Playtime
Companion piece to Second Glance. Francis is saddled with the kids for an entire day. Shouldn't be too hard, right? Oneshot!
Disclaimer: I do not own Static Shock nor do I make any money off of my writing of said Static Shock
The Park
How had this happened? It simply wasn't fair.
"Bye hon. I'll be back at eight, make sure Maddie gets her nap or else she gets cranky. Oh, and I'll be sure to get something for dinner." Theresa kissed Francis on the cheek, passed Maddie into his hesitating arms, and skipped towards the door.
"W-wait. What am I supposed to do all day? What are you going to do?" Francis adjusted Maddie into the crook of one arm and stared after his wife with wide, terrified eyes.
Theresa laughed. "I'm sure you'll think of something." Her face darkened and her eyes narrowed, striding forward and poking Francis in the chest, hard. "I finally have my figure back and me and Daisy are going shopping to buy skinny outfits for the first time in thirteen months. So, God help me, if you ruin this day in any way, shape, or form, you will never seen any of them."
Francis paled.
"Have a good day." Theresa smiled and then she was gone.
"Still a little hormonal then." Francis muttered under his breath. Maddie squirmed and burst into ear-splitting wails. Francis groaned and adjusted his daughter again, she lay half-over his shoulder and she grabbed a lock of his red hair, holding it as she cried. Francis rolled his eyes and paced the living room floor.
What on earth was he supposed to do with a four-month-old and a seven-year-old for a whole day?
Francis stopped, his brow furrowing. Where was Jesse anyway?
"Sneak attack!" Jesse threw himself off the couch at his father.
Francis yelped and held Maddie in place with one hand, catching Jesse around the middle with the other. All three tumbled to the ground.
Jesse's body was quivering with suppressed laughter and Francis scowled at him. Maddie giggled from where she sat on Francis' chest, clearly delighted at her brother's antics.
Francis picked Maddie off of him and watched her toddle away across the carpet. "Jess, you can't do that when I'm holding the baby." He tried to explain.
"Sorry." Jesse said hurriedly. "Hey Dad? Can we go to the park today? I want to try out the board Uncle V got me for my birthday." Jesse jumped onto Francis', straddling his waist and bouncing with excitement. His begging eyes large and hopeful.
Francis groaned again. "I dunno, aren't you supposed to eat breakfast now? And Maddie needs a nap…"
"But it's warm out. Maddie always goes to sleep when it's warm. Just bring her stroller." Jesse insisted.
Francis placed a hand on Jesse's shoulder to stop his bouncing and sat up. "I guess we cou…."
"Yay!" Jesse leapt up and ran to his room.
"Oh boy." Francis grumbled and crawled around the couch to find Maddie. She was sitting under the coffee table playing with the carpet strands. "C'mere Mad." Francis reached out and scooped her into his arms. She laughed again.
Francis walked into the kitchen and looked around. He should bring some…things…for Maddie. Jesse would probably get hungry too. "Why is this so hard?" Francis complained.
Let's see, stroller, bottle, blanket, money," Francis patted his pocket and nodded, "skateboard," Jesse held both his and his father's boards up with a smile. "Good, umm…granola bar things, diapers which I pray to whatever God is out there that I won't have to use. I think that's everything." Francis nodded, putting the bag under the stroller and Maddie in the seat.
"Let's go then." Jesse tugged at Francis' sleeve impatiently and ran out the door.
"Don't fall down the stairs!" Francis shouted after him. There was a loud thoud followed by a a shout.
"Owwww…Daaaaad!" Jesse wailed from the stairwell, apparently his father's warning had come too late.
Francis rolled his eyes. "Are you okay?"
"Yes."
"Okay then."
"Dad. Hey Dad! Dad!"
"What?" Francis roared, bouncing Maddie in his arms, a bottle in one hand, and turned around to look at Jesse.
"Watch this!" Jesse was on the sidewalk and planted his foot, propelling himself forward on his little skateboard, gliding past his father. He tried to do an Ollie, but ended up in the grass at the edge of the playground, his skateboard several feet away.
"Good one." Francis said absent-mindedly.
"I fell." Jesse pouted, picking himself up and grabbing his board. "You weren't watching."
"I was, you need to bring your back foot up more for balance. Try again." Francis explained, watching Jesse set up again, still rocking Maddie gently and muttering soothing words at her. The baby was being awfully fussy and her eyes kept welling up, a tantrum was not far off.
Jesse tried again and fell, but not as terribly as his first attempt.
"You'll get it." Francis nodded, the side of his mouth quirking at his son's smile.
"Look who got roped into Daddy Duty today." An amused voice said from behind Francis.
Francis spun and saw Virgil and Adam walking towards him, Devin holding his father's hand and smiling shyly.
"Oh God no." Francis groaned. "It's apparently your girlfriend's fault, I hope you're happy." Francis accused, glaring at Virgil.
Virgil held up his hands innocently. "I have no control over what Daisy does...and yes. Yes I am."
"Yeah well Sharon ended up going with them." Adam sighed. "Taylor's already run off somewhere, probably the jungle gym. For some reason that girl loves doing handstands. Hey Devin," Adam looked down, "why don't you go to the swings?"
Devin nodded and walked away, pumping his legs ineffectively on the swings but a bright smile on his face nonetheless.
"I don't really mind coming to the park like this." Adam said, looking around. "It's relaxing."
"Relaxing!?" Francis exclaimed skeptically followed by a yelp as Maddie grabbed a handful of his hair and pulled.
"Dad! Come push me on the swings!" Jesse hollered, throwing his skateboard into the sand and climbing onto a swing next to Devin.
"Jess, I need to hold Maddie!" Francis shouted back in exasperation.
"But you only need one hand to push!" Jesse retorted.
"Of course, my kids aren't quite so demanding." Adam added, exchanging grins with Virgil who was watching Francis bemusedly.
Just then, Maddie started to cry again. "Nooooo." Francis moaned. "Jess, one sec." Francis put Maddie in her stroller and squatted down in front of it. "Please go to sleep. Please?"
Maddie ignored him.
Virgil snickered.
Francis's eyes went red and the pyro glared at the hero. "You're not helping."
"I really wasn't trying to." Virgil laughed, backing off slowly.
"Let me try." Adam knelt beside Francis and smiled at Maddie. "How you doing Mad? Looks like you got something on your shirt right here." Adam tickled her side and Maddie burst into giggles. "Here too." Adam did the other side. Maddie squirmed in delight, clapping her hands.
"That's better kiddo." Francis sighed. "You keep doing that. Jesse's not very patient. I think he's been feeling left out since Maddie came and has practically been begging for attention." Francis looked over at the swings. "No, Jesse! Don't throw the sand!"
Jesse dropped his handful and looked up innocently. "What?"
"Tired are we?" Virgil smiled down at Francis.
The pyro was lying on his back in the grass, eyes closed, Maddie tucked at his side, and Jesse prodding his other side with a stick. "If I could get up, I would kill you." Francis muttered.
"Dad, can you do a trick? I wanna see you do a trick." Jesse bumped Francis' own skateboard into his knee.
"But I'm tired."
"Please?"
"Fine." Francis sat up and took the board in one hand, passing Maddie to Virgil with the other.
Francis tossed the board out in front of him and took a running start, stepping onto the board and dodging around people walking on the sidewalk with amazing agility. Jesse stood on a bench to watch him; he was soon joined by Taylor who had always been a fan of Francis'.
Francis popped the board up and grinded down a handrail and then hopped up to grind along a bench, picking up speed to glide down an access ramp.
"Feel better?" Virgil asked a few minutes later when the red-head skid to a stop and extended his arms for Maddie.
"You know what? I do."
Francis frowned. His pants were buzzing.
"Oh." He pulled out his cellphone and flipped it open with one hand, careful not to stir the sleeping Maddie on his chest while doing so. Jesse had wandered off into the park to play with Taylor while Adam was standing watch over the children for a change. That left Francis free to relax on a bench for a few minutes and Maddie had fallen blissfully asleep.
"Yello?"
"Hi babe, totally forgot," Theresa's voice sounded over the speakers, sounds of the mall in the background. Francis heard Sharon laughing at something. "Maddie has her monthly checkup today. Could you run her up to the hospital by five? Ask for Dr. Carlton."
Francis was silent.
"Babe?"
"Why would you ask me to go to a hospital? You know how I feel about hospitals."
Theresa sighed. "Yes, the one place on Earth you're actually frightened of and you won't tell me why. Look, I'm sorry but you've got to do this. Maddie had that cough I want looked at. Besides, you were at the hospital all the time a few months ago."
Francis frowned. "Yeah, but that's only because I had to."
"Just do it...please. I'll see you tonight."
"Fine." Francis slapped the phone shut and slid it back into his pocket, mouth set in a deep frown and stormy emerald eyes resting on his daughter lying on top of him.
"Virgil?" Francis called, knowing the younger man was not far away.
"Yes?" Virgil popped his head over the side of the bench.
Francis did his best not to jump in surprise but Maddie squirmed nonetheless. "What the hell are you doing back there?" Francis asked in a low whisper.
Virgil shrugged. "Reading." He held up a small paperback book. "Did you want something?"
"You were listening the whole time, don't play dumb." Francis growled softly. "Get Jesse for me will you, we've got to go."
"You'll actually willingly go to the hospital? I'm impressed, you're facing your fears." Virgil stood up and stretched, tucking the book into the back pocket of his frayed jeans.
"I wouldn't say it was willingly." Francus muttered.
He was skittish. There were needles and bandages and little jars filled with pills as far the eye could see. Francis shivered and tried to sink further into the corner.
Jesse pulled his father's pant leg and yawned. "Dad, we've been here for an hour. When can we go?"
"After Maddie sees the doctor." Francis explained for the third time, tapping against the wall nervously with one hand and trying not to let Jesse know how uncomfortable he was. They were in a private room, Maddie was lying on the bed, laughing as she played with a stuffed animal from the children's ward. Francis was leaning against the wall in the corner and Jesse was leaning against him.
The door squeaked open and Francis flinched. "Mr. Stone, how are you doing today?" Dr. Carlton was a young woman with a friendly smile. She would have to be friendly to be in pediatrics.
"Fine." Francis ground out. Jesse gave him a funny look.
"And how is Madeline? I heard she had a cough recently." Carlton tickled Maddie and the baby giggled. The doctor checked her pulse and glands, all the while entertaining Maddie.
"Yeah, but it's gone now." Francis replied, crossing his arms.
"Probably just a mucus build-up. Entirely normal." Carlton jotted something down on her clipboard. "I want to take a little blood sample and then you can be off. Nurse?" Another woman came in with a tray. She took a swab off the tray and wiped a clean patch on Maddie's pudgy little arm.
Francis paled and looked away, rubbing his own arm subconsciously. "You okay Dad?" Jesse asked.
"M'fine."
"There we go. All done." Carlton picked Maddie up and placed the vial of blood onto the tray. The nurse took it away. "You have a perfectly healthy daughter Mr. Stone but I want to see her again in three months to be sure. Babies are so vulnerable to diseases, you understand." Carlton handed Maddie to Francis.
"Yeah, sure. I'll have my wife make the appointment." Francis put Maddie in her stroller and nodded at Jesse. He couldn't get out of that hospital fast enough.
Theresa walked into the apartment, a box of pizza in one hand and several shopping bags in the other. She smiled when she saw Francis lying on the couch, sound asleep.
"Did you have a nice day?" She asked loudly, jangling her keys for added volume.
Francis jumped, his eyes wide and alert until her focused on Theresa. "Oh, it's just you."
Theresa snorted. "Just me?"
"Sorry." Francis rubbed his eyes tiredly and blinked at her. "How much did you buy?" He stared at the bags.
Theresa put the pizza on the counter. "Where are the kids?"
"Both asleep." Francis said with a grin. "Finally. Never leave me alone with them again."
Theresa smiled. "Do you want to see what I bought?" She turned and headed into their bedroom.
Francis jumped over the couch and ran after his wife. "Hell's yeah."
Author's Note:
Just something I've been mulling over for a while. Not really happy with it, maybe I'll go back someday and clean it up. I still like the chillaxness that is adultFrancis. He would be a good father, he would just have no idea what to do. Which I find hillarious.
Newly revised with an added scene!
PLEASE REVIEW!