Title:
Growing Pains
Author:
The Prickly Pear
Genre:
Family/Friendship
Rating:
K+
Summary:
As children all the world's a great adventure and it is that adventure, the ups and the downs, which make you who you are. A series of snapshots looking into the childhoods of the LA team.
Author's Note:
So, this is an idea which has been playing around in my head for some time now, a series of one-shots looking into the childhoods of as many characters as I can think of as the ideas come to me. I will try to keep things vague enough that it will remain canon even as the show gives us more information but should something because AU I'll try to put a warning above that chapter. On a similar note, I'll keep the rating at K+ but as the characters get older the odd chapter may have to be rated higher than that, if and when that happens I'll post a warning so there's no need for the kiddies to worry. XD
Now, for those of you who have read my other work and are looking to better understand my interpretation of each character's history, this is the piece to read. The OCs presented in this piece will reappear in any other story that takes place in what I call the Growing Pains universe. For more information about that, see my profile. XD
Oh, one more thing, if you have any suggestions for characters or situations please feel free to let me know!
Disclaimer:
All characters you recognize are the property of NCIS Los Angeles' rightful owners. This fanfiction is written solely for my amusement, no money has been made whatsoever.
Happy Reading!
The Boy in the Dinosaur Shorts
Eric, Age 5
Kindergarten was a big deal and Eric was excited. He was so excited that his mother had to remind him not to run indoors when they reached the school. So instead he walked next to her vibrating like a mouse on a caffeine high because he was just so very excited and he had to do something! He was going to be at school all by himself, without his mummy and daddy, just like a big kid! And he wasn't scared at all! He was going to make friends and play with toys and make pictures and sing songs and play dress-up and go on the swings and the slides and the playground... It was going to be so much fun and he couldn't wait!
He jumped up and down next to his mother as they continued down the hall, smacking his hands against his thighs and grinning from ear to ear. He was even wearing his favourite shorts today! They were purple and they had dinosaurs on them because dinosaurs were really, really cool! They lived hundreds and hundreds of years ago and now they were all gone! He sometimes wondered if maybe people would be all gone one day but he wasn't worried about it, he was sure the dinosaurs would let him play with them when they came back. His sister had told him all about them, she had a big book filled with stuff on dinosaurs but she said he was too little to read it. That was okay though because after he learned at school he'd be able to read all about them by himself and then he would know more than her!
He was so caught up thinking about his prehistoric friends that he walked right in to the back of his mother's legs as she came to a stop before him, nearly falling over from the impact.
"Ow, Eric watch where you're walking, Honey," she smiled, shaking her head at her son's enthusiasm.
"Sorry Mum!" the boy replied brightly, recommencing his bouncing only on the spot this time, "Is this it? Is this where I go?" He peered around the door excitedly. "Oh! Look! They have a castle!"
And so they did, a large plastic castle with an assortment of little knights and stuffed princess dolls lying around it as though inviting him to play with them. Nearby was a painting isle with still untouched paints and paper sitting on it and next to that a wooden treasure chest overflowing with toys and clothes. There were tables and chairs and a large, thick carpet for circle time as well as drawings all over the walls. Children were already there, looking around some nervously, others with as much enthusiasm as him, picking up toys and studying everything... It looked like heaven to the boy in the dinosaur shorts.
"Yes Eric," his mother replied good-naturedly, "This is your classroom, now why don't you go have a look around while I talk to your new teacher, alright?"
The blond didn't need telling twice. "Okay!" he said brightly, hoping through the door and pelting into the room at top speed. He stopped in the very middle, arms held to the side in what must have seemed a rather penguin-like manner as he spun in slow circles trying to take it all in. "This is so cool!" he whispered to himself.
There was so much he hadn't seen from outside the room. A table against one wall had a little wooden airport set up on it, there was a cardboard stage for puppet shows and in one corner three girls sat together setting up a tiny farmyard. Out the window he could see a brightly coloured playground and against the back wall a single girl sat playing with a pile of...
"Dinosaurs!" he said excitedly, running towards the girl and sliding to a stop before her, "Can I please play with you and your dinosaurs?" he asked as calmly as he could, trying his best to remember his manners.
The girl stared up at him with huge brown eyes but did not say a word. She was slightly taller than him, as most girls were, with mousey brown hair cut short so it just brushed the tops of her ears and a shy smile. Her completion was pale and she was dressed neatly in a simple red dress and sneakers.
He stared back at her and there passed a moment of silence before he decided to try again. "Can I play with your dinosaurs?" he asked, pointing this time to get his point across.
The girl looked down at the toy in her hand and then glanced at the others littering the floor around her then very slowly, as though completely uncertain as to what she was doing, she held out a single dinosaur.
"Thanks!" Eric grinned happily and accepted the plastic figure, promptly making it roar loudly and run around on the carpeting before looking around the room, "Hey! We should make our dinosaurs go on an adventure!" he suggested brightly.
Again the girl looked confused, blinking those oversized dark eyes at him and staying silent. It was like she couldn't talk at all.
But Eric didn't mind, pointing had worked last time so he decided to try that again. "Our dinosaurs," he point at each toy in turn, "Should go on an adventure!" He gestured towards the castle he'd seen on his way in with an excited smile.
This time the girl returned the expression as a look of dawning comprehension worked its way on to her face. She nodded once and hopped to her feet, leading the way towards the aforementioned building with her dinosaur held out in front of her. Eric raced after her, jumping behind the castle and making his dinosaur climb all the way to the very top while the girl made hers crawl through the windows. They chased each other's figurine around the plastic structure for what felt like hours before a voice above them made Eric look up.
"Getting along well, I hope?" said a woman Eric vaguely recognised as their teacher but he was too busy watching the girl's dinosaur (who was trying to eat his) approaching from the side, to pay her much attention. The teacher chuckled and bent down in front of them, causing both children to finally stop playing. "Are we getting along?" she asked again.
"Yup," said Eric with a nod.
He glanced at his new friend to see if she would answer but she was silent once more. That is, until the teach did something strange and made a bunch of funny gestures with her hands. Then the girl moved, making the same gestures back and smiling happily.
"What are you doing?" Eric asked, confused.
The teacher smiled. "This is Katrina," she explained, "She's deaf."
If that was supposed to clarify anything for him, it didn't. "What's deaf mean?" he asked.
"It means she can't hear anything, so she talks with her hands instead. It's called Sign Language."
While that explanation was better, Eric was still confused. "She can't hear anything that all?" he asked and the teacher shook her head, "Wow..." There was a pause and then, "Can you tell her my name is Eric?"
The teacher smiled. "Of course," she said and promptly signed the message to the girl before her.
Katrina smiled. She pointed to herself and made a strange symbol above her head, like a hat she was lifting then pointed at him and clamped her fingers together like a dinosaur's jaws closing and laughed.
"Your names," the teacher explained with a chuckle.
Eric's eyes lit up. He had a new name, and one like a Dinosaur too! He grinned happily and copied the signs as best he could, making Katrina giggle softly but he didn't care. He had a new friend, he had a new name, and his dinosaurs was now close enough to eat Katrina's dinosaur. And it did.
