Title: Family Movie Night
Author: Cath
Disclaimer: Characters do not belong to me, etc. etc.
Summary: The evolution of family movie night over the years. Sandy/Kirsten, Cohens plus one. Includes events from pre-OC to post-Finale.
Notes: I've been toying with the idea of writing an OC fic for a while now, and decided to finally take the plunge and just write the idea I'd had floating round in my head. And it sort of snowballed from there. I've not written anything in while, and it's always scary starting to write for a new fandom, so I sincerely hope that you enjoy – reviews are greatly appreciated.
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Family Movie Night
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Kirsten remembers the evening that "Family Movie Night" was conceived; not the only conception of that night. At this point it was just another pizza and a movie night, a fairly regular occurrence considering her lack of interest in cooking and Sandy's early mornings, which prevented them from going out frequently.
In fact, Sandy had been working late into the evening as well, preventing them from actually spending much time together at all. He'd managed to get home from work at a reasonable hour for the first time in what seemed like weeks, and had even conceded to allow her to choose the movie. She'd known at that point that it was going to be a good night.
The pizza finished, several bottles of beer drunk, Kirsten placed the video in the VCR and pressed play, before sitting down on the couch, curling her feet underneath her, leaning in against her husband. He placed his arm around her, pulling her closer, revelling in her proximity. Their first proper evening together in weeks; Sandy was ecstatic at the thought. That is, until the title of the movie appeared on screen.
"Splash?" he asked incredulously.
"It's a good movie," Kirsten responded with a pout.
"Yeah, but honey… I repeat… Splash?" he raised his eyebrows in order to fully demonstrate his disbelief.
"You said I could choose," she reminded him with a frown.
"Yeah, but I was kinda hoping you might choose something…" Sandy stumbled over the word, noting his wife's disapproving look. He managed to school his features into a fake smile. "Sweetheart, I'm really looking forward to watching this immensely enjoyable movie."
Her frown began to dissolve.
"I enjoy every movie you choose," he placated, having just thought of another route out of watching the movie.
Kirsten smiled, knowing that he wasn't exactly being truthful. "I'm glad."
"And of course, in the future, on family movie night, when the kids are sat with us and are complaining about your taste in movies, I will inform them that you have superior judgement and that they will enjoy every minute of the movie," he told her, half-joking.
"Family movie night?" she inquired, a half-smile on her features, the movie playing in the background momentarily forgotten.
"Sure – in fact, I formally declare this night as the first of many wonderful years ahead of family movie night." Sandy's attempts to lure her attention away from the movie were proving very nearly successful.
She smiled and, much to his chagrin, settled back against his side to watch the movie.
He kissed her forehead, glanced back towards the television, and envisioned a much more enjoyable way to spend evening. He kissed her cheek, repositioned his arm around her waist, and pulled her on top of him, kissing her firmly on the lips.
"But Sandy, the movie…" she protested weakly amidst kisses. He deepened the kiss, and began pulling her top over her head, the movie now entirely forgotten.
It was this evening that directly lead to Seth's conception - and the beginning of official family movie night - taking place a good few years ahead of schedule. Kirsten smiles with the recollection.
---
She remembers the times in Newport before Ryan joined them, as they struggled to get Seth to respond positively to anything and family movie nights were few and far in between.
"Family movie night?" Seth repeated with disgust. "I'm going to my room." He'd been more sullen than usual recently and Kirsten wondered what was going on in her son's life; her numerous attempts to talk to him had proved futile.
She glanced at her husband, trying not to look as helpless as she felt.
"Son, your mother and I would appreciate it if you would join us this evening to watch a movie together as a family," Sandy told his son, his tone suggesting that there was no alternative.
"Fine, whatever." He slumped onto the couch, folding his arms.
Kirsten got the DVD out of its case, carefully placing it in the machine.
"Your mother has chosen a wonderful movie this evening, one that I know you'll appreciate," Sandy told his son as he joined him on the couch.
"You say that every time," Seth scowled.
Kirsten sat down, pressing play on the remote control. Seth's body language radiated disdain and distance, and so she didn't even attempt to place an arm around him. She didn't want the inevitable rejection.
They sat in silence as the DVD loaded. The menu appeared and Kirsten noted her son's reaction with some pleasure.
"The Matrix Revolutions? Seriously?" he asked, obviously attempting not to demonstrate his excitement. "Mom?"
"Well, the first one was so good that I wanted to watch the sequel," she responded.
Seth eyed her suspiciously. "You didn't even watch the first one. And this is not so much the sequel, what with it being a trilogy," he pointed out.
"We can watch something else," she offered.
Seth pondered this for less than a millisecond. "Dad always says that we have to watch and enjoy your choice, so I suppose that we must watch this," he replied, attempting to sound unenthusiastic. He hit the enter button on the remote.
The movie started to play and Kirsten hesitated for a moment, pondering the possibility of placing her arm around her son. When she decided to go ahead, she was immensely relieved that her son didn't even attempt to pull away, and so she pulled him a bit closer. She glanced over at Sandy and noticed him observing her interaction with their son. She smiled, relishing the rare opportunity to sit with her family and attempted to enjoy the movie.
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Then Ryan joined their family and after her initial hesitation at inviting him into their home, she embraced his presence, seeing the effect it had on her family.
At first, Ryan was unsure about his place in family movie night, attempting to allow the Cohen's their tradition without feeling that he was intruding.
The Thai takeout eaten at the table, Sandy informed his family that they would be participating in the evening's family movie night.
Seth groaned. "Not an evening of watching yet another poorly-executed thinly-plotted excuse that Hollywood calls a movie."
"You never know Seth, one of these days you might actually admit that you enjoy this evening…" Seth attempted to interrupt his father. "But in the meantime, tonight's choice is by the one and only Sandy Cohen, whose choice in movies is so impeccable that his son once actually said 'that was a really good movie, dad.'"
"In my defence, I was five, and you really should stop using that quote."
Ryan observed the interaction between father and son with barely concealed amusement and well-concealed envy.
"Right then, family movie night commences with tonight's showing of 12 Angry Men," Sandy announced. Seth pulled a face. "A Sandy Cohen all-time classic."
They relocated to the TV room. Seth sat down on the couch with Kirsten beside him. Sandy placed the DVD in the player before sitting beside Seth. Ryan hung back, not sure where to sit and obviously entirely ill at ease.
Kirsten, observing his reaction, moved closer to Seth, ensuring that there was room enough for Ryan. She smiled at him and motioned for him to sit beside her.
Hesitant, he joined them on the couch. Kirsten, still not entirely sure about how to make him feel at ease, she reached out a hand to his arm, touched it briefly before pulling away. To her amazement, he almost imperceptibly started to relax, as Seth and Sandy continued to argue in the background as to the definition of a classic movie.
---
Family movie night took a long hiatus as the tensions increased and was only reinstated after she returned from Suriak. On her return everything was different, and an obvious attempt to restart the old tradition was appreciated.
That time, Kirsten got to choose the movie.
"Splash? Good choice," was Sandy's comment. Even Seth was appreciative of her decision.
She sat down that evening and embraced her family, enjoying having them around her again, trying not to think about how different things were.
---
Family movie night became nonexistent as time progressed and other events intervened. Marissa was no longer with them, Ryan left, returned and was more distant. And then, slowly, things started to return to normal. The boys joined her and Sandy as they watched a movie, and family movie night recommenced.
"First meerkats, now penguins?" Seth asked incredulously as he and Ryan entered the TV room to find his parents watching a movie.
"It's educational," Sandy informed his son. "It's your mother's choice."
"How come mom gets to choose the movie most of the time?" Seth asked. "What have you done?" he questioned mock-patronisingly. Sandy swatted his son playfully.
Ryan sat down beside Sandy.
"Hey man, we were going to go hang; play some computer games; be like men…" Seth complained.
"You can join us if you want," Kirsten commented with a wry smile.
Seth moved his head from side to side, contemplating the alternatives. "It's a two-player game," he sighed, starting to sit down beside his mother.
"It's really not," Ryan pointed out.
Seth shot his brother a glare as Ryan looked over at Kirsten and smirked. Seth flopped down onto the couch and folded his arms in a poor attempt to feign sulking. Sandy reached over and tousled his hair. "It's okay, son, you really can admit that you really want to learn about the penguins."
"I really want to learn about the penguins," Seth responded, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Kirsten later noted with amusement that it didn't stop him from telling Summer about the plight of the poor creatures.
---
After the earthquake, family movie night was the one of the few ways to regain some semblance of normality.
Sandy announced to the masses gathered at breakfast one morning that they were all to meet at the TV no later than seven thirty that evening for a Cohen family movie night. Kirsten smiled genuinely for the first time in a while at the prospect. Her joy was complete as she was informed that she would get to choose the movie.
That evening, everyone had gathered around the TV at the right time, surprisingly even Seth and Summer had abandoned (or perhaps had been forcibly removed from…) their room in order to join the event.
Kirsten and Julie were given seats on the couch, joined by Kaitlin and Sandy. Summer and Seth sat together on the floor, enveloped in blankets, Ryan on a chair off to one side.
"Casablanca? Actually a good choice," Seth muttered, nodding appreciatively.
The whole Cohen plus adopted family sat together in relative silence for the duration of the movie.
Kirsten looked side to side at the gathering, trying to make the most of the moment, and saddened at the knowledge that soon everything would change.
---
They sit now in the house in Berkeley, all her family around her in time for the holidays. She lives for these moments; Summer sits with her head on Seth's shoulder, tired from the journey. Seth's arm is around his wife, his fingers circling her stomach protectively, and Kirsten has her suspicions about what this means.
Ryan, currently together with Taylor, sits on the floor, leaning against the couch, Taylor beside him. Her daughter – her six-year-old daughter; and still she sometimes repeats this thought with amazement and disbelief – sits on her lap, head resting against her shoulder. Kirsten wraps her arm around Sophie, holding her close, feeling the warmth radiating from her body. Sandy sits on the couch beside Kirsten, an arm around her, his hand resting on Sophie's arm.
Seth laughs with Ryan, teasing him about something that Kirsten doesn't even pretend to understand. Sophie talks to Taylor and Summer about a boy in her class, who, in her daughter's words: "is, like, so mean," and she can tell that Sandy is listening intently to the conversation in order to ensure that his daughter has absolutely no interest in this boy at all. God help Sophie when she starts dating. God help Sandy, for that matter. Sandy attempts to talk to Kirsten about the art gallery, but he is unable to even finish a sentence as his attention is continuously diverted towards his daughter. Kirsten finds this increasingly amusing and starts talking nonsense in order to ascertain if Sandy is actually paying any attention to her words at all. It appears not.
And then, Sandy announces that the movie is about to start and the chatter stops.
"And what are we watching this evening?" Seth asks, suspiciously.
"Shrek 3. It's your mother's choice," Sandy informs him. "And as your mother has superior judgement, you will enjoy it." Kirsten can't help but smile, and their eyes meet as they remember the origin of those words.
"Shrek 3! Excellent!" Sophie exclaims.
Seth groans. "It's like five years old; surely Hollywood has come up with more family movies since then?" But his complaining lacks conviction and Summer hits him lightly in order to inform him that he should shut up.
Sandy starts up the film and the room is filled only with the sound of the movie.
Kirsten rests her head on top of her daughter's and looks around the room again. Her family, all together in one room once more; she feels herself tearing up. She feels Sandy's hand on hers, comforting her, and she looks across at him. He moves closer to her, kisses her cheek, and then the top of Sophie's head.
"Many wonderful years of family movie night," she says to him trying not to sound too emotional.
"And all because I didn't want to watch Splash," he remarks.
She hits him lightly. "Killing the mood again," she chides, but with a smile.
"Mommy, Daddy, shush, the movie," Sophie whispers.
Kirsten looks over at her husband in amusement. And then she sits back, watching the movie, and revels in the feeling of having her family around her.
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Finis