Title: The Christening
Author: Forever Fan
Rating: T
Spoilers: All Episodes
Category: Romance/Supernatural
Disclaimer: This property belongs to David Gerber Productions and FOX Television.
I make no profit and intend no infringement.
Summary: The new baby's christening brings together two very different families.
Feedback: Yes, please
Chapter One of Seven:
It was unseasonably warm for March, but welcome. The late afternoon California sunshine peeked through the leaves onto the quiet, tree lined street. Professor Harold Everett pulled into his driveway, expecting to see his children playing in the yard. He was surprised to find it empty, "empty" being a relative term. Bicycles, skateboards and even a jump rope littered his path as he made his way across the grass. It didn't matter how many lectures the kids received on "putting things in their proper place", some of their belongings always ended up strewn about the place.
Generally, the Professor was easy going about neatness, remembering how terribly chaotic and messy things had been after his first wife's death, and as long as nobody got hurt, he could overlook the kids' lack of tidiness. However, upon entering the house, he noted there were no toys to been seen and everything appeared ordered and clean. He smiled to himself. At least his children had learned to keep things comparatively organized inside of their home.
Pausing in the entranceway to the living room, Harold Everett saw his two sons quietly studying, each bent over a book. Hal, the eldest, had books spread on the sofa and was scribbling in a notebook on his lap. Butch, his twelve-year-old, was sprawled on the floor, chin propped on one hand and absently patting the dog, Waldo, with the other.
"End of the grading period guys?" the Professor said in the way of a greeting.
Butch sighed. "Yeah, Dad." He rolled over onto his back and looked up at the ceiling. "And if I want to make it into junior high school in the fall I've got to pass everything. I'd hate to redo the sixth grade – I'm already the tallest kid in class."
"Well, it's good to see you with such a strong motive," his father smiled at him, then turned to the boy on the sofa. "How's it going, Hal? Hal?"
"Hmmm?" Hal answered, distracted. He looked up at his father. "Did you say something, Dad?"
"Yes, I asked you how it was going."
"O.K., I guess," Hal glanced at his notebook, puzzled. "Dad, do you think it's worth it to do all of this extra credit work when there is so much to do by the end of this term already?"
"Well," his father replied, "I guess it depends on how committed you are to those projects." The Professor walked over to the sofa and looked down at Hal's notebook. "I seem to remember those extra science projects paying off pretty well when you got into the advanced, college prep classes your first year in high school. And all of that work will look good on your college applications."
"Yeah," Hal agreed, scratching out a formula he had written earlier in his notebook. "But I'll probably just end up going to Clinton University anyway…"
"Don't think you're a shoe in just because I'm on the faculty," his father advised him. "Besides, you'll still be eligible for scholarships, and there is graduate school to consider down the line."
"Gee, Dad," Butch complained, "can't we just get out of high school first?"
The Professor laughed. "You're right, Butch, but planning ahead and preparing for other options never hurt anyone." He suddenly frowned. "Why are you guys studying down here? What's wrong with your room?"
"The baby was making too much noise," Hal explained, "and we kept checking on her every time she cried."
"Is that where your mother is now?" The Professor asked, worriedly. "Is the baby all right?"
"She's fine, Dad," Butch told him. "Mom said "that's just what babies do" and that Melissa is expressing herself and finding her voice. We figured with all of her experience being a nanny and all, she would know what she's talking about."
"No doubt," his father agreed with a smile.
"And Prudence is up there helping out," Hal said. "She makes faces at Melissa to make her laugh." Suddenly they heard Prudence's giggling from upstairs. "I guess it makes them both laugh."
"I think I'll go check on what's so funny," the Professor said, and headed out of the room. "You two keep up the good work."
XXXXXXXXX
Finding his bedroom door opened at the top of the stairs, Harold Everett peeked in before announcing himself. His three-month-old daughter was lying on a baby blanket on the bed, flailing her naked arms and legs in the air, cooing while her nine-year-old sister leaned over her making faces. Whenever Melissa made a grab for Prudence's long, blond pigtails and missed, Prudence giggled. Phoebe Everett, the children's former nanny, and now their mother, was bent over the baby securing her into a disposable diaper.
"Prudence," Phoebe warned, "you're going to regret doing that when Melissa gets a handful of your hair in her fist." She smiled at Prudence then picked up Melissa and cradled her on her shoulder. "Good afternoon, Hal," she said without turning.
"Well, hello everybody," he said, coming into the bedroom. "And how are all of my girls this afternoon?"
"Goodo, Daddy!" Prudence hopped off the bed and rushed to him. "Melissa and I are playing a game. She hasn't caught my pigtails yet, but she thinks I'm funny."
Hal pinched the little girl's nose. "You are funny, Darling. And you are a very good big sister." He bent to kiss the top of her head. "Now, your brothers are doing their homework downstairs. Are you all finished with yours, or is it time you joined them?"
Prudence scrunched up her pretty face. "Oh, yeah," she said. "I forgot. I'll get my books and go downstairs." She skipped out of the room and down the hall.
"She gets distracted playing with Melissa," Hal mused looking after Prudence. He turned to Phoebe and smiled. "She always wanted a baby sister."
"Wishes do come true, in time," Phoebe said, smiling back at him and raising her face for a kiss. "They're getting to be great friends."
Hal pressed his lips to his wife's in a warm hello. "Hmmm," he hummed in acknowledgement, and then broke off the too brief kiss. "And how about a hello kiss to you too, my angel?" He took the baby from Phoebe and kissed Melissa's downy fair hair. The baby smiled and gurgled as Hal pressed her to his chest.
"You're going to get talcum powder all over your jacket," Phoebe protested, but Hal only shrugged.
"Small price to pay for this greeting," he said. The baby blew a spit bubble at him and clutched his tie. "This kid has got some kind of grip."
"She's a Daddy's Girl, all right," Phoebe smiled, "just like Prudence. You certainly know how to spoil the women in your life, Hal."
"Including you?" He looked at his wife appreciatively. She was already back in pre-baby form, and running the house as efficiently as ever, even with an infant to care for now. She constantly amazed him, never ceasing to keep him guessing for an instant.
"Including me." Phoebe gave him a sidelong glance while folding the baby's blanket and straightening the comforter on their bed.
"Now give her to me and I'll finish dressing her while you change." She took the baby from him wiping at the dusting of baby powder on his lapel. "We'll have tea ready for you in the den in a moment."
"But…" Hal started to protest that she didn't need to prepare him tea every afternoon any longer, but Phoebe had already left their room for the nursery. Since her arrival he had looked forward to the quiet time with her when he came home, but now with the baby's schedule… Hal shrugged while he removed his jacket and smiled as he noticed the wet, wrinkled mess Melissa had made of his tie. It had been a long time since there had been a baby in the house, and he hadn't realized how much he'd missed the presence of one until their new baby daughter had entered their lives.
XXXXXXXXX
The living room was as quiet as a library as the Professor passed his studious three children without comment. Entering his office, he quietly closed the double doors between the den and the living room. Turning towards his desk, he saw the tea service already laid there. The room looked as neat and tidy as it always did, at least since Phoebe had joined the household, the only thing out of the ordinary being a pink baby blanket on an arm chair. Looking more closely at the tea tray, Hal saw Melissa's feeding bottle and rattle there. The sight of them made his chest tighten.
"Here we are," Phoebe said cheerfully, bouncing Melissa a little in her arms as they entered. The baby was dressed in a cozy, pink and white onesie, her blue eyes wide over her button nose, a pacifier in her mouth. As Phoebe seated herself in the armchair, Melissa seemed to look around the room as if searching for her father.
"And here you are, Angel," Hal handed Phoebe the feeding bottle and removed the baby's pacifier. He turned to begin preparing their tea as his wife started feeding Melissa.
"Homemade cookies again, I see," His voice took on a scolding tone. "Phoebe, I keep telling you that you are doing too much. I don't need all of this – especially right now. Just take care of the baby and take care of yourself. The rest of us can get along fine. I don't want you tiring yourself out."
"Oh, Prudence did most of the work making those cookies," she told him as he placed a cup of tea on the side table next to her chair. "Besides," her eyes twinkled as she looked up at him, "I like doing things for you."
"I know you do and I appreciate it," Hal stroked the soft curve of her cheek. "But you have to let us do for you too. Now," he picked up his tea cup and leaned against his desk, "spring break is next week and I want you to let us – all of us – take over the household while you take change of the baby. I've already talked to the kids about this."
"Hal," Phoebe looked down at the baby as she happily drank her dinner. "That's a wonderful plan and I'm grateful but…" She looked up at her husband. "I have something to tell you and I'm not sure how you'll feel. I…I received a letter from Aunt Justine and Aunt Agatha today and they'll be coming soon…to visit the baby."
"Oh, is that all?" he shrugged. "Why did you think I'd be upset? I like your aunts. Of course if this visit is anything like their last…"
"As is usual for them, they don't say when they are arriving, but I have the impression it will be quite soon." Phoebe paused and looked at Hal meaningfully. "Quite soon," she told him.
"So?" He didn't understand her. "What's the difference when…? Oh," suddenly her inference dawned on him. "You mean 'quite soon' as in next weekend? As in time for the baby's christening? As in the same time Bob and Ben are here?" Hal's voice rose in alarm, the idea of Phoebe's eccentric aunts and his two brothers meeting not settling well with him.
"There's more," Phoebe said in a quiet voice, more in deference to the baby's heavy eyelids than to her husband's apprehension. He looked at her expectantly. "You know Aunt Henrietta will be here." He nodded. Aunt Henrietta lived in town, and her frequent visits had become even more frequent since the arrival of her great-niece. "Well, I also heard from Uncle Alfred and Uncle Horace and they also plan to visit Melissa…"
"All of them?" Hal said loudly, standing. Melissa's eyes opened wide and then fluttered closed again. "All of them?" he repeated, in a softer voice. "They'll all be here next weekend when Bob and Ben are here?"
She nodded. "Well, we can't tell anyone to stay away. It is their niece's christening as well. I couldn't hurt them by asking them not to come."
"Of course not," Hal agreed, sorry he had reacted as strongly as he had. "I didn't mean to imply they aren't welcome." He placed his cup back on the tray and scrubbed his face with his hand. "But you know how they can be and…now there will be so many of them. I don't know if Bob and Ben are quite prepared to meet so many Figalilly's at once."
"They are my family," Phoebe said, a bit defensively. She rose, moving the near dozing Melissa to her shoulder. Patting the child's back gently she looked at Hal with her chin set. "I don't suppose you've considered how they might feel with so many Everett's around."
Then Phoebe left the den, but not before Melissa could burp loudly, as if making her own commentary on her parent's discussion.
XXXXXXXXX
Dinner passed quietly. The children were all preoccupied with their studies and in subdued tones shared their individual concerns about preparations for their tests. The Professor also had exams to prepare and to grade before and during spring break, and had quite a bit of work to complete after dinner that evening. One of the reasons he and Phoebe had decided to schedule Melissa's christening for spring break was due to the lull in everyone's schedule after exams. But now, with trepidation building at the meeting of the Everett family and the Figalilly clan, what was supposed to be a relaxed event with family and a few friends seemed fraught with anxiety.
As much as Hall regretted his startled reaction, he believed his concerns were valid. After all, he, Bob and Ben had been raised alike and had very similar, conservative, and rational perspectives on things. Both Bob and Ben liked Phoebe, long before she was his wife. She was difficult not to like. When he had told them they were getting married, his brothers were delighted. They'd attended the wedding, together volunteering to take care of Hal, Butch and Prudence while he and Phoebe were away on their honeymoon. So at that time, both had been too preoccupied with those arrangements to pay much attention to Phoebe's relatives.
Sneaking glances at his wife during dinner, Hal perceived the fatigue and tension beneath her attentiveness to the children's concerns. She listened to each of them, dispensing her usual optimistic yet realistic advice. Phoebe supported Hal's extra credit science projects continuing, directed Butch towards some last minute chapter assessments in his history book, and told Prudence she would review geography with her with the aid of flashcards the next morning.
The three kids helped clear the table after dinner, but were excused from any additional chores to attend to extra studying. As Phoebe started scraping dishes to prepare them to load into the dishwasher, Hal stopped her with a hand on her arm.
"Let me finish up in here," he said. "You go upstairs and rest. Melissa will be awake again in awhile. I can get her next bottle ready."
"You have exams to prepare," Phoebe objected.
"Yes, but I can get that completed before bed," Hal leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. "Go and rest. Everything will be o.k."
She knew he wasn't just referring to the evening chores, but to their earlier discussion in the den. Phoebe smiled at him and sighed a little.
"Things do have a way of working out for the best, don't they?" She slipped her arms around him, holding him closely for a moment. Then she raised herself on tip toe to whisper into his ear. "Don't work too long tonight. Don't come to bed too late."
"Too late for what?" Hal thought, but didn't voice. Instead her grinned at his wife and said, "I won't come to bed too tired."
XXXXXXXXX
Melissa had finished her evening bottle and was sleeping soundly when Phoebe turned down the lights in her former bedroom, now the nursery, and closed the door. She was in the habit of keeping the door to the baby's room closed during the day so household noises wouldn't wake her. And although it was difficult to hear Melissa from her room during the night, she knew she would be up and attending to her before the child's cries could wake anyone.
The other children needed their sleep, and so did Hal. She was used to getting up with infants; she had done so for years with many different families; and getting up for her own child was no hardship. Of course, leaving the arms of her sleeping husband was something she hadn't had to do during all of her years as a nanny, and that she was sure she would never get used to doing.
As she prepared for bed, Phoebe considered Hal's reaction to their families meeting. Somehow they had avoided the event at their wedding, but the birth and christening of a new Figalilly was something her family took more seriously than a wedding. Her marriage to Hal was eventually approved of and accepted – her relatives were fond of him even if he wasn't – like them. But Melissa was considered one of them and they felt it their duty to welcome her to the family. The entire clan would not be coming, thank heavens, but the most well traveled representatives would be there.
Not too many: Justine, Agatha, Alfred, Horace and Henrietta. Of course, they outnumbered Bob and Ben…but maybe it wouldn't be so bad. Maybe the Everett's would see her aunts and uncles as elderly eccentrics and nothing special. She knew Americans often saw Britons as unusual. Perhaps Bob and Ben would be merely amused by the novelty of her family and not worried that their brother had married into a nest of neurotic foreigners.
As she sat in front of her dresser, Phoebe removed her hair tie, loosening the thick, blond waves. Brushing her hair, she told herself not to worry and to believe she and Hal would deal with whatever happened as they always had - together.
The bedroom door opened and Hal came in. "They're all asleep," he told her quietly closing the door behind him. Coming to stand behind her, he placed his hands on her shoulders squeezing gently. His eyes met hers in the mirror. "I thought you'd be asleep too."
"No," she laid down her brush and looked into his eyes a long moment.
"Hal," Phoebe began, "you're not really worried my family and yours will have big problems getting along do you? I know my family may be a little hard to understand, but they aren't hard to get along with – once you get to know them."
"I love your family," Hal told her sincerely. "How couldn't I? They're just like you." He bent and kissed the side of her neck, still holding her gaze in the mirror. "They may be a bit unusual, and unexpected, but they are kind, loving and generous. Bob and Ben can appreciate that. You are all free spirits," he then whispered into her ear, "and I captured one. How could I be anything but grateful to the family who helped to create such a beautiful and magical woman for me to love?"
Phoebe stood and turned to face him. Her arms went around his neck and in the soft light she held his deep blue eyes. "How do you always know what to say to make everything right?" she asked him.
"A trick I learned from this mystical friend of mine," Hal said before he kissed her.