Hermanos de Sangre

[Antonio Fernandez]

"I'll resort to the Breaking Bad model for Chem majors before that happens." Antonio managed to get away from Joaquin at last, glaring as he had to pick up the sawhorse. "Anyway we didn't decide."

"Decide what?" Alonso looked through the wall he was completing, narrowing his eyes at the mayhem.

"What we're gonna do about this joker who leaves Anna with a bebe and no forwarding address." Antonio straightened his safety glasses and flipped the saw on, starting on the 2x4s he'd measured.

[Alonso Fernandez]

Alonso grunted at 'Tonio's sudden enthusiasm for work, and looked at Joaquin who was walking towards him. "I hate to say it, but he has a point." He secured the brace he was working on with another nail, and gave the framing a tug to make sure it was secure.

"If the guy is out of the picture, fine, but if he comes back later there could be messy custody issues." Without knowing...anything, really, it was hard to know how to express the sudden surge of frustration that was building up inside him. "We should try to find out what we can. Without bothering Anna."

Jake would help; surely he had to know something. Alonso was fond of the kid, misguided though his path through life had been up to this point, but hadn't talked to him much since he'd moved in at Redención House. He was really doing a great job at this big brother thing. He grabbed another piece of wood to put into place, movements practiced and sure.

[Joaquin Fernandez]

"What's all this deciding business?" Joaquin scoffed, stretching his neck to one side until it popped loudly. "We find out who he is, I know exactly what I'm gonna do."

There was nothing quite like a motivating chat with the concerned advocates of a slighted woman to ensure that any potential legal matters were swept under the rug.

While Antonio set to work cutting the planks, Joaquin crossed to the T-frame that Alonso was shoring up with a focus that was a little too intent. Squinting at the opposite end casually as though inspecting the progress, Joaquin caught his older brother's eyes and looked at him pointedly.

"Man, you're making that face," he said, voice low to keep the conversation just between them. "You really think there might be problems?"

[Alonso Fernandez]

"Where there are women concerned, there are always problems. Anna keeping this a secret for so long..." Alonso shrugged. "I do not like it. The guy obviously does not want to be involved, from what we can guess."

He sighed, rubbing the back of his hand across his brow. "And let's be honest, Jake's making an effort these past few years, but he has his own problems to deal with. Something like this could set him off in a big way." Jake going back to jail would be the worst possible scenario. Mama would be heartbroken.

Which was probably why Anna was keeping her cards close to her chest. Protecting her family, both of them. Which begged the question - from what?

[Joaquin Fernandez]

"Great: he doesn't want to be involved, then there's no issue," Joaquin spread his arms as if to say, what else is there to do? It seemed pretty clear cut to him, if a bit skeevy.

The comment about Jake gave him pause, though. It was true that their brother had a colorful - and that was a polite expression - past and a short fuse but he was a good man and the turbulence that often surrounded him had eased substantially since his teen years. Jake was a big boy, he could handle himself - and, if 'Tonio was right and he did know, then he was obviously taking it well enough to keep it on the down low. But that was no surprise; they were a close family and concern for Anna would eclipse any other reaction, for all of them.

No, Joaquin decided, as surprising as the news was, there did not seem to be anything suspicious about it other than the fact that it was Anna they were talking about. Alonso was just being Alonso.

"You stress too much, old man," Joaquin said. "Look, we will all get together and have a few beers, find out if there is anything to know. If so, we deal with it and if not... " he shrugged. "Guys night out and Anna will make her announcement when she's ready. She's probably just embarrassed, she's supposed to be the responsible one."

[Alonso Fernandez]

"Tiene usted razón, por supuesto," he said, staring past Joaquin to where Antonio was still hard at work, against all odds. For a long moment he seemed to be elsewhere, and then he focused again and a half smile twitched up the corner of his mouth.

"If Jake has a name, Paolo could run a check on him, get his address." The smile spread into a roguish grin. "We could pay him a visit."

[Joaquin Fernandez]

Joaquin smirked broadly and reached out to smack Alonso's shoulder with the back of his hand.

"Now you're talking," he crowed. "Vamos a helar la sangre del hijo de puta."

Satisfied that they were getting somewhere productive, Joaquin rapped his knuckles on the framing.

"My... appointment is in Laguna, I'll stop later and talk to Father Marcelo." He paused and chuckled. Marcelo Fernandez was an introspective, quiet soul who preferred logical negotiations to physical confrontation. It made him excellent at his job but trying to imagine him intimidating anyone was a stretch. "He might not approve, you know how he is. Twenty bucks says he thinks we should send a legal notice to the loser or some fancy PR stunt like that."

[Antonio Fernandez]

"Legal notice that if he comes near Anna again I get to kick his ass?" Antonio swaggered up, planks on his shoulder balanced with a gloved hand. He was covered with sawdust.

He dropped the 2x4s in a pile, and straightened, trying to dust off his pants. As he did so he caught sight of the house across the street where an older woman was doing yoga on her wrap around porch. He grinned at Joaquin.

"Looks like Mrs. Collins is out again." He made a show of stretching slowly. "I should take off my shirt, give her something to really drool over."

[Joaquin Fernandez]

"Why, you wanna scare her back inside?"

Joaquin jostled Antonio out of the way good-naturedly, vying for prime viewing location. At best guess, Mrs. Collins was somewhere between 40 and 45 and was a breathing advertisement for what a lifelong dedication to yoga could do to a body - or rather bodies, because any man with a heartbeat couldn't watch her pert little behind slither from chaturanga to cobra and not offer up a full salute.

"C'mon, downward dog," Joaquin begged. He whistled low as the lithe PTA member bent forward. "Every day this week. She's gotta know we're watching."

[Alonso Fernandez]

"Oh, she knows all right," Alonso said. "Mostly because you are standing there, staring."

He glanced over to where the cougar was stretching out and threw a wood chip at Joaquin. "Get over here and help me put this wall together. This addition isn't going to build itself you know." He raised an eyebrow and gestured to the concrete floor where he was planning on piecing together a section of wall before setting it in place.

"Yeah, get to work," said Antonio, still shaking sawdust off his t-shirt. "Some of us have to be here all day. Oh, speaking of, can I get a ride home, 'Lonso?" He didn't move from where he was, still looking across the street. Alonso was surprised he didn't wave.

"Sure," he said. "No problem." He went back to work, knowing that Antonio would get tired of the show across the street before too long.

[Antonio Fernandez]

"Thanks, hermano," he said, as Mrs. Deanna Collins stretched into Downward Dog. "Oh man, you missed it, Joaquin. Sun Salutations all the way."

She was moving on to Warrior poses, still sexy as hell, and as she extended her arms her head turned toward him. "Oh my God she winked at me!" Antonio winked back, casually stretching out his arms and then bending down to pick up a length of wood. Cougars were awesome. Really. Awesome.

[Joaquin Fernandez]

Damn it.

Joaquin craned over his shoulder, hoping for a repeat performance but it was no use. She was already on to balance poses, the loose grey shirt she wore slipping off one elegant shoulder and revealing the line of her collarbone that he could just imagine kissing his way down, a treasure trail right to the bounty of her possibly-enhanced breasts.

It was only nine, not that hot yet. But then again the air had a funny way of collecting on job sites, clung to lumber like a whiny child. In fact, it was stifling this morning.

With a casual overhead stretch, Joaquin tugged his v-neck off and tucked it into his toolbelt so it hung stylishly off the side. He flicked his tousled hair out of his eyes and twisted over the laid out 2x4's, abs popping at the purposeful angle.

[Antonio Fernandez]

Antonio narrowed his eyes at Joaquin's flagrant shirtless scene, and sauntered over to Alonso's side. They worked in silence for a few long minutes, the wall coming together quickly despite the meaningful glances Joaquin and Antonio kept throwing towards Mrs. Collins and then at each other.

"Man, its too quiet out here," he complained, while Joaquin and Alonso readied the wall for final placement. "Gonna find some tunes, I'll be right back." Out by the outer wall of the addition he turned on the dusty radio, finding Z100 and some Top 40 songs. Antonio be-bopped around the foundation towards his brothers, stopping to drink from the hose in plain sight of Mrs. Collins' porch.

While he was at it he used it to clean his face from any residual sawdust. Sawdust... just gets everywhere! What a shame, isn't it, Mrs. Collins. He turned off the hose and pulled his shirt off, turning it inside out to dry off his face and hair, flexing his abs as impressively as he dared. Didn't want to give the woman a heart attack, after all.

[Joaquin Fernandez]

The little bastard was trying to outdo him - and if the way Mrs. Collin's hips were angling as she bowed back into Camel pose were any indication, it was working.

Oh hell no.

"En tres: uno... dos... tres," Joaquin grunted as he and Alonso hefted the bare-bones framing up and shuffled awkwardly, their boots scraping across the rough concrete foundation to prop it in place against the existing work until they could secure it. Straining (maybe a bit more than necessary) the man pushed his end closer to the stud and then stepped back, panting.

Alonso raised a brow as he ducked through the skeleton wall and jumped down to ground. "Where are you going?"

"I'm thirsty," came Joaquin's reply. He grinned at Antonio as he passed, bumping his shoulder and twisting the faucet back on with one clean jerk. The radio played some ridiculously over synthesized tune but there was a sort of lazy undertone to it that worked well. Joaquin bent and took a long slurp of water, eyes darting up once, and then straightened to his full height and lifted the hose high so the water drenched his hair and cascaded down his bare chest in sparkling rivulets.

Yeah, it's gonna be a scorcher today.

The water slowed to a trickle as he turned the faucet again and Joaquin ran a broad hand through his hair, sweeping it back, and sent droplets flying with a shake of his head. He loped back to the addition, a confident swagger in his gait.

Alonso looked like he was just about out of patience.

"What?" Joaquin shrugged. "It's hot out."

[Alonso Fernandez]

Antonio snorted, and Alonso just rolled his eyes. When they got like this there was nothing to do but wait it out. Anyway, they usually ended up working harder after Mrs. Collins... yep here she came.

He checked his watch. Not even nine thirty, and she was already coming over with lemonade. Alonso straightened up, adjusting his tool belt as the trim forty-five year old mother of two waved from across the street, walking over suggestively in her yoga outfit with a tray of glasses.

"You two have outdone yourselves this time," he grunted, but he wasn't mad. She made some damn good lemonade.

[Joaquin Fernandez]

Low snickers were shared but by the time Mrs. Collins rolled in, they were the picture of humble, hardworking men. The sort that their Mama would have been proud to introduce in church on Sunday, provided there was more clothing involved.

"Hola, Mrs. Collins," Joaquin beamed. "What a nice surprise."

"You all just looked like you were working so hard," the woman explained, hips swaying a bit even as she talked. "I thought I'd bring out some refreshments. We can't have you boys getting heatstroke - it can be fatal, you know!"

"Ain't the sun's gonna kill me," Antonio mumbled, eyes fixed on the morsel in their midst. Then, louder: "That's really thoughtful of you, Mrs. Collins, gracias. Hey, have you been workin' out? You're looking awesome."

"Oh!" Mrs. Collins shrugged modestly, a gleam to her eyes. "A little. Honestly when you get to be my age it becomes as necessary as flossing!"

She giggled and handed Alonso a glass of ice-cold lemonade, hand lingering on his just a moment too long.

[Alonso Fernandez]

Alonso smiled graciously as she handed him a glass, then noticed the extra hand contact and froze momentarily. She gave him a look that could only be described as suggestive, before turning back to Joaquin and laughing at something he'd said. She kept looking back to Alonso, though, and he drank the lemonade as quickly as be could, wedding ring in plain evidence.

Mrs. Collins was angling towards him again, and he moved slightly, putting Antonio in the line of fire as his younger brother was nonchalantly saying something about an eight mile run he did the other day.

[Antonio Fernandez]

Antonio ran a hand over his short hair as Mrs. Collins turned toward him. "Yeah, I run a lot. Have to stay in shape, so I do a lot of endurance training."

"That's obvious," she purred, daring to nudge him as she walked around him. Alonso moved to the other side of the unfinished room, gently setting his glass down on the tray as he passed it.

"Well, it's important to take care of yourself, like you do, Mrs. Collins." Antonio twisted around, flashing her a winning smile.

[Joaquin Fernandez]

"You know, I would love to take some photographs of you," Joaquin cut in, lowering himself from between a pair of sawhorses where he'd been doing tricep dips. Subtlety was his favorite flavor.

Mrs. Collins looked like she wasn't quite sure whether to be flattered or offended, though she was definitely leaning toward the former and the latter would have been a token effort for the sake of propriety.

A few months ago Joaquin had done a cologne ad. The shoot had involved stalking out of the ocean with a casual look of smoldering indifference plastered on his face, a feat that was difficult with the sun shining directly in one's eyes and wearing a pair of tiny swim trunks that had left chafe-marks for a full week. But the walk - that slow, predatory roll - was killer and he used it now.

"I need new workups for my portfolio," he said. "And you would be perfect for a tandem shoot."

"Are you a model?" Deanna's cheeks were flushed.

Joaquin shrugged. "I don't like to put a label on it. I'm an artist of life."

"I was once a Sunshine Girl. In the paper in my hometown. There was a full-page spread, they brought in professional hair and makeup, the works."

"Yes, you can tell by the way you move. En español we would say... como una perra en celo."

Mrs. Collins looked faint. She confessed in a breathy tone: "I've always wanted to learn Spanish."

Joaquin leaned in close and whispered so she had to cant forward to hear. "I will teach you. Voy a sacudir tu mundo."

Antonio cleared his throat. Loudly. The spell broken, bendy Mrs. Robins... Collins fluttered aimlessly for a minute and then gathered her tray.

"Well, I'll... just," she said as she tried to lope away with as much come-hither grace as she'd arrived, "let you boys get back to your work."

"Please, let me help you to your house. It's the least I can do," Joaquin said and lifted the tray from her hands. He winked back at his brothers as he trailed after the woman, crossing the street right behind her and following into the stately three-tiered home.

When he returned, some fifteen minutes later, it was with a piece of heavy paper that he brandished in the air like a trophy. "Ha. Her number - and that was just the afterthought!"

[Antonio Fernandez]

Antonio snatched at it, using his two inch height advantage ineffectively as Joaquin expertly fended him off. "You are unbelievable. Como una perra en celo? You've got some cojones, hermano."

He leaned closer, and sniffed suspiciously. "You smell a little floral, pool boy."