When Laura woke up, she found Frank still asleep on the couch and Jay in the recliner reading files.  Jay looked up and saw Laura.  She put her finger to her mouth if to say be quiet.  Laura smiled and nodded her head.  She pointed to the kitchen and Jay followed her.

“Would you like to help me fix breakfast?” asked Laura.

“Yes,” said Jay.  “But I don’t know much about cooking.”

“I’ll be glad to show you,” said Laura smiling.

While Laura and Jay cooked breakfast, Laura decided to ask Jay some questions.  She wanted to get to know Jay better. After a while Jay started to open up and the pair found themselves getting on quite well.

Fenton appeared in the kitchen to get his morning coffee.  He was surprised to see Jay already up and helping Laura.  He went up to his wife and kissed her on the cheek and then went up to Jay and turned her around to face him.

“I don’t think I said this, but thank you,” said Fenton.

“For what?” asked Jay curiously.

“Saving our sons and our daughter-in-laws,” said Fenton.

“That was no¼” Jay started to say, but Fenton interrupted.

“That was a very big deal,” said Fenton.

“You are one very exceptional young lady,” said Laura.

Fenton and Laura looked at each other and then at Jay.  She was clearly puzzled by their actions and their looks.

“I guess there is no better time than the present,” said Fenton. 

“We talked about this last night,” said Laura.  “Honey, we would like you to move in with us and live here as our daughter.”

“I can push through the red tape and help you get your social security number and driver’s license.  I know the Dean at the university, so I can help you with getting enrolled.  Frank and Joe can help you with choosing your classes and taking exams.  What I am trying to say is we don’t just want you to live with us, we want you to become a member of our family,” said Fenton.

“No matter what you decide about becoming part of our family we will still help you,” said Laura

Jay sat down heavily on a kitchen chair, stunned by the offer. She said, “There is a lot of things you don’t know about me.  I have done some very bad things.”

“It doesn’t matter.  I can easily guess about some of the things you had to do to survive.  We can talk about the rest of it later,” said Fenton.

“And you can still stay with us,” said Laura moving to stand beside Jay and putting her arm around her. “We want you, and the boys love you, you know that.”

“I don’t know what to say,” said Jay shaking her head in shock.  “But yes.  I would be very stupid not to want to be part of such a wonderful family.”  Jay barely got the words out when they heard several whoops and yipes from the doorway.  They turned to see Joe, Callie, and Vanessa dancing around and hugging each other.  Then they all ran into the kitchen and started hugging each other all over again.

“Joe, is this group always so loud?” Jay asked teasingly.

“Afraid so, little sis” said Joe.  “You will just have to get use to it.”

They were laughing.  Joe starting looking around the room.  He knew he was usually the last one to get out of bed and his brother the first one to get up.

“Hey, where is big brother?” asked Joe.

“Asleep on the couch I think,” Laura replied, as she busied herself trying to rescue the neglected breakfast.

“Not anymore,” said Frank sleepily as he entered the room.  “What is the big idea of waking up a hard working man who needs his beauty sleep?”

“I certainly agree that you need beauty sleep,” said Joe smiling.  “But we are celebrating.”

“You have a new baby sister,” said Callie laughing at her husband’s puzzled expression.  Frank looked at his parents, then Jay.

“Boy, I must be tired,” said Frank realizing what Callie meant.  He got up from his chair, walked over to Jay and embraced her in a very tight squeeze.

“Welcome to the family,” said Frank joyfully.  “There are a few things I have to inform you about.  Number one is I am the King and I am always right so therefore you must treat me accordingly.  Number two, your other brother is a magnet for trouble.  So you need to stay away from him.  You must never listen to anything he tells you.”

By this time a teasing war broke out between Joe and Frank.  They were both trying to convince Jay that they were the better brother.  Finally, Callie and Vanessa had to push them out of the kitchen, so breakfast could be finished.

They went into the living room with Joe and Frank still teasing each other.  Fenton was watching them until he noticed the files around the recliner.

“Late night, Frank?” asked Fenton.

“I thought I could go over the details of all the robberies to look for some correlation,” said Frank.

“Find anything?” asked Joe.

“No,” said Frank.  “So I let Jay have them.”

“Jay?” asked Fenton as he turned to look at her.  “Did you find anything?”

“Possibly,” said Jay.

“Breakfast is ready.  Come and get it,” said Vanessa as she walked into the room. 

“Let me at it,” said Joe rushing into the kitchen.

“After breakfast, we can talk about it in the office,” said Fenton to Jay.  “But right now, I think we better get into the kitchen.  Jay, you’ll have to learn to eat quick around here or Joe will consume everything.”

Once the meal was over, Fenton, Frank, Joe and Jay made their way back into Fenton’s office.

“Alright, my new little sis,” said Joe smiling.  “Why don’t you share with us what you found out?”

“Well, I noticed in your files you didn’t do or say anything about the labor unions on the dock,” said Jay.

“Unions?” asked Joe.

“There are a lot of different ‘unions’ or gangs.  But whatever you call them, they control the docks.  They know what comes in, what leaves, the time, who owns it, who wants it, etc.  The shipment is probably a special case.  So they are not going to use their regular channels.  It will come in secretly and quietly.  And it leaves the same way.”

“These ‘unions’ do you think they are into the smuggler,” asked Fenton.

“Yes,” said Jay.

“So, we need to get on the docks and join one of these groups,” said Joe rubbing his jaw. 

“It’s not that easy,” said Fenton.  “Sam has been working on those docks and no one has even tried to approach him.  He believes they know who he is.”

“Any outsider that hasn’t been working on the docks for at least five years is automatically is considered to be the ‘black plague’.  They won’t go near him.  And he will never get invited to a night of unloading or loading to earn extra cash,” said Jay.

“So we are going to have to find another way,” said Joe.

“I have an idea,” said Jay.

“What?” asked Frank.  “Tell us.”