Disclaimer: I don't own the show or the characters but I do own Bob's Burgers socks…
Gene Belcher woke up on a sunny Wednesday morning in his Manhattan apartment, life had been good to him as far as people could see. After high school, he completed his degree in music and got a job as a music producer for television shows. The people that he worked with were amazingly talented, he moved up quickly in his position, on the surface he was living a charmed life. He got up from his bed, and did his usual morning routine, seeing his old keytar on the floor and the date on the calendar made him remember.
"She was so young, she could have had so much," Gene said to himself.
Gene shook off the pain that he was feeling and left his apartment to go to work. He was hoping that something, anything would take his mind off her. Getting to his office he greeted everyone warmly, sitting in his office with the door closed he checked his email. There were the usual ones, and there was the one he would get once every couple of months…he knew it would be coming.
"Hey Gene,
I miss you…we miss you.
Love, T"
Tina…his sister the famous newspaper columnist. He saved every one of her articles, many of them had gotten national recognition. Of course, it wasn't her "erotic friend fanfiction" but it was something and he was proud of his big sister. Gene looked at the email again…he wanted to response…he didn't know the words. It had been a long time, seven years…seven years of living with the pain. A knock came at the door, Gene looked at the time and swore to himself, he was late for a meeting.
"Gene?" his boss Tom knocked at the door.
"Come on in…" Gene said quickly wiping his eyes.
"Are you ok?" Tom asked him. "You are never late for meetings."
"I was coming…" Gene answered quickly. "I just got held up by this email"
Gene quickly closed the email and followed Tom to the conference room, they were working on a few big accounts. The rest of the day went by at a snail's pace, when it was finally time to leave for the night Gene was relieved. Stopping by his usual place for dinner, Gene was in no mood to talk to the owner who reminded him too much of Teddy.
"Gene…my best customer." Tony said. "What will you have?"
"My usual burger," Gene answered. "To go."
"You got it." Tony answered.
Tony babbled on and on while he was cooking Gene's meal. Tony's place was nothing like the burger restaurant he had grown up in. It was cold and uninviting but he liked the food for the most part even if the bacon cheeseburger was just that. No pun filled names, no smiling, or silly pranks, it was far cry from Bob's Burgers.
"Here you are…one bacon cheeseburger." Tony said handing the bag to Gene.
"Thanks Tony…" Gene said, "Have a good night.,"
Like every night before then, his night was full of silence…he often longed for the sounds of the restaurant. He missed climbing into his parents' bed with his sisters, the laughter, he missed everything about growing up in their rundown seaside town. Gene dreamed that night of the little girl he knew in the pink bunny ears…the one that he missed so much. Waking up to his alarm, he quickly got showered and dressed…
"Hey Tom…I just wanted to let you know I'm not coming in today…" Gene said in the voicemail to his boss.
Setting his phone on the table, he quickly packed a bag of clothes and grabbed his keys. Tom called him back while he was walking down the stairs, he said that everything was fine at the office and that Gene deserved a break. After getting into his car and driving for what seemed like forever, he finally got to the spot where every time he made this drive he would turn around. It wasn't going to happen that time, he was going to go the whole way this time. Gene opened the all too familiar door, the restaurant was packed and he was so glad to see that.
"We'll be with you in a second hun…" Linda said not looking up.
"Ok…how can I help…" Linda said trailing off.
"Hi Mom…" Gene said.
"Oh Bobby…" Linda said through her sobbing.
"Lin…what is…" Bob said trailing off.
"My baby boy…" Linda said hugging Gene.
Gene smiled for what felt like the first time in seven years. The customers were too busy with their meals to pay any attention to the sobbing restaurant owners. Bob quickly left the kitchen after washing his hands.
"Hi son." Bob said hugging Gene.
"Hi dad," Gene responded hugging his father back.
Linda went to the employee bathroom to collect herself and quickly returned to the restaurant.
"Oh my baby…" Linda said hugging Gene again. "I missed you…"
"Lin…Lin…" Bob said. "You're strangling him."
"I'm good…" Gene said. "But hungry."
"Oh! Of course," Linda said. "You! Move down so my baby can sit"
The customers at the counter moved down so that Gene could sit…he apologized but they were smiling so he was relieved. Bob quickly went into the kitchen and prepared the burger of the day for his son.
"I need to call Tina." Linda said quickly.
At the busy newspaper office, Tina was working on her latest article. Her office phone rang...knowing that only a few people had that number she picked it up.
"Tina Belcher." she answered.
"Tina…it's Mommy…" Linda said.
"Mom…is everything Ok?" Tina asked almost in a panic.
"I need you to come to the restaurant when you can…" Linda responded.
"I have to finish this article then I think I can sneak away," Tina said still typing away.
"Ok honey," Linda responded. "I'll see you then.
Tina wrote her article in record time, passing it off to an editor she could head to the restaurant. Tina took that familiar 10-minute drive, she visited her parents at the restaurant several times a week. After parking, she approached the door and opened it.
"Hey T…" Gene said without turning around in his seat.
"Oh my god…" Tina said in the same way her father would say it.
Gene got off the seat and hugged his sister…they both had tears streaming down their faces.
"Oh Gene…" Tina said. "I missed you."
"I missed you too T…" Gene responded.
Of course, Linda had started crying again…and so had Bob and a few of the customers that had known the family were dabbing their eyes. Tina gave both of her parents a hug, in the years that had past she had been the only constant thing in her parents lives. Tina and Gene went up to the apartment to talk while Bob and Linda continued working the restaurant.
"I tried Tina…I really tried to answer you back," Gene said pacing the living room while his sister sat on the couch.
"I know Gene," Tina responded. "I know how hard it was."
"She should be here with us," Gene said sitting down. "Not trapped where she is. Let's get her out."
"No" Tina said laughing.
It was nice to laugh and it was excellent to see her brother, Tina relaxed for the first time in a long time. Growing up they were the best of friends, it was always the three of them against everyone but now they were just two. Gene and Tina talked for a while longer and then headed down to the restaurant.
"I want to see Louise," Gene said suddenly.
"Oh honey, I don't know." Linda said. "It has been a long time and I'm not sure if she will even…"
"What?" Gene asked. "Recognize me? I don't care, I want to see my sister."
"If that's what you want Gene than that's what you will get," Bob said. "We will go and see Louise."
To be continued…thanks for reading!