A/N: Mother's Day: Chapter 7: Homebound Heroes
Okay, so just a quick update, but not as quick as 'Parting Of Ways'. In this chapter we're gonna focus a lot more on Peabody and Sherman and the task at hand again. I sorta forgot about that when focusing on the past three chapters. Anywho, on with the story then.
P.S: Is it just me or does anyone else have the Scooby Doo theme song stuck in their head?
P.P.S: The ball is in our court- We have the upper-hand.
P.P.P.S: Ms. Grunion is well within her rights to enter the home. She has a reason found in the pictures taken from regular security cameras in nearby areas and the warrent from the police as well as THE POLICE ARE RIGHT THERE! Please dont be sending me stupid comments on this, because this is what is it.
Home; The
place where one lives permanently, usually as a member of a family or owner.
Home is also the place where Peabody and his boy Sherman were currently residing in, overlooking the city from their penthouse window and watching the cars race by below them. It would have been a beautiful sight, especially with the way the slowly sinking sun dipped in and out between buildings as it painted the sky a vibrant orange, and what ever falling drops came from the bright glow of the sun would bounce off of windows and spare sheets of metal, sending golden colored streaks across the sky and back into the apartment's window. It would, and should have been a beautiful sight, but today it just looked like the closing of another day, leaving behind a dreary atmosphere instead of orange. The city itself, which was usually a loud of bustling place, was unusually quiet and its nighttime lights lit up with life, just as the pent house high above was. Well, that was until one of the inhabitants opened his mouth to speak.
"My arm hurts." Sherman sighed, looking down at the dressing he had on it. "When can I take another pill?"
"The doctor said at ten, so that's two more hours." Peabody sighed, readjusting himself in his chair and holding Sherman a little closer on his lap. "I hope this teaches you not to run off again."
"Believe me, it has." Sherman groaned, rubbing his sore arm in an attempt to will away some of the pain. "I'm just glad the doctors didn't question it... I told them I was messing around at a friend's house and fell."
"You're lucky the wound wasn't deep enough that they'd call your bluff." Peabody pointed out, looking down at the boy sternly. "Or to damage any major nerves."
"I know, I know." Sherman sighed, leaning his head against his father's chest and sighing heavily. "It was a stupid and irresponsible move, but I thought things would work out like they always do! You know, how you normally get us both out of the situation with some quick thinking and what not."
"Sherman, that only works when I know where you are and what to work with." The older man said gently. "And just because I can thinking things through normally doesn't mean I'll always be able too always. There are just some things in life that none of us can handle on our own."
"But dad... You normally can an-"
"I can't always Sherman." Peabody said yet again. "Even with my reputation, there are a few things I just can't get around, such as jury duty, or parking tickets, or-"
"What Ms. Grunion said... About the adoption rule?" Dear lord! Peabody had almost forgotten about that whole thing! He still hadn't done anything to get ready for what ever that accursed woman would try to do next! "I overheard you two in the lobby the other day..."
Peabody gasped in slight surprise and looked down at the boy in his arms, finally realizing something. Sherman's actions on Anne Bonnie's ship wasn't a gutsy move at child's play, or just a stupid decision. No, it was a little boy trying to assure himself that his parent would always be there to fix things or to even prevent them before they happened by testing what said parent was capable of. Now that Peabody's ability to prevent any harmful situation from occurring had fallen through...
"Sherman, listen to me." Peabody said suddenly, his voice suddenly turning serious as he sat the boy up and turned him to face him. "I am not going to let that woman take you away. That is one thing I promise you."
"But dad, how can you be su-" The boy was suddenly cut off as his father kept talking.
"There are far to many holes in her threat, Sherman. There are so many things that I as a person can do before she even gets a chance to take you away." The albino man's voice never once lost its serious edge as he pulled the boy in for a tight hug. "I know what I am working with this time, so the playing field is even this time and the ball is in our court."
Sherman giggled at his father's choice of words and he smiled as he tried to return the hug with one arm. After a few minutes of the silent hug, Peabody finally let Sherman go and looked down at him while ruffling his curly orange hair idly. In the background, the clock chimed 8:15 behind them, which meant it was just about time for Sherman's bedtime.
"Come on, Sherman." Peabody said, rising from the couch quickly with his son still in his arms. "Its time for bed. I'll wake you up at ten for your pill."
"Okay dad." The ginger yawned, letting his eyes slip closed as he was carried to his bedroom just a few doors away from the livingroom.
Upon entering, Peabody carefully maneuvered his way around a mess of toys and scattered books that made sort of a carpeting on Sherman's bedroom floor until he made it to the bed. With that done, he sat his son down on the bed and helped him take off his shoes and then laid him down and pulled the covers over him and tucked him in. Smiling, the older male kissed his son's forehead, and then turned and quietly left the room, keeping the door slightly ajar for when he would come back in later.
"What am I gonna do with him?" He mused, looking to his right as he passed by his family 'hall of fame' wall.
A miniature timeline was made up of all of the pictures he had, starting as early as his graduation, to Sherman's adoption, all the way through the past seven birthdays and multiple WABAC trips. He stopped though, when he noticed one picture that had been taped sloppily at the end of the wall, towards the older photos. Frowning, he went to this new picture and swiped it off of the wall for closer inspection. It was that stupid photo of him from college, back when punk bands were all the rage and he so stupidly decided to get a hair cut similar to one of said bands. Peabody half wanted to laugh, and half wanted to throw the picture he told Sherman to get rid of away. He did neither, and instead just stood there holding the photo in his hands and studied it.
"Was I really once like that?" Peabody asked to no one, flipping the glossy cover over in his hands a few times, noticing for the first time ever that something had been written on the back of the photo.
'Have a great life Peebs! I'd say summer but you're going the Artic on that trip of yours. Hey, have fun and come back to New York ASAP! Love- Ursa. Wait! P.S: Don't forget your jacket! You always forget crap like that, and try to smile for once, ya brick wall! Haha, just kidding. You'll loosen up when you hit 20, I just know it!'
It was amazing how in just a short amount of time, a person could reinvent themselves. Just two years before he turned 20, he was just an 18 year old graduate who like most 18 year olds, saw himself as an independent adult. Though, even at that age he was usually just a quiet person, who would live like a hermit in a local library, or go out with other people's friends and just try to fit in. He was also a very unhappy person at that age, just making snide remarks to anyone who made comments to him and always being so boastful about the trips he would be taking in the summer. That person who he was changed completely just two years later, on his twentieth birthday, when he had done what was asked of him on the back of that photo and had returned to New York. Though, he did still have the tendency of forgetting his coat, like he did the night he found Sherman. Ironically enough, the reason why he passed by the alley in the first place was to return to his apartment to retrieve said coat. After that, he had to grow up as quickly as possible, what with a new baby running around and all. He also had to learn how to smile a little wider and have a little bit more fun to keep up with his new son's boundless amount of energy, and in just seven short years, they had fallen into a norm that neither wanted to disturb.
"Scariest seven years of my life." Peabody chuckled, setting the photo back onto the wall and pressing the tape back into place. "But I would not change a thing about it."
"Is that so." Peabody nearly jumped out of his skin as he quickly whipped around to see who was beside him.
That towering pink blob known as Ms. Grunion, now stood in his hallway at the far end, wearing her usual pink business like suit that made her look even more like a sow than usual. Her smirk looked drawn on in the mess of ruby-red lipstick that was smeared over it, remind Peabody a lot of those stupid cartoons in which the villain just never gave up.
"Ms. Grunion, what a pleasant surprise." The man said bitterly, folding his arms over his chest. "To what do I owe this unwanted break in?"
"Break in? Why, Mr. Peabody, you left your front door unlocked." The evil woman stated, walking over to him with such a speed and force that he was almost positive she would have gone through the floor if she moved anymore. "So I wouldn't call it a break in. Just an unplanned inspection, after all I assumed things would still be quite the mess from Sherman's 'accident.'"
"He was at a friend's house and fell. If you are implying that I've hurt him then you are way off base." Peabody half lied, half said truthfully.
"Not from how I see it, you see-" Ms. Grunion paused suddenly and pulled out an envelope from her blazer's inner pocket and held it out. "From where I see things, this was not a mere accident at a friend's house."
Peabody took the envelope from her quickly and tore it open and slid out its contents. Photos; every single one of them taken as Peabody carried a bloodied Sherman through the apartment hallway, starting from their apartment, leaving the elevator in their house, and to the elevator. Photos were even taken of him and Ursula on the elevator with Sherman and leaving the house shortly after. It looked very bad from the angle the photos were taken from.
"Where did you get these?" Peabody snapped, shoving the photos back down into the envelope and shoving them back at her.
"I have my ways, now if you don't mind." The woman said, suddenly pushing past Peabody. "I'd like to have a word with the little one. Oh, and I've brought a few- Hm, allies who would like to talk to you as well."
Peabody's eyes suddenly shot to the end of the wall the woman had come from, and found two police officers standing in place of her, both stone faced and armed. His eyes then quickly went back to look at the room that contained his sleeping son, and in that moment he had no idea who he should feel more concerned for...
In the local police department, reality sinks in a little quicker than it does in those police officer movie. Also, that one free phone call bit is a load of bunk, and Peabody would know because he just spent the past half hour trying to call different friends that might be able to help him out. Mr. Alan; the doorman at his apartment, had been the first on that list and he was also the first of many not to pick up the phone. A few colleges (mainly Co-workers from the office) had been called, but again there was the same result as the doorman, which was probably because it was late at night by now and no one was in at the time. There was always Ursula, but ever since the father and son duo had left the hospital he hadn't seen nor heard from her since then and Peabody assumed she was up to her own business and that he should not disturb her. That left the Peterson family, and boy was Peabody not looking forward to that phone call.
"Please pick up." He kept muttering to himself, as if hoping that by doing so then the call would go in faster.
No sooner had he said this for the fifth time did the call flip over and Mrs. Peterson's voice came ringing in like a very sweet set of nails against a chalkboard. At least, that's how the overly stressed Mr. Peabody heard it.
"Peabody? Is that you?" The woman asked, having caught the end of her friend's voice when she picked up the phone. "Where are you calling from? I did recognize the-"
"Funny story, I'm at the local police station." Peabody cut off, really just wanting to get this conversation over with. "Oh, and also you would not believe who came to my apartment at 8 at night, go ahead and guess."
"Um, that social worker from before?" Patty guessed, sensing the sarcastic tone he was using.
"And how did you make that assumption?" Normally, he wouldn't have been this rude to a friend, but right now he just wasn't in the mood for putting up with this.
"Because the last time you were almost arrested it was because you bit her." Patty said, slowly nodding her head and then added, "Also I assumed it had something to do with that whole adoption rule?"
"Not this time actually, no this time it had to do with the WABAC." Peabody groaned, rubbing his sore and tired eyes from under his glasses. "Sherman had gotten injured during one of our trips and Grunion apparently got a hold of pictures at certain angles that made it look like I had done it."
"How did she- Can't she be- How is she getting away with any of this!? Harassment is not very professional you know!" Patty yelped, clearly becoming just as unhappy as her friend. "What is her deal with you anyhow?"
"Believe me, Patty. If I knew then I would tell you." The man sighed heavily and shook his head. "And I didn't call just to have a pleasant chat you know."
"Yeah, I know." Mrs. Peterson's voice rang through with a newfound determination. "I'm on my way now. Wheres Sherman at by the way?"
"Still waiting in the other room... I don't know how this night is going to end, but I think we can all safely assume that no one is going back to their respective beds tonight."
"You're probably right, but don't worry we're going to get this all straightened out." She replied, the sound of a car engine flipping over sounding in the background. "Just sit tight and I'll be there in a few minutes."
"Mrs. Peterson, you live almost 25 minutes away, I doubt that it'll be a fe-" He didn't even have time to finish that sentence before the woman and her husband walked through the doors. "How on earth did yo-"
"We were in the area already." Mr. Peterson explained, shrugging his shoulders idly before turning serious yet again. "So, what do we do now?"
"Well, first theres a fixed bail set at-" A hand was put up as the other man simply walked off to the side. "I've been through this before, I mean what do we do about your boy?"
"They're getting his side of things now as well." The albino man said, leaning back against a wall and shutting his eyes. "But I bet that dreaded woman will find some way to twist things around so that the odds are against us."
"Does this woman have a personal vendetta against you or something?" Paul asked, sounding a bit surprised at his friend's choice of words. "Can't we use that against her?'
"No, because as far as the states are concerned, everything she is doing is legal." Peabody muttered dryly, shaking his head once again. "She had her suspicions, and the clearing to check the security cameras in the apartment complex and the police warrant to enter my home and as a social worker she was allowed take Sherman."
"Man, that woman works fast." Patty gasped at this information and cupped her hands over her mouth. "Its almost like she knew... Weird."
"It is weird, but we have far more pressing matters to attend to first." Peabody said, gesturing to the building they were currently in. "Though, based on the gravity of the situation, I don't think we'll be able to solve this whole thing in one night."
He hated the thought, because it meant that he would be without Sherman for a while, but it also gave him the determination he needed to get the odds back into his favor. More than likely, his boy would be going to a foster home tonight, though the Petersons were trusted friends. Either way, this just meant that his son was going away for a bit until he could figure out their next move.
Their first move was getting Mr. Peabody out, which with Paul's knowledge of police stations and bail, only took about an hour or so. Next, they visited Sherman to figure out where his care would laid for the time being.
"Stay by the door, you three." Grunions disproving voice shot through the hair like a bullet before quickly replacing it with a sickly sweet tone. "I wouldn't want little Sherman getting hurt again."
"Ma'am, they can enter." A police chief said, gesturing for the group to enter. "Just keep your distance please."
"For goodness sake! This has gone far enough, Grunion!" Patty yelped suddenly, barely able to contain herself.
The older woman rose quickly to her feet and stomped over until she was inches away from the younger woman, apparently not liking this tone of hers. Though, upon realizing that they were still in the police station, Grunion calmed down and regained her 'professional' composure.
"What ever do you mean, Madame?" She asked in a tone that sounded more like 'Go eat crap and die.' "As a social worker, it is my job to deal with situations such as these, and believe me, the man whose adopted this child has caused plenty of these."
"Patty, hush." Peabody piped up suddenly before said woman could retort with anything. "We just came into ask what will happen to my son tonight."
"Well, he isn't going home with you obviously." The darker haired woman said cruelly, smirking as she spoke. "So right now arrangements are being made for a temporary *or permanent* place for him to stay."
Peabody sucked in a few deep breaths to keep from saying anything he might regret later, and looked over at his son, who at that moment had chosen to refrain from speaking and simply bowed his head low. Neither of them wanted to say good bye to one another, because according to the Disney movies the two used to watch together, saying good bye meant leaving, and leaving meant forgetting. So their brief meeting with Grunion ended without saying good bye.
It would be an understatement to say that Peabody wasn't emotional during the whole car-ride with the Peterson's. He was unbearably sad one second, the next he was his usually smart and confident self, and then finally he was just beyond pissed about the whole ordeal. With each mood change, he found a rant to fit it until finally he had basically retold the story of how he found, adopted, and raised Sherman from year one to seven. He probably would've gone back as far as Adam and Eve if Mr. Peterson hadn't turned on the radio in order to silence him. Not because Peabody's constant complaining was annoying, no he did this to calm his friend down a little bit by playing the styling of some sort of death metal band that just so happened to be playing.
"You've gone through more emotions than a pregnant woman in the fifteen minutes we've been driving." Paul commented, shaking his head slowly as he focused back in on the rode.
"Now I understand how Ursula must've felt for the past eight and a half months." Peabody commented, shaking his head just as his friend had.
"Speaking of which, have you heard from her lately? I tried to call her today but she wouldn't answer." Patty said suddenly, as if the past few hours hadn't happened at all.
"She came with me to the hospital, I assume she went back home afterwards, especially with the condition she is in." Peabody replied, shrugging his shoulders idly. "I have far more pressing matters though, like I've said before, so I guess her whereabouts just didn't concern me."
"You're right, you're right." Patty sighed, turning around in the passenger seat to look at her friend. "You're going to need a lawyer and some witnesses you know. You've gotta win your case twice now in order to get Sherman back."
"I understand the situation Mrs. Peterson." Peabody sighed heavily, but then picked up his head and sat up a little straighter. "Right then, its time to start making plans, because I don't intend on loosing my son to this."
"That's the spirit!" Penny exclaimed, reaching into her purse and taking out her cellphone, a couple of business cards (for lawyers of course), a pad of paper and a pen. "We also have an official rule book at home if you want to use that."
"You've been preparing for this!?" Peabody exclaimed as the items in the woman's hands were suddenly dumped onto him.
"Got that right, and better step on it Paul, the sooner we get to work, the better." Patty said as the car took off down the rode.