Title: HouseHunting 101
Author: Angelee
Pairing: Jim/Blair (very preslash)
Summary: House hunting, pizza and termites.
Note: Beta by my sister Anna. All final errors are mine with sincere apologies.
Feedback address: angelee79912@yahoo.com
HouseHunting 101
“So, how goes the house hunting, Will?” Simon asked, coming into the dining room to see brochures and pamphlets scattered all over the table.
William sighed. “Not that well. I haven’t done this in some time. I forgot how hard searching for a house really is.”
Simon sat next to him at the dining room table. “Have you been able to narrow it down?”
“Some. But there’s something that’s not right with each of the choices. Like this one.” William picking up a brochure, handing it to Simon. “It has enough bedrooms and baths, but the bedrooms are the size of a small, really small closets. The boy’s room has to be big enough to sleep four boys-Steven refused to sleep away from his brothers and Michael is adamant about being close to Blair and Jim as well. And the room has to house all their stuff. This one,” He said pointing to pamphlet. “has big enough bedrooms, but not enough bathrooms.”
“You have your work cut out for you.”
“Yes.”
Just then an excited yapping could be heard coming from the kitchen. Both William and Simon watched as Barkie, the newest member of the family chased Wofie into the living room.
“You could always just add on to this house.”
“I could, but it’s not viable,” William replied. They watched as Barkie ran back into the dining room, now being chased by both Wofie and Blackie. “We need a new house for our expanding family.”
“Will?”
William looked up from one of the pamphlets. “Yes?”
“Are you sure you don’t mind Daryl moving in with us?” Simon asked. His ex-wife had found a job in another state and Daryl refused to go with her. She’d had no choice but to allow him to stay with Simon. “I could always find an apartment for Daryl and myself.”
William looked at him. “Is that what you want?”
Simon gave him a small smile. “No. I love being around you and your sons. Plus Daryl really loves your sons. I think they’re one of the reasons he didn’t want to go with my ex-wife.”
William returned the smile. “Well, that answers the question.”
Simon bit his lip. “Hmm, Will?”
“Hmm?” William asked distractedly as he sorted through the scattered pamphlets.
“I’ve got something to tell you?”
William looked up. “Oh?”
“Ah, yes.” Simon moved around in his chair uncomfortably. “When Daryl moves in it won’t just be Daryl.”
William covered his face with his hands, moaning softly. After a few minutes he looked up. “Okay, who or what’s coming with him?”
“Twohamstersandaaquariumfulloffish,” Simon said hurriedly as if to lessen the impact.
“Two hamsters and an aquarium full of fish?”
“They’re little hamsters, only yay big.” Simon indicated with his thumb and forefinger to about two inches. “Starsky and Hutch won’t be any trouble at all. I’ll make sure of it.”
“And the fish?”
“Angelfish. Three of them. They’ll be in whatever room turns out to be Daryl’s.”
“And if Daryl decides he wants to share a room with the rest of the boys?”
Simon thought about it. “I’ll put them in my office.”
“And Jim?”
The Doctor knew immediately what William was talking about. “Should be okay. He just needs to not concentrate to heavily on the swimming fish.”
William smiled. “Problem solved. Now we just have to find a house.”
***
Steven got up from the bed tripping on Michael, who’d made himself a nest of sleeping bags on the floor between the two beds, landing on the body-builder, hard.
“Must you sleep there?” he groused.
“I need to be near Jim and Blair. I’m a bodyguard. Their bodyguard,” Michael replied as he tried to push Steven off, somehow managing to tangle them both in the sleeping bags.
“Hey, what am I chicken feed?”
“You don’t need guarding,” Michael replied. “Oof! Will you get off, lard-ass?”
“How do you know I don’t? I’m their brother. Unsavory elements could try and get to them through me. Quit it. You’re making it worse. Stop moving and I’ll get us untangled.”
Michael lay back and let Steven try and free them. “You, my friend, read too many comic books.”
“It could happen. There, finally I’m free. Free, I tell you,” Steven said, dramatically as he got up. “I don’t know why you can’t sleep on the other side of the room. Or better yet the living room.”
“Daryl has the living room and there’s not enough room on the other side of the bedroom.”
“Hmm,” Steven replied skeptically as he made his way to the bathroom. Coming out, he tried to get back onto his bed only to trip on Michael’s feet, once again landing on the bodybuilder. “We’ve really got to stop meeting this way.”
“You are just so twisted. If you keep ending up on top of me, I’m going to get ideas that you like me.”
Steven smiled. “Oh, yeah, baby. I JUST love all them beautiful muscles. Flex for me. Come on, baby. You know you want to.”
Michael chuckled. “You loon. Get off.”
“Aw, and here I was thinking you loved me.”
Michael snorted. “In your dreams, loverboy. Get off. It’s time to get Jim and Blair from Blair’s play date.”
“No, I’m comfortable,” Steven replied. “Well sorta. It’s kinda like layin’ on rocks.” He moved around trying to find a comfortable spot.
“Ow. Quit it. You’re going to hurt something I might need later.”
“For what? Basically all you are is eye candy for the girls. They’re not gonna want you touching them ‘cause you might break ‘um.”
“Is there something wrong with being eye candy?” Michael asked, no longer trying to get Steven off. It didn’t seem to be doing him any good anyway. “And I’m touchable.”
“As granite.”
“Come on, get off. Or I’m gonna be thinking you like me way to much.”
Steven gave Michael an evil grin. “Oh, yeah-I love you,” he replied, blowing him a kiss. Michael looked up at him worriedly. “Relax, pretty boy. I only love you ‘cause you gotta a Grandma that makes the BEST chocolate cake in the WHOLE world.”
“Whew! You had me worried there for a minute.”
Steven snorted. “Oh, please. Your virtue is safe from the likes of me. I only like you because of Grandma Mattie. Let’s go get Blair and Jim from Mrs. Deans. Where’s my shoes?”
***
They entered Mrs. Deans house to find Blair half-heartedly playing with Megan and Cassie.
“So how goes it?” Steven asked Jim as he sat down next to him.
“Hmm, well not to bad. He hasn’t tried to kill Megan, yet,” Jim told them wryly.
“That’s good.”
It’d taken a lot of persuading to get Mrs. Deans to take Blair back especially since he’d beaned Megan with a block. And then Blair’d had to apologize for said beaning.
Once the play date finished Blair bounced over to them happily. He went straight into Jim’s arms. “She still call me Sandy,” He said woefully, burying his head in his Sentinel’s chest. “No like.”
“Want I should go rough her up for you, Sweetpea?” Michael asked.
Blair’s head popped up. “Really?”
“Hum, hum. Just say the word.”
“Yes, please,” Blair replied, head bouncing up and down enthusiastically.
“Blair, no,” Jim told him sternly. “You don’t do that kinda stuff.”
Blair gave his Sentinel a baleful look, before turning to Michael. “Jim, say no,” he told him, ever so sadly.
Jim sighed unhappily. “See what you’ve done, Michael? Now Blair’s mad. Do you know what I gotta do to get him to stop being mad at me?”
“Sorry, but we can’t have Sweetpea being unhappy. How about I just thump her a couple of times?”
Blair looked up at Jim, who shook his head. The little Guide crosses his arms and ‘hmmphed’ at his Sentinel discontentedly, wiggling free of Jim’s arms he headed toward the door.
Jim turned toward Michael. “Damn you. Now you’ve really done it.” He got no sympathy as both Steven and Michael chuckled.
“Me?” Michael asked. “You’re the one that won’t let me take care of her for him.”
Jim gave him an incredulous look. “She’s three years old, Michael.”
“So?” Michael said, shrugging his broad shoulders indifferently.
Jim looked at him in astonishment for a moment before turning back toward Blair who was waiting impatiently at the door before he walked out of it. The young Sentinel got to his feet quickly, racing after his angry little Guide.
“You do know what this means, right?” Steven asked the bodybuilder.
“Yup,” Michael nodded.
“To sooth the peeved little Guide, his Sentinel will have to submit to
the dreaded
Steven laughed louder. “And just when Jim had Blair convinced that his Sentinel was to grown up to be given baths. You are evil. EVIL.”
Michael chuckled. “Yeah, huh?”
“Hey, Mikey?”
The bodybuilder turned toward Steven. “Yeah?”
“You wouldn’t really have hurt Megan would you?”
Michael gave him a wounded look. “What the hell do you take me for? She’s only three.”
“Sorry. But I know you take your job guarding Blair and Jim very seriously. I was just checking. I’m sorry.”
“You should be,” Michael sniffed. “I’m a bodyguard, not some sort of monster. Now you’ve gone and hurt my sensitive feelings.”
“I said I was sorry,” Steven said contritely. Michael just looked at him. “What if I give you my dessert? Will that make up for hurting your tender feelings?”
“What are we having?”
“Strawberry shortcake.”
“Extra topping?”
“Of course.”
Michael smiled. “Okay. And I want your second and third helpings as well.”
Steven looked at him shocked. “You’re kidding, right?”
“Nope. You wounded me deeply. Thinking I’d beat up a three year old.” Michael looked at him, blue-green eyes, puppy dog sad.
Steven sighed unhappily. “Oh, alright. No need to give me the kicked, puppy look. You can have my desserts.”
“Extra topping?”
Steven sighed again. “Yes. With extra topping.”
Michael gave him a brilliant smile. “I feel better, now.”
“Then how come I don’t?”
“Don’t know. Oh, man-Jim and Blair must be half way to the house by now. Let’s go or we’re going to miss Blair shampooing Jim’s hair,” Michael told Steven, pulling him to his feet. They said a quick bye to Mrs. Deans before rushing out the door.
***
They raced into their bedroom to find Blair sorting through the socks.
“Hey, baby brother-did you already shampoo Jim?” Steven asked the little Guide breathlessly.
“Yup,” Blair answered, bouncing into the bathroom with a pair of white socks in his tiny hands.
“I told you to hurry up,” Michael told Steven in annoyance.
“It’s not my fault I tripped on my shoelace.”
Michael looked at him. “I told you to tie your shoelaces before we left the house. But NO, you had to TRY and be COOL. So what happens? You tripped, almost kill yourself and now we’ve missed the shampooing.”
Steven looked down at the floor ashamed. “I know.” He looked up suddenly cheerful. “But we may still get to see the second shampooing.”
“Hey, your right. Let’s go.”
They entered the bathroom to find Jim sitting in the bathtub looking utterly miserable. He aimed icy, blue daggers at them as the little Guide began rubbing shampoo into his hair.
“To cool,” Steven said chuckling. “We didn’t miss that much.”
“Yeah. We’ve got to sell tickets. The greatest Sentinel the planet will ever know, being bathed by a three year old.”
“You both want to die a horrible, horrible death, don’t you?” Jim growled, menacingly.
Both Steven and Michael shivered dramatically. “Hmm, yeah,” Steven answered for both of them. “It’d be WAY worth it. Besides you gonna go chasing us around the house covered only in bubbles.”
“I won’t always be in this bathtub,” Jim promised, angrily.
Both Steven and Michael shivered again. “Ooh, we’re really scared,” Steven answered, sitting on the closed lid of the toilet. “But that might be ‘cause you’re sitting naked in a bathtub while a three year old scrubs your hair.” Steven shivered again. “Scary sight that.”
Michael chuckled. “Sure is. What next? Gonna threatening us with Blair?” he said, sitting on the floor next to Steven.
Jim sniffed. “I don’t need Blair to fight all of my battles.” Both Michael and Steven snorted. “Well I don’t.”
Steven looked at Blair who was now carefully scrubbing Jim’s arm with a poofy, sponge thingie, not paying the least bit of attention to them. “Next you’ll be telling us you don’t use Blair as a teddy bear at night.”
Blue eyes glared at him. “Shut up.”
“Make us,” Steven told him with a wicked grin.
“Okay. Since you asked so nicely,” Jim replied, a glint in his eyes that guaranteed swift and deadly retribution. “Blair, Steven and Michael are picking on me. Please, do something.”
It came in the form of big, blue eyes turning toward them with sudden, wide-eyed interest. “Dey pick?”
Jim nodded. “Yup. On YOUR Sentinel.”
Those big, blue eyes narrowed. Making both Steven and Michael move uncomfortably. “Oh?”
“Huh-huh. And your Sentinel is feeling very sad about it,” Jim replied, bottom lip coming out in a pout. The young Sentinel even added a slight tremble to the pout, for added effect.
Those big, blue eyes narrowed even more. “Dey make sad?”
Jim nodded again. “Huh,huh,” He said, bottom lip trembling even more.
“Dey better stop making MY Sentinell sad,” The curly-haired little Guide warned softly, very, very softly.
Jim watched in satisfaction as his brother and bodyguard paled. “I think I’ll go see if Sally needs help with dinner,” Steven said hurriedly.
“We’ll BOTH see if she needs help,” Michael replied, beating Steven to the door.
Steven turned to look at Jim, who was looking extremely pleased. “You should be ashamed of yourself, using a three year old to fight your battle.”
Jim smiled at him. “What I said was that Blair didn’t fight ALL my battles. I didn’t say he couldn’t fight SOME of them.”
“That’s low.”
Jim’s smile widened. “Which is lower? Blair protecting his Sentinel? Or you and Michael being afraid of a three year old?” He chuckled evilly.
“You suck,” Steven took a step back when Blair growled at him menacingly. “I better go see if Sally needs help.”
“You do that,” Jim replied haughtily, turning to his protective little Guide. “Thank-you, Baby. I feel lots better now.”
“Need hug? Make feel lots better.”
The last thing Steven heard as he made his way downstairs was Jim’s reply. “Yes, please. I love Blair hugs. They’re the bestest hugs in the whole world.”
“You fucking wuss,” Steven hissed at Michael, who was waiting for him at the foot of the stairs.
“What can I say? Blair hits hard,” Michael replied sheepishly. “I still have a bruise on my arm from the last time I said a bad word. It hurt,” He added, rubbing his left arm.
“Wuss.”
“And besides you left the bathroom as fast as I did. I’m surprised you didn’t leave sneaker burns on the bathroom tile.”
“We are not talking about me, here, Michael. We are talking about YOU. Some bodyguard you are. You wussing out to a three year old, does not abide well as to how you’ll handle your bodyguard duties.” Steven shook his head sadly. “If Dad finds out about this, you may have to go to bodyguard training school. So they can teach you how to be a MAN.”
Michael rolled his eyes. “Oh, shut the fuck up. You ran out of there as fast as I did. And besides I am a MAN.” Steven snorted. “Well I am.”
“Peeing standing up doesn’t make you a man.”
Michael narrowed his blue-green eyes at Steven. “How the hell do you know I pee standing up?”
Steven looked at him quizzically for a moment. “Don’t have much upstairs do you? Been doing steroids, have we?”
Michael ran a hand over his curly hair. “I have a lot upstairs. I’m not bald and I don’t do drugs. And if you’re doing drugs you better stop or I’m gonna kick your ass all over Cascade.”
“I never said I did drugs, dip-shit.”
“You just told me you did,” Michael said, confused.
“No I didn’t,” Steven replied, looking at Michael as if he were missing more than a couple of marbles from his bag and those remaining were cracked. “Okay, you found me out, I’ll stop,” he said, instead of arguing with the bodybuilder/bodyguard.
Michael suddenly hugged him, startling Steven. “I’m so glad. You’ve made the right decision.”
Steven patted the strange, bodybuilder’s back awkwardly. “Hmm, okay. Let go now before someone sees us.”
“Ah, okay,” Michael replied, pulling away reluctantly.
“Let’s go help Sally,” Steven told him quietly.
“Okay.”
Steven watched Michael go into the kitchen for a moment an odd look on his face before he followed. Thinking he was going to have to ask Mattie if she’d ever dropped Michael on his head when he was a baby.
***
HOUSEHUNTING
This was the third house they’d gotten a tour of. William was hopeful that it would have everything they needed. It certainly was big enough for his expanding family. All of them had decided they’d like to help. He didn’t mind and he sure could use the help.
Steven and Michael were exploring the upstairs bedrooms. Blair and Jim were close by looking at the kitchen with Sally and Simon. Daryl had just run by to join them.
“This house certainly looks promising,” He told the Mr. Samuel, the realtor. Suddenly Jim came up to him, eyes big as saucers. He went straight into his father’s arms.
“What’s wrong?” William asked softly, rubbing his trembling son’s back.
“I…I…I…” Jim stuttered, unable to get the words out.
“What spooked you?”
“I…I’m hearing things in the walls, Dad,” Jim replied, burying his face tightly against William’s chest, as if to block out whatever he was hearing.
William gently began maneuvering Jim toward the door. “We’re leaving. Sally, Simon, boys, lets go. Mr. Samuel, next house, please.”
House number four was no better than house number two. William was beginning to despair in ever finding one. They’d decided to stop for lunch. They could all use the break. Especially since Jim was still extremely spooked by house number three.
Simon bought them all pizza. Tummy’s full, the adults now watched as the boys played the games scattered all over the pizza parlor. Except for Jim and Blair, the young Sentinel refused to leave his Dad’s side. Blair sitting quietly right next to him.
“You don’t have to stay with me, Baby. Go play. Dad’s here. I’ll be alright,” Jim told his little Guide for the sixth time.
“No, play. Stay Sentinell,” Blair replied stubbornly for the sixth time.
“But I’m okay.”
Blair tilted his head to the side as he contemplated his Sentinel. “Not okay.”
“Well, no not really, but I’m better,” Jim told him, sheepishly.
“Need scent?” Blair asked softly.
Jim though about it. “Hmm, no I don’t think so. I just got spooked by the termites in the walls. I’d never heard them before.”
William rubbed his Son’s back soothingly. “Is that what happened?”
“Yeah, it just overwhelmed me for a bit. I’m better now, so we can keep looking at houses.”
Simon smiled at the young Sentinel as he sat across from him, noticing how pale Jim really was. “That’s got to be a bit overwhelming the first time you hear it.”
Jim nodded taking a drink of his Coke. “Yeah, like being inside a box with scratching and scrambling going on all around you.” Jim shuddered. “It was really spooky.”
“I bet,” Simon replied. “Could be useful in helping your Dad pick a house though.”
Jim smiled. “Yeah, huh. If I don’t run out of the house screaming.”
They all chuckled. “There is that,” William said kissing his son’s forehead. “But we’ll make sure it doesn’t come to that.”
True to his word, next house they went to William had Jim check for creepy crawlies as Steven called them, standing just inside the door. No one went in until the young Sentinel gave the all clear.
House five and six were a bust as well. Six was large enough, but needed more repair work than it would take to add on to the house they now lived in.
They all came up to house number seven late in the afternoon. They were all hot, tired and depressed at not finding a suitable house.
All of them stared at the three story home from inside the van William was thinking of buying, so they’d all be able to go to the same place together and not have to use three or four different cars to get there.
Everyone in the van was silent for a moment before Blair ‘ooh’d’.
“I’d say,” Steven agreed, closing his mouth.
“Let’s have a look. Now if only the inside is as impressive as the outside,” William said softly. They all got out of the van, waiting by it for Mr. Samuel.
They were all silent as they waited for the realtor to open the double-paned doors. Hoping beyond hope that this house was the answer to their search.
“Jim?” William asked his son.
The young Sentinel tilted his head to the side. “All clear, Dad.”
William smiled at him. “Good. Let’s have a look.” He chuckled when all the youngsters scattering quickly once inside the door.
First floor held a massive living room with a floor to ceiling fireplace. A kitchen Sally immediately fell in love with. A dining room that would be big enough for his family and their friends as well as those that’d adopted or been adopted by the Ellisons. A bathroom as well as two rooms William immediately thought would made great offices for Simon and himself.
Second floor held four huge bedrooms, with connecting bathrooms. But it was the third floor that drew William’s attention. It was a huge, open area with windows that allowed in plenty of sunshine and fresh air. A room that would be perfect for his boys. He turned to Simon.
“This room would make a great dorm style bedroom for the boys. We can have some partitions build to allow for some privacy for each of them, but still allow them the closeness they want.” William was positive that at this point in his boys’ life they didn’t want to be to far from each other. Actually, they had so much as said so.
“You’re right,” Simon replied. “It’s huge. There’s even enough room for them to have a place to study and play if they want.” Simon smiled. “And a area for Blair’s book shelves. That child has enough books to fill a library.”
William chuckled. “Yes, he does.”
“Dad, this house is great,” Jim told his father enthusiastically.
William nodded. “Yes. One of the better ones we’ve seen. What do the rest of you say?”
“This is a great house,” Steven agreed with Jim. “The backyard is huge too. And there’s even a pool.”
“Blair?” William asked his youngest.
Blair looked up at him, offering his arms to be picked up. “Nice.”
William complied. “Would you like to live here, son?” He asked, tucking a stray curl behind Blair’s ear.
“Yups.”
“Daryl? Michael?” William asked.
“This is a great house,” Daryl replied, smiling shyly at the eldest Ellison.
Michael looked at him, blue-green eyes twinkling happily. “It is. I wouldn’t mind living here.”
William turned toward Simon and Sally who were quietly watching. “What do you think? Will this house be good enough to raise our expanding family?”
Sally nodded. “I think it’s perfect.”
“Me too,” Simon answered, pulling Daryl into his arms. “Are you going to want your own room or do you want to share with the guys?” he asked him softly.
“If there’s room for me, I want to share,” Daryl said, looking hopefully at the young Sentinel.
Jim smiled at him. “There will always be room for you, but I call the side with the biggest window.”
Steven frowned at him. “Why do you get the spot with the biggest window?”
“Because I’m the oldest and I get first dibs on everything.”
“Say’s who?” Steven asked, punching Jim on the arm.
“Ow! I say. Quit hitting me or I’m going to sic my little Guide on you,” Jim told him rubbing his arm.
“Wuss.”
Jim smiled at him. “Yup and proud of it, too.”
Steven rolled his eyes. “Sissy.”
“That to.”
Steven looked at him in astonishment. “You’re admitting you’re a sissy?”
“Yup.”
“The great Watchman is admitting he’s a sissy?”
“Yup, who has the biggest window in the soon to be new bedroom of a new house.” Steven rolled his eyes at him again. “You know, if you don’t quit doing that, it’s going to make you blind,” Jim told his brother chuckling.
“Yeah, yeah. Whatever,” Steven replied as he walked away. He really didn’t care about the window anyway, he just wanted to give his brother a hard time.
Jim watched Steven for a moment before turning toward his father. “Is the house going to be ours?” he asked hopefully.
William nodded. “Yes, I think so. I just need to talk to Mr. Samuel about the details. Does anybody know where he’s at?”
“I saw him heading downstairs with Simon,” Michael answered from his perch on a window sill.
“Okay, thank you. Here, Jim-take you’re little Guide while I talk to the realtor.”
Jim reached for Blair, giving him a gentle kiss on the forehead. “You like the house, Baby?”
Blair nodded, returning the kiss with one of his own, right on Jim’s nose. “Yup. Nice.”
“Would you like to live here?”
Blair wrapped his left arm around Jim’s neck. “Yup.”
“Cool. Let’s hope that Dad can work out the details.”
***
It didn’t take long. Three weeks later they were packing to move, with not to much mayhem with everyone pitching in to help.
Sally in the kitchen carefully wrapping dishes looked up, to see Blair walking in holding up the forefinger of his left hand.
“What’s the matter, Blair?”
“I cut?”
“You cut your finger?”
“Yup,” He said, walking up to her.
She reached down to picking him up and gently placing him on the counter top. Taking out the first aid kit. “Lets have a look. Oh, it’s not too bad. We can have that taken care of in no time. How did this happen?”
“Cut, putting books in box.”
She carefully disinfected the tiny cut. “Do you want Batman or Spiderman?” she asked, showing the two different types of band aids.
“Batman, pleesh.”
“Okay.” Done Sally tossed away the trash, when she turned back it was to see the curly-haired little boy rubbing his eyes tiredly with the back of his hands. “Are you sleepy, Blair?”
Blair nodded. “Sleepy.”
“Would you like to take a nap?”
The little Guide nodded his head, offering his arms. Sally gathered him to her, carrying Blair to a space know to all the Ellison boys. A space that spoke of caring, love and comfort.
Blair had started coming to her shortly after the young Sentinel/Guide pair had returned from hiding from Naomi. Sharing with her the same amount of hugs and kisses he did with the rest of the family, yet their relationship was slightly different.
The little Guide came to her for attention he would have at one time gotten from his mother, just as had Jim and Steven shortly after their mother had died. She’s love those times spending cuddling with them. Then they’d started thinking they were to old and it had stopped. She had missed those times with an ache that’d never really gone away. Until Blair.
Sally sat in the rocking chair in a corner of the huge kitchen of the home they would soon be leaving. Cuddling Blair close, she began singing to him a song her mother had taught her long ago. Smiling inwardly as she watched Blair’s beautiful, blue eyes began to slowly close, until they closed completely.
Sally gently stroked Blair’s curly hair from his pale face. Reaching to the shelf behind her for the Batman quilt one of her daughters had made, once she’d found out about Blair and his love of all things Batman. Carefully covering him with it.
Sally’s family were all grown and scattered through out the world. Only one daughter out of three girls and two boys lived in Cascade. None of her children had families of their own, something Sally missed greatly.
Grandchildren to love, but now she had William’s sons. Jim, Steven and Blair. Even Michael had found a place in her heart, with his helpful manner and happy-go-lucky and rather quirky nature. And Daryl too-with his shy, reserved manner. She loved them all, each and every one of them.
Sally sighed, leaning her head back against the rocker as she continued to rock, quietly singing to one special little boy who’d didn’t think he was too old to be rocked and sung to. And hopefully wouldn’t for a long, long time.
***
“Where’s Blair?” Steven asked Jim.
The young Sentinel tilted his head to the side. “He’s taking a nap with Sally. She’s singing to him.” Jim looked over at his brother. “Remember that song she always sang to us when we wanted to cuddle?”
Steven smiled, remembering. “Oh, yeah. That was great. It’s too bad we’re too old for that now.”
Jim sighed. “Yeah, huh?”
“She’s singing to Blair?”
“Yup.”
“That same song she’d sing for us when we were Blair’s age?”
“Yup.”
“Rocking him, too?”
“Yup.”
“Damn, I really miss that,” Steven said sadly.
“Me to, but we’re too big now.”
Steven stopped packing away his comic books. “Are you sure?” he asked wistfully.
“Pretty sure,” Jim replied, just as wistfully.
“Damn.”
“Yeah.”
***
NEW HOME
Finally settled into their new home, they all sat around enjoying the fact they had nothing to do but lay around.
Steven and Daryl were playing with Wofie and Blackie bouncing a ball between them, watching the kittens chase it back and forth.
William and Simon were once again trying to solve the puzzle in the newspaper, which had become a ritual every evening. Barkie lay in Simon’s lap, happily getting his ears scratched.
Sally had gone to visit her daughter and would be back in time for William to take them out for dinner to celebrate their move into their new home.
Michael was weight lifting in the dorm/bedroom all five of the boys now shared. William had hired a decorator who’d done a great job turning the huge upper level into a room where they all had a semblance of privacy while at the same time sharing space. And there was even extra room for Blair’s books, the computer and Michael’s weights.
Jim and Blair were in their usual spot on the couch with the little Guide reading to his Sentinel. Jim purring as he listened contently to Blair’s soothing voice. Jim remembered the last time they’d spent such a lazy day. Everything had gone to hell with the ringing of the doorbell.
When it suddenly rang, cutting into the peacefulness of the afternoon, making Jim jump nervously. Earning a curious look from Blair.
Jim watched worriedly as his father head toward the door. Nothing could happen, right? It could be a door to door salesmen. Or some religious people wanting to talk and leave pamphlets. Or girls selling cookies. Right? It didn’t necessary mean something bad.
William opened the door. A man stood there slight of build, with big, blue eyes and short, gray, curly hair. He smiled at William tentatively. “Hello. Is this the Ellison household?”
William nodded. “Yes it is. Can I help you?” He asked, looking at the elderly gentlemen curiously. He seemed oddly familiar.
“It has taken me many days to find you. My name is Jacob Sandburg. I’m Blair’s grandfather. May I come in?”