20 Tennyson

It was a gorgeous September day in Salem. Perfect weather for the elementary school fundraiser. Tent tops were set up all over the Salem Commons, some offered crafts and artwork, while others offered food. There were face painters, several juggling clowns, which gave Ten the creeps, carnival rides, and of course the main attraction, the dunk tank.

Ten was absolutely thrilled that the sun was shining and temperatures were in the mid-seventies, not only because good weather would mean a better turnout, but because Ronan was about to take his place in the dunk tank. The line to Dunk the Detective, as Max Preston named it, stretched almost into the parking lot.

"Are you ready to do this?"

Ten asked, as Ronan slipped into his chicken costume.

"I was born ready, baby!"

Ronan turned to the crowd of potential dunkers. "Look at all of the people here to donate money to the school. Hell, with all of the money I'm gonna bring in today, we'll be able to take the kids to Italy instead of the planetarium."

"Dream big, Ronan."

Ten patted his husband's shoulder and led him over to the tank. Ronan was about to climb the ladder to get into it, when Jude approached, dressed like a carnival barker and carrying a megaphone.

"Ladies, and gentlemen,"

Jude said into his megaphone. "It's my honor to welcome you all to the fundraiser! Our goal is to raise about twenty-five hundred dollars per grade to take the kiddos on a field trip to the Museum of Science in Boston. Donate early. Donate often. Taking a turn in the tank is one of the Salem Police's finest, Ronan O'Mara. If you've ever gotten a ticket you didn't deserve, come on over and get your revenge!"

"I don't write tickets!"

Ronan shouted to Jude from the seat inside the tank.

"They don't need to know that!"

Jude snickered before turning back to the crowd. "Taking the first shot to dunk the detective is a special guest. She's member of the class of 2036 and is someone you all know and love, Miss Everly O'Mara!"

The crowd in front of the tank parted to reveal Everly wearing jeans and a Dunk My Daddy t-shirt. Her hair was in curly pigtails. She wore a determined look on her face. She waved to the crowd before handing Jude her money and taking a baseball.

Loud applause broke out. The crowd chanted her name. Wolf and Aurora crowded in behind her, wearing shirts identical to Everly's along with Fitz, Jace, and Cope.

Everly stood at the yellow line. Her eye was on the target. Tennyson's eyes went back and forth between Ronan and their daughter. It wasn't a very charitable thought, but he hoped Everly dunked Ronan with her first ball. As a matter of fact, Ten hoped all the contestants dunked Ronan. Not that he'd ever tell his husband.

"Are you ready to do this?"

Jude asked, after he'd lowered the megaphone.

Everly nodded. "I'm ready, Uncle Jude."

She waved at Ronan before throwing the ball toward the target that would drop the seat out from beneath her father and send him into the tank. The ball missed.

Jude quickly retrieved it. He knelt in front of Everly and handed the ball back. "You can do this. I believe in you."

"Girls can't dunk boys!"

Ronan shouted from the tank.

Everly scowled. "Those are fighting words."

She wound up a second time and threw the ball toward the target. It bounced off the top of the metal disk, but didn't send Ronan into the water.

"See! I told you girls can't dunk me!"

Ronan laughed.

Everly turned to the tank and offered her father a sweet smile. She strode toward him with a determined look on her face. "I love you, Daddy."

She blew Ronan a kiss and went up to the target and pressed it with her hand.

"Wait! No!"

Ronan shouted before he was dunked into the tank.

"Mission accomplished."

Everly dusted off her hands and ran to Jude. "Who's next?"

Tennyson was laughing so hard that he had to lean against Cope to keep from falling over. "I'll never forget this moment if I live to be one hundred."

"I recorded it!"

Jace held up his phone. "The look on Ronan's face was priceless."

Ten took Jace's arm and led him away from the tank. "Ronan said things went well with Spencer at the Mission yesterday."

Jace nodded. "They did. Spencer and Ronan both worked in the kitchens for several hours. They helped serve lunch and Spencer sat with some of the people there for a meal. I think he really got a lot out of the day. Ronan said he wrote his report for Effy Lou's lawyer and said he talked about him in glowing terms. Is it gonna stick or is he going to go back to being his old self when the inheritance hits his bank account."

"I'm not sure,"

Ten said. "I've been trying to read the situation all morning, but I'm not getting a clear picture. I do know that Carson and Cassie are both going to hire him to work part time at West Side Magick and West Side Sweets."

"Did your gift tell you that?"

Jace asked with a grin.

"No, Carson did."

"Daddy! Watch me!"

Aurora shouted from the dunk tank. She held a baseball in her hand and looked very determined to dunk Ronan.

"Go, Aurora!"

Fitzgibbon clapped for his daughter. He wore a mischievous look that told Tennyson he wasn't above hitting the lever to send Ronan into the tan.

"Yeah, go home, Aurora! You'll never dunk me!"

Ronan taunted from the tank.

Taking a deep breath, Aurora gripped the ball and threw it toward the bullseye. It hit the target dead on.

Ronan yelped and fell back into the water with a loud splash.

"I did it!"

Aurora shouted. She jumped up and down with joy. "Take that, Uncle Ronan."

"That was just a lucky shot. There's no way you can do it again."

Ronan climbed back onto his perch. His prized chicken costume dripped, while several yellow feathers floated around in the tank.

"I wouldn't say that if I were you,"

Fitzgibbon cautioned. "We've been practicing in the backyard for three weeks."

"Wait! What?"

Ronan shouted, just as Aurora's second pitch hit the bullseye and dunked Ronan again.

"Excuse me. Salem Police coming through,"

a familiar voice called from behind Ten.

He turned to see Cisco Jackson and about twenty members of the Salem Police Department all in uniform. "Hey, Cisco."

"Hey, Ten. I've got an announcement to make. How do I do that?"

"Jude's got the megaphone. I'm sure he wouldn't mind handing it over to you."

Ten snorted when he saw the wary look on his husband's face. Ronan wasn't going to like it. Not one bit.

After a brief chat with Jude, who burst out laughing, Cisco took the handheld device and turned it on. "Hello, Salem!"

Cisco called to a smattering of applause. "On behalf of the Salem Police, Fire, and EMS, it's my honor to announce that we're donating twelve thousand dollars to Salem Elementary School. That's two thousand to each grade, kindergarten through fifth."

Cisco's announcement was followed by more applause. "I hope that you won't mind if we cut the line. I brought members of the police, fire, medic and dispatch with me to Dunk the Detective. I may have also spoken to friends of mine with the Danvers, Peabody, and Beverly departments, who are sending their officers and firemen to take their shot at Ronan."

Cisco laughed. "I told them Ronan's a New York Yankees fan."

"What?"

Ronan roared, his voice echoing around the tank.

"Yeah, man, they're all eager to take their shot at you."

Cisco laughed.

"Here you go, Uncle Cisco."

Everly handed the chief a baseball. "Dunk him good."

Cisco laughed and threw the ball toward the target. It missed and bounced away. Fitzgibbon chased after it.

"Close enough,"

Jude said and hit the lever plunging Ronan back into the tank.

"Hey! You can't do that!"

Ronan sputtered. More of his yellow feathers littered the water.

"Sorry, Chief, Ronan says we can't do that. You want me to fire him for you?"

Jude doubled over with laughter.

"It's okay. I've got a second ball."

Cisco winked at Jude and tossed the second ball into the air. He caught it and threw the ball toward the target. It was a perfect bullseye, dunking Ronan again.

Everly gave the chief a high five. "Let's go get a cookie to celebrate."

"How about we get two?"

Cisco asked.

"Deal."

Everly turned back to Ronan. "Good luck, Daddy!"

She waved Aurora and Wolf to join them.

"See you later, babe." Ten said.

"Where are you going?"

Ronan whimpered.

"To get a cookie. I'll be back later."

Ten snickered at the look on Ronan's face. "You're in good hands with Salem EMS. Who better to help out in an emergency?"

Ten wasn't worried about Ronan having an emergency. What he was worried about was Ronan finding out he was the one who'd called Cisco and invited him to Dunk the Detective.