Later that morning, Ted does indeed start ferrying some of Hidgens' guests into town. Bill, Alice, and Deb are first, once Bill eventually wakes up.
While he's gone, Hannah wanders around the house and explores. Lex makes her promise to be careful, and to not snoop too much. Then she lays down on the couch with Ethan's head in her lap.
There isn't much that Hannah hasn't already seen. The hallway with the bedrooms, sure. The lab and adjoining music room, check. Kitchen and dining room, of course. The room in the basement where Ms. Charlotte and her husband had chased them around yesterday? Yep.
She remembers a movie she watched not too long ago about a magic world inside a closet, and decides to see it there's any truth to it. Pouting, she sits on the floor when she doesn't find anything but the back wall.
Hidgens comes out of his lab just in time to see Hannah crawl into a closet between the lab and music room, and he chuckles.
"Hannah, sweetheart," he calls gently, crouching down. "What are you doing?"
"Tryna find Narnia," she mumbles. "But it's not real, is it?"
Hidgens shakes his head sadly. "No, I'm afraid not... would you like to go watch a movie with me? I'm finished with my work in the lab."
Hannah shrugs, still pouting. "Disney?"
"Of course," he scoffs playfully. "Do you prefer the new ones, or the older ones? Princesses, or the others?"
"I like all of them," Hannah says, crawling back out. She lets Hidgens pick her up and carry her back upstairs. Lex and Ethan are both asleep on one couch, so he and Hannah sit on the other.
"How about..." Hidgens stops to think, setting her down on the empty couch and going over to his DVD collection. "Snow White?" He grabs the movie to show it to her, and Hannah shrugs shyly.
"Is there a different one you'd rather watch?" He asks gently, and Hannah hesitates before nodding.
"Aristocats? It's my favorite..." she mumbles, playing with her hands.
"Aristocats it is," he says, putting Snow White back where it belongs and grabbing the request instead. He puts it in the DVD player and sits down next to Hannah. She crawls into his lap, humming along.
She grins up at him, and he smiles softly at her. "This one's my favorite," she says, and he nods.
"You told me that," he replies. "Did I mention that it's one of mine, too?"
She shakes her head and giggles. "Belle is my favorite princess. I'm gonna be her for Halloween!"
"Really?" Hidgens asks. "Which dress are you going to wear?"
"The gold one," Hannah says it like it's obvious. "'Cause she's not really a princess until then."
"Hm, is a pretty dress really all it takes to make someone a princess?" He asks doubtfully, teasing her, and Hannah shakes her head.
"No, but it helps," she says quietly, and leans her head against his chest. She plays with her hands again as she goes back to watching the movie.
Lex starts to stir, blinking over and smiling sleepily at her little sister. Hannah's eyes are glued to the TV, and she starts to hum along to the next song.
—
Ted trudges up the front stairs. Henry had told him to leave the gate unlocked so he could get back in easily. He's surprised to find that the front door's unlocked, too. Paul and Emma are sitting at the dining table, discussing something over a late breakfast— Paul's breakfast, anyway.
Ted clears his throat. "You guys ready to go?" He asks carefully, eyeing the pair. Emma nods, standing, and Paul follows suit.
"Thanks for the ride," Emma says.
"No problem," Ted replies with a small smirk. "I'm sure the professor is secretly itching to get everyone out of his hair."
Emma laughs quietly. "I know I called him reclusive yesterday, but that was a bit of an exaggeration. He likes people, for the most part. I doubt he'd be a college professor if he didn't."
Ted shrugs. "Either way, I'll go grab Ethan and we can head out." He heads through the kitchen and to the living room, stopping short when he sees everything going on.
Hannah's sitting in Hidgens' lap, giggling away as Aristocats plays on the TV. He's braiding her hair and humming along. Ethan and Lex are both half-asleep on the other couch, slowly in the process of waking up. Ted clears his throat again, and all four look over to him. Hannah waves cheerfully, and Hidgens actually blushes a little.
Ted has no idea what to make of that.
"Uh, Ethan," Ted says, forcing himself to look away from the professor's pink-tinged cheeks. "You ready to head home?"
Ethan groans. "My mom's probably freaking out, so I guess I have to." Lex pats his arm and kisses his cheek.
"You know she just worries about you," she says. "She loves you."
"I know," he grumbles, kissing her forehead before standing up. "Lead the way, Mr. Foster."
Ted glances back at Hannah and Hidgens one more time before leading Ethan back to the front door. Paul and Emma follow them from there out to the car.
—
Henry takes a few subtle deep breaths as Ted leaves with Ethan, and resumes braiding Hannah's hair. As soon as he's finished, he gently moves her off his lap and onto the seat beside him. She protests lightly, an adorable little pout gracing her lips.
"I'll be right back, Princess," he mumbles, the nickname just slipping out. He doesn't stop to think about it as he hurries to the nearest bathroom. He doesn't notice Lex watching him leave with a curious look on her face.
Henry closes the door behind him and goes to the sink. Splashing some cold water on his face, he tries to gather his thoughts.
Yes, he thinks Hannah's adorable.
Yes, he thinks her father is very hot.
Yes, he's always wanted a family.
No, he's never thought he'd actually get one, thanks to his own obsession with the Hive and their Apotheosis.
No, he probably doesn't have a snowball's chance in Hell of ever getting that family now, not at his age, and definitely not with the man he'd drugged and almost tried to kill. Not to mention the part where Henry had also drugged that man's five-year-old daughter. Jesus Christ, what had Henry been thinking?
Clearly he hadn't been. Henry shakes his head to clear his thoughts, and pats his face dry with the hand towel, before going back to the living room. Hannah's stopped pouting by now, though she's not as cheerful as she had been earlier.
"How's your throat feeling, Lex?" Henry asks, and the teen shrugs.
"Better," she says. She's still a little hoarse, but it's not nearly as bad as it had been at breakfast. She gets up and gestures for him to follow her back into the kitchen, so Henry does. "Thank you for everything... not just what you've done for me, but for my dad and Hannah. For everyone, really, but especially them. They're all I have. And— and I'm not just talking about at the theatre. I mean... Dad said last night that Hannah told you about— about some of the things our mom's done..."
"Lex," Henry says gently. "I understand. You don't have to say it. I'm just glad it came to light, for both of your sakes. Your mother won't be able to hurt either of you anymore."
Lex nods, tears unshed in her eyes. "Thank you," she whispers again, and throws her arms around him in a hug. Henry's a little surprised, but he hugs her back, both gentle and firm.
They break apart a few moments later, both blushing slightly, when they hear Hannah's voice carry from the living room as she sings along to Everybody Wants to Be a Cat. She's good for a five year old, but certainly not infected-level good. Henry's perfect pitch can hurt a little sometimes, but he brushes it off this time.
He and Lex go back into the living room. Lex smiles at Hannah and goes to sit next to her on the couch, pulling Hannah into her lap. Henry hums as he goes to sit on the other couch, guessing (quite correctly) that Hannah might not appreciate hearing him actually sing. Not so soon after what had happened yesterday.
Hannah pats the open seat next to her and Lex, where Henry had been sitting earlier, and gives him such adorable, irresistible puppy dog eyes that he can't say no to, that he goes back over. Lex seems perfectly comfortable with the new arrangement, even going so far as to lean into him a little. Hannah wiggles around until she's on both of their laps, laying across them with her head turned so she can still see the TV.
Half an hour later, this is the sight that greets Ted when he comes back. Both he and Henry try to ignore the way their hearts are pounding.