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]

"And I don't want to get yelled at by your mom, so I'm not answering any more questions. I don't have friends, Einstein. Put it together." He stands up and recovers the bowl.

[first_in_time]

John tried to grab on to the bowl but Howard was much stronger, and he lost quickly. He frowned and scowled at the newest person in their house, then stomped up the stairs to his bedroom.

[iselldrugstothecommunity]

"Finally," Howard says, throwing a scowl John's direction before hiding evidence of the cookie crime and returning to the kitchen. A cat hops up on the couch with him, and he curls up with it and tries to fall asleep, even while the guilt nibbles at his guts.

He's only in a twilight sleep when movement in the house wakes him up again.

[first_in_time]

In a light dressing gown and soft slippers, Barbara approached the sofa. She sat at Howard's feet and waited for him to at least recognise that she was there.

"Did you help Johnny with his nightmares an hour or so ago?" she asked quietly.

[iselldrugstothecommunity]

Howard hesitates for a conspicuous moment before answering. His lower lip twitches slightly.

"Yes."

[first_in_time]

"He seems to be upset about something. I don't suppose you know what that might be," Barbara ventured, folding her hands in her lap.

[iselldrugstothecommunity]

"I tried to cheer him up. I gave him hot chocolate." Howard's better at feigning apathy than innocence.

[first_in_time]

Barbara hmmmd. "He has a bit of a tummy ache and seems upset about something else." She knew that if she hinted about Howard possibly knowing anything about that, he would shut down on her. She had to be gentle and non-accusing.

[iselldrugstothecommunity]

"Was it about his nightmare? Because he was pretty upset about that," Howard says, stroking his thin facial hair and avoiding Barbara's eyes.

[first_in_time]

Barbara contained a sigh. She didn't to catch his eye or get him to do anything he didn't want to. Instead she replied; "he's upset about some friends and things. Did he say anything to you about it?"

[iselldrugstothecommunity]

"He asked if we were friends." Howard doesn't elaborate. He doesn't really need to.

[first_in_time]

"I see," she replied with a small inward sig. Barbara knew this would happen and she tried so hard to avoid it. "And what was your answer?"

[iselldrugstothecommunity]

"I don't like to kids."

[first_in_time]

"I know that but. John doesn't understand. In his mind, if you're not his friend, you completely hate him and even though you don't like kids, that isn't what you truly think." In a very small way, Barbara was glad that hey stopped at one child. Howard might have never forgiven her if they'd had more than one.

[iselldrugstothecommunity]

"You're not asking me to go make him a friendship bracelet, are you?"

Howard gets up and starts to pace, agitated.

[first_in_time]

Barbara stayed where she was, letting him pace the floor of the lounge room as much as he wanted to.

"Of course I'm not asking that. What I'm asking is that you understand that John's mind is simple. He can't understand the difference between friends, acquaintances, occasional relations. As far as he's concerned, if you know him and you're not his friend, then he has done something wrong by you and you hate him. Just agree that you're friends - it will make life a lot easier for you."

[iselldrugstothecommunity]

"Well, he was being whiny, so maybe he did do something wrong." Howard folds his arms, continues pacing circles around the couch. "Maybe I just don't want him freaking out when I eventually leave."

[first_in_time]

"Are you going to leave?" Barbara managed to hide the stress and worry she felt about Howard leaving them again by subtly clenching his blanket in her hands.

[iselldrugstothecommunity]

"I don't know. Maybe. I can't live with you guys forever, I'll drive you all crazy." He says that last bit without a trace of humor.

[first_in_time]

There had been many times in their lives where Howard had driven them crazy but Barbara would always love him and welcome him with open arms.

"You'll always have a home here, you know that."

[iselldrugstothecommunity]

"I know, I know, just..." Howard moves his hands around his head. "I was trying to do something nice, okay?"

[first_in_time]

"I know and I'm grateful for that. We weren't awake. John would have stayed in bed crying until one of us woke up and found him," which always made Barbara feel awful. What kind of mother was she when she couldn't even hear her son crying for her in the middle of then night?

"I can't expect you to be perfect when we're nowhere near it, and neither is Ian. Just...it's going to take some getting used to."

[iselldrugstothecommunity]

Howard pauses for a long time. Finally he says "I don't think I can be as patient with him as you always were with me when I had nightmares."

He firmly believes she's a superhuman.

[first_in_time]

"I'm not asking you to. I just want you to understand that John sees the world so much more differently than we do. His mind is so simple. We'll do what we can to help but there will be times like this evening." Barbara gave him a half smile. "It'sgoing to be an interesting learning curve for everyone."

[iselldrugstothecommunity]

"Doesn't have to be. I could go..." He almost says 'go home' but this is his home, at least for now. He rubs at the stubble on his chin. "I'm probably a bad influence anyway."