xp_logs | Thanksgiving in California

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Thanksgiving in the Dane house. Lorna cooks or tries to but her parents have other plans. In an excellent example of divide and conquer, Paul and Janice take the measure of their daughter's relationship. Alex gets threatened with the shotgun again.

Lorna poked through her mother’s spice rack. “Mom, do you have any cumin?” She spun the lazy susan slowly, lifting a jar occasionally to check the label.

“There should be some next to the cinnamon,” was the reply from the other room.

The jar next to the cinnamon was quite empty. “Damn, was afraid of that,” she muttered. She cast a baleful glance at the inadequate supplies. This wasn’t the first ingredient she discovered missing. Next time, she swore, she was going to take inventory herself and not trust her mother’s memory. “We’re out. I’ll have to go to the store for that too.” She added it to her ever-growing list. She walked into the living room to track down her purse. “Seriously, Mom, what have you people been eating? There is no food in that kitchen.”

Janice smiled apologetically and patted her husband on leg, giving him a significant Look. Paul rolled his eyes, “Don’t worry about it, Kermie.” He stood, holding his hand out for the list. “I’ll go to the store for you.”

Lorna glanced from one parent to the other, “No, Dad, it’s okay. I’ll be right back. I’ll take Alex, we’ll hit the store and be back. It’s no big deal.” She dug through her purse for her keys. “I just need you to check the bird in, like, ten minutes.”

Paul and Janice looked at each other. “You know I can’t cook and your mother is in no condition to be running around the kitchen. The boy and I can go.” Paul appropriated the keys out of Lorna’s hand and then snatched the list as well. “Your mother wants to see you. You should stay here.”

Lorna’s eyes widened, seeing where this was going. “But…I…Alex.” She looked at her mother for support and received only a small smile.

“Let the boys go, Kermie. We haven’t had a chance to really visit.” Janice patted the couch cushion next to her. Lorna hid a groan. It was always a bad sign when her parents called her by her nickname. Always. “I’ve missed you. We should catch up.”

Paul nodded, “See? That’s settled. Where is that boy anyway?” Paul looked around like he thought Alex might be hiding under a couch cushion or something.

“In the bedroom, I think.” Lorna seized the moment and edged quietly in that direction. “I’ll just…go get him.” She darted off before either parent could speak. She wasn’t going to budge them—she knew when she was beat but maybe she could save Alex.

In the bedroom, she grabbed Alex’s hands and babbled out an explanation of the situation. “But you don’t have to go. Just…I don’t know. They can’t force you. I won’t change their minds but you don’t have to go with Dad. Really.”

Alex blinked in surprise at both the fact her father wanted him to go to the store with him and her almost frightened response. He removed one hand from hers to put the textbook he's been reading on the bedside table, then put it on her cheek, a small grin on his face. "I'd love to go to the store with your dad. I'm not going to give him that satisfaction. Plus, I think we need to talk, especially now." He leaned forward to give her a quick kiss on the forehead. "But I'll only go if you want me too..."

Lorna blinked, “Alex, you don’t understand. They’re ganging up on me. It’s all a plot to get us separated. They take no prisoners!” He hadn’t had parents since he was little. Obviously he didn’t understand the diabolical evil that governed their actions.

He couldn't help but giggle slightly at her reaction. "Lorna, they're going to do this eventually, might as well get it over with now. I'd rather your parents like me than worry what I'm going to do to their daughter." Alex paused as he realized what he'd just said, "Well, the normal stuff anyway. Can't make a guarantee on the mutation stuff as much as I'd like too."

She wrapped her arms around him and muttered into his shoulder. “But I don't want you to get put through Daddy’s wringer. He’s run off every…”

“Kermie?” Paul’s voice rang down the hallway, “Did you and the boy get lost? I thought you were in a hurry.”

Lorna clung to Alex a bit more. “You can still escape. I’ll cover for you.”

"He won't run off me." Alex said stubbornly. "I love you too much to run off by some old fart with a shotgun." Giving her a quick kiss, he called back, "Will be right there, Mr. Dane...just finding my sneakers!" When in actuality, he already had them on, Alex took the opportunity to stand, Lorna's hand in his, a curious raised eyebrow. "Kermie, huh? Does that make me Ms. Piggy?"

“It’s not easy being green. Breathe a word of it at school and you’ll sleep on the couch for a week.” She kissed him back. “Don’t let him bully you.”

"Yes ma'am on both counts!" Alex walked hand in hand with her down the hallway, putting his arm around her shoulders as they came in sight of her father. "Ready to go Mr. Dane."

Paul suppressed a glare and sharp comment with just a single raised brow from his wife and just nodded. “Let’s go.”

Lorna kissed Alex’s cheek, feeling vaguely like she was sending him off to war. “I’ll see you soon, love.”

Alex couldn't help but grin at his small victory. Retuning the kiss, he said softly, "i will be fine. Don't worry."" then with a quick squeeze of her hand, he was following Paul out the door.

The sound of the door closing made Lorna flinch and she turned slowly back to her mother. Janice sat primly on the couch, a magazine open on her lap, paging through it with the serenity of every mother about to pounce her daughter ever. She smiled at Lorna and patted the couch next to her again. “Come sit by me, sweetie. I haven’t really been able to talk to you in ages. You don’t call as often as you used to. Did you get your present?”

Lorna tried to assure herself that dread was not the appropriate emotion here. “I really should go check the turkey.” She sidled toward the kitchen, exactly like someone trying not to startle a potentially violent animal. Janice just smiled.

“Oh, it can wait a bit. Sit with me. I never get to see my little girl.” Janice wheedled expertly, using guilt as only a mother can. Lorna sighed and trudged over, flopping onto the couch. She crossed her arms and looked at her mother warily. Janice beamed and brushed her hand over her daughter’s vividly green hair. “I remember when you were just a little baby. And now look at you, all grown up, living your own life.”

Lorna shifted, “Um, thanks, Mom. I’m sorry I didn’t call for my birthday. I liked the camera.” Though what they thought she was going to do with the tiny digital camera was beyond her. She figured it was a hint that they wanted more updates. It was still in its box.

“Did you? I told Dad that you would.” Janice wound her arm around Lorna’s shoulders and gave her a half-hug. “He told me that you and he got into a little fight while you were here after my accident.”

Over Alex and sleeping arrangements. Oh Christ, this was going to be worse than she thought. “Um, yeah. We worked it out.”

“You promised him that you weren’t having sex.” Janice smiled broadly. “That was very reassuring to him.”

Lorna prayed the ground would open up and swallow her then and there. This was absolutely not the conversation she wanted to be having with her mother. Lorna didn’t lie well. “Yeah, I did. He wanted Alex to sleep on the couch but yeah, I thought if he knew we weren’t doing anything he wouldn’t freak out so bad.” She was going to die. Really, really die. Maybe her mother would just assume that nothing had changed.

“So you’ve only been having sex since then?” Or not. Lorna flopped forward and buried her face between her knees. Janice continued in that same cheerfully prying tone, patting Lorna’s back. “I’m your mother, you can tell me. When did this happen?”

“Kill me.” Lorna whimpered. She shook her head and sat up. “Mom, it’s not…”

“You’re blushing,” Janice observed.

Lorna didn’t doubt that in the least. “My birthday,” she said with a sigh. Maybe her mother would leave her alone if she just told her what she wanted.

Janice teared up immediately and hugged Lorna again, clasping her to her. “Oh, my little girl! Was it beautiful?”

Or maybe one day Lorna would learn that it never ended where she wanted it to with her mother. “Mo-om!

****

“So you’re sleeping with my daughter.” Paul said suddenly. He handed a head of lettuce to Alex.

"Yes, sir." Alex replied quickly, putting the lettuce in the cart he was pushing slightly behind the elder man. "If it makes you feel any better, we only did it for the first time last week..." he didn't know it was his best defense or not, but he felt it was important to add.

Paul narrowed his eyes. Technically that meant Lorna hadn’t broken her promise but he didn’t like the way that boy was flaunting it. “Talked her into it, I suppose?” He bagged a couple of tomatoes and gave them to the boy as well.

Alex didn't even realize he was flaunting it, he hadn't even known her parents knew until Mr. Dane mentioned it. "Actually sir, it was more the other way around...I knew she wanted to go one step further and I had to talk myself into it..."

Not what a father wanted to hear about his little girl. “What are you planning then, young man? Lorna was raised to want a normal life. Are you planning on giving her that?”

After placing the tomatoes in the cart, Alex leaned on the handle of the cart, looking straight at Mr. Dane. "I plan on giving her whatever she wants for her own life. If you will let me."

“Are you asking for my blessing?” The boy was evasive. He was good at that. “What is it you want from Lorna?”

With a frustrated sigh, Alex closed his eyes a moment. "Yes I want your blessing. And I want to be with and love your daughter. I don't want anything from her...just to be with her."

“Do you want to marry her?” Paul raised his eyebrow at Alex, looking very much like his daughter as he did so.

Now that made Alex blinked and swallow nervously before he got up the nerve to answer. "Someday maybe..." His voice was soft, for it was difficult for a teenager to think that far ahead. But the more he thought about it...he liked the idea, someday...

“Maybe? How long exactly are you thinking you’re going to string my daughter along while you decide?” More evasion, as far as Paul was concerned. Janice had told him to be nice. Paul figured he was.

"Sir, I'm turning nineteen in January. Your daughter just turned twenty-one. Do you really want us making such a serious decision at our ages? Wouldn't you prefer us being a little more mature before we even think about marriage?" Alex wasn't trying to evaded his question but geez marriage talk already? He wanted to be able to at least be able to drink first!

“Janice was 22 when we married.” Almost 38 years ago now, how could it have been so long? “I think that if you’re old enough to be having sex, you’re old enough to be thinking about marriage. Time was when those came the other way around.” Paul didn’t mind being thought old-fashioned.

"Yes but I'm only 19 and frankly, I’d like to be older to make sure I'm completely ready and able to be a good husband to your daughter she deserves nothing less." Alex opened his mouth to say something about the sex being more of a healing thing for both of them than anything else but it wasn't the time nor the place so he refrained.

Paul narrowed his eyes but he couldn’t fault that. If Alex had been asking to marry Lorna he would have been pointing out their youth himself. “We need cumin.”

Alex couldn't help but smile, sensing a small victory. "I think it's the next aisle over."

“Hmm.” Paul gave Alex a hard look. “I still have a shot gun.”

He grinned again and bit his lower lip, ducking his head slightly to hide the small chuckle that escaped. "I saw it above the fireplace, sir."

“That one is just for show. It doesn’t fire.” Which would be obvious to anyone with any knowledge of guns. Paul approved that the boy didn’t know enough for it to be obvious. “The real one is locked in its cabinet. Safety first, Alex.”

Alex blinked. Had Mr. Dane just used his name? "I Umm...that's a good thing, Mr. Dane."

“Gun safety is serious. Lorna would be able to tell you so. I used to take her to the range when she was little.” Paul pulled the cumin off the shelf and tossed it into the basket. He handed the list to Alex, “Is that everything?”

He gave a quick glance to the list. "We need eggs then we should be done...but is that everything you wanted to talk to me about, sir?"

“You’ve told me that you want the best for her. I think you’re telling me the truth.” Paul turned and faced Alex squarely. “Do you have any family, Alex?”

He faced Mr. Dane as best he could, shoulders straight, standing tall, still a bit amazed he was hearing his name in Mr. Dane's voice and not being called 'boy'. "Only my older brother, Scott. Our parents were killed in a plane crash when I was eight. We were only just reunited last year at the mansion."

“Scott—is he one of the teachers?” At Alex’s nod, Paul thought back to the somewhat hazy days last December, finding memories of meeting the staff and summoned up a mental picture of a serious-faced young man who Paul wouldn’t have hesitated a moment in trusting. “Interesting. Lorna thinks highly of him. You haven’t grown up with him. Are you two close?”

"Very. It was hard being separated, especially since I thought he was dead. Now, I guess you can say we're making up for lost time...It's my job as his little brother to make him relax after all." He was very pleased at this change of conversation as he stopped the cart to look over the boxes of eggs.

Paul nodded thoughtfully. “I had a sister. We were very close and I was devastated when she died. I would have done anything to protect her.” He waited until Alex was looking at him. “What I felt for her is nothing compared to what I would do for my daughter. Understand that, Alex. As much as you love your brother, it can’t even begin to compare to a father’s will to protect his child. I’m not joking about the shotgun.”

Alex nodded gravely his tone just as serious as Mr Dane's. "I completely understand sir. And I know I must be harder to accept then other boys Lorna has dated because I nearly killed her, but you have no idea how thankful I am that I am having this conversation with you...threats of shotguns and all."

Paul laughed, just a short bark with almost no amusement in it. “You don’t know some of the boys Lorna dated. I think she was trying to see how much she could horrify us. Don’t be thankful. I haven’t decided if you’re good enough yet but you’re better than some of them and I only ever had to shoot at one of them.”

"Still, if you don't mind, I'll take that as a compliment." Again he couldn't help but smile as a dozen eggs finally made it into the cart. "And apparently, Lorna thinks I'm good enough...so no matter what you say, I'm happy where I am at this point."

Paul gave the boy a speculative look. Maybe he’d do after all.