Topic: Family Full Circle

Victoria Granger

Date: 2012-09-07 17:25 EST
Some things you just can't walk past without buying. Occasionally, these same things you just can't rummage past in your closet without putting on. Vicki had found this shirt in a random tat shop in Seattle while they were on Earth, and she simply had to have it, straightaway. She was never going to forget the look on Jon's face when he'd first realised just what was emblazoned on it, either. It was fairly simple, just a long-sleeved black tee with a little printing ....a picture of Jon's face with the legend "Jon's Girl" across the boob area. Bootleg, of course, but Vicki loved it. And she just hadn't been able to resist wearing it on moving day. Humphrey was still laughing as she slipped out of his study after saying hello, skipping back to the suite where she and Jon were beginning the process of settling in.

Jon's mouth had dropped open when he'd seen the unauthorized bootleg t-shirt Vicki was wearing, but the look of shock had been quickly followed by laughter. Though he knew there was more than likely merchandise out there with his face on it that he wasn't aware of, he'd never personally encountered any, especially not on his own wife. The first order of business upon arriving at Maple Grove Manor was not greeting Humphrey but saying hello to Cosmo, the border collie who'd been a Christmas gift from Vicki and who seemed overjoyed that his master had returned home.

He'd said hello to his uncle, Cosmo at his heels, before turning to the task of hauling suitcases and boxes to the suite where he and Vicki were planning on settling and calling home for a while, insisting on doing most of the work himself, and not delegating it to hired help.

Cosmo had spent most of the morning herding Jon and Vicki back and forth as they unloaded boxes from the van they'd hired for the move, evidently more excited to see them than the dog could possibly have expressed with just drool. When Vicki stepped back in through the open door to the expansive suite of rooms Humphrey had insisted on giving them, the collie skidded across the polished floor of the main room to bump against her leg, turning his curious attention to the bump that everyone else in the house was politely ignoring. Laughing, the redhead scratched Cosmo's head fondly as she walked through the main rooms toward the bedroom. "Jon' You're not buried under a mountain of your own underwear, are you?"

"Hm?" Jon replied, fastidiously hanging each suit in its proper place in the large walk-in closet he had claimed for himself upon moving in. How many suits did one man need anyway' Jon's wardrobe put Carrie Bradshaw's to shame. Fortunately for him, most of them were given to him by designers who he'd either done a modeling gig for or who just wanted him to be seen wearing their label. "More like a mountain of suits," he proclaimed with a sigh, as he hung yet another classic black suit that didn't look much different than the others in the closet.

"Oh, you poor baby. Cosmo, off." The order was given in an absent-minded way, just forceful enough to get the dog off the bed seconds after he'd leapt onto it. Unfortunately not quick enough to save the next suit from being decorated with dusty, doggie footprints. Vicki chuckled, opening up another 'bedroom' box as the dog butted at her hip. "You know, I think the dog's missed us a bit. You more than me."

"Cosmo!" Jon exclaimed, hands on his hips as he eyed the dog who'd just pounced all over his best Armani suit. He sighed again as he swept the suit off the bed and attempted in vain to brush white Cosmo fur from the front of the black suit. "I think Uncle spoiled him. It's going to take weeks to get him under control again." Jon turned to hang the suit in the closet, pushing it away from the other suits hung there and making a mental note to get it cleaned in the morning, along with anything else that needed to go to the cleaners. "Did you say hello to Humphrey?" he asked, as Cosmo barked and nearly took Jon's legs out from under his when the dog squirmed between Jon's legs, demanding attention.

"Yeah, I just came from the study," Vicki told him with a faint chuckle, finally exuming her clicker and a bag of chicken jerky from the box she was rummaging through. "I think you're right about spoiling the dog, though. Cosmo ..." She pressed the clicker. The little sound obviously shot straight to the dog's core, since they'd been working on the clicker training with him for months. The collie's attention immediately turned to the redhead. "Sit. Jon, you okay?" As Cosmo sat down, Vicki tossed him a treat as a reward for behaving himself.

Recovered from his near tumble to the floor beneath an over-excited and overgrown puppy, Jon finished hanging the last of his suits in the closet before joining Vicki on the bed to take a short break. "Did he say anything about....you know." He gestured to the little bump beneath Vicki's shirt to indicate what he was talking about.

While Jon hung up the last of his precious suits, Vicki was sat on the end of the bed, reiterating with Cosmo what did and didn't apply as good behavior. The collie hadn't forgotten much in the couple of months since they'd left, but he'd been allowed to slide. It was going to take another couple of months to calm him down again, and with a baby on the way, they needed to have the dog under control. Relaxing, she leaned back onto her elbows as Jon sat down with her. "No, I think he was too busy laughing at the shirt," she admitted with a grin. "Which is why I wore it in the first place. You need to tell him before he starts finding ways to back you into a corner, stud muffin."

Reminded of the shirt, he looked it over again, furrowing his brows in puzzlement and trying to remember when the photo was taken, but failing, as it had been taken before he'd lost his memory. "Where the heck did you find it?" he asked, changing the subject momentarily from the pending talk with Humphrey.

She grinned cheerfully over at her husband. "Seattle, of course. I was bored, you were busy. I took Randy on a tour of the tourist spots, and we found a stall selling bootleg merchandise. You really think I was going to walk on by and not buy this?"

He rolled his eyes. "You're not planning on wearing that in public, are you?" The next thing he knew, she'd be wearing a t-shirt that proclaimed she was having Jon's baby. He wasn't angry about it; it was just embarrassing walking around with someone who was wearing a shirt with your own face splattered across it. "Although," he added, with a wry grin. "It does declare you as belonging to me." He pushed her back against the bed, hovering over with a mischievous gleam in his blue eyes. "Think it's too soon to christen the bed?"

Dropped back against the bed, Vicki let out a peal of laughter that set Cosmo off barking again. "With all the doors open?" she reminded her husband with a wide grin. "Yeah, I think it might be." Chuckling, she pushed up to kiss him fondly. "Besides, you might want to get a head start on that conversation with your uncle before he comes up here and starts hovering." Because Humphrey was so excited to have more people in the house, he just might move into this suite with them.

Jon's smile faded when she suggested for the second time that he tell Humphrey the good news, a case of the jitters setting in, though he wasn't sure why. "Are you coming with me" I mean, it's your news as much as it is mine." More so even, he thought, since she was the one who was with child. He'd just donated his sperm. "I'm not sure what to say. Hey, Uncle, I have some great news. We're having a baby. Surprise! I don't want to give him a heart attack."

Victoria Granger

Date: 2012-09-07 17:30 EST
"Jon boy, you're overthinking this way too much," his wife told him, moving to sit up carefully. Her fingers found his, entwining with fond practised ease. "It isn't going to be a surprise, for a start. He's been married, he's had kids and grandkids. I'm pretty sure he knows. But he deserves to be told, not just left to work it out. The one it will surprise will be Helena."

There was that worried frown again as Vicki mentioned Lena's name. He had a feeling that at one time his sister had doubted he and Vicki would stay together very long, much less get married and start a family. He knew his track record hadn't been very good before he'd met Vicki, but people changed. At least, he had. He'd even warned Vicki that she might not like the Jon of the past. "You're going to make me do this on my own, aren't you?" he pouted.

"Oh, yes." She grinned again, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "If I'm telling my dad on my own, you're definitely telling Humphrey by your lonesome." Patting his knee, Vicki squeezed affectionately. "You can take Cosmo along for moral support, if you like. I'm sure he won't let Humphrey get too excited."

Jon leaned close for a kiss, sighing in resignation as he moved to his feet. "Oh, some help he'll be. Probably get excited along with Humphrey and pee on the floor." This wasn't as bad as Jon was making it out to be. He was just nervous was all. He knew of all his family members Humphrey was most likely to be happiest for them. He just wasn't sure how to tell him without giving the old man a shock, though there was a good chance he already knew. "Come on, Cosmo," he said as he started toward the door, turning to waggle a finger at the dog. "And no peeing!"

"You'll live," Vicki promised him, tucking the clicker and treats into his pocket as he stood up. And with Jon out of the suite, she'd be able to get the bedroom sorted out at a speed she was happy with, rather than having to take it slow for his peace of mind. Cosmo barked happily, lurching to his feet to pad along beside his master, playing the part of Good Dog for all he was worth.

"Fair warning. He's going to want to hug you!" Jon warned with a smirk as he paused in the doorway. Like that was a bad thing. Humphrey adored Vicki, and Jon knew he was going to be thrilled to have another little one on the way. The family was finally growing again. "Wish me luck!" he exclaimed as he stepped into the hallway, Cosmo at his heels.

"I'll brace myself against the door frame when I hear his wheels skidding on the floor," she promised laughingly. "Go on, stud muffin. Try not to hyperventilate." Rising to her feet, Vicki turned back to the unpacking as Jon slipped out of sight, shaking her head at his nerves. She'd never met anyone who was so very worried that his family wouldn't be right behind him all the way before she'd finally gotten her hands on her Jon.

Out the door he went, butterflies fluttering in his stomach all the way down the stairs. "Uncle?" he called, assuming he'd find him in his study, but he wanted to be sure. Cosmo barked once as if to help his master call for Humphrey. Jon rounded a corner and headed toward the study to look for him there first.

There was a pause, as there always was when anyone called out for Humphrey Granger. Caroline always said it was because he was trying to decide whether he wanted to be found or not. But his voice did eventually answer from the study, stronger than it had been for a while. "In here, Jon."

Upon hearing Humphrey's voice, Cosmo rushed ahead to greet the man before his master could catch him. "Cosmo!" Jon called, hurrying after him, hoping the dog wouldn't overwhelm his uncle with canine love and affection. Fortunately, Cosmo only barked once as he found his way to Humphrey's side.

A chuckle heralded Cosmo's arrival in the study, once considered Humphrey's sanctuary from the world. Lined with the family's accumulated library of books, both rare and commonplace, it was a welcoming space, benefitting from the sunshine in summer and the heat of a crackling hearth in winter. "Causing trouble again, scamp?" the eighty-one year old man was saying as Jon came into view, patting his gnarled hand firmly against the dog's flank. His book lay, forgotten already, on the table beside him, one hand rising to pull his glasses down from his nose. "Don't tell me she's already thrown you out of the nest, Jon?"

Jon breathed a sigh of relief to see Cosmo had not tackled Humphrey in his overzealous display of affection for the old man. Apparently, the dog had retained some of his training, at least where Humphrey was concerned. Jon chuckled at his uncle's question. "No, not yet. Do you mind if I join you?" he asked as he pulled a leather chair closer. Cosmo seemed to wait to see what his master was up to before deciding if he was going to make himself comfortable.

"Not at all, my boy." Humphrey was evidently in a good mood today. As the weeks and months went on, Jon and Vicki were going to become witness to all Old Man Granger's moods, the good, the bad, and the ugly. Caroline had already warned them to stay away if they heard Humph shouting before ten o'clock in the morning. He set his glasses down on top of the discarded book. "I would offer to come and help you settle in, but I thought it might be a little soon to be taking up residence in your suite."

Jon smiled, relieved that Humphrey was in good spirits. Humphrey was, after all, the whole reason Jon and Vicki had decided to move to Maple Grove in the first place. Jon knew the old man wasn't going to live forever, and he didn't like the idea of the old man living in the big house all alone. Though some might think Jon had an ulterior motive for wanting to stay in the house, it had nothing to do with money and everything to do with family. "Three's a crowd when it comes to the bedroom, Uncle, unless it's twins."

The old man's face very slowly creased into a knowing grin, his hand stilling on Cosmo's mottled black-and-white coat for a moment. "Ah," he said with startlingly playful amusement. "So we're going for the subtle sneak attack, rather than coming straight out and saying it. Masterfully done, Jon."

"Straight out?" Jon echoed, looking puzzled a moment, before frowning in realization. "You already know, don't you? Is it that obvious?" he asked, as he sat down on the chair and folded his hands in his lap.

"Jon, I grew up in this house with my four brothers," Humphrey reminded him with a wry smirk curving his lips. "I saw my mother pregnant four times. My own wife's pregnancy. Toby's wife's pregnancy, and Caroline's, too. Did you really think I wouldn't notice that your face is currently stretched over what can only be a baby bump that cheeky redhead of yours is trying to be discreet with?" He reached over to pat Jon's knee with a strong grip. "Congratulations."

Victoria Granger

Date: 2012-09-07 17:36 EST
Jon relaxed, breathing yet another sigh of relief, a smile spreading over his face, along with a slight flush. "Thanks. We weren't expecting it so soon." He laughed, correcting himself, "We weren't expecting it at all!"

Humphrey chuckled along with him, resting back in his comfortable armchair. He liked seeing Jon happy. It hadn't happened in a very long time, but these days, it seemed as though a breath of fresh air had taken up residence in his great-nephew's life with the arrival of the redhead upstairs. There had been a lot of tragedy in his life; it was good to see some comedy - in the Greek sense of the word - coming to rest finally. "I think we can safely say you are expecting it now," he grinned to the younger man. "When is the happy event supposed to take place?"

Fortunately for Jon, he didn't remember a lot of the tragedy in his life. Though he'd read about it and been told about it, it always felt as though it was someone else's life and not his they were telling him about. "February. The tenth, I think, unless the doctor says otherwise. We're....She's supposed to be getting a scan soon, so we can be sure." His smile faded a little, as the jitters started to set in again. As excited as he was, he was more than a little nervous about the thought of bringing a child into the world. "You don't think we're rushing things, do you?" he asked, not really unsure of that so much as he was about his ability to be a good father.

"Jon." Humphrey let his own smile fade, meeting his nephew's gaze with equal solemnity, if not concern. "If it feels right to you, then it is right. No one else can tell you anything but what they think, and they're often wrong. And even if it is too soon, you're just going to have to step up and deal with it, because whether you like it or not, you're a married man with a child on the way." His smile returned, warm with experience. "You're not expected to know all the answers, Jon. Parenthood is something you pick up as you go along."

Jon met Humphrey's gaze, that worried expression still on his face. He knew there were things he could control and things that he couldn't, but what worried him most was something he hadn't mentioned to anyone, not even Vicki. He hesitated a moment, as if having to gather his courage before voicing the deepest of his concerns. "I know-I know my father was....I know he didn't..." Jon licked his lips nervously before continuing, his hands clasped tightly together in his lap. "I don't want to be like him." What he knew of his father, he'd read in his journals, and he didn't want to be anything like what he'd read - distant, cold, indifferent, abusive.

The old man held Jon's gaze for a very long time, trying to decide how he should approach this. He could be gentle with his advice, encouraging without being forceful, or he could simply be Humphrey. Being Humphrey won out. "Jon, that is the single most patently absurd thing I have ever heard you say," he told his nephew in a firm tone, brooking no argument. "Your father was a spoiled brat of a boy who grew up into a smarmy git of a man. He was bad news long before he ever married. If you were ever going to be anything like him, you would have shown signs of it by now. And frankly, do you think your Vicki would have married you if you had even a hint of what your father had?"

Sometimes what Jon needed was not the gentle approach, but a swift kick in the rear. Vicki was not above doing it, and neither, it seemed, was Humphrey, getting through to him quicker by being blunt than by skirting the topic with kindness. "No, I suppose not," Jon admitted thoughtfully, wondering what Humphrey would think if he knew about Jon's little journey through Vicki's past. Would he believe him or would he think Jon had been dabbling in drugs again? "Is that why I spent so much time here as a boy?" There were times when he felt he knew more about Vicki's past than his own, having witnessed hers, while he'd only read about his own.

Humphrey's expression grew dark as he spoke about Jon's father. "David wasn't interested in his children, and we were," he explained in a terse tone. "You got to spend time with Caroline and Sterling, and Oliver and Laura when Junior allowed them to come here. And we got to make sure that you had at least a little normality before you went home. Family means a great deal to me, Jon. If I had known at the time what was happening in your household, I would have put an end to it."

Jon arched a surprised brow, not so much at Humphrey's staunch support of family - Jon already knew how important family was to his uncle or he wouldn't be here - but he wondered what Humphrey would have done had he known about the way David had treated Jon and Lena and even their mother, especially after their mother had died. Jon shook the thought from his head. In the end, it didn't really matter. The past was the past, and nothing could be done to change it. "Family is important to me. I want to be a good husband and father. I want to make you proud of me." Like my father never was, he thought to himself.

"I'm already proud of you, Jon. You're a better man than your grandfather was, and believe me, that's saying a lot." The old man smiled affectionately, reaching over to give a pat to Jon's cheek that wasn't quite as gentle as it might have been. "I will give you one piece of advice, something my father told me. When your Vicki breaks down - and she will, pregnant women do this - let her cry, but don't let her think you agree with a word she's saying. Believe me, you don't want to be wrestling with a woman who thinks she's going to be a dreadful mother two weeks before she's due to give birth."

Jon's brows knit in a puzzled frown at Humphrey's advice. "Why would she think that' She's..." Jon broke off, realizing that Vicki was just as human as he was and probably shared some of the same fears he did, for different reasons. "She's going to be a great mom," he continued, unclasping his hands as he relaxed, leaning back against the chair. "Uncle, do twins run in the family?" he asked abruptly, curious. He and Vicki had been discussing the possibility and he wanted to know for sure.

Humphrey didn't bother arguing when Jon refuted his advice, smirking to himself as the sensible side of his nephew's emotional brain kicked in with a reasonable explanation for him. The question of multiples was an interesting one, though. "Well, we've had a few," he nodded. "Not so much recently, but there have been a few multiple births over the years. Your grandfather was a twin, for example."

Jon nodded his head, taking that information in, just in case. He wasn't really expecting them to have twins, since he wasn't a twin himself, but he was curious. "My grandfather?" Jon echoed, not knowing much about him, but what he'd been told, and that wasn't much. "What was he like?"

Humphrey's smile turned restrospective, looking at a memory where he was one of five brothers in a tight knit family, all of them just starting out in the world. "He was a good man," he said quietly. "He never had an unkind word to say for anyone, even when we deserved it. Absolutely devoted to his wife, adored his children. You know, I once saw him get out of his car during a riot and walk through the crowd, just to rescue a little girl who was stuck on a low roof and couldn't get down." He laughed lightly, remembering his brother with deep affection. But the loneliness came with it. Humphrey was the last of those brothers still living, and he found it hard, sometimes, to deal with that knowledge; that he, the eldest of the five, was the last survivor of his generation.

Jon seemed to sense a sadness in Humphrey, mingled with fondness when he spoke of those who'd gone before him. He leaned forward, reaching over to take hold of the older man's hand. It occurred to Jon how much he and his grandfather were alike, that he'd risked his own life to save Vicki from drowning when she was a baby, but Humphrey would never know that. "You miss him," he said, his voice soft with compassion.

Old Man Granger let out a low sigh, covering the younger hand on his own with his other hand. "I miss them all," he confessed quietly, his rheumy brown eyes shining with sadness. "One by one I've watched them leave me before their time, and these past years have taken even more. But then I look at Caroline and Richmond, and you and Victoria, and Oliver and Piper, and I see all the happiness that is slowly making new lives for our family, and I know my brothers would be proud of the children they had and watched grow. Just as I am."

Jon smiled warmly, his heart swelling with love and affection for this old man who so cared so much about his own family, glad they'd decided to move to Maple Grove, glad they could make his final years happy ones. "You're not alone. Not so long as Vicki and I are here. The family is growing, Uncle." New lives would replace old ones in the cycle of life and the family would go on.

((Look! A scene where Jon and Vicki DIDN'T end up in bed! Sound the trumpets! Although, yanno ....I doubt Humphrey would have appreciated them preferring sex over chatting to him. :grin: Guess what? Thanks to Jon's player!))