Late June 2012: Stokes County, South Dakota, The Warehouse/Leena's B&B

[damncompass]

Joshua has realized two things over the past half-week. First, he loves his new job more than anything ever. He can do all of the science he wants, or he can just sit in the office and watch other people do what they're doing while poking on the internet.

Second, he needs a damn car. The rental's fine for now, but he'd checked the other day, and he'd only officially rented it for two weeks. That goes on a to-do list for the weekend.

This day, however, he's locked himself in his lab to finish setting it up and take stock of what he's going to need to get or order.

Comments

[damncompass]

"I don't think so. I did take it out of the oven, though." He goes back in, and helps Helena plate the spaghetti, sauce, and grabs a thing of Parmesan from the fridge. "We can deal with the plastic, right? Right."

[claudiometer]

"Of course we can deal with plastic," Claudia says from the dining room.

Before long, they're settled in to dinner, and all is well.

[k39zzz]

All is well - the spaghetti's excellent and the company is fantastic - until, halfway through, Jane forgets herself and launches into a Pete's Childhood story.

[claudiometer]

Somehow, Claudia manages not to interrupt until she's done.
"...Well, that's interesting, Regent Mom."

Leena just rolls her eyes.

[damncompass]

Joshua raises an eyebrow. "Cat's out of the bag, I guess." He knows that look on Claudia's face.

Helena just snickers.

[k39zzz]

"Is it, Miss Donovan?" When in doubt, refuge in formality.

[claudiometer]

"Oh, it is. You planning to tell him before the next apocalypse?"

[k39zzz]

"...I'll get to it."

"You've been 'getting to it' for three and a half years now," Leena points out. "And you know the longer this sits, the worse he's going to take it."

Jane sighs. "You keep out of this."

[damncompass]

"I feel honor-bound to point out that it will be much better if you say something before we're in the middle of something and you show up. We need him functional."

Joshua shrugs and takes a bite of bread.

[timelessinventor]

"He flails worse than Joshua sometimes, you have to admit." Helena smirks, and before Joshua can say anything, continues. "You flail, darling. That is the truth."

[claudiometer]

"Some days you're practically made of flail."
And Claudia turns her attention back to Regent Mom Video Lady. "As someone else who doesn't like it when I think someone's kept something huge from me? Bite the bullet and get on with it. I mean, I get why you didn't bring it up before he got involved, but now he's here, whether you like it or not. We don't need him short-circuiting midstream."

[k39zzz]

"...I really shouldn't be surprised that you're all ganging up on me."

Leena smiles serenely. "No, you shouldn't."

[damncompass]

"Listen to the Claudia. She is wise." Joshua grins. "But, yeah. Keeping things from people you're close to is bad news. It can explode in shitty ways."

He shrugs. "And no, we're not ganging up on you. We're just making a point. You just happen to be a quasi-captive audience."

[k39zzz]

"Besides, you're certainly old enough to disregard our advice. It's just a question of whether you should, and we all think the answer to that is no."

Jane has another piece of bread. It's good bread, at least.
"Just... please don't tell him?"
She knows Leena would have by now, if she were going to, and Joshua's already agreed not to.

[claudiometer]

Claudia shrugs. "Not my story to tell. Buuuuut if the opportunity arises and you don't take it, I'll lock the two of you in a room until you do."

[damncompass]

"And you'll probably be lucky if all you get is locked in a room." Joshua shakes his head. "None of us here are going to tell stories that aren't ours to tell. We just think that you should tell it."

[timelessinventor]

Helena shrugs. "The longer a story goes untold, the worse it gets. However, I believe for Jane's sake, we should move the conversation along."

[k39zzz]

"Thank you for that, Helena."

[damncompass]

Joshua just shakes his head and silently goes back to his dinner.

As conversation goes on, he relaxes even more, a huge grin crossing his face. It's been ages since he's been this comfortable and felt this much at home.

[claudiometer]

"Holy relaxation, Batman. I don't think I've seen you that happy in... possibly ever."
Certainly not since before the teleportation incident.

[damncompass]

Joshua shrugs. "Well, I'm comfortable for the first time in a while. It's... a good thing."

Helena reaches over and takes his hand under the table.

[claudiometer]

Dinner progresses from there, quite cheerfully so.

Eventually, Leena pulls Claudia and Helena into the kitchen to start in on doing the dishes and putting the leftovers away.

[k39zzz]

Once they're alone again, Jane grins. "I think having a family again is going to do you more good than you knew."

[damncompass]

"Cause this is the first time since college that I've really had one at all?" It's actually a bit pained, and possibly even a tiny bit bitter. "It will be good to have people around."

[k39zzz]

"I wasn't trying to push buttons." It's gentle, but she's definitely calling him on it. "I know the feeling. If Mrs. Frederic hadn't pulled me back in after Bill died... even with the kids, I don't know what I would have done."
She needs some kind of purpose, more so than she wanted to admit for a while there (or maybe it's that she thought raising a family was enough of a purpose).