The Half Happy Family [For iselldrugstothecommunity]

[first_in_time]

A seven year old John Chesterton shared the task of setting the table with his father. Unfortunately, a child with a love of games should probably not be given any kind of responsibility which involved sharp objects. And neither should their father.

"Avarst! Ye matey!" Ian Chesterton cried at his son, brandishing a butter knife like a sword.

"Arrrr!!" John replied with one eye closed as though he were wearing an eye patch.

"Submit to me, matey, or I'll gut yer through!"

"NEVAAR!!"

The butter knives clinked once before Barbara managed to catch them at it; "boys!" she called from the doorway into the dining room. "That's quite enough. One of you will literally skin the other and I am not in the mood to drive over to the emergency ward."

Unfortunately, neither boy was paying much attention. To begin with they looked suitably shamed, but all it took was a quick exchange of looks and they lunged at Barbara, who screamed. And then giggled as the tickling fingers of John and Ian found her most ticklish spots. She managed to wriggle away, and ran for the kitchen, the hall and finally the lounge where they tackled her onto the sofa and tickled her until she managed to cry for mercy between fits of laughter.

Now breathing heavy, all three Chestertons sat on the sofa a moment, contemplating who to tickle next when the doorbell rung.

"I'll get it," Barbara said and pushed herself up to walk to the front door. Her hand reflexively went to her hair, double checking that everything was still in place. When she opened the door, flushed in the face from the giggling, hair didn't matter. Even dinner didn't matter. Nor sword fighting, or anything else.

"...Howard," she gasped.

Comments

[iselldrugstothecommunity]

Howard spoons some oatmeal into a bowl and artlessly sprinkles nuts and chopped apple into it.

He cringes a bit at the joke - he finds it okay when he makes awful comments, but coming from an adult figure makes him queasy. Always has since getting here. He once spent a trip out to the pier with Barbara and Ian vomiting in a bathroom stall after the couple standing near them had joked about eating up their infant's teeny little toes up (he told Ian and Barbara he'd probably eaten something bad).

"It was for organ donation..." he says weakly, not sure if he should follow Ian and John. He looks to Barbara to see if she's going. Maybe he can volunteer to go feed the cats instead.

[first_in_time]

Barbara wasn't going anywhere. She nodded at his excuse, not really caring what it was for. She was honestly just happy that he was writing and willing to share it. Back on Stacey, he'd been so reluctant to let her in on that secret part of his life.

Arms folded, Barbara leaned against the counter. "Was this dream based on another nightmare?"

[iselldrugstothecommunity]

His shoulders untense a little as John and Ian go to eat in front of the TV, as he is permitted to stay here. "Yeah. I mean, the dream was about cannibalism, but I decided organ donation was a more interesting twist on it."

He would offer to let her see it, but he's seen the results of writing late at night. Good ideas, terrible execution.

"They're getting more frequent again. The nightmares. It's almost every night now."

[first_in_time]

"And you're not talking to anyone about them, are you?" Barbara questioned. She knew that Howard wouldn't be seeking help. Not properly. His idea of seeking help was to hang around her until a chance came up to talk about it. Not that Barbara minded, of course, but there was only so much she could do in comparison to someone who knew what they were talking about.

[iselldrugstothecommunity]

"Who would I even talk to?" At Ian and Barbara's insistence, he's halfheartedly sought help a handful of times in the past. It never sticks. "Nobody specializes in refugees from a spaceship at war with the Ohm."

[first_in_time]

"But wouldn't it be beneficial to speak with someone?" anyone? Barbara was borderline begging. She wanted Howard to be happy and well, which he wouldn't be if he didn't seek help. "You know that we love you and we just want what's best."

[iselldrugstothecommunity]

"I know, but there isn't anyone. No one who'll just take me at my word, at least." He exhales deep, clearly frustrated - and ashamed. "Forget it. Whatever. Forget I brought it up. I won't bother you with it anymore."

[first_in_time]

"Howard," Barbara sighed and unfolded her arms as she took half a step forward. It was an invitation for a hug, but he had to be the one to start it. "You are anything but a bother."

[iselldrugstothecommunity]

Howard doesn't go for the hug. He just stands there.

"That's not what my boss said."

[first_in_time]

"Howard, you know I don't have the highest opinion of your boss," replied Barbara a little bluntly. She left the open invitation for a hug to move around him and fetch spoons for herself, Ian and Howard. Eating breakfast was always easier with spoons.

new layout? it's pretty!

[iselldrugstothecommunity]

"Yeah, well, ex-boss. And whatever. I'll eat outside." He wants a cigarette anyway. It's a bad habit he's taken up, but it goes well with the temper fits, unfortunately. He slams the door behind him.

He knows it's not Barbara's fault at all, and that he's angry at a lot of things and taking it out on her just for mentioning the idea of seeing a professional for the umpteenth time. He's sure in a few minutes, he'll care.

Spent forever finding one I liked -_-

[first_in_time]

'Ex-boss?!'

ex-boss?!

Barbara very nearly followed Howard outside and demanded a few more answers but that never worked. He only ever replied to frustration with more anger, more walls. More insults.

She sucked a deep breath in with her nose as she watched him light a cigarette and as she let the breath out, Barbara pushed it all from her mind. She put on a more calm demeanor and took her's and Ian's breakfasts into the lounge to eat with the rest of her family.

i like it very much XD

[iselldrugstothecommunity]

The cats choose to spend time with the rest of the family while Howard stays outside. While he sits on the edge of the sidewalk and glares at the neighbor's house for no good reason other than that it exists.

He wonders if he could walk away and just keep walking. Maybe he could walk out of this body, out of this life that seems boobytrapped with things that hurt and irritate and panic. Out of drowning and out of dragging people with him like a human whirlpool.

But he can't do that, so instead he goes back inside and sits down in the lounge with them without an explanation or a forthcoming apology.

<3

[first_in_time]

John was the first to acknowledge Howard in his innocent, child-like way. He left the spot in his father's lap to bound over toward the sofa. There he pretended to be an airplane.

"Uncle Howard! Play with me! Play with me!"

Barbara grabbed hold of John and tickled him. "Play with me instead!"

Re: <3

[iselldrugstothecommunity]

Howard shoots a grateful look at Barbra. He'll more thoroughly apologize for everything tonight.

"Did you find your airplane? I think I figured out how to make it fly."

[first_in_time]

John's eyes lit up and he scrambled away from Barbara's lap to head upstairs and find his plane which gave his parents a moment to quickly scoff down their breakfasts before John returned and demanded their attention once more.

Ian collected their plates after, kissed the side of Barbara's head and took them into the kitchen. Once he had left, Barbara quietly asked: "I seem to recall a stern lecture from a young man about the dangers of smoking once we got back to Earth."

[iselldrugstothecommunity]

He doesn't meet her eyes, leaning back as if casual but focusing his stare on the edge of a lamp.

"I think potential lung cancer's the least of my problems. I probably won't live that long anyway." His least favorite thing about the habit is the expense, but he steals more than half his packs anyway. "You guys have a kid and you're like, old. You don't have my excuses."

[first_in_time]

She gave him a look of disappointment but didn't say anything because both Ian and John were returning from both sides of the house. Ian sat by Barbara again, and John ran over from the stairs, toy airplane in hand.

He made loud noises as the plane 'came in to land' near Howard's lap.

[iselldrugstothecommunity]

He cringes at the look of disappointment. He hates that look. Hates it.

"Okay, for this next trick, I need dental floss, a paperclip, and a pen. Can you do that for me, kid? No breaking stuff this time."

[first_in_time]

John barely took breath before he zoomed away to find the required items. Ian chuckled.

"Just what do you plan on doing?"

[iselldrugstothecommunity]

Howard points with a finger on each hand. "Looping the dental floss over the piping on the walls and using the paperclip to hang the plane from it, then using the pen as a little wand to pull it. Not super complicated, but I'm going to need to borrow Ian's height."

Hopefully entertaining their kid will help with getting back in their favor.

[first_in_time]

"Sounds very clever," Ian remarked, "you'll be John's best friend before too long."

Barbara 'hmmed' and chuckled. "Because he needs another of those."

[iselldrugstothecommunity]

"I don't want to be his best friend," Howard says quickly. "I just want him to think of me as something besides the deadbeat uncle who freaks out at loud noises."

He mulls his tongue in his teeth. "Sorry about snapping earlier. I'm kind of high-strung lately."

[first_in_time]

"I understand," Barbara replied, purposefully not saying anything about his lost job. She would tell Ian later when they could quietly discuss what could possibly be done about it.

"You may not have a choice in the matter," Ian pointed out, returning to the conversation at hand. "He's still very young. You're either someone in his life or his best friend. He can't really distinguish between levels of friendship yet."

timeskip to that evening for john's nightmare?

[iselldrugstothecommunity]

Howard has a similar problem, but he doesn't really know that.

"I'll clean up while you take him to school. The cats've probably shed on everything already."