(A/N): Just an idea I couldn't get out of my head c: I plan on continuing, but we all know how that goes lol. Anywho, I hope you guys enjoy!
-=0=-
Waking up was a strange experience. Last he knew, he had been dead- murdered in some morphed world by what had seemed to be a deranged dog-man in cold blood. He assumed the lovely woman who he had been having a quiet dinner with had perished in a very similar manner but he had no real way of knowing. Because he had been dead- but had he died? Hadn't Jane been acting, well, entirely inappropriate? He remembered being stern with her and displaying his most effective disapproving look from his prison cell. What prison cell? Hadn't he been free as a bird to wander about that strange land and search for his lost son?
His mind swirled with these contradictions and his head pounded. It became even more jumbled when he thought of his parentage. He fought back these confusing thoughts and patted at his pockets with a sort of mild desperation in search of his wallet sylladex. His pipe would be a most welcome addition to his person at this moment. To his disappointment, his inventory appeared to have wandered off into the great blue yonder, and he remained pipe-less. With this upset in mind, he decided to examine his surroundings.
To his astonishment, he was in his very own bed. He was also in his bedroom. Everything was perfectly in its place and his home was silent. Well, for a moment at least. Suddenly, her heard John and Jane shouting in excitement down the hall, next their feet against the floorboards of the hall, and finally his door bursting open so hard it hit the wall. Both of his children (his parents? His mind asked in confusion) were standing in the doorway looking at him in open wonder. He returned the look. There were his babies, and oddly enough John was just as young as he had been before all of this nonsense started while Jane was at least fifteen.
They both started smiling, Jane in that sort of hesitant, afraid-to-believe-this-is-real way that she did after a particularly bad dream and John in his oh-my-god-this-is-great-and-amazing-and-exciting way that he did when he was little and had gotten the birthday present he had been hoping for. Reflexively, he grinned back, wide and welcoming, his heart warm and happy to see them both at home. He got up just as they were running to him. They knocked him right back on his bum with warm hugs and he held them tightly, almost afraid to let go. Afraid they'd disappear again and he'd be left wondering if they were safe while he was helpless to protect them.
He kept his arms wrapped around them for as long as they would allow, until John started squawking about how he should let go already and Jane was poking at his arm. Both of them were still smiling so hard it looked like it hurt when he let them loose and he knew his own face was a match for theirs. They dragged him downstairs so they could have breakfast together and told him about their adventures while he worked in the kitchen. He absently noted that things looked…different outside as he glanced out of the kitchen windows, but ignored investigating in favor of listening to his children. His heart ached when he thought of the friends they'd lost, if only temporarily. Both of them had grown up so much since he'd last seen them, and while it felt like it had only been a week at most for him, it was so much longer for them.
His little babies had grown up so much and suffered more than he ever wanted them to. He wanted to wrap his arms around them and hold them forever, safe and warm at home, far away from the dangers they had faced. Instead he nodded his head and made them pancakes and sausage and tried not to frown too hard as he listened. Right now they needed him to smile and pay attention to them, not coddle them and hide them away, no matter how much he wanted to. Whether or not any of them were ready for it, his babies had grown up, and they still needed him, but they also needed independence and breathing room. He knew that this would come eventually, but his mind held on to when he last saw them, how they had been so innocent and needed him to protect them. They had just suddenly grown up while he wasn't even there.
But that was just the way things had played out and he let it go as they set out the plates. They had grown far beyond their age but he knew that at least now he would be there. He was still their dad and they were still his precious children. Until he was dead and gone again he would be there for them come hell or high water. He cherished his time with them as they sat at the table, listened to their stories, and prayed that he could keep them for much, much longer to whatever deity was listening.
-=1=-
As it turned out, both of his children were such deities, as were all of their friends, after they beat the game. And, as it happened, he was apparently a minor power because he was their guardian. As for as they knew, they were all immortal and had some power over nature, so long as it did not conflict with any of their fellow gods. It all went a bit over his head but they had won the game and designed this new world by the best bits and pieces from both of their worlds. The aliens, Trolls, had helped his children save their universe, and now they could share the spoils on a planet of their design. Overall, it sounded like a fitting reward, if a bit much power in children's hands (let alone his children's hands).
From the time shenanigans they took pains to explain to him, he was both a father and a child to them, but they could only remember being his children, not his parents, who were coincidentally still dead or possibly never existed. It all seemed rather convoluted to him, but he supposed that it wasn't that important that he really understood so long as they did. Feeling a little overwhelmed, he asked them to give him a little time to process it all. Looking mildly nervous (Jane had a pinched please-don't-be-too-terribly-upset-by-all-this look and John sported the old are-you-sure-you're-okay frown), they let him take out his pipe and have a couple of minutes to think things over while they went to wash the dishes. When they returned, he had settled down a bit and was willing to hear more if they had anything to offer.
They skimmed over the final bits of the entire endeavor, making it obvious that they were avoiding something that they thought would upset him. He almost pressed them about it, but the troubled looks on their faces convinced him otherwise. Instead, he tried to offer them comfort as they finished explaining what had happened. He gave them each a nice, long hug and told them how proud he was of them. Both of them had passed far above anything that he could have asked of them and had been so strong throughout that twisted game. They deserved all of the praise he could muster and he told them so. Jane's teary-eyed smile and John's watery eyed, face splitting grin were all that he needed in the world in that moment. Now that this game was over, they were home and safe, and he would do all he could to shelter them until they were ready to face the world.
-=2=-
John and Jane stayed at home and did not leave his side for a week after that. To him, it seemed that they were trying to get used to the idea of having him around again, that and a new sibling. Especially John, who had spent years outside of his care, who looked at him as if it were a wonder just to see his face and hear his voice again. It almost seemed like he had forgotten in some ways what he was like and how to live with him. His heart ached for his little boy who looked at him like it was a surprise every time he told him not to do something, or pulled out his pipe, or suddenly appeared out of nowhere offering him a delicious slice of homemade cake. So many things that felt like the norm for him threw John off kilter, left him in confused silence for a couple of moments before he could even think of how to respond.
Jane seemed to mostly remember her way of life. Occasionally a loud clatter would set her shaking or she'd have terrible nightmares about lost friends. But she had not seen her father die, had only seen him safe behind bars while out of her mind, and didn't view him with the some upset, astonishment, or wonder as John seemed to. She hadn't had to get used to the idea that her father may never be brought back or had to take care of herself for years without him. She knew how to live with him and still act like his child. John knew too, but it was buried under the shock of losing him and having to be independent for so long. And really, he knew that John couldn't help it, but that didn't stop it from breaking his heart every time John looked at him as if he wasn't sure if he'd remembered him right or like he might leave him all alone again.
They stayed home for a whole week, and kept up with their friends online, and went on walks with him around the neighborhood as he studied his new environment. But they couldn't stay home forever and as they began to find their balance as a unit, began to feel safe and at home again, they also started to miss their friends. While they wanted to stay at home and get things settled there, they also wanted to go meet with their friends and spend some time together with them without the stress of impending doom hanging over their heads.
So, on a Monday, an exact week from when they had all been returned to each other, he sent them of to go sleep over at a friend's house. He heard John mention Dave and Jane mention Jade, something about time space shenanigans and an island, and he sent them out the door and told them to have a good time and give him a call when they got there safe, maybe even once every night just so he could make sure. John rolled his eyes and Jane gave him an indulgent smile before they both were out the door. He smiled and waved, told himself that they would come home and he didn't have to worry, and settled in to have a peaceful couple of nights home alone.
He spent that time baking cakes for his neighbors to cope with the fact that his children were away. Some of his neighbors, especially those of the Trollish variety, seemed hesitant to accept to his good graces, but in the end he made sure that everyone on the block knew him and would remember him by the flavor of his cake. He also smoked a bit more out of his pipe than he should have, took long walks, and tried to see if he could contact some of his old friends online. A couple of his friends and coworkers seemed to have ceased to exist- no matter how he searched for their birth or user names online. A couple of them appeared to still exist, but he had no way of knowing for sure if they knew him in this life or not. He didn't want to cause anyone undue distress by showing up out of nowhere with their contact information, so he left them alone and hoped that a few of them would remember him as their chum and check in with him eventually.
Overall, the couple of days that his children spent with their friends were mundane and somewhat lonely. He ended up baking an extra two cakes with no one around to eat them. He barely stopped himself from making more- only the memory of how his mother used to bake when she was upset and how it always made him sick with worry convinced him to stop. Of all the habits to pick up from her, this wasn't a terrible one, but he didn't want John and Jane to get home only to worry about him. He didn't want them to feel trapped in the house just because he was a worry wart. So instead he pulled out a couple of his old favorite books and settled down to read.
-=3=-
After three days away, they called him to let him know they'd be home that evening and to ask if they could bring a couple of guests with them. He answered with a 'yes, of course' and told them he loved them and would happy to see them soon. John made little barfing noises while Jane responded in kind and the call ended. He set out on a mission that morning- the house would be ready for guests by noon. He cleaned throughout the entire house, paying special attention to the guest bedroom, until the whole place was sparkling. He made sure that they were well stocked on blankets, food, and movies (one couldn't have a good sleep over without a good movie after all) before he finally settled down enough to go outside and check that the yard was well mowed. It was of course, no good dad left a lawn unmown after all- or at least that's what his father had once said to him (it had probably been a joke but he took it to heart anyway).
His house was perfect by eleven. This was both a good and a bad thing. For one, he had nothing to worry about because everything was set out. However, that also meant he had nothing else to do. He didn't know for sure when the kids would be home, so he didn't know whether or not he should get started on dinner or start thinking about the hello-and-welcome-to-our-home cake. Fiddling with his appearance beyond his usual morning routine was not really his cup of tea. So, he went to go look at his book collection with fatherly concern. While the kids were away, he'd reread the parenting, gardening, and decorating manuals along with a couple of classics that his parents had left him (he didn't know how since he didn't even have any pictures of them or clues that they had existed, especially since they were now his kids, but he was glad that they did). In the end he settled on reading a guide on how to deliver a good joke to pass the time.
When he finally heard his children outside on the lawn the clock read four and he had almost finished the book. With a smile and a put-upon sigh, he set down the book and headed to the front door to greet them. He opened the front door with a welcoming smile on his face and was only a little thrown by the appearance of his guests. Still, his smile did not falter as he took them in. His children had brought home three guests, all trolls and all very similar. They were all on the ridiculous side of tall, with broad shoulders, an overbite, and tall, twisting horns. If he had to guess, he would say that they were all related.
Among them, there was a gargantuan figure who demanded nothing but the full and unwavering attention of any passerby. This one he guessed to be the father of the two smaller trolls and to be truthful he cut an intimidating figure. While the younger two were lanky and looked relatively harmless for all of their height, he had ridiculous amounts of muscle to back it up, and a scowl to match. His face was painted into a skull like mask, with many and intricate detail, and his clothes were all black, grey, and purple polka-dots and stripes. While he resembled a clown in some ways, his demeanor was anything but playful, and while they were still talking and having fun, the children had an air of caution about them. Of his children, the older one had similar skull-design to his face paint, but in a more playful way that matched his skeleton suit. The younger one wore paint more similar to an actual clown but wore clothes with all of the same polka-dots, stripes, and bagginess as his father.
"Hey dad!" John said, smiling in a way that hinted at relief. Jane mirrored his look, but said nothing, only reaching over to hug him when John did. He gave them a hug and then motioned to their guests.
"Let's not be rude. I have yet to learn the names of these fine gentlemen." At least, he hoped they were all male- it looked like it, but one could never be entirely certain.
"This is Gamzee and that's Kurloz," said Jane, stepping back to stand close (but not too close) to Gamzee.
"I see," he said, nodding to both of them "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."
Then he turned his gaze to the man standing in the back, his smile abruptly falling. "And who might you be?"
He was Grant Highbrood, at least, that was what he hoped his name was, it was hard to tell when his speech seemed so garbled by growling it out so hard.
"Nice to meet you Grant," He said, smile reappearing, "I'm Mr. Crocker-Eggbert."