Topic: Back To Normal

Victoria Granger

Date: 2018-06-18 08:44 EST
Sundays on Maple Grove were generally lazy, convivial sort of days, filled with visiting back and forth between friends and family. The two elder children of the family at the big house were on playdates, leaving Jon and Vicki and Humphrey with only the twins and the dog to wrangle on the hot afternoon. It was into this that Liv made her way, a sheaf of paperwork in one arm, and Maria's hand clasped in her own. The little girl had refused to let Mama go for a little walk without her, proof that the ripples from the Hydra attack were going to be felt for a while yet.

"Hello?" Liv called as they entered the foyer. On a warm day, you could never guess where the family had decided to camp out in the manor.

Instead of being greeted by a person - one of the family members or even the housekeeper - Liv was greeted by the familiar bark of a certain overactive border collie named Cosmo. The dog barked a few times to get Liv's attention, tail wagging happily, before turning to lead her through the house to the back porch, where a shaded garden was offering some respite from the afternoon heat.

"Oh, well, hello, Cosmo," she greeted the familiar dog, grinning down at Maria as her silent daughter rubbed her fingers over the collie's head before he trotted off. "I think we should follow him, don't you?"

Maria nodded happily, mother and daughter crossing through the big house to enter the garden.

"Time for a flying visit?" Liv asked the occupants, letting Maria go as her daughter ran across the grass to hug Humphrey in hello.

"Liv!" A handsome man of about thirty years of age exclaimed in greeting with an equally handsome grin. "And Maria! To what do we owe this visit?" he asked, though he had a feeling it was just a social call to let them know how she was doing. "How are you feeling" You look great! Doesn't she look great?" he asked of his companions.

"She looks amazing for someone who couldn't even open her eyes three weeks ago," his redhaired wife agreed with him, raising her head from where she was lounging on the shaded grass with a small boy and girl lying on top of her in various positions.

Liv chuckled. "Yes, all right, get it out of the way," she told him, shaking her head. "I'm all better, back to work, but I have a favor to ask you, Mr. Bossman."

Jon shrugged, at the vague mention of work. "It's nearly summer. Things have been quiet. I haven't seen a single movie script in months, and we just finished Twelfth Night at the theater." He was lending a hand to Rocky Horror as a narrator, but that was an easy part to juggle. For once in his life, Jonathan Granger was actually wearing shorts and showing off a pair of manly hair-covered legs. With a closet that rivaled even that of Carrie Bradshaw's, he had paired the khaki shorts with a white polo top and a pair of brown leather sandals - it was about as casual as the man was liable to get. "What's the favor?"

Meanwhile, Cosmo was following Maria around, like he was her shadow.

Liv took a moment to wave to Vicki, glancing over to where Maria was now ensconced on Humphrey's lap, both of them seriously talking with silent gestures as Cosmo watched, tail thumping happily. She smiled, moving to sit with Jon. "I, um ....it sounds awful to ask after just taking time off, but I would like a couple of weeks to take the family on holiday," she said uncertainly. "They've been through a lot."

Jon didn't want to mention it, but he had hired Sol to help manage things for him when Liv got busy, and things really had been quiet lately. Hollywood was a fickle place - he'd been out of the public eye on Earth for a few years and had likely been forgotten, but he hardly cared. He was busy enough here on Rhy'Din, and his first love had always been theater. He frowned a little at Liv's request - not because he couldn't afford to let her take time off but because he was concerned about her and the kids. He glanced toward Maria, who seemed fine at first glance, but he knew appearances could be deceiving.

"Wanna help me make some lemonade?" he asked her abruptly, moving to his feet.

Liv followed his glance toward her daughter, understanding instantly. "That, I can do," she agreed, rising with him. "Oh, and I finally got around to sorting out those grants you wanted from your foundation." She gestured with her armful of paperwork. "Just needs your signature on about a hundred different pieces of paper, in your own time."

Jon laughed as he glanced to the mountain of paperwork she was carrying. It was just like Liv to mix work with pleasure. "Yes, ma'am. I may need a healer once I'm done signing all those!" he said, or maybe he'd ask Sol to work a spell to do it for him. "We're going to make some more lemonade. Be right back!" he called over to Vicki and Humphrey so they knew where he was disappearing to.

"Don't forget the ice!" Vicki called after him, but she barely moved. It looked as though Chris and Maddie were well and truly napping, and had pinned her to the ground comfortably for the time being.

"Yes, dear!" Jon called back in a teasing tone of voice. "Come on," he said, linking Liv's arm with his own. It was no secret they'd become good friends, but that was as far as it went.

Liv chuckled, offering a reassuring wave to Maria as Jon lead her back inside. "I should have brought the certificate that Rebecca signed to prove I'm completely well again," she muttered, glancing at Jon. "You're worrying again."

"Who, me" Worry?" Jon laughed, but it was a self-deprecating kind of laugh. "You had us all pretty worried, Liv," he admitted, turning serious, though judging from the expression on his face, he was trying to keep things as light as he could. "I was just thinking about the kids," he admitted as he led her into the house.

"I was pretty worried myself for a couple of days there," she confessed. "It's the strangest sensation, being conscious and aware of everything, but completely unable to even open your own eyes." His comment on the children brought her own frown to her face. "They ....they're struggling with it," she said quietly. "It's the first time anyone they know has been seriously hurt, and unfortunately it was me."

He mirrored her frown. Thankfully, all of their own drama had played out before their children had been born. He couldn't imagine what it would have been like for Emily or Ben or the twins to suffer through what the Storm children had. It had been bad enough that he'd almost lost Vicki and Emily to a psychotic fan girl. It had taken a long time for them to emotionally heal from that, but they'd long since put it behind them. "You should have them talk to Demi. She's been a godsend to us."

Liv nodded absently. "Alex was seeing her before, but ....no, you're right," she agreed. "Johnny really should talk to someone, too, but try telling him that." She smiled at the thought of her husband. "He did so well. I don't think he realizes just how well he coped with it all while I wasn't in action."

"He did!" Jon agreed, at least, from what he'd seen of it. They had tried to help as much as they could, given the circumstances. "Kids are pretty resilient, but they've been through a lot already," he said, knowing enough about Alex and Maria to say so. "Johnny's a great dad and a good friend, but no one can ever replace you, Liv. And that goes for Sol, too!" he said with a grin.

"I worry about them," Liv admitted softly, smiling at Jon's reassurance to her. "Alex's nightmares have started again; I never know if Maria has nightmares. And Luc says Fliss isn't sleeping well." She sighed, shaking her head. "Bess is the only one who doesn't seem to have noticed anything much happening."

Victoria Granger

Date: 2018-06-18 08:44 EST
"Because she's too little and Johnny worked hard to keep things as normal as possible for her," Jon pointed out, as he led her into the kitchen to fix a pitcher of lemonade, just as he'd claimed. "I know they say time heals all wounds, but that's not really true. It just makes them easier to bear."

"I know. To be honest, I'm trying not to think about it too much myself." Liv shook her head. "We have to get things back to normal, but with school breaking up in just a couple of weeks, Johnny and I thought we could take them all away - animals, too - somewhere warm with a beach, and we can just relax into being family again."

"The best thing you can do, in my opinion, is go on with life as usual. Show then you're still the same old Mom you've always been. Don't spoil them, but give them a little extra attention. Maybe a vacation is the best thing for them - for all of you. You know, you're always welcome at the Cove, but it's getting to be their busy season," he said.

"Actually, I was thinking of Liba, maybe," she suggested. "Do you suppose they'd accept our menagerie for a couple of weeks" Lir's awfully well-behaved, and he does like the sunshine."

Jon laughed at the idea of Lir at the beach. He had a feeling the dragon would love that, if the other guests could deal with it. "Well, it's still Rhy'Din," he said, where at least the sight of a dragon wouldn't seem too out of the ordinary, even if it was a pet dragon. "Maybe you could get something on a private stretch of the beach, where you wouldn't have to worry about people freaking out at the sight of a tame dragon." Money wasn't an issue, at least, not for him, and she would know that he wasn't afraid to help pay their way, if the needed it.

"That's what I was hoping." She nodded with a smile. "And hopefully get some activities arranged for the kids so they don't get bored. Johnny's desperate for some downtime, and, well ....it's a sort of celebration for Fliss and Lucas, too."

"What kind of celebration?" he asked, as he fished a few lemons out of the fridge. No, the news about Lucas and Fliss' engagement hadn't reached the main house yet.

Liv's smile turned slightly mischievous. "They're engaged," she told Jon, delighted to be the first to pass this on. Tony had pretended to faint during the phone call, leaving Pepper to congratulate the young couple, but Jon could be relied on to react like a normal person.

Jon chuckled. They were pretty young to be engaged, but this was Rhy'Din. "Should I offer congratulations or sympathies?" he teased. Though it was good news, it was also a bit worrying. "They're a bit young to want to spend the rest of their lives together," he admitted, though he was a firm believer in True Love. At least, he hadn't asked if Fliss was pregnant.

"They've been together for four years, Jon," she pointed out. "Besides, they're in no rush. I think Lucas just wanted a ring on her finger before she's back in school." She chuckled. "I still can't quite believe she's going to be eighteen in November. She's grown up so much."

"For what it's worth, lots of people get married young here," he pointed out, knowing she'd grown up on a twentieth century Earth, where people were more likely to wait until they were past their teens to get married. "You and Johnny can take credit for some of that, you know," he pointed out as he cut a lemon in half and started to squeeze the juice out with the help of a citrus juicer. "If it wasn't for you, who knows where she might have ended up."

"I don't like thinking about that," Liv admitted. "And besides, you and Mataya have worked a minor miracle at the Towers. Those children have a much better chance of getting a good start now that the place has proper facilities and good funding."

Jon shrugged, as if it was nothing - which he thought it really wasn't. "Yeah, well ....There's not much point in having money if you can't put it to good use, is there?" he countered, pouring what juice he could coax from the lemons into a pitcher. "Can you grab the sugar?" he asked. "There are still way too many orphans on Rhy'Din without proper homes and families. Maybe we should run a birth control campaign," he suggested, only half seriously. Or maybe an adoption campaign would be better.

Liv bit her lip, a faint flash of guilt flaring at his comment on birth control. After all, she and Johnny had just made a decision there themselves. "An adoption campaign might be better," she pointed out, hunting out the sugar for him. "Rather than trying to tell people what they can and can't do with their own reproductive organs."

"I guess," Jon said with a frown, realizing how hypocritical he sounded. "I suppose I should put my money where my mouth is anyway," he murmured, with that same self-deprecating tone of voice as he'd had earlier. Guilt was never too far from Jon Granger's heart, especially knowing he'd been born into a privileged life, even if that life hadn't been as easy as others might think.

Liv smiled gently. "Why not talk to Vicki and the children about it?" she suggested. "It's a very rewarding experience. And look at us - you don't have to adopt a baby. You can give an older child, or even a teenager, a stable home and a family. Trust me, it would be very much appreciated by them, whatever their age."

"I'm not sure how Humphrey would feel about it," Jon pointed out, though the Old Man seemed fond of children of all ages. It was really more Vicki he was worried about. They'd had to hire a nanny to help out with the kids, as it was. How was she going to feel about one more"

Liv's smile didn't budge. "That old man loves having people around him," she pointed out. "And if you're worried about coping with more, then I really do suggest you consider adopting an older child. They love to be helpful, if they can."

"There are just so many unwanted kids," Jon murmured, not because he was trying to make Liv feel guilty about wanting another of her own but because he thought maybe he could do more than just throw money at the problem. "It makes me sad."

"You do what you can," she said quietly. "But sometimes adopting more isn't the best way to love and protect the family you have already built."

Jon arched a brow, wondering if she was warning him for the sake of the family he and Vicki had created or for her own. "Are you saying we shouldn't?" he asked, curiously.

She shook her head. "No, I'm saying that I shouldn't adopt again," she told him. "At least not for a good few years. We've decided we'd like more children, so we'll do it the old-fashioned way again. But you should definitely think about adoption, especially if you'd like more children."

"I wouldn't mind a few more, but I'm not so sure Vicki agrees," he admitted. Then again, if she didn't have to go through the whole pregnancy and two a.m. feedings thing, she might be more willing. "There's nothing selfish about that, Liv. You adopted three of your own!" Which was three more than he'd done.

"I don't want any of them to think we're replacing them," she told Jon. "They've been through a pregnancy with us once already; they know how it works, and that a new baby doesn't mean we don't love them any more. I'm not sure they would be quite so comfortable with a new sibling who came from somewhere else, not yet." She laid a hand on his back. "Jon, no one thinks any the less of you for having children of your own. But if you have the inclination, it is a wonderful experience to adopt a child."

"I'd have to talk to Vicki and Humphrey and Emily and Ben," he said, wondering if he should add any other names to that list. But Vicki was first and foremost. He was worried about Emily, too, though she adored her younger siblings. What if they ended up adopting someone older than her?

Victoria Granger

Date: 2018-06-18 08:45 EST
Of course, all the ins and outs would have to be gone over many times before they made any kind of decision. "I'd suggest making Emily and Ben part of the process, if you do it," Liv offered quietly, proving once again that she knew how her employer and friend's mind worked. "After all, if it does happen, you'll be inviting someone to be a sibling as well as a child."

"It's not like going to the pound to pick out a dog," he reasoned, though he'd never seriously considered adoption before this very moment. What was it about talking to people who weren't blood relatives that made him understand himself better" "It won't happen for a while yet anyway. Not until the twins are out of diapers, at least, or Vicki would kill me!"

Liv laughed. "Have the conversation," she told him. "Then, if you do happen to come across someone who might thrive in your family, you'll know if it's feasible before ever raising the subject again."

"Where am I going to come across someone like that?" Jon remarked with a chuckle. He sincerely doubted that would happen, though he had been considering something for the theater that might put some attention on the plight of the city's many orphans.

"The amount of stuff you and Vicki do' Anywhere," Liv predicted. "After all, Johnny met Fliss through work. We would never have known she existed otherwise."

"Liv, I'm an actor. I don't run into too many orphans in the theater," Jon said with a chuckle. "Although, I have been considering something for a while now. I just haven't had a chance to talk to Mataya about it yet," he added, adding a cup of sugar to the lemon juice, along with a tray full of ice cubes before sticking the pitcher under the faucet and adding cold water.

"Oh?" Liv leaned on the counter, watching him curiously. "Do tell. I can always help persuade her if she gets stubborn." Not that Mataya often said no to anything, really - the woman had no sense of easing back on her own work.

"Well, I was thinking about summer theater camp, sort of like the STARS program, but for a few hours every day for a week or two, followed by a production put on by the kids. I was thinking maybe we could invite a small group of orphans to take part, too. Some of the kids from Towers maybe," he explained, hoping the idea didn't sound too weird.

"That sounds like a wonderful idea," Liv enthused, easily caught up by the prospect of it. "The summer is the worst time for the children in the orphanages - no school, no distractions. Just inviting a small number of them to take part in a summer school would be fantastic!"

"And we can, of course, invite the rest of them to a performance. Maybe follow it up with a picnic or something," he said, getting excited about the idea now that he'd voiced it to someone who seemed supportive and enthusiastic.

"With all the community outreach performances Mataya has put on over the years, you're bound to have a few who would love to try their hand at acting," Liv pointed out. "If there is enough interest in it, couldn't you pay for some of them to attend STARS, as well?"

"Yeah, I definitely could. It would be good for the kids, good for the theater, and good for the community," he agreed. He knew this wasn't why Liv had come to visit, but they were friends, and this was what friends were for. "Thanks, Liv. You're a peach," he said, leaning over to touch an almost brotherly kiss to her cheek.

She laughed as he kissed her cheek. "Peachy enough to get away with two more weeks off at the end of June?" she asked sweetly - he still hadn't actually said yes or no, and despite his insistence on her regulating her own hours, she still needed him to agree to some things.

He laughed at her question, realizing he hadn't really given her an answer. "You know me well enough by now to know I'm not gonna say no," he reminded her, teasing her just a little. "But be here that much earlier the next day!" he said, doing his best imitation of Scrooge.

Snickering, Liv nudged his arm fondly. "One of these days, I am going to sneak into your bedroom, turn off your alarm clock, and scream at 7 in the morning, just to see what happens," she threatened cheerfully. She had definitely come a long way from the girl who had stammered her way through her job interview with him.

Jon winced at the idea and then chuckled. "You'd have to compete with Cosmo. He's usually the first one up in the morning," he confessed, as he found a wooden spoon and went about stirring the lemonade mixture. "Can you grab some glasses" And Vicki might want to know what you're doing in our bedroom at 7 a.m.," he added with a smirk.

"I could always bring Lir," Liv suggested, just as cheerful as before even as she turned to locate a tray and glasses. "He makes the most amazingly annoying keening noise when he's hungry, usually at exactly 6 a.m."

"And then squirts you in the eye with a stream of water?" Jon inquired, half-joking. It was hard enough wrangling Cosmo and the kids without the menagerie of pets the Storms had. "I don't know how you guys do it. I seriously have no idea how you manage to juggle it all and still remain sane."

"Not any more," Liv chuckled. "Johnny had a very serious talk with him about when and where it is appropriate to spit water at people, and it seems to have stuck." She set the tray down on the counter beside him. "I enjoy the challenge," she admitted. "It comes naturally, I suppose."

Jon shook his head. "I can't even imagine what it's like to have a serious talk with a dragon." Even if said dragon had become like a family pet who all the kids at Maple Grove adored. "Seriously, Liv, you're a wonder. I didn't name you the Best P.A. Ever for no reason, you know, and I'm sure Johnny and the kids feel the same about you as a wife and mother." He added a small plate of cookies to the tray and smiled her way. "All ready?"

"Looks like it," she agreed, stepping back to let him lead the way out into the garden once again. She would stay for an hour or so - there was some sort of dinner surprise being concocted at home between the boys and Bess, anyway.

Jon paused a moment though, a serious look on his face, needing her to know one last thing. After all, he knew she hadn't come here to talk about his problems. "Seriously, take all the time you need, Liv. You've been through a lot and so has your family. Spend a few weeks just relaxing and having fun and being a family. We'll all still be here when you get back."

"Well, are you going on holiday this summer?" she countered, appreciating the offer. They both knew she wouldn't let her family time suffer, but neither would she abandon him and Sol to their own devices entirely.

"To be honest, we haven't decided yet," Jon said. The Shanachie didn't close its doors at all during the summer and adding a summer theater camp to the schedule would increase his commitment, but he might still be able to finagle a few weeks away at some point. "Are you asking us to go with you?" he teased, purposely bumping her arm before stepping back to pick up the tray.

"I think Johnny might strangle me if I did." She laughed back at him. "You should take your own advice some time," she added, following him back toward the garden. "I'm sure Ludo wouldn't mind covering the Rep company if you wanted to take a month. Hell, even Mataya could cover it if you could convince her she's got a director's eye."

"Yeah, I'm sure Ludo wouldn't mind," Jon was quick to agree, but he wasn't as sure about Mataya. "The thing about Mataya is she's already got a lot going on. I honestly don't know how she juggles it all," he said of his closest friend.

Victoria Granger

Date: 2018-06-18 08:45 EST
"Some people thrive on that," Liv answered, careful not to point out that she was definitely one of them, though for very different reasons than the one Mataya had for her own busy-ness. "She has slowed down a lot in the last few years, though."

"Takes one to know one?" Jon asked, with a smirk as he carefully carried the tray through the house on their way back to the garden. "I promise I'll ask for a few weeks off, okay?" he said, waiting for her to get the door so they could rejoin Vicki and Humphrey in the garden.

"Good." Liv grinned as she pulled open the door to let him through. "Because otherwise I will have a quiet word with your wife, and she definitely doesn't know how to be subtle."

"Yes, ma'am," Jon said with a chuckle. He knew there was no use arguing with one woman, much less two. "I will talk to her ....them! I promise!" he said, just as they stepped out onto the back porch that led to the garden, close enough for Vicki to overhear the end of their conversation.

The redhead lifted her head from the cushion once again, smirking at this overheard outburst. "Have you caught him doing something he isn't supposed to do again, Liv?" Vicki asked in amusement. "He didn't try to use artificial sweetener instead of sugar again, did he?"

Liv grinned, finally moving over to say hello to Humphrey now the business part of her visit was done. The Old Man was frailer than he had been just a year ago, but still vital, and much better at being friends with his great-nephew's P.A. these days.

Jon set the tray down on a table with an umbrella over it to shade them from the sun. "No, Miss Smarty Pants," he replied for Liv. "It's real sugar. Enough to make even you bounce off the walls. Cookies, too. Or would you prefer biscuits?" he teased, picking one of the cookies and extending a pinky to make himself look more posh.

Chris lifted his head from Vicki's stomach to giggle at his father, clambering over her - and kicking his twin in the head at the same time - to crawl toward Jon at speed. As Maddie started to tear up, Vicki sat up, lifting the baby girl into her lap to cuddle her. "The boys are so silly, aren't they?" she cooed to the little girl, smiling over at Jon. Her eyes flickered to where Liv and Maria were talking with Humphrey. "Is everything okay?" she asked Jon. They'd all been worried about the Storms for the last few weeks.

Jon scooped up the male half of the twins and set the boy on his lap as he took a seat. His gaze darted briefly to Liv and Maria chatting quietly and sometimes silently with Humphrey via sign language. "Yeah, I think so. She wants a few weeks off to take the family on vacation," he told his wife quietly. "Of course, I told her yes!"

"Of course she can take a vacation." Vicki rolled her eyes, reaching grab one of the cookies and break it in half for the twins. "I swear that woman doesn't know the difference between sick leave, compassionate leave, and actual vacation time."

"She wouldn't have to work another day in her life, and I'd probably keep her on the payroll anyway," Jon remarked, though he had a feeling Liv would never agree to that. "She thinks we should take a holiday, too," he remarked, testing the waters.

"Now that is an inspired idea," Vicki agreed enthusiastically. "Give that woman a pay rise."

Liv, overhearing this, laughed and stuck her tongue out at the redhead, who pulled a face back at her, much to the amusement of everyone under five.

"Why am I surrounded by women with English accents?" Jon asked with a long-suffering roll of his eyes, as well as an amused smirk. "I'm pretty sure Mataya won't mind, but where would you like to go?" he asked, as he poured lemonade, while juggling a small boy on his lap.

"Actually ..." Vicki offered him a slightly mischievous look. "I may have been talking about this to Elle and Piper," she admitted. "What about that resort Piper and Des took Lynnie to for their honeymoon' Disneyland Hawaii, was it?"

"Of course, you were," Jon murmured, still smirking. He sometimes wondered if his wife ever did anything without discussing it with her other English besties first. Thankfully, he refrained from rolling his eyes this time. "Uh, I think so. Didn't Piper say?"

"She probably did, but the baby was kicking and you know what I'm like around other people's bumps," his wife confessed with a grin. For a woman who didn't enjoy being pregnant at all, she certainly pushed the limits of what was allowed as far as interacting with other people's bumps.

"All touchy feely, were you?" he teased his wife with a grin, knowing her almost as well as she knew herself. The adoption discussion would have to wait until later, but first things first. "I'm game if you are, Mrs. Granger," he said, putting a cookie in his mouth and then leaning close to offer her a bite.

"Oh, very much so," she agreed, to both parts of his comment, grinning as Maddie and Chris erupted into giggles as they were showered with crumbs from the biscuity kiss shared by their parents.

"The pair of you had better check your birth control again," Humphrey's voice called from not so very far away. "You're getting frisky again. Last time that happened, we got those two darlings."

"Yes, Uncle." Jon grinned, waggling his brows knowingly at his wife. If Humphrey only knew what went on behind closed doors. There was no lack of friskiness, whether they were trying to get pregnant or not. Early on in their relationship, he had voiced the desire for half a dozen children, but Vicki was one of those women who clearly did not enjoy being pregnant. "I have to talk to Mataya, anyway," he said. "I'm thinking about a summer theater camp for kids."

"Would you like to put him in the chastity belt, Humph, or shall I?" Vicki called back to the old man, her grin wide and fond as he cackled with laughter before returning to his conversation with the Storm ladies. She tilted her head toward Jon. "That sounds interesting. Like STARS, but for a week with a show at the end?"

"You make it sound like I'm the horny one!" Jon said, juggling two distinctly different conversations at once. He wasn't above blaming his wife for their very active sex life. "Yeah, exactly like that!" he said, looking a little unsure of the idea, though he'd heard of it being a big success in other places. "I was, uh, thinking about inviting a few kids from Towers to join in."

"Hordy," Chris repeated from Jon's lap, around a mouthful of mushy biscuit.

Vicki bit down a laugh, choosing to ignore this. "It's a good idea," she told her husband, nodding thoughtfully. "It'd be a good trial run, this summer. Keep it small this time around, and if it's a success, there's room to repeat it during whichever school holiday you choose and make it bigger if necessary."

Jon snickered at their son's echoing of one particular word, as if he knew exactly which one to focus on, but he, too, chose to let it go for now. The more attention given it, the more the little boy would likely repeat it. "Yeah, let's not get too ambitious, but I think it would be good for the theater and the community," he reasoned, not to mention the kids.

"There's no harm in trying it," Vicki pointed out with a smile, stroking Maddie's hair as the girl finally stopped attempting to garner attention with crocodile tears and began munching on her cookie. "And it could easily be used as a way to make people more aware of the orphanages, too."

Victoria Granger

Date: 2018-06-18 08:46 EST
"Yeah, that's what I thought, too, but I'll make sure to schedule it so it doesn't interfere with our vacation," he said, darting a glance at Maddie and frowning, though he was relieved she had finally stopped crying. He had always been a sucker for his children's tears, but he was slowly learning the difference between true tears and the kind that was just for attention. "So, when do you want to go?"

"Oh, no, you don't." Vicki laughed, shaking her head at him. "You're the one with work commitments here, not me. We'll holiday around you. But not for a month or so - I'm not missing the look on Dom's face when he tells you whether he got a boy or a girl this time."

Jon laughed. "He's going to be overjoyed either way!" he said, remembering the look on Dom's face when Elle had given him a son. Like him, it hardly mattered whether he had a girl or a boy, so long as the baby was healthy.

"Well, obviously." She chuckled. "But the pair of you are quite fascinating to watch when you get started cooing over your children."

"You should see them when Johnny joins in," Liv offered, reaching for a glass to give Maria some lemonade. "They get competitive, too."

"We do?" Jon asked, clearly never having realized this before and maybe not even believing it. "What, does one coo louder than the rest?" he asked with a chuckle at his own cheesy sense of humor. Like a couple of roosters trying to outdo each other's crows, he wondered.

Liv snorted with laughter. "I seem to recall a conversation that started with you telling Johnny about Maddie finally calling you Dada, and ended with him attempting to convince you that Bess could recite Shakespeare," she reminded him warmly. "It was rather adorable, really."

Jon laughed. "Yeah, well, that's just ridiculous. Bess is, what, two years old" There's no way she was reciting Shakespeare!" he said, not believing it anymore now than he had when Johnny had boasted about it.

Vicki rolled her eyes, laughing quietly as she caught Humphrey's eye. Old Man Granger had a few stories about the toddler Jon and his fascination for Shakespeare, after all.

Liv sipped her lemonade with a grin. "For all you know, she might be a prodigy," she pointed out in mischievous tones.

Even Jon was often fascinated by those stories, as he could not recall a single memory of his childhood, though perhaps it was for the better, as it hadn't been a very happy one. "A prodigy who baby babbles one minute and recites a soliloquy the next, I suppose," he teased back.

"Oh, of course," Liv agreed in amusement.

Vicki laughed at the pair of them. "Honestly, what does it matter?" she declared, letting Maddie stand up on her lap as they talked. "Anyone would think you were planning some kind of arranged marriage."

Jon's smirk widened. "We could. Ben and Maddy maybe? Or Alex and Emily?" He wouldn't have minded a Storm-Granger coupling, but if that were to happen, it wouldn't be for quite a few years in the future. "Oh! I almost forgot the news! Liv, tell Vicki about Fliss."

"News" We have news?" Vicki made a show of looking over at Liv excitedly, smiling as Humphrey chuckled.

"You, young lady, have far too much energy for a woman who spends most of her time running around after small people," the old man commented fondly. "Jon, you should put your wife on a leash."

Liv giggled. "It's only a little bit of news," she said. "Lucas asked Fliss to marry him."

"Don't give her any ideas, Uncle! She might like it!" Jon called back, hinting at how he'd guttered his uncle's remark. As far as Jon was concerned, it was Vicki's fault entirely for corrupting him. "And she said yes!" Jon continued, though he had only assumed as much.

"That's ..." Vicki groped for an appropriate reaction to a seventeen-year-old getting engaged, but Humphrey beat her to it.

"Marvellous," the old man declared, squeezing little Maria as she giggled silently in delight on his lap. "And I suppose you're looking forward to being a bridesmaid, little one?"

Maria beamed at him, both hands on her glass for the moment.

"It's not like they're getting married tomorrow!" Jon said, defending the teens and the idea of young love, in general. He hoped they would stay in love and not realize it had all just been a teenage crush.

"No, definitely not tomorrow." Liv laughed. "Probably not for at least a year, if not longer. Fliss was saying something about settling in their house and getting themselves properly settled while she's studying and they're both working."

"Aren't they already living together?" Jon asked. The last he'd heard Lucas had moved out of the garage apartment and he and Fliss had moved into the quaint cottage that was Primrose Place on the grounds of Maple Grove.

"In Primrose Place, yes," Liv acknowledged. "For almost a year now. She's a little stir-crazy at times, but I think her little adventure on Earth may have shocked some of that wish to go too far out of her system."

Jon frowned upon hearing that, immediately concerned. He'd heard a little about that through the Granger family grapevine. "Is she okay' They're a little young for ..." He trailed off, unsure exactly how to phrase the Storms latest adventure. "For battling villians."

Liv was quiet as she answered. "She's very shaken - all of them are, I think," she said thoughtfully. "Thankfully, they weren't required to directly kill anyone, but they were still involved in the deaths of more than hundred people. I don't ....I don't like it, but I understand the need. I don't think Fliss or Lucas will want to do that again unless absolutely necessary."

"They needed to do something, Liv," Jon said, understanding perhaps more than anyone realized. He'd had his own little adventure with vampires and ghouls a handful of years ago and had come out alive, thanks to Rufus and Lei. "That attack hit a little too close to home."

"I would have preferred them to stay home," Liv admitted, "but they needed to do it, you're right. I am deeply grateful that Rufus Bennett took them in hand."

Vicki frowned curiously. "I thought he wasn't doing the fighty stab-stab thing anymore?"

"He's not, but he wasn't going to let them go out there without the proper training. Miranda wasn't happy about it either, but those kids were going either way, and it was better they got a little training than none at all," Jon told her, sharing what little Miranda had told him.

"Maybe you should get Steven and Lucy to ask that fighter friend of theirs to give the kids a little hand to hand training," Vicki suggested mildly. "She knows more about what they might have to face another time than Rufus does, good though he is."

Victoria Granger

Date: 2018-06-18 08:46 EST
"Is there going to be a next time?" Jon asked, looking more than a little concerned about that. He'd closed the door on vampire hunting as soon as the fight was finished, and had no desire to ever give it an encore performance. Then again, he hadn't been gifted with superhuman talents the way the teens had been.

"There might be," Liv admitted reluctantly. "As much as I don't like to think about it, they do have some astonishing skills together and a strong sense of right and wrong. I'd rather they didn't go back into a fight, but someday it might happen."

"When they're older, better trained and prepared for it," Jon said, hoping that would be the case. He knew she couldn't forbid the teens from fighting, but they could at least be better trained for it.

"That is the hope, yes," Liv agreed, tilting a reassuring smile to Maria as the little girl raised her hands for their attention.

"Is Fliss going to have a baby that goes on fire like daddy?" Maria asked, blinking in surprise when Vicki choked on her lemonade.

Jon, too, had learned a little sign language, if only for the little girl's sake, and couldn't help but snicker at her question. He grinned over at Liv, anxious to see how she was going to respond to that. "Good question," he said, an amused expression on his face. He knew how he'd have answered it, but Maria wasn't his daughter and it wasn't his place to do so.

Liv rolled her eyes at the amusement of the other parents nearby, turning back to Maria. "She might, darling," she admitted honestly. "But if she does, it won't be for a long time yet. Fliss is sensible, isn't she" So she won't want to have a baby until she and Luc are ready for it."

Maria sighed dejectedly, nodding in agreement.

From the expression on Jon's face, Liv's answer had him thinking. "How long has Fliss, er, had that talent?" he asked curiously, wondering if she'd been born with it or if it had manifested later.

"Since her period started," Liv told him. "The same goes for Lucas - his wings didn't appear until he reached adolescence. I think it's safe to say that they won't have babies with talents."

"I see," Jon replied. "Well, that's good anyway." He wasn't sure how anyone could possibly care for a baby who was given to spontaneously combusting. "What happened to Fliss' parents?" he asked further, hoping it wasn't a touchy subject.

"We're right here," Liv told him firmly, with a pointed flicker of her glance toward Maria.

Vicki bit down on a smile, patting her husband's knee. "Well, congratulate them for us," she said, gently changing the subject. "We should invite you guys up here for dinner sometime soon."

"Right, but I mean ..." Jon started, before following Liv's glance to Maria and realizing he'd put his foot in his mouth. "Sorry," he mumbled, frowning apologetically. "We usually have a big picnic sometime over the summer," he said, dropping the subject of Fliss' birth parents. "Everyone at the Grove is invited."

"Ah, yes, the ubiquitous garden party that isn't a birthday party in any way for the oldest, grumpiest man on the Grove," Humphrey agreed in amused tones, chuckling as Maria chose to reassure him about being grumpy with another hug.

Jon chuckled at his uncle's reply, refusing to take the bait. "That would be the one," he said with a grin. And at Humphrey's age, every year he was still with them was worthy of celebration. Jon knew the old man was starting to slow down, and he sometimes worried he was nearing the end.

"Well, you can't pass the baton," Vicki pointed out to the old man. "Gordon's nowhere near grumpy enough yet."

Humphrey chuckled; he'd always got along with Vicki, and was very glad Jon had found her in the end.

Liv smiled, draining her glass. "I should get back and make sure the boys haven't leveled my kitchen in their enthusiasm," she mused, holding out her hand to Maria.

There had been a time when Liv had seemed almost terrified of Old Man Granger, but Jon was glad that time seemed to have passed. "Don't be a stranger, Liv!" Jon called over, staying where he was seated, a small boy on his lap. "And have fun on vacation!" he added with a fond grin. "It was nice to see you, Maria," he signed to the little girl, a bit awkwardly.

The look on Maria's face was all kinds of forgiving of any mistakes, now she knew the reason for Mama's visit to the big house. Eyes a-glow, she raised her hands to sign back to Jon. "Thank you, Mr. Jon!" She pottered over to hug Jon and Vicki - and the twins - before claiming Liv's hand once again.

"Well, now my fearless escort has claimed me, we really should be going," Liv declared, rising to her feet with a smile. "Take care."

Jon was more than happy to share hugs and probably would have given one to Liv, too, if he didn't have a napping toddler stuck to his lap. "Take care!" he called back, smiling. He didn't want to draw too much attention to the fact that they had nearly lost her, but he was overjoyed to see her back on her feet again.

"Everyone's taking care of me," Liv promised her friends, bending to lift Maria up onto her hip. The little girl waved at them as her mother slipped from the garden and through the big house, back toward their own home.

Vicki shook her head with a smile, thumping onto her back with Maddie sprawled over her chest comfortably. "That woman is worse than Mataya De Luca."

"Worse in what way?" Jon asked, unsure what his wife meant by that. "I'll have to call 'Tay later," he said, mostly to himself, making a mental note not to forget to ask her about taking a few weeks off, as well as mentioning the possibility of a summer theater camp.

"She doesn't really know how to stop for a day or two," Vicki pointed out, tucking her arm under her head, other hand on Maddie's back. Humphrey snorted with laughter, returning his attention to dozing in the warmth.

"Why do you think I hired Sol?" Jon countered. If he hadn't, Liv might have risked working herself into an early grave. That wasn't why he'd originally hired the warlock, but it was why he'd kept him on.

"I know." Vicki smiled at him from her sprawl on the grass. "She is looking very good for someone who was hit by a van less than a month ago. We should probably think about raising the remuneration on Rebecca's retainer."

Jon frowned at his wife's choice of words. Now that Liv had gone, he could let his guard down a little and not pretend he hadn't been worried about her. "It's hard to believe, isn't it?" he asked, not really expecting an answer. "If I were Johnny, I wouldn't let her out of my sight."

"Don't you think that's what the vacation is about?" she mused. "Not just a holiday, but taking her away from all the places people know she goes to. Just in case. He's probably a bit of a wreck when he sits down and thinks about all this, you know."

Victoria Granger

Date: 2018-06-18 08:47 EST
"I know," Jon admitted, still frowning. He didn't want to remind her about the crazy stalker who'd come a little too close to killing her when she'd been pregnant with Emily, but he couldn't help but shudder at the thought of it. He knew what Johnny was feeling just a little too well.

But Vicki knew where his mind had gone. "We didn't run away," she reminded him quietly. "We went out the very next day, walked the streets together. But just because it worked for us, doesn't mean it would work for them. They have to find their own way to get past this, Jon."

"I know," he repeated, though knowing these things didn't help him feel any better. "I told her to take all the time she wanted. Sol can handle things here. Things have been quiet lately anyway. I think I might be a has-been," he said, with an ironic chuckle.

She snorted with laughter. "I highly doubt that," she informed him. "Being in a position where you can pick and choose what you want to do - and doing something else you enjoy at the same time - is enviable for a lot of actors."

"I suppose. I'm not getting any Tonys this way though!" he said with another laugh. He had never really cared much about awards anyway, and it hardly mattered whether Hollywood was forgetting about him - or so he told himself. He had always loved the theater, first and foremost, and he'd purposely taken a step back to focus on his family.

Vicki tilted her head to look over at him curiously. "What's really on your mind?" she asked. It wasn't like Jon to bemoan not being a part of the Hollywood glitz and glamor anymore.

"I don't know," Jon said, with a thoughtful frown. He really wasn't sure what it was that was bothering him. "I just don't want to be forgotten, I guess." Of course, there was plenty of time to renew his acting career once the children were older, if anyone remembered him.

"Jon ....when the time comes, you will make your grand entrance again, and everyone will be delighted to see you," his fond wife predicted. "Maybe you should ask Liv and Sol to find out if there are any guest spots on TV shows you could take in the meantime, just to keep your hand in."

He was still frowning, which was a sign that he was having trouble deciding, though no decision had to be made today. "I don't know. Maybe," he said, uncertainly. "I don't want to over-extend myself."

"Decide what you want to do," she suggested gently. "And we'll find a way to make it work. You know we will. We managed your brief career in acceptable porn, after all."

Jon rolled his eyes at the mention of that. "Oh Gods, sometimes I wish I'd never done that!" His performance in the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy of films hadn't been very Oscar-worthy, but he couldn't complain about the vulgar amount of money they'd paid him to do it.

"It inspired that lad to write Swan Song," she reminded him in amusement. "And that was definitely worth doing, wasn't it?" After all, his performance in that had bagged him his Oscar.

"Yeah, but I don't think I want to do a movie again. At least, not now. I don't want to do anything that will take me away from you or the kids," he told her. "And I'm happy directing at the theater," he added, before she suggested he go back to acting.

"So what is actually on your mind?" Vicki asked with fond certainty. "This isn't about being forgotten. This is something else you're toying with talking about that's making you anxious about broaching the subject."

"I don't know," Jon said, his frown deepening. It wasn't just about his career or about missing acting, though that was part of it. Mostly, it was about putting his money where his mouth was where orphans were concerned. "I'm not sure you'll like it."

"Try me." Vicki raised herself up onto her elbows to meet his gaze. It wasn't often that Jon danced around the issue of whatever was on his mind, but it never ceased to amaze her that he still managed to wind himself up over her reaction, when she had not yet to date said no or even raised any significant objections to anything he was considering.

Jon's gaze darted to Humphrey, unsure if the old man was sleeping or just quietly listening with his eyes closed. Either way, he was going to find out what Jon had in mind sooner or later. "Well ..." he started, tongue darting out to lick his lips - a sure sign of nervousness. "I was thinking ..." Obviously. He paused a moment again. "How do you feel about adoption?"

To her credit, Vicki didn't immediately respond, turning the thought over in her head. "I've never really thought about it," she admitted thoughtfully. "It does have its attractions. But if you're going with this where I think you're going, I'm putting my foot down on one part of it - no one under five. I've had it with diapers and baby talk."

"Fair enough," Jon said, turning to lay the little boy down on the blanket before Jon's legs fell asleep. "I was just thinking ....How can we encourage other people to adopt if we don't do it ourselves?"

"That is a very good point," Vicki mused, "but it isn't a good enough reason to adopt a child, Jon. I won't agree to do it if the purpose is to advertise. If we do it, it should be because we want to give a child a secure home - that particular child."

"Well, yeah," Jon admitted, thinking that much kind of went without saying. "But I mean ..." he stammered. Why was this so hard for him to explain" He felt like a kid waiting for his father to tell him no, even though he couldn't actually remember that ever happening. Jon sighed. "Vicki, you've seen how happy Fliss and Alex and Maria are. I adore our kids. You know I do, but there are so many kids out there who need good homes. I've seen them at the hospital and the orphanage, and it breaks my heart. I know we can't adopt them all, but maybe we could help one or two. Maybe we could make a difference."

There was a long pause as Vicki considered this, listening as much to his tone of voice as to his words, stroking her hand over Maddie's back as they talked. "Give me a few days to think about it?" she asked gently. "It isn't something I want to rush into, and I don't know anything about adoption. Maybe we should do a little research before we make any decisions."

"I won't love you or our children any less. I promise," he told her, though it was hardly necessary. If he had room enough in his heart for their four children, he had room in his heart for one or two more. She hadn't said no - she had just said she wanted to think about it, which was probably a good idea before they did anything they might regret.

"Oh, Jon, I know that," Vicki promised him. "And if we do come to the decision that this is something we can do, we'll include Emily and Ben, won't we" It would be making our family bigger, not inserting a usurper into their lives."

"Agreed," Jon said. If they did decide to adopt a child, they had to make sure that child got along well with the children they already had. And they'd have to make sure to include Emily and Ben and make sure they were part of the decision-making. "Thanks, Vic," he said, leaning over to brush a kiss against her cheek. Even if they decided against it, at least, she was willing to consider it.

She smiled as he kissed her cheek. "Besides, you have your new summer project to bend your brain toward for the time being," she reminded him. "There's no rush that means we absolutely have to make a decision right this minute. I'll even offer up my time as a set designer and builder for your summer workshop."

There was a grunt from Humphrey. "We'll fund the whole thing," the old man commented, without even opening his eyes. "That's what the Granger Foundation is for."

Victoria Granger

Date: 2018-06-18 08:47 EST
Jon couldn't help but smile as his wife and uncle stepped forward to help with an idea that had been brewing in his head for a while. They didn't have to, but they did. Humphrey was right, but Jon felt the need to correct him, just a little. "That's what family is for."

Humphrey opened one eye as he smiled at his nephew. "That's what I said," he said easily, closing his eyes again.

Vicki chuckled quietly. "It's a start, anyway," she said warmly.

"Well, none of it will matter if Mataya says no, so let's not put the cart before the horse," Jon said, though he sincerely doubted she'd tell him no. Why they'd never thought of it before was beyond him, but they'd both been pretty busy juggling families and careers the last few years.

"Jon ....even if she did say no, we could still do it," Vicki pointed out. "It would involve hiring out a venue, of course, but not much would need to be changed."

Jon frowned at his wife's remark. "It doesn't feel right to do it somewhere else," he said. For some reason, he felt like not doing it at the Shanachie was being disloyal somehow, though Mataya might not see it that way.

"It'll be a summer thing," Vicki reminded him. "We could hire out the Shanachie amphitheater and pitch a marquee over it." She smiled at his reluctance to even appear disloyal to the theater. "You know she isn't going to say no, stud muffin. Quit worrying over it."

"I'm not worried. It's just an idea. If it doesn't work out, there's always next year," Jon said, with a shrug of his shoulders, as if it didn't really matter, though it obviously did.

"You're frowning," she pointed out in amusement, sitting up again to stand Maddie up on her lap and point the toddler at her father. "Isn't he, Maddie" Your daddy is frowning like a frowny ol' monster who needs kisses to make him all smiley again! Ready?"

Maddie cackled with laughter and clapped her hands, more than happy to be thrown bodily in Jon's direction. Vicki always trusted that her husband would catch their children when she did that.

Jon's frown curved into a growing smile. Who wouldn't smile at that' "One of these days, she's gonna be too big for that," he warned, reaching for their daughter, just as Maddie's twin started to stir on the blanket beside them. "Uh oh! Looks like you're about to have another rug rat on your lap, Vic," he said with a chuckle. He could never stay worried for long with an eternal optimist like Vicki around.

"Oh, that won't happen for a while yet," Vicki answered happily, reaching down to let Chris swarm up into her arms to cuddle off his drowsiness for a little while. "It is bath night tonight, though. We should probably make a start on that before dinner - you know how much time Emily takes getting dried off these days."

"Maybe we should give her her own bathroom," Jon said, only half-kidding. He hadn't given much thought as to their living arrangements as their family grew and the children got older. There was plenty of room at the manor, but they might have to stake their claim on a few additional rooms in the coming years.

Humphrey grunted, opening his eyes again. "It's coming close to time you moved your little family out of that improvised apartment suite and into one of the family wings," he suggested. "Rooms enough for everyone there."

"You're probably right," Jon admitted. Their little suite of rooms was fine when it was just him and Vicki and even when they'd added Emily to the mix, but with two adults, four children, and a very active dog, they were starting to feel a little cramped. "Which wing, do you think?"

"God, I can't even begin to answer that question," Vicki admitted, gently rocking Chris as he blinked blearily at everyone, thumb inserted firmly in his mouth. "It's been a while since I went on a tour of the manor."

"We do need more room," Jon said, as if just realizing this. He couldn't imagine the six of them sharing one bathroom once the children got a little older. "And Emily is going to want a room of her own before long," he pointed out.

"So will Ben," Vicki agreed mildly. Having their eldest children barely a year apart in age did make for some rather hasty arrangements at times. "Where would you recommend, Humph?"

Old Man Granger was grinning as they talked it out. "Oh, I should look at the East Wing, if I were you," he said, almost dismissively, as though attempting to make it seem as though he hadn't given this matter quite some thought.

"The East Wing?" Jon echoed, arching a brow. "Hasn't there been work going on in the East Wing?" he asked curiously. Now things were starting to make sense. Humphrey never said or did anything by chance. Could it be he'd been planning on moving them there all along"

"Mmm, just a little updating, redecorating, refurbishment," Humphrey said, waving a hand. "The old place needs a little upkeep now and then, you know."

Vicki laughed, rolling her eyes. "You're a devious old fart, Humphrey Granger."

Jon laughed. "I hope they're painting Emily's room yellow. She hates pink," he warned. Unlike most girls their daughter's age, Emily was more interested in bees than flowers and animals than dolls. She wasn't what anyone would call a "tom boy", but she wasn't a girly girl either.

"Well, I'm sure Miranda kept all your preferences in mind," Humphrey said cheerfully. His vague smirk, as well as the name drop, told them all they needed to know - this had been on his mind for some time, and he'd got Miranda to make all the artful decisions for him before hiring people to make it happen.

Jon laughed again. "Why am I not surprised?" he said, though in truth he was, mostly because the renovations were being done right under their noses and they'd had no idea it was with them in mind. "Thank you, Uncle," Jon said turning serious. "We can never repay your generosity."

Humphrey grunted again. "It's as you say, lad," he pointed out, "this is what family is for." He huffed out a breath. "I'm going to have your current rooms redone as well," he added. "They'd make a more homely place to stay overnight for any of the other little families on the Grove."

"It's going to feel strange moving again," Jon said, though they were only moving from one wing to another. The last time they'd moved it had been from Luks Condos to the manor. Had it really been half a decade ago already"

"At least we won't be moving far this time," Vicki pointed out. "And if I know Humphrey the way I think I do, all we'll be moving is our personal belongings, rather than furniture and fixtures."

The old man chuckled, but didn't confirm or deny this.

"You do realize he's sitting right there, right?" Jon remarked with a smirk of his own. There were some who might have found their living arrangement awkward, but it seemed Jon and Vicki's little family was thriving at Maple Grove, and Humphrey had become noticeably happier after they'd moved in, too. It was a win-win situation for all of them.

Victoria Granger

Date: 2018-06-18 08:47 EST
"I -" Vicki began, but was interrupted by Chris' little hands rising to cover her eyes as the boy giggled. She grinned, shrugging and spreading her hands. "As you can see, I'm totally blind."

"And I have a very silly wife," Jon said, reaching over to bop her nose, and then just for good measure, he did the same to each twin. "Uncle, is it all right with you if we take a short vacation?" he asked, assuming Humphrey had overheard their conversation, even if he'd pretended not to be listening.

Over the sound of three people laughing, only one of whom knew what she was laughing about, Humphrey smiled beatifically. "Of course it is," he assured Jon. "Just because I don't travel these days, there's no reason for you not to make the most of what time you get off and indulge your family in some sun, sea, and sand."

"Maybe we can arrange to have someone else stay here while we're gone," Jon suggested. Or at the very least, they could make sure someone was checking on the Old Man and spending some time with him daily. There was plenty of family available to do it.

Humphrey bristled a little at that. "I am not a child, Jonathan," he said grumpily. "I do not need looking after."

Vicki caught Jon's gaze, rolling her eyes. "Oh, well, then," she said airily. "You won't like the idea of having Piper and Des and their little brood breaking in the by-then newly redecorated guest suite, will you?"

Humphrey raised one brow, his interest piqued.

"No, Vicki, that's a terrible idea. You know how Lyneth annoys him," Jon replied, turning his head away from Humphrey so his uncle wouldn't see the smirk on his face. Fortunately, he took no offense to Humphrey's grumpiness, as they were well accustomed to each other moods.

"Well, yes, but she can probably be persuaded to leave him alone if they set up playdates with Daisy and Maggie a fair amount," Vicki pointed out. Oddly, she was better at schooling her expression when it came to talking around Humphrey than her husband, the famous actor, was. "Oh, but Amelia's starting to toddle now, isn't she" That could annoy him more."

"That's true," Jon said with as straight a face as he could muster away from the theater. "Toddlers are so annoying, aren't they' Always wanting your attention and climbing all over you? Giving you kisses and hugs. Yeesh!" he said with exaggerated disgust.

"And then there's Dylan, of course," Vicki said with an exaggerated sigh. "No, you're right, he'd hate to have that little family right here, close by, filling the house with all their noise and -"

"Yes, yes, you've made your point," Humphrey grumped at the pair of them. "So long as it's understood they are not here to "look after" me."

"Of course! We'll make it perfectly clear," Jon assured him, unable to hide the smirk from his face any longer. "Honestly, Uncle. You don't need a babysitter. Just someone to keep you company."

"You're not taking the dog to this Disney place, are you?" Humphrey asked, a vague note of concern in his voice.

Vicki just about managed to swallow her sudden grin. As much as Cosmo was Jon's dog, the collie spent an inordinate amount of time with Humphrey during the day, only returning to Vicki and the children when Jon was home again.

"Um, I don't think dogs are allowed, so I guess that's a no?" Jon replied. "Would you mind if he stayed here with you?" he asked further, already knowing the answer to that. Cosmo had become almost as attached to Humphrey as Humphrey had to the dog.

The old man's hand lowered to the affectionate canine head resting against his knee. "I daresay we'll find a way to manage," was his response, but Vicki smiled, glancing at Jon. As difficult as Humphrey could be sometimes, it was worth it to see him let something slip every now and then.

"I'm sure you will," Jon replied, with a secret smile for his wife. "Well, shall we go see what Lucy is cooking up for dinner?" he asked of his companions.

"Mmm, find out when it will be," Vicki agreed. "So long as we have half an hour to rush these two through a bath before food time, we should be good to go." She hoisted Chris up as she stood, balancing him on her hip, one hand reaching down to squeeze Humphrey's hand. "You stay and enjoy the heat a little more," she suggested to the old man. "Cosmo'll keep you company."

Jon would have leaned over and kissed the Old Man's cheek, if he wasn't afraid of being chided for it. Instead, he scooped Maddie up into his arms, waiting for Vicki to follow her into the house. "Bath time!" he said, tickling the little girl's cheek with a kiss.

"Do you know, I think I will doze for a while," Humphrey conceded. "In the peace and quiet."

Vicki snorted with laughter, rolling her eyes as she turned to head back into the house.

Cosmo lifted his head to glance over at his master and mistress, before promptly settling his head back on Humphrey's knee, looking pathetically lazy and maybe just a little possessive. "Sometimes I wonder just whose dog he is," Jon murmured quietly to Vicki with a faint chuckle.

"Oh, he's definitely yours," she chuckled back to him as they disappeared inside. "He abandons me and the twins as soon as you take the other two off to school for the day. Cosmo's your eldest, after all."

"You're the one who gave him to me," Jon said, tossing the blame back to her, though there really was nothing to blame either of them for. Now that they were out of earshot of the Old Man, Jon could speak a little more openly. "Do you think Cosmo senses something we don't?" he asked, that worried expression back on his face.

"Jon ..." Vicki's expression told him just how paranoid he sounded, even as her tone reassured him. "Cosmo's not a puppy anymore. He's more than eight himself, he's practically an old man by dog standards. He just likes Humph's company. He's the only person in this house who blatantly gives that dog meat off his own plate, after all."

"I know, but ..." Jon trailed off, not wanting to upset her or himself. They both knew Humphrey wasn't getting any younger, but he didn't want to jinx him either. Some people might think they'd had ulterior motives for moving into the house, but they'd be wrong. Jon and Vicki had done it for no other reason than that they enjoyed Humphrey's company.

"No, Jon." Vicki was very firm as she turned to face him, hoisting Chris a little higher on her hip. "Humph is seen by a nurse every day. If there was anything like that even suspected, we would have seen a doctor called. Stop worrying about something that is not ready for you to worry about it."

"I'm sure Des or Piper will call if we're needed," he remarked further, more for his own reassurance than anything else. No matter where they went, it was only a portal hop away, after all.

Victoria Granger

Date: 2018-06-18 08:48 EST
"Yes, I'm sure they will," Vicki told him. "And I'm equally sure they won't need to." Her free hand rose to touch his cheek affectionately. "You're a worrywart, Jon Granger."

"Guilty as charged," Jon said with a faint smile. But he only worried because he cared. There had been a time when his family had accused him of being too angsty, and though those days had passed, he did still have a tendency to worry too much. "What do you think" Bubble bath?" he asked, changing the subject back to the twins' bathtime.

"What do you think, monsters?" his wife asked the twins. "Bubbles?"

Maddie clapped her hands together, beaming, as Chris repeated, "Bubbles!" excitedly.

Vicki grinned, meeting Jon's eyes. "Daddy wins at twin speak again."

"Bubbles is a hard word to say!" Jon grinned back at her. "Maybe Mummy and Daddy will have a bubble bath later," he said, leaning close to brush a kiss against his wife's lips that promised more later.

"Mmm, you tease," she laughed back to him, nipping his lips fondly. "But first! We have these two to clean, and then the other two when they roll in from their very exciting playdates."

"A parent's work is never done," Jon teased, blue eyes bright with playful mischief. "The sooner we get Thing One and Thing Two in the bath, the sooner we can relax," he said, shifting Maddie in his arms and starting toward the little suite of rooms that were about to become a guest suite.

"You're the one who wanted a neat half-dozen," Vicki reminded him teasingly, following close behind with Chris in her arms. And if they chose to adopt, he might get that wish in the end. It wasn't such a bad thought, at that. Another pair of hands to help entertaining their ferocious foursome wouldn't go amiss.

"Which is even more reason to adopt an older child," Jon pointed out, practically reading Vicki's mind. Besides, the whole point of adoption wasn't just to expand their own family but to give an unwanted orphan a happy home.

"I still don't know enough about the whole process to say yes or no, love," she pointed out, her voice rich with amusement. "Unlike you, I haven't even visited an orphanage."

"We will. Together," he said, smiling. Once they returned from Hawaii.

Anyway, there was no rush. Four children kept them busy enough for now, and they had plenty of time to expand their family. Jon was confident that sooner or later, they'd have their half-dozen children, and their little family would be complete. It was just a matter of time.