Jeff gathers the boys in the Lounge after they return from school, he has spent the whole day alone with Alan, and he's exhausted, he's taken some time off work to recover from the plane crash.
His youngest boy never stopped! He took his eyes of him briefly and ended up having to rescue him from the top of the tool shed roof.
Gordon knows this is about him, but how did his dad find out about the detention already?
"Boys, this incident in the TV21 has made me realise a few things. I want to start a new business. A non profit organisation which will help save people's lives. I have been looking into buying the island I was stranded on, and I will be spending a lot of time over there in the coming months getting it ready for human habitation, and you guys will fly out to join me during the holidays. I am not pulling you out of school. And the first thing we are setting up will be the internet link so We can talk. Every day. I know it's going to be really hard on you all but I think we can make this work. Once everything is set up, you will be moving over permanently, but it's going to be several years."
"You're leaving us?" Gordon asks. "Is this because I got detention for starting a food fight in the cafeteria today?"
"No. I am doing this for the family, don't you want to live on a tropical island? I am not abandoning you" His dad confirms.
"Hang on? What detention?" He adds realisation dawning on him.
"He started a food fight, and everyone is in detention on Saturday dad not just Gordon, he got two weeks for starting it though. I can not believe the brat got me into trouble! I didn't do anything wrong dad, so why am I being punished?" John tells him.
"Detention slips you two, and as per the new family rules you're both grounded for a week!" Jeff tells them.
Gordon groans but accepts the grounding.
John is furious. His first ever detention and he gets grounded on top of it. This isn't fair.
"We had to spend the whole afternoon cleaning up that mess! I missed an important maths class and we were going to start pre algebra today."
"Ooo John wears a bra" Gordon replies.
"I did not say that! DAD!" John calls out.
"Rooms. Both of you. Now!" Their dad replies.
Gordon has been in this situation Enough times to know to obey his father.
John unfortunately has not. And continues to protest.
Jeff picks the angry 10 year old up, hoists him up over his shoulder and carries him to his room. Dropping him down on the bed.
"One week John, you know we have a zero tolerance policy in this house now! After tonight you don't have to stay in your room but you can't leave the house. Apart from Saturday when I take you and Gordon to detention" Jeff tells him.
"But dad! It isn't fair I didn't do anything" John tells him still complaining.
"I will leave you here to think about that for a while" His dad tells him. Leaving him to his thoughts, he goes to Gordon.
"Want to explain what that was about?" He asks him sternly.
Gordon is sat on his bed, his back leaning against the wall looking sheepish for once.
"I didn't mean to, it was an accident! I meant to hit Billy as we were playing pea shooter, but missed and they hit that big mean bully Butler, he went for me and that's how it started. Suddenly everyone was throwing food."
"You accept full responsibility for your part? And your grounding?" His dad asks.
"Yeah dad. I do." He tells him his face full of a sincerity Jeff has never seen before.
"Okay Squid come downstairs and get some dinner." He tells him. "Next time don't play with your food!"
Gordon grins at him, and follows him out of the room.
Scott and Virgil are surprised to see him at dinner and not John who is still confined to his room.
"Where's John?" Scott asks confused.
"Upstairs thinking about his behaviour" Jeff replies not bothering with the details.
"But Gordon is allowed to eat with the family? Dad that isn't fair!" Scott tells him.
"It's perfectly fair, Gordon admitted full liability and accepted both his role in the food fight and his punishment. John is still up there refusing to accept any responsibility and will remain upstairs until he is ready to do so, or until tomorrow morning, I am not a cruel man!" Jeff tells them.
"Can I try talking to him?" Scott asks.
"Of course, I'm surprised you asked for permission!" Jeff tells him.
"So this island you were talking about? Are you really going to move there without us?" Virgil asks. "You were kind of interrupted by John and Gordon earlier!"
"The plan is for me to move there while the initial work and designs are made, once the main house is built you boys will be joining us during school holidays, and my plan is to spend alternate weeks between here and the island. I would take you all With me now if it was practical, but with Scott graduating next year, and Gordon rejoining the swim team, this is where you boys need to be."
"Promise us you won't stay away for long?" Gordon begs.
"I won't. But you guys have got grandma, she loves you all more than you can even begin to imagine."
Grandma smiles at the 4 boys at the table. "He's right. This will take some organisation but we can make it work."
Scott goes up after dinner to talk to John. Who is sat at his desk working on an essay for English.
"John? You okay buddy?" He asks
John doesn't turn round, or make any attempt to acknowledge Scott's presence.
"Oh stop acting like the spoilt brat you keep accusing Gordon of being. So you got detention it's not actually that big a deal! I get it, Virgil gets it, Gordon spends more time in it than out of it, and Alan will too, the way he's going! Seriously John, what's up? Because I doubt it's the detention". Scott tells him.
"It is! Everything I have done I have done for this family. Perfect grades, perfect son. I have gone out of my way to never cause any trouble, I get one detention and I'm being treated like I burned the house down! I didn't throw any food. None of this was my fault!" John whines.
"You are far from the perfect son John! Did you try and stop it?" Scott asks.
"No I didn't" John replies.
"Why not?"
"No idea. I guess I didn't see it as my job".
"Guilt by association is still guilt John! Sorry but you deserve detention just as much as the ones throwing food do" Scott tells him.
"I guess you're right. It wasn't really Gordon's fault, I was watching him from the other side of the cafeteria. He was just messing about, being Gordon, two weeks detention is harsh." John tells him. And he really means it.
"That's better! You do know he's impossible to stay angry at!" Scott tells him laughing.
"Have you ever been angry at one of us?" John asks. Scott rarely loses his temper.
"Oh yeah, all the time! You when you were being horrible to him after the beating, trust me it took a lot of Will power you not punch you in the face!" Scott tells him.
"Oh god don't, I feel bad enough about that. I had no idea he was in so much pain" John tells him.
"Believe it or not I have even got mad at Alan when he was a baby." Scott tells him.
"What did he do?" Johns asks curiously. "Apart from destroy your homework?"
"Gordon had been playing outside, in the rain, and was filthy when we finally realised he wasn't in the house. So mom had to give him a bath, and while she did, I said I would keep an eye on Alan for her. He needed changing. He was about 4 months old, so I was doing my good deed and changing his diaper, I had the new one placed under his bum and was about to finish off when he peed all over me!" Scott tells him in disgust.
John bursts into laughter. "Are you serious?! He peed on you?!"
"Yep! He did!" Scott tells him. Also laughing. "And it is a story I'm saving for his wedding day!"
"Even Virgil has had his moments in my bad books. Can you remember my party for my 15th birthday?"
"Yeah, But I don't remember you being angry with Virg?" John tells him.
"I know how to hold my temper in public John! But he short circuited the outside lighting by plugging in his hair dryer and nearly blew the house up! Almost ruined my birthday."
"Wow. I really messed up didn't I Scott" John tells him.
"Yep! But that's the best thing about this family, you mess up, you accept your punishment, we forgive you!" Scott tells him with a smile.
"Scott can you ask dad to come up and see me, I think I have an apology to make" John tells him.
"Sure thing Johnny leave it to me".
Scott quietly leaves the room and heads back down to his dads office. Gordon is in there having challenged his dad to a zombie shoot out.
"Hey dad, John would like a word" Scott tells him.
"Give me 5 minutes for Gordo to finish kicking my butt at this game and I will go up and See him." His dad promises.
Gordon taking full advantage of his dads distraction to finish him off!
"YES. YOU LOSE AGAIN OLD MAN!" He shouts, pumping his non broken arm into the air.
"And I only have one arm!" Gordon reminds him laughing.
"Take over for me Scott, and I want a rematch Squid!" His dad tells him, affectionately ruffling his hair.
Jeff leaps up the stairs two at a time and into Johns room.
"I heard you wanted to speak to me?" Jeff asks him sitting down on Johns bed. John is still at the desk.
He takes a deep breathe and let's out a sigh. This is going to be harder than he thought.
"Dad. I'm sorry, I should've just accepted my part in what happened. Scott's right I could have tried to do something. That creepazoid Butler was going to beat him up and the only reason people started throwing food was to distract him to save Gordon. When am I going to learn to look after my brothers properly dad? Every time all I ever do is make things worse!" John tells him, he can feel himself getting emotional.
"This wasn't even Gordon's fault dad, it was just a stupid accident!" John concludes.
"Stupid accident or not, Gordon still shouldn't have been playing with his food! Are you ready for detention on Saturday?" His dad asks.
"Nope. Dad I have literally never gotten detention before in my life. Is it true that they put you in the stocks and pelt you with rotten eggs if you speak?" John asks.
"No! Who told you that?" His dad asks laughing.
"Gordon!" John replies.
"Why am I not surprised? No you'll probably get lines or an essay to write. Depends on the teacher in charge. The worst thing about it is it is extremely boring!" His dad reassures him.
"Dad, do you still love me?" John asks.
Jeff looks over his his third son, his unique, intelligent, ginger haired beloved son. "More than you will ever know. Now come downstairs with me and help me cream Gordon at zombie world 4!" Jeff tells him, dragging John away from the desk for a hug.
They spend all evening tag teaming zombie world 4. Jeff and John versus Gordon and Scott. Together they're fairly evenly matched and before they know it it is nearly 11pm and grandma is ordering them all to bed!
John volunteers to put Gordon to bed, much to his surprise.
Virgil is already asleep so they move around the room as quietly as possible.
"We will get through Saturday together Squid okay?" John tells him, wrapping the blanket around his shoulders.
Gordon nods and yawns at him, smiling at his brother.
"Night John, you know I was joking about the stocks right?"
"Yeah I know. I didn't believe you anyway!" John tells him laughing.
"Night Squid"
*TB*
Saturday comes far too quickly for John. Waking up hours earlier than he usually does at the weekend he drags himself out of bed and checks the weather.
Great. It's pouring down, he thinks. Even the weather is depressing! He knows Gordon won't be up yet so he takes advantage of the silent house to take a shower before getting dressed and getting Gordon up.
"Ugh go away Johnny!" Is the only response he gets.
"Gordon we have detention in an hour" John reminds him, "Scott is going to give us a lift".
"Exactly an hour, come and get me in 45 minutes! and I thought dad was giving us a lift?" Gordon tells him yawning.
"No! Up, and Scott was already awake so volunteered" John tells him bossily.
"Okay if it means you'll stop complaining!" Gordon replies.
"Just get up!" John tells him rolling his eyes.
Scott is downstairs waiting for them when Gordon finally makes it to breakfast.
"You'll have to eat in the car gordo, and don't get toast crumbs in it it you're cleaning it out when you get home!" Scott tells him.
Gordon and John have an argument over the front seat, which is solved when Scott forces them both into the back!
Detention, as it is 99% of the school is held in the assembly hall.
Mr Morgan has taken charge and set lines for everyone. 5 and a half hours of writing lines! Detention was even worse than John imagined it would be.
"What about me?" Gordon pipes up. "I'm left handed"
"Come with me Mr Tracy and we will find you something more appropriate!" Mr Morgan tells him grinning.
Gordon returns 10 minutes later with a big heavy book about physics and the promise of a test at the end to ensure he's actually learned something!
It is the longest and most boring day of Johns life and he can't wait until it is over. Vowing never to get into trouble again as they are finally released from detention they head out to the car park where their dad is waiting for them this time, to take them home. Back where they both belong.
