Children...
"Clay, come on!"
"Juno says you can't have it!"
"But it's my turn!"
Lucy dropped her head into her hands. This was exactly what she hadn't wanted to happen tonight. Then again, she thought, making her way quickly into the playroom, she should have expected it. "What's going on?"
6-year-olds Desmond Miles and Clay Kaczmarek were both sat on the floor with a puzzle ball between them, their favourite toy at Lucy's. Seeing her stood in the doorway, hands on hips, they both dropped it and started babbling at her in six-year-old-speak. What she eventually discerned was that Desmond wanted a go with the Piece of Eden puzzle, but Clay wasn't letting him because Juno (his invisible friend) knew how to solve it. Apparently.
"Clay," she began, "you know it's only fair that Desmond has a go now."
"But it's not fair on Juno Lucy! She knows the answer, and it'd only take a few seconds!"
"But I want to work it out!" Desmond whined with a pout.
"The timer's gone off Clay," Lucy said, pointing to the egg-timer on the small table. "And what happens when the timer goes off?"
"But Lucy –"
"What happens?"
Clay scowled. "I'm s'posed to swap with Desmond."
"So can you swap with Desmond now please?"
"No!"
"Clay..."
"Stop being mean, Clay! Juno's not even there!" Desmond added.
"She is too!"
"Is not!"
"Is too!"
"Boys!" Reaching between them, Lucy snatched the puzzle from Clay's hands, shocking both the children. "If you can't be sensible over this, then neither of you get to play with it. Now stop arguing, and apologise to each other." She looked at them expectantly; Desmond folded his arms over his chest, and Clay stuck his tongue out. "Okay, fine. Desmond, you can go and do your reading in the study. Clay, you're coming to help me in the kitchen."
That got a response from both of them. "Lucy!"
"You can play together once you've apologised to each other." Silence. "No? Okay then. Desmond, get your book." As much as he complained and whined, she knew the boy would comply without much resistance. Clay, on the other hand… "Come on Clay. We're going to the kitchen."
"Juno can't go in kitchens."
"Well then I guess she'll have to stay here."
"Juno doesn't exist!" came the cry from the hall. Lunging as the blonde boy scrambled to his feet, Lucy only came out with a faintly-bruised arm from preventing the fight. God, she hated it when these two had an argument! Sometimes, she wondered what their relationship would be like when they were older… then she was glad they were only six. Let the teenage years wait a bit. Oh God – puberty…!
AN: Aren't little Desmond and Clay just the most adorable thing you could imagine?! Right up there with five-year-old Clint Barton...!
Anyway, I should probably be working on one of my bigger projects - God knows I've neglected some for a few months too long - but I just needed to get into the flow again, and what better way to do that than by picking a card out? Besides, haven't done an AC thing in a while. Regular writing should resume... soonish... I hope... :-)