A/N: This isn't really a third chapter; more of a second part to the second chapter. Wolfeylady thanks for adding me to your alert list; you make me feel important! I've made the decision that Don is the oldest son; than Patrick, then Samantha. It makes sense in my little world that Don is the oldest; because, he is a junior and that from what I've seen goes to the eldest son.
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Don sat at the kitchen table struggling through the latest set of problems that Mrs Lipinski had assigned. He hated algebra; who cared how long it took a frigging train to get to Missoula from Butte? Pop should be getting home soon. He looked over at Samantha slouched in the corner of the kitchen; she'd been there for almost an hour. It was awful being stuck in the corner like that; all three of them had too much experience in that corner.
"Don homework." He looked up at his mom who was getting plates down from the cabinet. "When you're done; set the table."
"Yes, Ma'am." He only had a couple of problems left; he could finish them tomorrow before class. "I've only got a couple of problems left. I can finish them later."
"Finish them now." Momma Flack knew her eldest; if he stopped now there would be an excuse on why he couldn't do it after dinner. She stacked the plates on the table, with glasses, napkins, and silverware.
Don grumbled under his breath and went back to work. Samantha sighed from the corner and thumped her head against the wall.
"Samantha." Don's head came up when he heard "the mom voice" come out. That voice meant bad things would happen if you kept up whatever you were doing.
"Lucy, I'm home." The sound of the door opening and the usual greeting that Donald Flack Sr gave his wife had Don looking up from the last problem and rolling his eyes at his mother's giggle. He could hear his dad going through the routine of hanging up his jacket, putting his gun away, and taking his shoes off. No one dared wear shoes in Mama Flack's house. Even Father Flannery took his shoes off.
"In here; dinner's in ten minutes." She turned from the stove to give husband of twenty years a kiss.
"Hey gorgeous; how was your day?" The senior Flack's leaned in on each other drawing strength from each other, and enjoying each other's presence for a few seconds. It was a ritual that they shared every day, one of the small rituals of marriage.
"Interesting; saw Mrs. Lipinski at D'agastino's today."
Don Sr wrinkled his brow and turned towards his namesake. "Isn't that your math teacher?
Don nodded and studiously turned back to the last problem; he really didn't want to discuss this now. "Sammy what are you doing in the corner?"
Sam turned and shuffled her feet. "Samantha, tell your father what happened. Don set the table; finish that last problem right after dinner."
Don jumped up and moved his books from the table putting out the four plates, glasses, and silverware. Patrick was eating at a friend's house. They had a science project due the following week. Don Sr arched an eyebrow at his youngest as he sat at the table. "Samantha what happened? Come here."
Samantha went and sat on her father's lap. "Donnie stole Melie, and wouldn't give her back."
"Pop, she took my alarm clock apart." Don Sr help up his hand to silence his son."
"I tried to put it back together." Sam's lip went out as she tried to not cry. "I followed him into his room. He was holding Melie and wouldn't give her back. He's mean."
"Samantha." Don Sr gently prodded his little girl to continue.
"Dad she shoved me." Don carried the serving dish to the table and sat down.
"Donald. Let her finish."
"He wouldn't give her back; and he was mean. I… I… I shoved him. I'm real sorry. Honest, I didn't think he'd fall. I just wanted Melie back; I wanted her to look pretty for Jessica tomorrow." Donnie showed the gash in head to their father.
Don Sr closed his eyes for a second. He loved his children dearly; but, there were times they drove him nuts.
"He called me munchkin. I hate it when he does that."
"We'll deal with this after dinner; your mom has prepared a wonderful dinner." He leaned over and kissed his wife as she sat down. Don looked around the table and started the blessing "Bless us, O God, and these thy gifts, which we are about to receive from Thy bounty. Through Christ our Lord, Amen."
Plates were passed and small talk was made. They talked about Mrs Burke's arthritis; Don's upcoming basketball game; Pat's catechism class; the A Samantha got on her science test; and what one of the rookies at the station, Ronnie Smith, had screwed up on. What they didn't talk about was what had happened after school upstairs.
Corned beef and cabbage was every ones favorite dinner. It didn't take too long for everyone to be finished. "Donnie you do the dishes; Sammie clear the table for him."
"Mom, it's not my night to do dishes." Don whined; he hated doing dishes. The only response he got was an arched eyebrow. Samantha started clearing the table, scraping the dishes, and piling them near the sink.
"Samantha don't drag your feet." She followed her husband into the living room for a few minutes of quiet time. "When you're done with that come in here; Donnie when you're done with the dishes finish your homework."
"Yes, ma'am." Grudgingly came out of the sibling's mouths. Sam finished first and walked into the living room. Don thought she looked like Marie Antoinette heading to the guillotine; they'd been going through the French Revolution in Global Studies. History wasn't that bad of a class; and oh crap he had an essay due Monday.
He craned his ears as he heard Sam head upstairs and then their father's heavier tread as he followed her upstairs. Donnie scrubbed the pot that held the corned beef; doing dishes sucked. But, it was better than getting the spanking that Sam was getting. He'd been in her spot more than once and knew exactly what was happening. At least when he was done he'd hold her and rub her back and tell her that all was forgiven. It still sucked.
He finished the dishes and heard Pop come downstairs his tread slow. He listened and scrubbed; at least he didn't have to dry the dishes. Mom would let them drip dry by the sink overnight and put them away while she made breakfast. The television turned on; basketball. The Knicks were playing. Crap; he didn't want to miss it. "Mom the dishes are done."
"Good; finish your math. I'm going to look at it when you're done."
Sweet; half a problem left. Don grabbed his books from the corner and sat back down at the table. No use trying to finish in the living room or upstairs; Mom would send him back to the kitchen – too many distractions in his room and the TV was on in the living room.
"Hey mom, pop. I'm home. We got our project done." Patrick slung the door open bouncing it off the inside wall.
"Patrick honey; did you get dinner?"
"Yep. Oooh, you got the game on. What quarter?"
Damn, this sucked. Algebra was awful! This last problem was hard.
"Second." Don Sr grunted.
"Go get washed up and ready for bed. You watch some of it after. Did you get all your homework done?"
"Yeah; Dominic and I did it before dinner." Don could hear Patrick head up the stairs.
"Be quiet Patrick; your sister is sleeping."
Hah! Done; finally. "Mom I'm done." Don sprang up from the table grabbed his homework and tore into the living room. He handed the hated homework to his mom and settled onto the couch switching his focus to the game.
"Good job; bring home your missing assignments tomorrow."
"Huh?" Donnie didn't take his eyes off the TV.
"You're going to turn in ALL the missing assignments on Monday."
"Ma… I've got stuff going on this weekend." Five assignments would take forever to do; his date with Sonya wasn't going to happen if he had to all that on top of the essay for history, and the biology lab write-up.
"And you can still do it; once you get your homework done."
"Mom."
"Donald; don't give your mother any lip." He looked down at his watch. "Go get ready for bed."
"Awww… pop; can't I watch the rest of the quarter."
Don Sr arched his eyebrow at his son and watched his son slowly head up the stairs backwards trying to watch as much of the game as he could.
