Jon hadn't been to Maple Grove since before the fiasco with the vampires. Not since before he'd used one of the coins to teleport himself there, leaving the double to take his place while he went into hiding with Lei. He wasn't sure how much Humphrey knew or what he thought, but his uncle, who the rest of the family affectionately referred to as "The Old Man", usually knew a lot more than he let on.
As usual, Humph was nowhere to be found unless you knew where to look. Knowing that Caroline had everything in hand, the Old Man liked to spend his days enjoying himself. After looking in the usual places, Jon found the head of the family standing underneath the giant redwood outside the house, shouting unhelpful instructions to the gardeners who were in the branches, trying to hang the Christmas lights.
Jon had spent a good part of his childhood at Maple Grove, often feeling more welcome there among those halls than at his own home. He'd never had a very good relationship with his own father, and Humphrey had filled some of the gap for him, but Jon didn't remember any of that and was feeling a little nervous about making a visit there, unsure what kind of reception awaited him. Jon watched quietly from a distance for a little while, before taking a deep breath to gather his courage and head toward his uncle, hands shoved in the pockets of his coat.
The elderly man caught movement out of the corner of his eye, turning away from pestering his perfectly competent staff to make sure he knew who it was who had come to visit. Seeing Jon made his habitual scowl melt into a warm grin, the lean on his cane heavier than it had been only a few months before as he made his way toward the most famous of the Grangers. "Jon, my lad, how are you?" he called, his free hand outstretched to grasp that of his younger relative. "Fresh from the triumphs of the silver screen, I take it?"
Jon pulled both hands from his pockets, reaching to take his uncle's hand and to give him a one-armed hug, firm but gentle, a warm but nervous smile on his face. "Hello, Uncle. I see you have the Christmas preparations well in hand."
"The what? Hmm' Oh .." Chuckling his gruff chuckle, Humphrey glanced over his shoulder appraisingly. "It'll look not half bad, when I whip those nincompoops into line. Eh, boys" Useless, the lot of you!" Such was the affection held for the now retired head of the household - Humph's benign insult was answered with laughter and waves from the men and boys working on the tree. "You coming, are you?" he asked Jon, automatically leaning on the actor absently as he headed for the house. "Bringing this fiery little woman of yours with you?" He cast a grin in Jon's direction as if to say; see, I do read the papers on occasion.
Jon slipped an affectionate arm around his uncle to allow him to lean all the more and beamed a grin at the mention of Vicki. "Of course. I'm looking forward to introducing her to the family." That was partly true. While he was looking forward to introducing Vicki, confident everyone would like her and approve, he didn't hold the same confidence about what his family currently thought of him.
"Even if she doesn't come, it'll be good to have you here again," Humph was saying as they navigated the stone steps and through into the panelled foyer of the big house. "Don't spread it around, but I'm missing having a house full of people. First Kaylee went, then Correy, now Caroline's living on a boat with a hedonist ....I'm a grumpy old man in an empty mansion now."
Humphrey's admission made Jon frown. If he'd known, he'd have considered moving in with his uncle, but he wasn't sure what his uncle would think about him and Vicki making unwed whoopee under his roof. "I'll have to bring Vicki by and visit more often." He made a mental note to talk to the redhead about doing just that.
Despite his age and growing infirmity, Humphrey's grip was still as strong as ever, tightening gratefully on Jon as the offer was made. "Do, do," he nodded. "There'll always be a room for you under this roof, lad. Two, if you want to pretend you're not dodging the baby bullet." He laughed his gruff laugh again, nodding toward a door on the far wall. "Come and get warm in the sitting room. I was promised tea if I went for a walk."
Jon chuckled at his uncle's still sharp sense of humor. Jon never could fool him, no matter how hard he tried. He always seemed to see right through him. "She's a screamer, Uncle. I wouldn't want her to wake you." He glanced toward the door and nodded in agreement.
"I've lived in this house all my life, Jon," the old man chuckled warmly as they headed toward the main sitting room, his pace only now beginning to slow as the effort of being on his feet started to catch up with him. "When Kaylee started bringing her boyfriends home, I had my rooms soundproofed. No one screams as loudly as that girl in heat, believe me."
Jon chuckled at his uncle's remark as he led him toward the sitting room, allowing him to lean on his younger self as much as he needed or wanted to. "You've heard her then. I'm not sure I want to know."
"Between her and that brother of hers, I'm surprised the house is still standing," Humphrey laughed, pausing to cough as he wheezed for a moment, swaying in his lean on the cane. "Bloody thing, can't seem to shift it," he muttered as they resumed their walk, passing through the doorway and into the comfortable space where the family who lived in the big house had been wont to spend their evenings in the past.
As usual, Humph was nowhere to be found unless you knew where to look. Knowing that Caroline had everything in hand, the Old Man liked to spend his days enjoying himself. After looking in the usual places, Jon found the head of the family standing underneath the giant redwood outside the house, shouting unhelpful instructions to the gardeners who were in the branches, trying to hang the Christmas lights.
Jon had spent a good part of his childhood at Maple Grove, often feeling more welcome there among those halls than at his own home. He'd never had a very good relationship with his own father, and Humphrey had filled some of the gap for him, but Jon didn't remember any of that and was feeling a little nervous about making a visit there, unsure what kind of reception awaited him. Jon watched quietly from a distance for a little while, before taking a deep breath to gather his courage and head toward his uncle, hands shoved in the pockets of his coat.
The elderly man caught movement out of the corner of his eye, turning away from pestering his perfectly competent staff to make sure he knew who it was who had come to visit. Seeing Jon made his habitual scowl melt into a warm grin, the lean on his cane heavier than it had been only a few months before as he made his way toward the most famous of the Grangers. "Jon, my lad, how are you?" he called, his free hand outstretched to grasp that of his younger relative. "Fresh from the triumphs of the silver screen, I take it?"
Jon pulled both hands from his pockets, reaching to take his uncle's hand and to give him a one-armed hug, firm but gentle, a warm but nervous smile on his face. "Hello, Uncle. I see you have the Christmas preparations well in hand."
"The what? Hmm' Oh .." Chuckling his gruff chuckle, Humphrey glanced over his shoulder appraisingly. "It'll look not half bad, when I whip those nincompoops into line. Eh, boys" Useless, the lot of you!" Such was the affection held for the now retired head of the household - Humph's benign insult was answered with laughter and waves from the men and boys working on the tree. "You coming, are you?" he asked Jon, automatically leaning on the actor absently as he headed for the house. "Bringing this fiery little woman of yours with you?" He cast a grin in Jon's direction as if to say; see, I do read the papers on occasion.
Jon slipped an affectionate arm around his uncle to allow him to lean all the more and beamed a grin at the mention of Vicki. "Of course. I'm looking forward to introducing her to the family." That was partly true. While he was looking forward to introducing Vicki, confident everyone would like her and approve, he didn't hold the same confidence about what his family currently thought of him.
"Even if she doesn't come, it'll be good to have you here again," Humph was saying as they navigated the stone steps and through into the panelled foyer of the big house. "Don't spread it around, but I'm missing having a house full of people. First Kaylee went, then Correy, now Caroline's living on a boat with a hedonist ....I'm a grumpy old man in an empty mansion now."
Humphrey's admission made Jon frown. If he'd known, he'd have considered moving in with his uncle, but he wasn't sure what his uncle would think about him and Vicki making unwed whoopee under his roof. "I'll have to bring Vicki by and visit more often." He made a mental note to talk to the redhead about doing just that.
Despite his age and growing infirmity, Humphrey's grip was still as strong as ever, tightening gratefully on Jon as the offer was made. "Do, do," he nodded. "There'll always be a room for you under this roof, lad. Two, if you want to pretend you're not dodging the baby bullet." He laughed his gruff laugh again, nodding toward a door on the far wall. "Come and get warm in the sitting room. I was promised tea if I went for a walk."
Jon chuckled at his uncle's still sharp sense of humor. Jon never could fool him, no matter how hard he tried. He always seemed to see right through him. "She's a screamer, Uncle. I wouldn't want her to wake you." He glanced toward the door and nodded in agreement.
"I've lived in this house all my life, Jon," the old man chuckled warmly as they headed toward the main sitting room, his pace only now beginning to slow as the effort of being on his feet started to catch up with him. "When Kaylee started bringing her boyfriends home, I had my rooms soundproofed. No one screams as loudly as that girl in heat, believe me."
Jon chuckled at his uncle's remark as he led him toward the sitting room, allowing him to lean on his younger self as much as he needed or wanted to. "You've heard her then. I'm not sure I want to know."
"Between her and that brother of hers, I'm surprised the house is still standing," Humphrey laughed, pausing to cough as he wheezed for a moment, swaying in his lean on the cane. "Bloody thing, can't seem to shift it," he muttered as they resumed their walk, passing through the doorway and into the comfortable space where the family who lived in the big house had been wont to spend their evenings in the past.