Author's Note: Yay! Now that we know why David's actions have been different than expected, let's see what happens next. This chapter is a Tim/Evelyn combo POV.
Also, I have a new poll open in my profile along with a profile update that explains what it's for. Go check it out!
Review Props: Readlikehermione, Momcat
David had barely parked the car upon their return to the beach when he and Evelyn noticed several members of the McGee family grouping together. That was hardly a good sign. Nor was the yelling they heard as soon as they opened the car doors.
"Goddammit," David muttered, shoving his car keys into his pocket before rushing to figure out what was going on.
Evelyn followed at a more sedate pace, unable to outright run in her flip flops like David was able to in his shoes. There were so many people yelling at each other that Evelyn could barely hear herself think once she reached the edge of the group. Sarah appeared next to Evelyn and began pulling her away by the arm.
"Evelyn, being here might not be the best idea," Sarah said next to Evelyn's ear so she could be heard.
"Since when did your opinion of my life matter in any way, shape, or form?!" Tim's voice called out. It was a miracle he was heard over his cousins, who were all continuing to argue back and forth. Evelyn paused to look back, knowing exactly who Tim was yelling at. Sarah continued to try to pull Evelyn away, but she soon relented when it became clear that Evelyn was refusing to move.
"You're an embarrassment to us all!" Betsy snapped back.
A high pitched whistle caused the McGee clan to fall silent before Tim could send a retort back at his aunt. Everyone's eyes turned towards David, who was giving Betsy a glare.
"What the hell is going on here?" David hissed at his sister.
"I'm doing what you're apparently too stubborn to do yourself!" Betsy yelled. "Your son is an ungrateful, selfish disgrace! He is not welcome here!"
"I will make the decision on who is and isn't welcome in my own damn home and at any events that I host, Betsy!" David said. He gave Jennifer an incredulous look when she stood firmly behind Betsy with a cross expression on her face. "Jenny, why the hell are you backing Betsy on this?"
"I can't keep quiet on it anymore, David. I was fine dealing with your ongoing feud with Timothy because the two of you have been avoiding confrontations the last few years, but him bringing that girl home is the last straw! It's a perversion!" Jenny said.
"What?!" Tim yelled in shock at the words that came out of his own mother's mouth.
"How long have you known that girl? Grooming takes a while!" Jenny turned towards Tim, pure anger and disgust growing on her face.
"Mom, I met Evelyn this past March!" Tim said in defense.
"Jennifer, I did not just hear you insinuate that our son is a pedophile!" David inserted before she could reply to Tim's comment.
"There is a 13 year difference between the two of them, David!" Jennifer defended herself. "You cannot honestly tell me you're okay with that!"
"Woman, have you not met your mother-in-law?!" David yelled back, still giving his wife an incredulous look. "Tim's girlfriend is a consenting adult, Jennifer, regardless of the age difference! That's all that matters!"
Tim took a few steps back, unable to fully register the new argument that was forming in front of him between his parents and his Aunt Betsy. He had expected backlash about his relationship with Evelyn. He hadn't expected to be accused of grooming her when she was still a minor. Especially by his own mother. Evelyn appeared by his side and grabbed a hold of his forearm, giving him a concerned look when she noticed how pale Tim was becoming.
"I was raised by Mother, too, David, but clearly it was Father who taught common sense! Your son has no business being in a sexual relationship with a teenager!" Betsy snapped.
"We're not," Evelyn interrupted, causing all eyes to turn towards her. Tim's expression turned into a horrified one, having hoped Evelyn would be left out of the screaming back and forth. "We're not in a sexual relationship, Betsy."
"Oh, really?" Betsy replied, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "So it's just for convenience's sake that you two are sharing Tim's bed back at the house?"
"Yes, it is," Evelyn said in an even tone. "It's Timothy's parents' house. There's no reason for us to rent a motel room when they've kept his old bedroom intact."
"So you share a bed with any man you date, then?" Betsy asked, making it clear she didn't believe Evelyn. Evelyn's expression turned dark and she stepped towards Betsy, ignoring Tim's attempt to hold her back.
"Betsy, I'm a good Catholic who's fully intent on saving myself for my wedding night. Are you insinuating that I've whored myself around under the guise of saving a few dollars on motel rooms?" Evelyn hissed.
Tim froze in place, not entirely sure how to react. He knew damn well Evelyn was lying, especially after the joking around Angela attempted at Evelyn's birthday party, but he also knew it probably wasn't a good idea to let Betsy know that Evelyn was lying.
"No," Betsy back peddled, grasping at the crucifix hanging around her neck while her mouth opened and closed as she tried to find a logical response to Evelyn's retort. "It's still entirely inappropriate for you to be sharing a bed with a grown man!"
"Betsy, that's enough!" David roared. He moved to stand between Betsy and Evelyn and furiously stared his sister down. "Back off Tim and Evelyn. Now."
"David," Jennifer began, but she stuttered over her next words when David turned his glare on her.
"Jennifer, you and I are going to have a long discussion later," David said evenly.
"It's inappropriate, David!" Jennifer repeated, motioning to Tim and Evelyn behind David.
"Hardly! Jennifer, you and I were younger than Evelyn is now when we had Tim!" David said.
"At least we were the same age!" Jennifer argued. "I didn't date a man a handful of years short of being old enough to be my father!"
"Mom!" Tim exclaimed. He could feel his blood pressure skyrocket, and it was causing his hands to shake. He really didn't know how else to argue. Having both Aunt Betsy and his mother tag-team against him felt like a sucker punch.
"An adult is an adult is an adult," David said.
"Not all adults are equal," Betsy shot back, taking David's attention off of Jennifer.
"You're right, Betsy," David said, his voice losing all inflection. "So I'll be damned to Hell if I allow the likes of you back into my house."
"Excuse me?!" Betsy shrieked. The rest of the family began to slowly step away from the arguing group for fear of attention being turned on them.
"You've done nothing but repeatedly attack both of my children since you arrived in Key West. I don't care if this is Jeremy's farewell weekend. Appear on my property again and I'm calling the police to escort you off," David continued.
"Well, I don't want that girl in my house, either!" Jennifer insisted, putting a hand on Betsy's shoulder.
"Fine! Then Evelyn and I will just return to DC! I've already said my good byes to Jeremy!" Tim said before David could respond. Tim gave his mother a look of betrayal before turning back to where he had been sitting with Evelyn, Sarah, and Jeremy earlier. "Evelyn, go wait by the car while I collect our things."
Sarah took the chance to grab Evelyn's arm again and start dragging her away, towards the parking lot. Anything to try and get everyone as far away from each other as possible.
"Tim," David called to Tim's back. David glared at Jennifer and Betsy then followed Tim away from the group. David waited until they were out of reasonable earshot of everyone else before repeating himself. "Tim, wait."
"Dad," Tim started, spinning on a heel to look at his father. He took a couple even breaths. "Mom... just insinuated I was a pedophile. To my face. I'm not exactly in the mood to want to be here right now."
"Please, just wait. Don't go back home to DC yet," David begged.
"Why not? It's not exactly like I've got a lot of people here who still like me," Tim pointed out.
"Just... Please don't go yet," David continued, having trouble finding the words. He was hardly as articulate as either of his children. Something he was normally proud of, because it meant they both were capable of going far in life, but now it was frustrating. Tim stared at him expectantly, still wanting a reason to not return to DC, and David couldn't provide a coherent one. Desperate, David grabbed at Tim and hugged him close with the hope it got the point across. "Please don't go yet."
Tim froze in shock. He couldn't remember the last time he touched his father, let alone hugged the man. It had been literal years. Suddenly feeling completely exhausted from all the tension he'd be experiencing since the moment the airplane landed yesterday, Tim shoved his face into David's shoulder and hugged back.
"Dad, I can't take it anymore," Tim mumbled into David's shirt. David ran a hand through Tim's hair and pressed a kiss to the side of his head.
"I know, Tim. I know," David said. He pulled away and held Tim's face in his hands, Tim looking every bit as exhausted as he felt. "Go grab your things from the house and head to your grandmother's. You know Penny. She's not going to give a damn about you staying there. She'll be happy to see you when she returns home tomorrow."
"But Mom and Aunt Betsy..." Tim trailed off. He didn't have it in him to argue anymore.
"I will deal with them. Just give me a little bit of time. Go to Penny's. Now, you did warn Evelyn about your grandmother's antics, right?" David asked. Tim let out a huff in a sad attempt of a laugh.
"No. She'll be learning the hard way," Tim answered.
David looked all over Tim's face slowly, wondering how the hell they all ended up where they currently were. Pressing another kiss to Tim's forehead, David finally pulled his hands away.
"The spare key to Penny's house is in the main drawer of my desk in my office. It'll be hard to miss," David told Tim. "Now go. I'll swing by later after I attempt to remove our family's heads out of their own asses. And take Sarah with you."
Nodding in acknowledgment, Tim let out a heavy breath and turned back to collect his, Evelyn's, and now Sarah's things. David braced himself and headed back to the main group, leaving Tim alone. This entire day was turning into an episode of the Twilight Zone, as far as Tim was concerned, and he just wanted it to be over.