silence on the other side of the line. She knew that the woman was likely stuck and didn’t know what to say.
 
“I don’t even knoiw what to do half the time. He’s been great for the longest and when Nandi told him that she was coming to visit you today, he just lost it. Scared the hell out of Nandi, it was a sight to behold. I

slapped

him, Masozi. I slapped the hell out of him. And it felt

good

.”
 
That seemed to bring real laughter fom the older woman.

“Honestly, i feel the same way. When I found out that I was pregnant, that boy’s father avoided me for six weeks that felt like forever. I hunted him down like a dog and when I seen him, it took two of his boys to get him off of me. You been raising a child by yourself for eight years, you got a right to be mad, even if he didn’t know she existed.”

She smiled, happy that she wasn’t being scolded for doing something so stupid. Her own mother would have cursed her out for hitting someone like Erik, saying that if he would have hit her back, he could have knocked her whole head off. It was nice to not have to worry about what others would think about her sudden actions.

“Speaking of, where is my little Ikooko?”

Turning towards the door, she watched Nandi stare out the window, tail lights telling her that she was watching Erik and T’Challa pull away from the house.
 
“Nandi, Nana Sozi wants to talk to you.” Before she could even finish her sentence, Nandi was right next to her, reaching for the phone. Handing it over, she watched Nandi talk excitedly to her grandmother, standing and heading to her room to take a well deserved bath.
 
Once she was out and dressed for the night, the house was silent, devoid of Shanice funning at and over Jayden, Nandi rabpidly talking to Masozi, or anything else, just pure silence.
 
Making her way to her daughter’s room, she peeked in to see nandi asleep at the foot of her bed, a bag of hair supplies at the ready. Deciding to let her sleep, she walked in, lifting the girl in her arms and toting her to where she should be sleeping, covering her with an extra thick blanket.
 
“I love you, Nandi,” she whispered to her sleeping child, leaning forwards and kissing her on the forehead, being sure that she was tucked in properly. Making her way to her room, she laid in her bed covering herself with several blnkets and falling asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.