Title: Memories at Eight
Genre: Fluff/Drama
Pairing: None
Characters: Molly and Huck Ziegler
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Up to "'Welcome to Wherever You Are", but really, really vague, and only for the Toby storyline. (Haven't actually seen it...)
Disclaimer: I don't own the West Wing, or any of the characters therein. sighs
Summary:Molly and Huck Ziegler are eight years old, and while their memories of their father may not be correct exactly, neither are they wrong.
AN: This is for raedbard
Molly is eight years old, and claims her earliest memory is her father meeting her in the hospital for the first time. Her grade-school teacher smiles understandingly. She says that yes, sometimes the stories our moms and dads tell us seem like our earliest memories, because they've been told so many times. Molly shakes her head, and maintains that she remembers. The teacher just smiles some more.
Molly is eight years old but she is old enough to be suspicious of grown-ups lying to her. She relays the story to Mommy and Huck. Huck laughs and tells her that she's being stupid. Mommy hushes him and smiles like the teacher, and tells her that Daddy always did love the hat story. Molly frowns again. She will grow up to be like her mother, all passion and quick smiles and argument. But she is her Daddy's girl. And when her Mommy tells her that she and Daddy live in different houses because they make each other sad, Molly cannot quite believe her.
Molly is eight years old, and her earliest memory of her father is his laughter as he takes her hand.
Huck is eight years old, and claims his earliest memory is his grandpa telling him to look after his mommy and his sister. His grade-school teacher looks sad when he tells her that. He explains that it was because his Daddy was going away to prison, and he had to be the man of the house now. She smiles at him and says that she's sure that he's doing a great job.
Huck is eight years old but he is old enough to know that telling this story to Mommy will upset her. So he waits and tells his father when they are alone together, his little hands under his Daddy's big ones on the visiting room table. Daddy is as angry as the teacher had been sad, but Huck has never been scared of his father. Daddy lifts one hand from its resting place, and places it at Huck's chin. Huck nods relieved agreement when Daddy tells him that it isn't Huck's job to be man of the house. He has a mom and a dad that love him just as he is, and if he could see fit to stay eight forever, that would be just fine. And if Grandpa Wyatt feels that badly about it, he can move his damn ass from Maryland and look after the girls himself. Huck giggles at his father's lapse in language, but promises not to tell Mommy.
Huck is eight years old, and every real memory he has of his father must be set in prison, but all he remembers are sure hands on his own, and the certainty of his father's voice telling him that he is loved.
FIN: Feedback is always nice...