Darling-Jones family scraps: continued

From "Darling-Jones family scraps"

## Nesting

Inspired by a Suddenly; Prompt!

"What the—?" Jackson lifts the unfamiliar objects from the damp pile. "I keep finding extra, odd socks in the wash." Frowns. "I thought they were supposed to /**disappear**."

Jupiter giggles, bounces.

Jackson shrugs. "Guess you can't have too many socks, ay, Jubjub?"

She claps her hands, squeals.

Jackson opens the dryer.

Snicket lifts his head, yawns.

"How the /**heck** did you get in there?"

Snicket /*ffrrp*s, stretches, and flows out.

## Blind

 Setting
 Inspired by

Jackson glowers at his current project.

""—have bad news from the PPDC today. Sydney will be short one Jaeger for a few—""

"Whoa. What?" Jackson dives for the remote, rewinds.

""—news from the PPDC today. Sydney will be short one Jaeger for a short while while Ranger Lachlan Riley, right hemisphere of the VS-01 scout unit, takes leave to deal with a family emergency in his hometown of Darwin. The Ranger's younger sister was badly hurt in a car accident yesterday and he plans to spend a few days at her bedside. We wish her the speediest of recoveries and hope to see Ranger Riley back on duty soon. Taylah? What will the weather—""

Jackson stops the playback, mumbles, "We're blind without the scout, like—" He glances up the stairs, toward the nursery. "Pleaseplease/**please** don't let anything head this way—" Shudders. "—again."

## Unholy Racket

The Village; inspired by the new "China Doll" in the omnibus when Logan says, "--even though he's going to get so many /treats he won't be able to /stand /up." but this doesn't have to take place during that ficlet.

Water running in the upstairs bathroom. >though possibly soundproofing in their house is better than in my house XD <

Pietr serves tea.

An unholy racket--

Charlie and Griet attend.

--from upstairs.

Pietr queries.

.::I'm not sure,:: says Griet.

Pietr nods.

A streak of grey-brown flies into the kitchen, up the cupboards, and resolves on top of the unit into a spitting, snarling Snicket, fur sticking out in all directions.

Charlie looks up at him. "What on /earth happened to you, Fuzzy?"

Snicket snarls, eyes flicking towards upstairs--or the footsteps coming down the stairs.

Baby tromps into the kitchen, soaking wet.

Charlie raises an eyebrow.

"Bath," explains Baby sheepishly.

Snicket presses himself to the top of the cupboard, ears back and hissing.

## Sydney

Inspired by comments on "Night Light"

CptnJEJones: [attachment]

CKDarling: that Kaiju looks remarkably giraffe-like

CptnJEJones: XD

CptnJEJones: certain artistic liberties were taken for this project, I will admit.

CptnJEJones: BUT DEREK SHALL SCORE AN 'A' IF ITS THE LAST THING I DO

CKDarling: Be careful or the beans'll hear you and get jealous

CptnJEJones: not much worry about that

CptnJEJones: [attachment]

Charlie squeaks and covers her mouth.

Juliet peers over.

Charlie shows her the screen.

Juliet takes Charlie's mobile, forwards herself the picture, and leaves for the printer.

Soon, a poster-sized print of Baby, sleeping in a Striker onesie amidst a city of blocks, hangs in view of both Juliet and Charlie's offices, as well as half the workplace.

## Soulmates

(I was thinking about PIetr Rabbit last night)

Pietr waves goodbye and ducks into the car, and the van drives away.

"You two are soulmates, you know," says the blonde.

"Lucky me," replies Charlie.

"I'm serious. His preliminary CORO and yours are five points apart."

"As I said, lucky me."

"He's actually a better fit for you, mentally, than your partner. Thirty points difference there." Clicks her tongue. "You two have communication difficulties, don't you?"

"Only when Jackson speaks nerd," smiles Charlie, visualizing a trencher and stripping it down to its washers.

"With numbers that divergent, it's no wonder your children are all over the place neurologically and psychologically."

[Trencher: Reassembled. "Which you would know from an out-of-focus scan and a handful of tests--" ]

"Our data shows the more Compatible the parents, the more intelligent and stable the child. It's really a remarkably consistent correlation."

Feeds the blonde to the machinery.

"You can just look at his children so far. Every one of them has a higher IQ than him or his partner and is more equanimous, and that's with a seven-point gap."

Sends the pieces through again.

The blonde sighs. "It's too bad we lost Bud before we got any data. That—"

"You lost a baby and you want me to hand over mine."

Puffs up. "/**I** didn't lose a baby. Someone st—" Shuts her mouth with a snap.

Charlie lets herself smirk on the inside.

"Have you considered a fourth child?"

"You really want to try getting involved in my reproductive life."

"The child wouldn't want for anything—"

Charlie laughs.

## Baby and Button

Baby spots Logan on the couch. Baby climbs up beside him and into his lap, only to find his lap occupied.

The small person there gurgles and grabs at Baby--

Baby recoils, heads off in search of Snicket.

The second time Baby finds Logan occupied, Baby is annoyed and leaves.

Baby feels quite miffed the third time; the fourth time, hot, ugly anger wells up in Baby's chest.

The fifth time, Baby can't think for the fury and shoves the small person away from Logan--

"Baby!" scolds Mum.

Baby turns on a heel and stomps from the room, up the stairs, and slams the door to Safe. Baby grabs stuffies and blankets and shoves it all under the bed, then curls up tightly, trembling with anger as hot tears well out from clenched eyes.

## Room

The door to Safe opens.

Baby watches bare feet approach Baby's nest under the bed.

A sigh from high above.

Then a deep breath and bent knees, then elbows, then Logan's face.

"Hey," he says. "Can I join you?"

Baby's eyes narrow.

"I don't have Button with me."

Baby gives him a dark look, but wiggles over.

Logan grunts, worms his top half under the bed.

Baby waits.

Logan takes a deep breath, says, "I--" Blinks fast, swallows. "I know you're upset because I've been spending so much time with Button--"

Baby digs fingernails into skin.

"--but I've got room for you /**and** him." He smiles, a little crooked, embarrassed. "Do you believe me?"

Baby considers.

"I'm still yours."

Baby's lip wibbles.

"How 'bout we wiggle outta here and snuggle right?"

Baby nods.

Logan backs away.

Baby squirms after him.

Logan sits on the bed.

Baby climbs up beside him and into his lap.

Logan tucks Baby close.

Baby snuggles against his chest.

"See? Plenty of room."

Baby smiles into his neck.

## Worry

Mum and Jacknlogan bring Baby back into the grey place.

They set Baby on the floor and crouch down to eye-level.

(Baby loves Mum's hair.)

"We're going to talk to a speech pathologist," says Mum.

"Maybe try and figure out what's with you and talking," adds Jacknlogan.

Baby is puzzled--Baby can talk just fine.

""Ranger Jones and Mrs Darling?"" chirps a grey person.

Nononono--

"That's us." Jacknlogan scoops Baby up and he and Mum stand.

Baby wiggles.

"Right this way please."

The grey person leads them down a short hall, to a room with a machine--

Baby tries crawling out over Jacknlogan's shoulder.

"We're just going to take a quick scan," says the grey person. "Just so we can see what we're working with."

Mum and Jacknlogan nod; Jacknlogan brings Baby to the machine--

Baby tries slithering out between his arms.

Jacknlogan sets Baby down in the machine--

"Now, if you would hold still for just a minute," says the grey person.

Baby bats at his arms.

"It'll only be a moment," says the grey person.

Baby lashes out, flails--

A loud noise.

"All done!" says the grey person. "If you three would follow me, I'll have the doctor come meet you in the conference room."

Jacknlogan--

Baby kicks out, lands on the floor--

"Baby--"

Skitters out of reach, and rushes from the room, eyes hot and stinging, and curls in a corner.

## Shower

### Meta

**Timing:** July 20th, maybe?

**Setting:** the first house, master bath.

### Text

Charlie stands face-first in the shower, letting the warm water ease the aches in her muscles.

The door slides open.

She twists around, breaking into a huge smile.

Jackson, beaming, joins her, closes the door softly.

Book sprawls on his arm, contently sleeping off a food coma.

‘We have a ----‘

Charlie holds out her arms, querying.

“Book,” Jackson whispers, squeezing by.