Disclaimer: I do not own "Mary Poppins" or its characters. They are properties of both the Walt Disney Company and the estate of PL Travers.

Author's Note: Contains Spoilers for "Mary Poppins Returns." Read at your own risk!

"More Than Just a House, Michael"

By TwilightSparkle3562

Michael Banks found himself in the parlor, the very same parlor where just a few hours ago, he was scolding his three young children and his childhood nanny, Mary Poppins, for causing a ruckus at the Fidelity Fiduciary Bank. The children had been trying to warn him that his boss had every single intention of foreclosing on their home. Rather than taking their warnings seriously, he did the opposite. In the spot where he was a few hours earlier was a man in a dark suit.

This wasn't just any man. This was his father, the late George W. Banks himself.

"Well?" he asked, sitting in Michael's chair by the fireplace and waiting for his adult son to reply. "Well?"

"What do you want me to say father?" Michael asked, looking at his father who had a look of disappointment on his face. "What?"

"Why didn't you listen to your children, Michael?" sighed George, lowering his head down in shame of his son. "Haven't you learned anything from when Mary Poppins first arrived in this household? Clearly my grandchildren were much more mature than you."

Michael felt his world drop upon hearing those words. He realized now that he wasn't in just a dream, he was reliving the moment he scolded those he cared about. Only in this case, it was he himself who was being scolded.

"You saw everything, didn't you?" Michael asked, going up to his father and sitting down in front of him. "You saw everything that happened in here tonight, didn't you?"

"And I saw what happened at the bank, Michael," George added. "Everyone did: me, your mother, Mrs. Brill, Kate, everybody. Michael, we are very disappointed in you."

"For what? For unleashing my anger?" Michael scoffed. "For airing out how disappointed I am? What was I supposed to do, let it all just pass through like it was nothing? Father, they embarrassed me at the bank today. Here we are, about to lose everything and…"

"Silence!" George interrupted, stopping Michael from saying another word. "Silence. Don't you see what is happening, Michael? Mary Poppins returned for a reason, the same reason why she came to me when you and Jane were children. Because I couldn't see past the end of my nose and seeing you turn my grandchildren away…"

Michael could only guess what was happening. He was reliving the consequences of his actions.

"In other words, after I left this world, you turned into me."

Every single word that came out of his father's mouth was almost like a knife being plunged into his heart. In his mind, he didn't want to become like his father, but Michael was.

"Father, I…I don't want to lose this house," stammered Michael. "Don't you see? This house is where I grew up in, where Jane grew up in and where my children will grow up in."

"It doesn't matter, Michael," retorted George, slapping his hand down on his lap. "Do you see what I am trying to tell you? You put material things ahead of what is really important to you and that is your children…who clearly are much more mature than you. Or did you forget the tuppence that you once wanted to throw away to feed the birds at St. Paul's Cathedral?"

Hearing this made Michael think back to when he and Jane were younger.

"All right, it was only tuppence, but I put your tuppence in the bank for a reason. Don't you see what it has become? I'm not going to tell you what happened, but I will say that there is much more to the tuppence than you think. What matters, Michael, is your family and lately…you've put something that isn't living ahead of you. This is just what it is, a house. Childhood house yes and a house I worked so hard for this family to live in. You can always start over, make your own mark if you want to. Homes can be replaced, jobs can be replaced, families cannot be replaced."

With each word his father spoke, Michael realized more and more of how stupid he had become.

"And I thought Mary Poppins had taught you better."

All Michael could do was sigh at this, turning his head towards the ceiling.

"It's a shame that it took something simple as a bank run to make you see sense. If you had been fired, it still wouldn't have mattered."

"Father, it isn't that simple. Did I ask for all of this? No! But it happened. I need this job, I need to pay end's meet. Isn't that what you did?"

"And looking back now, I do regret my actions. I regret them even more now that I am seeing you become like I did. Thank God it took Mary Poppins to make you see sense. Your children don't care what happens to this house, all they care about is what will happen to you, Michael. No matter what I became, I had to always remember that my family came first. Jobs are aplenty out there because they are easily replaceable whether they be in banks or not. You want to be artist? Sell your drawings in the royal museum or even at Oxford and make money that way. Be your own boss or work for someone who will be more accommodating than that wretch of a nephew Mr. Dawes left to run the bank."

…

Suddenly, Michael awoke with a start, panting heavily. Michael then realized that every single word his father was saying was true. His part-time bank teller job, it was just a job that he had, but the most important thing in the world was his family whether they would be in this house or not.

…

THE END