Thanks to: dreamcatcher33, Pip3, Joetheone, Valandil Eluch, kipperoo453, and Marina Bayae for the fabulous reviews. You guys are extremely encouraging.

Title: Normal
Rating: PG
Dislaimer: See chapters 1, 10, 20 and/or 30

Francine rolled over in the bed, chewed her nail and heard her sister grumble. "I hate it when yeh do that. Yeh gotta do it when I'm tryin' ta sleep?"

"Sorry."

She got up quietly and padded to the bathroom, bare feet making close to no sound on the old carpet. She cracked open the bedroom door, and saw Ennis and Jack sitting at the kitchen table. She was amazed that they did normal things like...talk. Her mother had made what they did sound so devious and disgusting, but her father seemed to have quite a normal relationship with Jack. Well, as normal as two men can get.

She tried not to make any noise, but forgot about the stubborn floor board in the middle of the hall. "Who's that?" Ennis turned his head sharply, taking his hand off Jack's.

"Jus' me Daddy. Jus' gotta go ta the bathroom."

"Oh. Ok. C'm 'ere."

"Ok..." She walked over slowly, still groggy, only half awake.

"How're things at home?"

"Whad'ya mean?"

"I mean how are they?"

"They're fine Daddy. Why d'ya ask?"

"No reason. Jus' askin'. Would yeh rather be here, or there?"

"What?"

"Well, Junior's 15 and yer 13, yeh'll be 14 soon. Then yeh can both decide where yer gonna be, Jack 'n' I were jus' thinkin' a gettin' a bigger place, 'n' we thought-"

"Daddy! Are you saying I could come stay with yeh?"

"If yeh wanted..." He looked at his toes and Jack put his hand over a rough one.

"We'd love to have yeh 'n' Jr. come stay with us, Francine." Said Jack, speaking for his quiet partner.Fer as long as yeh two like. We jus' need ta know, so we can get enough room fer yeh."

She smiled, then kissed her father on the head. "Yeh know I'd always pick you over Monroe, Daddy, any day. Jus' lemme know when ta pack my stuff."

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The week was almost up, Ennis and Jack had spent seven days looking in the papers for houses with the girls. Jack's money from L.D. would be coming in the mail any day now, and that would do fine for a down payment. The men would be happy to work the rest off. They had their eyes on a quaint little ranch not far from where they were now, which had a stable next to it that could house up to 5 horses. They wouldn't need anymore.

Neither of the girls was excited to leave after the miss-matched family had grown so close. Neither of the men was happy to lose their daughters (Jack had taken on Jr. and Francine as his own, much to Ennis' gratefulness).

Jack was walking around outside, stretching his legs and talking to Francine who was petting a stray kitten, holding it in her arms. "Yer Dad 'n' me met 'bout 20 years ago..."

"That's when him 'n' mama got married."

"Yup. Don' worry, I wasn' actin' the devil tryin' ta get him away from 'er, I jus' couldn't help myself."

"You aren't gonna start tellin' me how purty he is, are yeh?"

"Not if yeh don' want me to."

"Please, spare me."

Jack chuckled and shielded his eyes to look at Ennis and Junior who were just coming back from doing a repair on the fence bordering the land.

"How'd everythin' go?"

"Fine. Yeh see otherwise?" Junior joked with Jack before taking the kitten from her sister and scratching it between the ears.

"What're we havin' fer dinner tanight?"

Jack smiled sheepishly and looked to Ennis for an answer. All week Jack had been making dinner from what was left in the cupboards, but now there wasn't anything left, and he wasn't sure how much money they hadto buy more.

"I think we'll go to the store and yeh girls can pick somethin' out, since it's yer last night an' all."

Francine set down the kitten and smiled. "I know jus' what we're havin'."

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"Lasagna?" Jack made a face staring at the meat, carrots, ricotta cheese and pasta in his basket.

"Yeah, haven' had Daddy's lasagna in ferever!"

"Why lasagna? Why yeh gotta make good lasagna, Ennis? Why can' yeh make good...summin' else?"

"I dunno, jus' got blessed when it came ta lasagna. Barely never make it though. Dunno what I'll remember."

"I'm sure yeh'll remember fine Daddy." Jr. smiled as Jack put the items on the conveyor belt moving sluggishly toward the sleepy cashier. "Good evening." He smiled brightly at Jr., she blushed and stared at the magazine across from her.

"Ahem." Ennis cleared his throat, showing his daughter was definatly off limits. "Good evenin' ta yeh too."

"Did you find everythin' alright?" The young man asked as he ran the noodles over a light.

"Yes." Jack twisted the bottom button on his shirt, a bad habit he had developed over the years.

"Alma." Ennis frowned at his ex-wife.