The Adoption
A Little Shop of Horrors Fan Fiction inspired by the song Mushnik and Son
A/N: I do not own the rights to any LSOH characters. Don't be misled by the discussion that Audrey and Seymour have. This is just a general discussion about the abuse. It's not similar to any conversation the characters have in The Three Matchmakers that eventually lead to Audrey and Seymour dating.
It was a Friday in mid November. Seymour Krelborn woke up in his cramped basement apartment of the flower shop where we worked. He had worked here since the first day Mr. Mushnik brought him home from the Skid Row Home For Boys at the age of 11. Now six years later the adoption process would be complete after much red tape on behalf of the orphanage. They had to track down the original birth certificate and whatever other paper work Seymour's parents had originally including medical records so Mr. Mushnik could get a hold of them…that had been a long process because no one at the orphanage knew if Seymour had any other relatives. Finally the red tape was at an end and at age 17 Seymour would finally be adopted by Mr. Mushnik.
"Krelborn, are you up yet?" Mr. Mushnik's voice boomed from upstairs.
"Yes sir, I'll be right up. Seymour called back
Seymour's heart fluttered with anticipation by tomorrow afternoon he would be finally able to call Mr. Mushnik Dad. Something he had wanted to call him for all these years but it never quite felt right. As if vindicated,after tomorrow it finally would.
Another day of monotonous work at the flower shop was to begin but Audrey would be in soon and she always made everything worthwhile.
"My boy,tomorrow your adoption will finally be legal. You are as excited as I am?"
Seymour beamed "Yes sir Mr. Mushnik I've looked up to you as a father for so long finally I will actually be able to call you father."
"Yes,and I'll finally move you out of that hole of a basement apartment and you'll move in with me and my wife."
Seymour was shocked and elated
"Thank you sir, I can't wait to live with you and Mrs. Mushnik."
"We'll give you the life you've deserved for a long time. Now get ready, the customers will be coming in soon."
Seymour bustled around in the back room doing the morning inventory check when he heard the bell above the door tingle. It was Audrey, his co-worker and unbeknownst to Mr. Mushnik or his three friends Chiffon Ronette and Crystal his secret love.
"Mornin' Mr. Mushnik You and Seymour must be so excited about tomorrow."
"Yes, yes we are We've been looking forward to this day for so long." Mr. Mushnik said
Crash!
Mr. Mushnik and Audrey ran back to the room where Seymour was doing the inventory
"Oy Vey Seymour there goes more inventory. You need to be steadier on your feet."
"Sorry Sir.
Audrey got a little shy. Secretly she liked Seymour too.
"Hi Seymour."
"Morning Audrey. Is that new mascara you're wearing?"
Audrey suddenly grew subconscious about the fresh bruise that was around her right eye. She had gotten into another fight with Orin the previous night. She lied and said "Yeah."
Mr. Mushnik and Seymour exchanged a glance. They both knew Orin was abusive and agreed that Audrey needed to get out of the relationship and fast.
Audrey extended her hand and helped Seymour to his feet.
"Come on Seymour. I'll help you clean this mess up then we can get out front and see if there are any customers."
Seymour smiled
"Thanks Audrey."
"No Problem."
Business was slow as always and didn't start picking up til after lunch. During lunch, Seymour decided to break his silence about how he felt about Orin's abuse.
"Audrey, why are you still dating Orin?"
"He's the only guy on Skid Row who is decent."
Seymour did not agree with this statement. He thought he was a lot more decent and respectable then Orin.
"But you know he's abusive. Don't you think that's a little bit unhealthy?"
"I've tried to stand up to him but he doesn't listen."
Seymour looked at Audrey and could see she was getting upset.
"Audrey, I don't mean to upset you. I'm just worried about you that's all."
Audrey nodded. "I'm not mad at you Seymour. I know that you and Mr. Mushnik care about me. I don't really like the way Orin treats me either. I'm mad at myself not at you."
"Then dump him"
"That seems like the easiest solution but there's always the "what if"?
"What "what if"?
"What if he continues to beat up on me after we break up?"
Seymour had never considered this.
"You could always get a restraining order against him."
"But then who would I date?"
"Audrey, there may not be a lot eligible bachelors on Skid Row but what about me?"
Audrey was shocked at her co-worker's question but was silent for a few minutes.
"Well I've always seen you as a friend Seymour.. What if we dated and it didn't go well? That would ruin the friendship."
"You don't know until you try."
"Well, do you like me as more than a friend?"
Now it was Seymour's turn to be silent for a brief few minutes.
"Yes, I have, for awhile."
Audrey was surprised by Seymour's admission and even more surprised that she shared the same feelings for him.
"I like you too."
Seymour was happy their feelings for each other were out in the open and there were no more secrets.
Business picked up briefly after lunch and then got a slow again a little later in the afternoon. As closing time approached Mr. Mushnik was quick to remind Audrey of the schedule for the following day.
"Now Audrey remember tomorrow we don't open til 2:30. Seymour and I are going to the courthouse to seal the deal on the adoption at 10:00 and then you and Ronnette Crystal and Chiffon can join us for a luncheon at my apartment."
"Yes sir. I'll be sure to tell them about it."
The shop closed for the day and Seymour retreated to his basement apartment for the last time. He jumped for joy at the thought of moving into Mr. Mushnik's house and sleeping in an actual a bed as opposed to sleeping on an uncomfortable cot.
Seymour was up bright and early the next morning and went over to Crystal Ronette and Chiffon's to shower and get ready for the day's events. Mr. Mushnik had brought him a suit and tie for the occasion . The girls helped to get him ready.
"Seymour, a new chapter of your life is about to open. You must be so excited." Crystal said.
Seymour beamed from ear to ear.
"Oh, definitely. You guys don't understand how long I've been waiting for this day. Audrey told you guys about the luncheon Mr. Mushnik's right?"
Ronette nodded "Yup. We'll see you there."
Seymour suddenly thought of his talk with Audrey the previous day at lunch and his face grew solemn.
"What's wrong, honey? You shouldn't look so glum on your big day." Crystal said
"Oh, it's nothing related to this. Audrey and I had a talk yesterday about her relationship with Orin, My worry for her just grows deeper and deeper."
Ronette patted Seymour's back affectionately. "We're worried about her too."
"Yeah, that Orin is a real creep. We've told her several times she should break up with him." Chiffon said "But don't let this worry the current moment."
"Yeah, we should talk about this later." Crystal said. She looked at her watch. "It's 9:30 you got to hurry up and get your butt to that courthouse before you're late. We'll see you at Mr. Mushnik's"
"Okay. See you guys later." Seymour said and rushed out the door.
With a few quick signatures the legalization of the adoption was complete and the celebration at Mr. Mushnik's could commence. The caterers had set Mr. Mushnik's apartment up nicely. Seymour was in awe of his new home.
"Let's all go sit on the patio." Ronette suggested
Crystal, Chiffon Seymour and Audrey followed her outside.
"Seymour, what do you think of your new home?" asked Chiffon
"Oh it's so gorgeous here. I can't wait to start the new part of my life here." Seymour beamed happy that his name was now Mushnik and no longer Keelborn. He had always detested the way Krelborn sounded. Mushnik had a more distinctive ring to it.
Audrey raised her glass. "We're all happy for you. Seymour. Cheers"
The five friends clinked their lemonade glasses in unison.
Then all attention suddenly shifted from Seymour to Audrey. Emotions shifted from joy to pure concern.
Seymour cleared his throat.
"Audrey, all four of us are extremely concerned about how things are going between you and Orin. We think the relationship needs to end sooner rather than later."
Crystal, Ronette and Chiffon all nodded.
"Yeah, honey. That guy treats you so nasty you really need to end it with him." Crystal said.
Ronette got up and put her arms around her best friend's shoulders.
"We all love you so much and can't stand the way he's been hurting you."
Audrey didn't like how her relationship issues were suddenly becoming such a deterrent on the happy mood of Seymour's big day. "We should really focus on being happy for Seymour today." She said.
We can all have a formal celebration later tonight at Smerdericks with dancing and everything, right now we need to talk about our biggest concern. Your well-being" Chiffon said.
Audrey sighed and figured it wasn't worth it to fight with her friends.
"Well Seymour and I already talked about this at length. I'm just so afraid to break it off with Orin."
"Worried he could go more berserk on you then he already does?" Crystal asked, wishing she hadn't asked a question with such an obvious answer.
Audrey simply nodded.
"I seriously think he's into some type of weird drug." Chiffon said
Audrey suddenly remembered something she overheard the secretaries say one day when she came to pick Orin up at work at his dental practice and piped up
"He actually gets a high from the nitrous oxide from the gas masks at his dentist's office."
Her friends stopped eating and stared at her.
"How do you know that?" Seymour asked.
" I eavesdropped on a conversation the nurses were having when I went to pick him up the other day. I think when the high wears off that's when he gets abusive."
There was more silence.
"I think there has to more to it than just the nitrous oxide high. That wouldn't be the sole thing that would make him abusive." Crystal said.
"Yeah, that only makes him abusive to his patients because that stuff is supposed to prevent them from having pain while being operated on. He should be sued for malpractice." Ronette said.
"What would make him abusive to me though? I've done nothing at all to him." Audrey said.
Seymour got up from his seat. It was his turn to hug Audrey.
"Audrey, you are not the one at fault. Orin is. He's psychotic and belongs in the nuthouse. He has no reason what so ever to treat you like this and make you feel bad about yourself."
Crystal, Chiffon and Ronette all nodded in unison.
"Can you guys be sure the abuse won't get worse if I break up with him? What would happen if he tried to hurt you guys or Mr. Mushnik?"
"Sweetie, we're strong. He wouldn't let him hurt any of us or Mr. Mushnik."
Audrey was so greatful to have such wonderful and caring friends. Only now did she wish that Orin cared for her as much as they did. Too bad that would never be the case.
Lunch wrapped up and Seymour and Audrey headed off to work. "See you guys later at Smedericks." Audrey called as she waved at her friends who were headed up the street toward their apartment.
"Yup. See you guys later." Ronette called returning the wave.
The three girls were constantly thinking about how they could get Audrey out of the relationship with Orin and Seymour was too.