Chapter 34: Advanced Advanced Internal Family Systems
Summary: Dorie and Buzz throw a party
Annie looked up the bright yellow house and felt her heart lift in a way it hadn't since she had first seen her second child. It was cheery and welcoming, and she knew at that moment that Riverside was the place for their family.
"Awww, it's so cute!"
She patted a striped-onesie outfitted Sebastian in her arms and turned to see Jeff's reaction. He was staring at the house with his skeptical squint, and she inwardly groaned. He had been fussy as they had been discussing Sophie's schooling options and various neighborhoods, but she had really hoped he'd come around by now. He had been dragging his feet on committing to Riverside, which didn't make any sense to her.
"Mommy, it's so pretty! I love it!"
She smiled down at Sophie, who was twisting awkwardly as she held onto Jeff's hand. They had all tumbled out of the SUV, and Jeff was also clutching Ruffles' leash.
"It is, isn't it, sweetie? Maybe Daddy and I can also find a house nearby Grandma and Grandpa Buzz."
"Annie, let's not be hasty."
She cast him a reproachful glare, and he smiled slightly, which gave her some hope. She ventured, "It's really sweet that your mom and Buzz found such a nice place. Why didn't you tell me how cute it was?"
She of course had heard all about it from Dorie by now and seen pictures, but Jeff had been fairly quiet about it, having taken the previous weekend to help them move while insisting Annie stay home with the kids and not strain herself. Troy, Abed, Ian, and Britta had also rolled up their sleeves and gotten to work, everyone pulling together to get the house reasonably set-up.
It was amazing that Dorie and Buzz were already ready for visitors, but Dorie had been bursting with excitement and had been organizing everything downstairs and then inviting family over for a late lunch. She told Annie in confidence that the upstairs was a mess, and Annie had reassured her that no one would mind and it was a nice weather forecast so the kids could play in the backyard.
Kids. She remembered that Hank Hickey would also be there, along with his wife and three year old son Sebastian. Annie smiled at the thought of Sophie and Sebastian Hickey playing together, their grandparents looking on with love. She puffed out her chest slightly at the thought that she had been helpful in returning Buzz with his son. Buzz was family. Sophie was now calling him Grandpa Buzz, and therefore Sophie and her Sebastian were cousins to the other Sebastian. And there were two Hanks now.
She frowned as she considered it was a little confusing.
"What is it, milady?"
She sighed, "Nothing. I was just overthinking." Now resuming her grin, she continued, "I'm super excited to have your whole family together!"
Jeff rolled his eyes and said, "Come on. Stop acting like Hank Hickey and I are going to be best friends."
She pouted.
He stared at her with what she suspected was only feigned annoyance as he said, "Annie. As I've told you a million times, we are not brothers."
Eyeing him with a coy expression, she merely shrugged her free shoulder.
"Annie."
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"Oh, my dears! I'm so happy you're here!"
Upon entry, they had been predictably assaulted by his mom and Hank (the dog). Jeff didn't know what happened, but suddenly they were quickly hugged, relieved of their children, and left to stand in the entryway alone. Jeff stared down at his empty left hand before he hunched down to his right to unclip Ruffles and let her loose. He then stood and placed his arm around Annie, who now had both of hers free to encircle his waist. He cast a glance off toward what he assumed was the living room and heard several barks and then a squeal of Sophie greeting Buzz.
"My mom's a crafty bastard."
She was looking up at him in amusement, so of course he hunched down to kiss her. He was grateful she wore the strawberry lip gloss, for by now he was pretty sure he was addicted to it. As they pulled apart, he smirked at her, hoping she'd know he'd be very interested in picking things up at home later. He was wearing his Hanro and had his chest waxed two days ago. To his pleasure, she fluttered her eyelashes in response. They were in synch.
"God, get a room."
They both startled and turned with annoyance to see a disgusted Britta standing in the doorway, her arms crossed over her chest.
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After Annie shuffled off to find the hobgoblins and their kidnappers, Jeff followed Britta through another hallway which led to the kitchen. He remembered placing some pots and pans on the shelves before taking his leave the previous weekend, leaving Britta to organize the rest.
He of course began to snoop, opening various cupboards and humming as he spied the meticulously placed items. He knew his mother's system by now, and this definitely was not it.
"Sooo, I take it this is all your work? Are you transforming even further into Martha Stewart or does Buzz have hidden talents?"
Her groan was followed by shoving a mug of coffee at him, which he scrambled to accept before it sloshed all over him.
She looked up in unnecessary defiance as she said, "I like to help your mom. She's going to look after my cats again when Ian and I got on vacation this summer."
Indicating toward his coffee, he merely said, "Thank you."
She eyed him suspiciously as she poured herself a cup. He inwardly smirked and waltzed over to the window so that he could see the backyard. As he remembered, it was fenced in. There was a ladder propped against a medium sized tree, and a tool box was placed within the branches. He was suddenly overcome with a surge of emotion as he realized that Buzz was building another treehouse for his grandchildren.
"Oh my god, are you okay?"
He felt Britta's hand on his arm and closed his now watering eyes at the loudness of her voice. He managed, "Yeah, um, sorry. Just sleep-deprived or something."
They awkwardly sat at the table, Britta somehow sensing now was not the time to interrogate him. He considered she was developing more subtly and wondered if she had picked that up in therapy school. He felt the wave of emotion passing and let out a sigh of relief.
"I'll bet you're sleep deprived. I heard all about it from Shirley."
He tensed and shot her a questioning look, noticing she was regarding him with her usual unwarranted smugness. He supposed some things hadn't changed.
"The what?"
She nodded and explained, "Annie told Shirley you guys have been having sex again. Shirley's ridiculously pleased about it and has been giving Annie tips, cause you know, she's been all sensitive about her body. Personally, I think Shirley's living vicariously through her...and shut up it's not because she wants to sleep with you but because she and Andre always waited so long after each of the kids were born, and between you and me I don't think they've been doing it for awhile now. He's been all pissy again about her business. Why, I…."
He leaned over and placed his hand over her mouth.
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Annie smiled as she surveyed the mess the kids had left behind as each of them had opened up a present from Dorie and Buzz. Normally having wrapping paper strewn about would have upset her, but she saw how happy everyone had been so she wasn't that concerned about it anymore.
"They are all so sweet together, aren't they?"
Holly nodded in agreement as she stared out the back door, Sam, Braden, Sophie, and Sebastian Hickey having all run outside with Ruffles and Hank Winger mere moments ago.
Annie was glad Holly and her kids had been included in the housewarming, as she considered them to be an important part of their family, and she was relieved that there wasn't too much pressure on Sophie and Sebastian Hickey getting along on their first meeting. But she reflected on their sweet interactions over the past ten minutes and considered there was nothing to worry about. And to have seen Buzz on the floor with his grandson, showing him how to work his new bubble-blowing machine, had been delightful.
She turned to Dorie, who was in the middle of giving Buzz a kiss on the cheek, and then locked eyes with Hank Hickey, who was standing next to a timid-looking woman she had been briefly introduced to as his wife, Zoe.
She was startled by Hank's tight-lipped smile with a step back and wondered if he was uncomfortable with the display of affection between his father and Dorie. She knew his mother was long deceased and suddenly felt bad, thinking perhaps she should handle things more sensitively. She moved forward, and was stopped by Ian, who had suddenly appeared to her right.
"Now Annie, why don't we go find Britta and Jeff?" He was perspiring for some reason but she didn't feel the need to ask about that at the moment.
She frowned and whispered, "Not now. I want to talk to Hank. He must feel so out of place."
Ian smiled tightly and once again tried to redirect her toward the kitchen, but she shooed him away. It was then that Buzz seemed to realize she was there and exclaimed, "Hey! I'm glad you guys could come. Looks like Sophie and Sebastian are getting along."
Ian lifted his hands and gave Hank a sympathetic look before waltzing outside.
Annie exclaimed, "Of course they are!" She leaned forward and accepted a hug, for it was the first time she and Buzz had properly greeted each other since she had arrived, as the kids had taken over the living room in utter chaos. But at present, it was quiet, with the exception of baby Sebastian's drooling exclamations from Dorie's arms. Dorie didn't seem that eager to give him up, and she continued to coo at him while petting his tufts of hair.
After they moved out of the embrace, Annie said, "Your house is so nice! And it's great we could all be here as a family to celebrate." She turned slightly toward Hank and Zoe and added, "Why, we haven't seen each other since the game! That was so much fun, but I'd like to get to know you better." She flashed a wide grin, hoping he'd begin to warm up to her.
Hank inched toward his wife and took her hand, gripping it more tightly than Annie thought was befitting of the occasion. He stammered, "Yes, um, Annie, right?"
"Yes. I had your father as my professor last year, and now he advises me on some internship-related issues I need to complete for my forensics and criminology major. He's been so helpful. And he's been great with my children."
Hank gave a slight nod and asked, "Um which ones are yours?"
"Sophie and this one here." She leaned toward Dorie and kissed Sebastian's cheek, and the baby swatted at her hair, entangling his hand. She frowned and then chuckled as she attempted to get free, with Sebastian chortling and pulling.
Zoe leaned forward to help her out, murmuring some reassurances, with Dorie giving a half-hearted tsk-ing toward the baby, who continued to view the situation as the most amusing thing. Annie caught of flash of Hank half smiling and fully focusing on the baby, as he also dove into the rescue.
Buzz then approached and said, "I have scissors. Or a knife." He held up both.
Everyone instantly shouted, "No!"
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Britta drummed her fingers on the kitchen table, her eyes locked on Jeff. He groaned for the thousandth time.
"It is not any of your business when, if, or how Annie and I have sex."
"I'm just looking out for my friends."
"How in...you know what? I don't want to know how you're possibility framing it that way. As much as I don't wanna go in there and make small talk with Hank Hickey, I say we put an end to this little conversation." He started to rise, but she gave him a pointed look. For some reason, he sat back down.
She leaned forward and explained, "I just want to make sure you guys are using birth control.
Although breastfeeding prevents pregnancy, especially if one is breastfeeding as much as Annie is, it's really only theoretical. She could start ovulating again at any time. So you never know…"
He instantly made the shushing gesture which, to his relief, worked.
He barked, "Enough! This is sooo not your business. But I would just like you to know that we are not idiots. That's all I'm going to say on the matter." He then crossed his arms and glared at her.
She shrugged and they sat in awkward silence for a moment. As he started to rise once again, she motioned for him to sit, an apologetic expression on her face. To his perhaps future regret, he caved and sat back down.
"I'm sorry, Jeff. I just care about you guys."
He sighed, "I know. Look, let's just forget about this and head to the living room. And never talk about it again."
She nodded sagely, and as they both finally stood, turned to him and said without any hint of self-awareness, "You should look into getting a vasectomy. It really is the best solution, so you guys never have to worry about…"
He was once again thankful that he had extremely large arms and was therefore able to reach completely around her head and close her mouth.
He muttered as he rolled his eyes, "Our friend circle is bordering on incestuous."
She slapped his hand away, and he reluctantly released her. She blurted, "Speaking of incest, Ian got me watching Game of Thrones. They really get that part right."
"Christ. We're all way too enmeshed."
"Nah Jeff, I think we all just look out for each other."
They both turned to see Troy standing in the doorway eating what appeared to be a bowl of frosted mini wheat squares. His words were slightly muffled.
He added, "But I don't think you should get a vasectomy. That sounds kind of ouchy. Plus, Abed and I think we can handle babysitting more kids if you guys want them. I was talking to Shirley, and I might start my own business. Kind of like a daycare."
He resumed chomping, and Jeff stared at him for what felt like three full minutes but made the decision to say absolutely nothing.
Finally Troy continued, "I really need to find new work anyway since I refuse to whore myself out for air conditioning repair and I really can't work for Pierce no more. He's such a jerk sometimes." He shook his head adamantly and frowned, seemingly genuinely injured by their know-to-be-a-jerk study group member.
By now rousing from the stupor of having both Troy and Britta intrude into his sex life, Jeff asked, "You work for Pierce?"
He noticed Britta didn't seem all that surprised and then remembered they were roommates. And Britta was very nosey, obviously.
Troy glanced down at his cereal and shrugged. With a slight wine, he confessed, "I've been discreetly testing various experimental forms of Hawthorne wipes."
"Really? Why?"
"They have to be extra gentle on the butt."
Knowing where this was going, Jeff let out a long sigh and then remarked, "Of course."
"And I kind of like butt stuff."
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Annie felt Jeff's reassuring shoulder squeeze. She was thankful that she was now free from baby Sebastian's grasp. It had turned out that Abed had waltzed in and stared at the baby for about thirty seconds, and then Sebastian had miraculously let her go. Abed was whispering something to Sebastian, as Dorie had now handed him over, and his expression was serious and intense, per usual.
Jeff's hot breath tickled her neck as he leaned down and asked, "So, what did I miss?"
"Oh, the kids opened some presents and are now outside with Ian, Hank's wife Zoe, and your mom." She then smiled sheepishly and added, "And our son tried to rip my hair out again, but luckily Abed convinced him to let me go."
Jeff nodded and glanced over at Abed.
"He does have a way."
"You're welcome, Jeff. He just needed something explained to him."
"Of course he did, Abed." Jeff smiled politely and then turned his attention to Hank and Buzz, who were standing in front of Annie. He was somewhat aware that Holly was watching the kids near the window, a frown on her face. He was a little surprised she hadn't greeted him but shrugged it off and considered he needed his full focus anyway to attend to this Hank Hickey mess. He told himself it was like ripping off a bandaid. Do it quickly and the pain would be over soon.
He extended his hand and said, "Hi Hank, it's good to see you again. I'm Jeff."
Hank, who up until that moment looked slightly ashen, seemed to perk up as he accepted the handshake. Annie was a little peeved that he seemed much more interested in seeing Jeff again rather than talking with her. So far he had been more than a bit aloof. She shuffled to the side to be closer to Buzz, who smiled slightly at her.
As Jeff and Hank chatted, she whispered, "Everything going okay?"
There was a flash of genuine affection in his eyes as he replied, "Aww, yeah. After that game, we've been talking more, and he let me come over to see Sebastian for his birthday. Thanks again for all your help."
"Playing D&D was fun, wasn't it?"
"Well, I wouldn't go that far. But, yeah it was alright since I got my son back."
She nodded and spied Britta and Troy enter from the kitchen. Troy made a beeline for Abed and the baby, and Britta strolled over to Holly, conversation quickly ensuing as they watched the kids play from the window. She smiled to herself as she thought how nice it was to have some of their friends included, mingling with family. They were all family really. And Hickey had been a much-needed mentor to her.
She mused aloud, "I thought it was really interesting interrogating the witnesses with you."
His eyebrows almost imperceptibly rose, and he then grunted, "Oh you mean Abed."
"Yes, the hobgoblins."
He chuckled and said, "Yeah, that was kind of fun. You were really helpful in getting him to crack."
Feeling an electricity zap through her, she turned more fully to him and said, "And the way you wore him down! I've never seen anything like that! The power you had over him!"
Buzz shrugged, still at first seeming bemused, and said, "Well, you surprised me as well with that chloroform." He then turned to her with a glare, "I knew some of my stash was missing."
She began to twist the ends of her hair and said, "Oh, that. I'm sorry, but I didn't think you'd let me take any to the game."
He squinted at her for several moments, and she thought maybe she had crossed a line. But the bottle had been so tantalizing, sitting on his office shelf for the past year. And if he didn't want someone to use it, why did he even have it there? Plus, she may have mentioned to him on several occasions that she had used chloroform before, but he never had reacted to that admission and would oddly change the subject. But the other week she knew she had to take a chance and grabbed it the day before the D&D game, just in case. It had turned out that Hank Hickey had made a run for it, and if it hadn't been for her quick thinking, he'd have completely left and Buzz wouldn't have a relationship with his younger son and his grandchild.
She had been completely justified, and she hoped he'd see it that way, but she was suddenly full of doubt. She widened her eyes and felt the tears start to flow.
He instantly groaned, "Oh come on, now that I know you can handle that stuff properly, it's fine. But we should go over toxicity…" *
Suddenly Hank Hickey, who along with Jeff, had apparently been staring and listening to them for the past few minutes, shouted, "Oh my god! She's a psycho! She tried to kill me, dad! And apparently now she's your step daughter! I don't want her as my sister!"
His arms were flailing around, and it was a startling sight. Annie immediately turned to Buzz, her eyes in a panic, and he shook his head and stepped forward. Buzz placed his hands on Hank's shoulders and began humming/growling, which appeared to calm him down. Hank looked at him intently, his eyes betraying his fear.
Buzz said, "It's gonna be okay. She doesn't usually do stuff like that. She was trying to keep you and me together so we could talk things out and she was worried you were gonna leave." Hank sniffled and then thumped his head down on his father's shoulder, and Buzz began patting him. Buzz then turned slightly toward Annie and said, "But you. I think you owe my son an apology for having done that, even if I understand."
He winked at her, which elicited an almost imperceptible Annie-giggle.
Jeff snapped his head to view Annie's initial reaction, but missed it. She was now nodding solemnly as she said, "Hank, I really am so sorry I did that to you. I really don't know much about chloroform and what it could do. I thought it would just stop you for a minute, and I was really panicking. I want you and your father to be together again. And while I'm not Dorie's daughter and therefore technically not your stepsister per se, my husband Jeff is Dorie's son, so I guess we're basically step-siblings, which means basically siblings! I'd love it if we could get along. Please accept my humble apology."
Hank sniffed once again and lifted his head. He regarded her with a tentativeness as he said, "Um, thanks? And um, you're really not Dorie's daughter? I got that wrong, it's Jeff who's her kid?"
Annie nodded, a hopefulness in her expression.
He then smiled slightly and turned toward Jeff. He extended his hand once more and said, "Good to see you again, brother!"
Jeff didn't quite know how to react. Although they had been in awkward yet friendly conversation a few minutes ago, it had been difficult to detect Hank's actual feelings about the situation, as they had relatively quickly been derailed by overhearing Buzz and Annie's conversation. But the shouting along with Hank's squeamishness around Annie now made more sense.
He accepted the handshake and said, "Um, yeah I guess."
Hank grinned and then turned to Annie and said, "So you're only my brother's wife. Got it. Hi Annie, my brother's wife. Please don't chloroform me again or you'll hear from my lawyer."
Appearing crestfallen, Annie's lip quivered as she said, "Oh please, Hank. I'm so sorry. It was a weird night. Jeff knows I'm not usually that crazy. Right, Jeff?" She glanced at him with pleading eyes.
Deciding now was the time for only minor deception, he said to Hank, "It's true. She was particularly zealous that night. When something's important to Annie, she doesn't give up. You just ran into one of her best and worst qualities." He smirked at her open-mouthed indignant expression and added, "And I've been in a relationship with her for four years and had yet to see her produce chloroform. Judging by that performance, you might just be one of the most important people to her. And my guess is that is because your father is also one of her favorite people. She loves you. You can either accept that and try to forgive and get to know her better, or you can walk out again. But then you'd be missing out on Buzz, who has been a kick-ass grandfather to my kids. And then we'd also all miss out on adorable Sophie-Sebastian time. Oh, and Sebastian-Sebastian time." He indicated with his head over to Abed, Troy, and the baby. "As I'm sure you've heard, we named our son Sebastian as well. It's kismet."
Hank glanced back and forth between Jeff and the baby and then shouted, "You named your son after mine! You're all crazy!"
Buzz began to growl once again and pulled Hank back down into a soothing hug.
"Now, now, little Sophie named the baby and had no idea. She named him after the crab thingy in that cartoon."
Hank sniffed and said, "The Little Mermaid? That's one of Zoe's favorite movies. That's why we named him that too."
"It must be a good one. I promised Sophie I'd watch it with her. She was pretty pissed off that I haven't already seen it. Maybe we could all watch it this evening? You all stay awhile."
Hank whispered, "Yeah, I may, ahem, also like The Little Mermaid."
"Well this is something I need to watch."
Annie smiled triumphantly at Jeff and clapped her hands. He frowned at her but couldn't help thinking about how hot things would likely be later since she was in celebration-mode. He then began to smile, and she bounced.
Abed walked over with the baby and handed him over. Jeff readily accepted the squirt and kissed his head. He then smiled into his little bluer Annie-eyes, noting the expression was readily reciprocated, before turning him to face outward, one of the squirt's latest favorite holding positions. He patted down some fluff in his hair wisps, making a mental note to talk to Lauren about the best style for small babies. He considered he may be a tad young for hair gel and might eat it.
Abed remarked, "I think he's good now. He's not going to pull Annie's hair anymore. Or at least for the rest of the day. Maybe."
"Thanks, buddy."
Abed nodded and then looked over at Buzz and Hank, who were still in the middle of their hug. He asked, "Speaking of games, can we go over to your place for a few minutes before we watch The Little Mermaid? I need to pick up some things."
Jeff raised a brow and turned to him. Against his better judgment, he asked, "What the hell do you need from our apartment?"
Continuing to stare at Buzz and Hickey, Abed mused, "I really enjoyed my time as Dungeon Master, Jeff. It's been awhile, and now I can't shake it. But regular-recurring-character-Neil along with several other members of our standing D&D game are going away on spring break next week and so I can't game."
The explanation stopped there, and Jeff groaned.
"Christ, maybe I'm dense but I still don't understand what you want from our apartment."
Turning back to him, Abed said, "It's simple, Jeff. I asked Sophie if I could borrow Mister Tickles, Hillary Rodham Kitten, Eleanbun Roosevelt, and Count Frogula. She said yes."
Jeff waited, and got one blink.
"And…?"
"While slightly unorthodox, I'm going to form my own D&D game. Most of you don't fully listen anyway, so it might even be a better game."
Jeff nodded as he bounced the squirt. He then considered his only real option.
"Yes, of course."
Suddenly a blonde-haired little boy ran up to him and, casting a jealous look at baby Sebastian, said, "Uncle Jeff! I missed you so much! Come play with us!"
Jeff smiled down at Sam and said, "Hey, buddy. Good to see you, too. I'll play with you in a bit, but I have to do something first. I'll be right back."
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Upon returning from their errand, Jeff let a contented Abed back into his mother's new house and considered that things were doing okay. By the time they had left, Annie and Hank were conversing with slightly less hostility about their children as Annie nursed the squirt, and Ian, Britta, and Troy had the kids involved in some sort of game in the backyard. Things could be a heck of a lot worse than them all being together, and he was grateful that his mom and Buzz had begun a life together in their sickenly cute yellow house. He considered he and Annie did need to find something in the upcoming months, even if he did turn down his mother's offer of sharing some money from the sale of her old home. He didn't have good memories from the place, and he didn't really want the profit from it, even if he could use it.
He still wasn't sold on moving to Riverside, even if it made a lot of sense. A part of him wanted to keep a nice buffer between him and his mom. He began to think of ways to convince Annie that Greendale wasn't that bad, even if the public school system was more than a little bonkers.
He closed the door behind him, and realized that Abed had gone upstairs with his bag of stuffed animals for some reason, and then hunched down to greet Ruffles, who was whining. He nuzzled her and then realized she was trying to get him to come further inside rather than begging to go for a walk. The familiar prickling on his neck started, and he jumped to his feet and followed her to the living room.
Holly was sitting on the couch, sobbing softly into Ian's shoulder as he appeared to be trying to console her. Britta was seated in a chair to their left and was nodding sagely, her eyes at the same time wide with concern.
Instantly, he had the hunch Britta had Britta'd something. Badly.
"What happened?"
Holly lifted her head and said, "Thank god you're back, Jeff."
While surprised by her words, he did know that he would be the one responsible for cleaning up the mess. Just like always. He supposed maybe even his cousin now knew that too.
He cast a glare at Britta and then sat down on Holly's other side and asked,"What is it?"
She wiped her red eyes and took a moment to collect herself, sending Ian a slight appreciative smile before addressing Jeff.
"It's Sam. When you left earlier, he started screaming and throwing things. He wouldn't let me near him either. And I'm so sorry that he scared Sophie, but Annie and Hank are with the kids outside now, trying to reassure and distract them. I'm so so sorry, Jeff. I don't know..."
His eyes widened, for Sam wasn't known for such behavior at least in his presence, and he said, "Yikes. Is Sam okay?"
Her lip trembling, she said, "That's the thing. I'm pretty sure he's not. He's been getting into fights at school, and as I explained to Ian and Britta, the principal expelled him right before spring break. I have to homeschool him through the end of the year, which I have no idea how I'm going to do that since I work full-time, and then find him another school somehow for next year."
"Christ. I had no idea."
"And sometimes he's like this, what happened today, at home after his father drops him off. But that hasn't been for awhile since Matt got remarried."
"When the hell did that happen?"
"Christmas."
His heart sank, and he scooted even closer, his arm instinctively wrapping around her. He asked, but he already knew the answer, "And now Matt's not seeing the kids?"
"He says he will more this summer. But he's been steadily withdrawing from the boys over the past year. Since he met Janey."
Jeff closed his eyes and fought off the old urge to punch something. He murmured his understanding.
She added, "Braden's been much better with it. He's not as attached. But Sam's always felt things so deeply. He has big emotions."
It was then that Britta jumped to her feet, and Jeff did as well with the intent of stopping her. Holly and Ian looked on in a daze.
"You will not!"
"Someone has to talk to that poor kid!"
He stepped closer to her and put his hands on her shoulders. With as much authority as he could muster, he said, "This is none of your business! I'll handle this."
She lifted her head and locked eyes with him.
"Jeff, if you go to Sam right now, he's going to lose it even more. Troy just got him to settle down. He's only six years old, and he can't regulate himself. I'll talk to him for a few minutes, and then you can if you want. But he also probably needs his mom." She shot Holly an empathetic glance, and Jeff removed his hands from her.
Holly said, "Thanks, Britta."
A bit stunned, Jeff said, "But wouldn't it make more sense for Ian to go up there? Since he's the psychologist."
Ian made a tsking sound and clarified, "I'm not a child psychologist, Jeffrey. And I do have the feeling that Britta is more than capable of handling this. She has an intuition about children."
Her chest now puffing with pride, Britta gave a nod, picked up Ruffles, and headed upstairs.
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Jeff sat with Holly for a little while, he wasn't sure how long. Ian politely excused himself and headed off to find Dorie and Buzz. Although they were mostly silent, Jeff knew his presence was comforting.
Finally, she said, "So you're really hard on your friend. She has lots of good insights."
He sighed, "Yeah, well she also tends to fuck things up a lot. Even if she's well-intentioned. I hope to God that she is helpful with this situation."
"What do you mean, fuck things up?"
"She tends to name and explain things that don't need to be made explicit. And she always wants to know how others are feeling and wants to explain to them how they are likely feeling. It's incredibly annoying."
"You now what, Jeff? I think that's exactly what Sam needs."
"Crap, you're right."
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"So Uncle Jeff, I like your dog so much. Britta showed me all the neat tricks she can do!"
Jeff smiled sadly down at a now contented Sam in his lap, as he turned the page in the Batman comic book. The kid had been nestling into his arms for the past ten minutes, Sophie having graciously allowed him to have access to her daddy for a little while. Jeff could tell from her eyes that she understood Sam needed him more right now, and he was hopeful that later Britta could help him explain to her what was going on in a way that wouldn't upset her too much.
"She did? Huh. You know, I'm always trying to teach Ruffles new ones. Maybe you could come over and help me?"
"Yay!" Sam clapped his hands together and looked ecstatic. He then glanced down at the comic book and went still.
Jeff knew it before it happened, and readily accepted the hug. He suppressed his own tears and looked over at Holly, who was sitting with Annie on the other side of the living room. He silently mouthed, "I have an idea."
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They sat around the dining table, sipping coffee and strategizing. Lunch had been a success, as well as The Little Mermaid, and finally an originally unexpected dinner time with Britta and Ian running out to pick up food. The kids were now sprawled out unconscious in the living room, Troy and Abed having rigged up an array of pillows and blankets so everyone could stay the night. Hank and his family had gone home about a half hour ago, likely still not having adjusted to Annie's reach for a tissue from the tissue box, which had elicited a shudder from Hank and a clasping of his mouth, as well as the craziness of their larger family.
Their real family, composed of some blood relatives but mostly not. And family took care of each other.
Jeff sipped his coffee and then cast a look towards the living room. He mused, "Thank god for Troy and Abed. I hope they're actually sleeping."
Annie shook her head with a slight smile, and said, "I have a feeling even Troy and Abed can be quiet in there if it means Sophie, Sam, and Braden stay settled. They're all so sweet together, aren't they?"
He smiled back at her and tried not to wonder if Abed was setting up his D&D game with Sophie's stuffed animals. His eyes then cast downward where the squirt dozed in Annie's arms. Although his mom had a crib upstairs, Annie had been reluctant to put Sebastian up there alone, and he had felt the same instinct tonight. They wanted to keep their children close and safe.
He looked back down at the laptop to review their options.
"Well, I think the private schools won't work. They're way too expensive, even if Annie's mom said she'd help us out. Holly, you can't afford that. And frankly, I have a bias against them. I mean, Greendale Community College is public and we're all fine."
There were various murmurs of agreement, but he thought he caught Brutta's snort and decided to ignore it.
Holly said, "Are you sure, Jeff? I really don't want to put a wrench into your plans, just because my life is a mess."
He turned to her and reached out to pat her hand, taking a moment to fully appreciate how defeated she looked. He couldn't have that. They cycle of abuse in his family had to be over, for good. She had spent some time earlier filling him in on her parents' latest round of judgment on her solo-parenting and he had been reminded about what entitled assholes they could be. He had flashes of the way they had reacted to his and his mom's situation after William Winger had left, and while he had had some doubts over the years as to whether he accurately remembered their piousness and exaggerated pity, he was confident now that they were emotionally abusive.
He sighed, "I've been in a worse mess, as you know. And my friends helped me. So we're going to help you."
Annie piped in, "Jeff and I have discussed it, and we are in complete agreement that we want Sophie and Sam to go to the same school. I know they won't be in the same grade, but having a cousin close by and on the playground would be good for her."
Holly nodded, her tears starting again. She said, "And so good for Sam. He loves Sophie so much."
Britta, who had been leaning into Ian's side as she likely felt a little outside the conversation for the past few minutes, then chimed in, "You have a special little boy there, Holly. He's a really kind kid who feels abandoned. But it's not your fault. He told me he loves you and Braden a lot. He just gets really angry and doesn't know what to do with those feelings."
Nodding appreciatively, Holly asked Ian, "So you think you know a therapist who would be good for him once we move? She's in Riverside?"
"Yes, Dr. Chambers. She's really lovely. She's married to one of my old mates, who is on the wagon."
Jeff considered he at times didn't know everything about Ian but decided to not dwell on it at the moment. Instead, he said, "Therapy would be great for Sam. Annie and I both see therapists, and if our kids need it at some point, we'll have them go too."
There was a cascade of loving looks exchanged around the table, the last one being between Jeff and his mom.
Somehow he knew everything would be okay.
Britta then announced her intention to become a child psychologist, which everyone was able to get behind. She began researching doctoral programs on the laptop once Jeff grew tired of looking up houses.
They had a little time, as long as they relocated before school started again in the fall.
They were moving to Riverside.
* Special thanks to dagindeling for mentioning the toxicity of chloroform. I won't pretend that I am writing this aspect of the story in any way realistically, but decided to give a nod to this fact in any case.