AN-Just to be on the safe side, I'm gonna go ahead and say this oneshot is rated T. This one focuses more on Tyler, since he does seem to get a little neglected in these oneshots. I have another one about him that should be up either tomorrow or the next day. Hope you like it!
…
Tab
"I'm gonna kill him."
"Sam," Freddie sighed. "Calm down."
"No!" Sam snapped. "I will not calm down! It's three in the morning and Tyler still isn't back yet."
"It's, um, actually two-fifteen," Freddie said lamely.
"Who cares?" Sam exclaimed. "His curfew was over an hour ago! And he's not picking up his cellphone. I swear, when he gets his sorry butt back here…"
"Well maybe he lost track of time," Freddie reasoned.
"Are you kidding me here?" Sam frowned. "Since when are you the laid back parent? Anytime Emma or Ashton were five minutes late coming home you were down here ready to chew them out!"
"Well I-"
"Oh I know what it is," Sam said, crossing her arms. "You're glad your son is out there partying it up because you never got to do that in high school, right?"
"No!" Freddie said. "I am not glad he's out there partying it up with the popular kids…but-but-"
"Save it," Sam said, rolling her eyes.
Just then they heard a key in the front door and a second later their sixteen-year old son walked in.
"Oh, look who's back!" Sam yelled, glaring at the boy who towered over her now.
"Um…hi?" Tyler said.
"Hi? Hi?" Sam exclaimed. "That's what you say after you come home over an hour late?"
"Oh…about that," Tyler said. "See, I was about to leave the party, but then, um, I got to talking to this girl, and she was really hot. And she asked me if I wanted to make-out for awhile. What was I supposed to do?"
"Say no!"
"Mom, please, she was practically a model," Tyler said. "You don't say no when an almost-model wants to make-out with you."
"You do when you have a curfew!"
"I've been meaning to talk to you about that," Tyler replied. "See…this one in the morning thing isn't working out for me. How about we extend that to three?"
"To three? Are you-Freddie!" Sam cried, turning to her husband who, until that moment, had been trying hard to stay out of this. "Deal with him! I want him grounded, something taken away from him, and-and-ugh! Just punish him! I'm going to bed before I wind up punching the wall."
Freddie sighed as Sam stormed up the steps.
"Um…is mom mad at me or something?" Tyler asked.
"Okay Ty," Freddie said. "Here's the thing…you did miss curfew."
"Dad, no other kid my age has a curfew anymore," Tyler moaned.
"Right, so all your friend's parents just let them run wild all night long?" Freddie said, raising an eyebrow. "And I know for a fact that Kirby and Huey have the same curfew as you. And I never have to hear your Uncle Gibby complaining that his kids don't obey it."
"That's because their dad is easier to trick," Tyler said. "They always just change the time on his watch before they go out."
"Um…I'll pretend I didn't hear that," Freddie said. "Look, your mom gets worried when you don't come home on time."
"I'm only an hour late," Tyler said.
"And do you know what was going on in your mom's head for that hour?" Freddie said. "And mine? I get that you're young and popular and like to have fun, but please next time get home when you're supposed to."
"Fine," Tyler conceded. "Whatever."
…..
"So I don't get how they get the cream in the cupcake," Gibby's fifteen-year old son, Huey said, taking a bite into his cream filled cupcake. "It's got to be pretty hard, right?"
"There's a machine, genius," Tyler said.
"What's the machine do?"
"I don't know!" Tyler snapped.
"Why are you all peeved off?" Gibby's other son, seventeen-year old Kirby asked.
"My mom flipped out that I got home late last weekend from that party the basketball team threw for making it to regionals," Tyler sighed. "She grounded me from going out tonight."
"But tonight's Leslie Ford's party!" Huey exclaimed. "The hot cheerleader's! Her parent's are in Olympia so this party's bound to be huge!"
"Don't rub it in," Tyler said darkly as the front door to the Benson house opened.
"What's up baby bro?" Emma said, walking into the room.
"Aren't you supposed to be in college?" Tyler asked.
"It's called a long weekend," Emma said, thumping the back of his head. "Hi to you too."
"Mom and dad never said you were coming home," Tyler said.
"Because I'm surprising them," Emma said. She turned to Huey and Kirby. "Quincy's home too, by the way. I just dropped him off at your place."
"Awesome! That means mom and dad will break out the good trout for dinner tonight!" Huey grinned.
"Yeah, you're weird…" Emma frowned. She looked back at her younger brother. "Why so bummed, kid?"
"I'm grounded," Tyler sighed.
"Oh yeah, mom told me about that," Emma chuckled. "She was pissed."
"Well now I have to miss the biggest party of the year," Tyler said.
"Dude, you're so stupid," Emma said, rolling her eyes.
"Why?" Tyler asked, confused.
"Come on, you're sixteen years old, you're telling me you still haven't figured out how to work mom and dad?" Emma said, shaking her head. "Listen, mom's the one mad at you. Not dad. I talked to him yesterday and he's not bothered at all that you missed curfew. Which is totally unfair, because whenever I came home late I got lectured for hours…but whatever."
"I'm still not getting what you're saying," Tyler said.
"Just guilt dad into letting you go to the party," Emma said. "Dad's easy to win over."
"Yeah for you," Tyler scoffed. "All you and Ash ever have to do is bat your little eyelashes and say 'Please daddy?'"
"Alright fine, have fun staying home tonight," Emma shrugged.
"Hey did I hear someone at the door?" Freddie asked as him and Sam came into the room. "Who was-Emma!"
"Hi!" Emma said brightly, hugging her parents.
"What are you doing here?" Sam asked as she greeted her daughter.
"We have a four day weekend at school, so Quince and I decided why not drive back home and surprise our parents," Emma explained.
"Well we're so glad you're here, sweetie," Freddie said.
"Yeah, this is great," Sam agreed. "Wait, this is perfect, actually. You busy today?"
"I mean I have finals in a few weeks," Emma said.
Her and her mother waited a moment before both bursting into laughter.
"Good one, Em," Sam grinned while Freddie rolled his eyes. "But seriously, I have this coupon for the spa that expires today. I got it from winning that chicken wing eating contest last month."
"You want to go to the spa?" Freddie smirked.
"They have Peruvian mud baths there!" Sam defended.
"You mean we could sit in fancy mud?" Emma asked. "Sweet!"
"Yeah, I was gonna break down and ask Carly if she wanted to go with me, but now that you're here I'll just go with you," Sam said. "This way I won't get forced to sit through facials and salt rubs or whatever other weird chiz they have there."
"Done!" Emma said.
"Good," Sam said. "Go grab your swimsuit and let's go."
"Have fun you two," Freddie said. "And hey, I'll have some Meat Slam pizzas waiting for you guys when you get home."
"Dude, now's your chance," Kirby whispered to Tyler as Sam and Emma left. "Ask your dad about letting you go to the party."
"I don't know…" Tyler said slowly.
"Come on, you know who's going to be at that party?" Huey said. "Leslie Ford!"
"Yes," Tyler frowned. "Obviously. It's at her house!"
"Exactly," Huey grinned.
"Look, just go ask your dad," Kirby urged him. "What harm will it do to ask. The worse he could do is say no."
Tyler sighed. "Yeah…okay. Hang on."
He got to his feet and headed over to his father who had gone into the kitchen.
"Hey, dad," Tyler said. "Great that Emma's home, isn't it?"
"Yeah, it is," Freddie agreed. "Too bad Jason and Ashton aren't here, though. It would be great to have everyone together again. But I guess that's what happens when your kids grow up. They get their own lives and-"
"Yeah, yeah, that's real sad," Tyler said quickly before his father got sidetracked. "Listen, I wanted to ask you something."
"Shoot," Freddie said.
"Well, um, see…there's this party tonight," Tyler began. "At the head cheerleader's house. It's supposed to be huge. Everyone's going to be there."
"Ty," Freddie sighed. "You're grounded. I'm sorry."
"But dad, hear me out," Tyler said. "If I don't go to that party…I'm ruined!"
"How exactly would you be ruined?" Freddie asked, amused.
"I'm a first string football player," Tyler said. "But see, to maintain my spot on first string, I need to keep up my social standing as well. No one wants an unpopular football player; that's crazy!"
"Your argument skills amaze me," Freddie said, his voice dripping in sarcasm.
"And if I don't go to this party, my popularity is shot," Tyler continued, ignoring his father's comment. "Which means I'll go down to second string. Which means that when college scouts start coming to my games next year, they won't get a chance to see me play, and then they won't recruit me, and then I'll be out of a scholarship opportunity and you and mom will never get rid of me! So see, I'm not asking to go to this party for fun. I'm asking to go for the sake of my future."
"You are definitely your mom's son," Freddie said, shaking his head.
"Dad, please?" Tyler sighed. "It's just a harmless party."
Freddie bit his lip. Sam would have a cow if she knew he was even remotely considering letting Tyler go out tonight. But then again…she did make a valid point last week when she said that Freddie sort of liked the fact that his son was so popular. His son was getting to live the life that his own mother would've never let him live. He had never gotten invited to parties every weekend or had cheerleaders practically throwing themselves at him. He didn't want to ruin that for Tyler. But Sam had grounded him. He knew he should stand by his wife's decision.
Wait…Sam's not going to be here tonight, Freddie thought to himself. She has to take care of her mom all night after she gets back from getting another wart removed and will be all hopped up on loopy gas. She won't be back home until at least midnight tonight! She would never know…
"Okay," Freddie said finally. "This is the deal. You either take it or leave it. No negotiating. You can go to the party-"
"What? Yes! Dad, you're the-"
"But you are home by twelve on the dot, do you hear me?" Freddie said firmly. "Not twelve thirty, not twelve fifteen, not even twelve-o-five. Twelve. You got it?"
"Yeah, totally, no worries," Tyler said.
"And do not mention this to your mom," Freddie said. "Ever."
"Please, I'm not suicidal," Tyler grinned.
…
"He's so dead," Freddie said, pacing back and forth in the living room later that evening. It was ten past twelve and Tyler still had not returned from his party. Sam wasn't back yet either, but it was only a matter of time.
He flung himself down on the couch, looking around at his empty house.
Him and Emma had actually had a pretty good evening. After Sam had left to go take care of her mom, him and her had watched Galaxy Wars for awhile, but then she went to go say hello to Quincy's parents, and Freddie knew she wouldn't be back for quite some time.
Just then he heard a car door slam outside and he bolted to peak out the window, praying it was Tyler.
His heart sank when he saw Sam walking up the driveway.
I should've never let him go, Freddie cursed himself. Sam is going to murder me…
"My mother's crazier than ever!" Sam announced as she let herself into the house.
"H-Hey baby," Freddie said. "Rough day?"
"All that stress I got rid of at that mud bath with Emma just came right back," Sam said. "I didn't think she could get any weirder, but she proved me wrong."
"What happened?" Freddie asked.
"Let's see, she tried to convince the delivery man that brought her prescriptions to marry her, she yelled at the cat for looking at her too long, she tried to boil an egg in the microwave…the list just goes on and on."
"She's just hoped up on meds from her wart removal surgery," Freddie told her.
"Next time I'm making Melanie fly up to take care of her," Sam mumbled. She collapsed onto the couch. "Emma over at Gibby's?"
"Uh-huh," Freddie said. "But her and I had a nice Galaxy Wars marathon, so that was fun."
"Good," Sam smiled. "And where's Ty?"
"Um…" Freddie said slowly. "He's-"
"Probably up moping in his room because he's grounded," Sam said, shaking her head.
"Um…okay," Freddie said lamely.
"Well hopefully he learned his lesson," Sam yawned. "Anyway, I'm exhausted. I think I'm gonna head to bed. You coming?"
"Um, I think I'll stay up a little while longer," Freddie said. "You know, maybe start working on our taxes."
"They're not due for another six months," Sam frowned.
"Well you know how I like to keep tabs on all our finances," Freddie said. "Just to make sure we're not about to plummet into bankruptcy."
"Whatever," Sam shrugged. "Night baby."
"Night," Freddie replied.
Okay Tyler, you'd better get your butt home soon, or-
Just as Sam had disappeared upstairs, the front door opened again and Emma walked in.
"Hey," she whispered.
"Hey," Freddie sighed.
"Is mom up?" Emma asked.
"Um, no," Freddie frowned. "Why?"
"Oh, you'll see," Emma said turning back to front step outside the door. "Get in here!"
"Who are you-Oh you've got to be kidding me."
Emma dragged in her younger brother into the house. Tyler stumbled in, laughing happily.
"Dad!" he said, throwing his arms around his father. "Wow, it's you!"
"Is he drunk?" Freddie asked Emma as Tyler fell back onto the couch.
"Yeah," Emma nodded. "Me and Quincy just picked him up from some party. Luckily he had enough sense to call me to come and get him. Quincy's taking home his brothers, they're just as bad as he is."
"Okay, Tyler, you're more than grounded now!" Freddie hissed, trying to keep his voice down so Sam wouldn't hear. "I was nice and let you go out when you weren't supposed to and this is how you repay me?"
"You have really brown eyes, dad," Tyler laughed. "They look like pools of mud."
"Ugh!"
"Well, I'd rather not be down here when mom chews his head off," Emma said. "Give me the highlights tomorrow though. Night, daddy!"
"Wait, help me get him-" Freddie started, but Emma had already gone upstairs.
"Alright Tyler, get up please," Freddie said, trying to be patient.
"But I'm so comfy," Tyler replied.
"Tyler…" Freddie said. "You're already grounded for the rest of your life. Don't-"
"I forgot all about my Meat Slam pizza in the fridge," Freddie suddenly heard Sam say, coming down the stairs. "I'm just gonna grab a slice before-Tyler?"
"Mom!" Tyler exclaimed. "What's up?"
"Sam, um, I know this looks bad," Freddie said. "But, um-"
"What's going on here?" Sam asked slowly.
"Um-"
"Mom, are my thumbs the same size?" Tyler asked, holding up his hands. "Once feels bigger…"
"Oh my God, he's drunk!" Sam said, turning to Freddie. "He was at that party! You let him go out!"
"He-He makes really convincing arguments, okay!" Freddie defended. "And I didn't know there was going to be drinking! I thought they would just dance and play spin the bottle and charades and-"
"What kind of parties have you been to?" Sam frowned. "Wait…did he drive home?"
"No, he called Emma to pick him up," Freddie said quickly.
"At least he had some sense," Sam mumbled. She turned back to her son. "Alright Tyler, let's go, time for bed. Sleep this off and I'll deal with you when you're coherent enough to understand my yelling."
She took Tyler's arm and helped him to his feet and started for the stairs with him.
Freddie blinked. He had been expecting much worse. Sam seemed pretty…calm about this whole thing. He knew she would rip Tyler apart tomorrow, but right now she seemed to be handling the situation pretty well.
He went upstairs after the two of them and went into his and Sam's bedroom. Sam joined him a few moments later.
"You never get to give me the 'united front' lecture again," Sam said.
"I'm sorry," Freddie sighed. "I just wanted him to have fun."
"Since when have you been the fun parent?" Sam scoffed. "I'm the fun parent, and you're the geeky dad."
"I just can't believe I let our son get drunk at some party," Freddie said heavily. "What kind of parent am I? This is just so unbelievable…we never had these problems with the other three."
"Um…yeah," Sam said lamely.
Freddie looked up at her. "What?"
"Nothing," Sam said quickly.
"Why aren't you more mad?" Freddie asked slowly. "Last week you were fuming when Tyler was an hour late coming home and this week he shows up drunk and you're fine."
"I'm not fine," Sam said. "I'll yell at him tomorrow. Jeez, calm down, Fredwad."
"Sam," Freddie said, knowing the expression on his wife's face. "What are you hiding?"
Sam sighed. "Okay…but before I tell you…just keep in mind that the statue of limitations for you to be mad about everything is way past."
"What is 'everything'?" Freddie frowned.
Sam took a deep breath. "I'm not exactly new to this situation."
"What do you mean?" Freddie asked, confused.
"You-You know how you said we never had this problem with the other three?" Sam said sheepishly. "Um, well, that's sort of not entirely true…"
"What?" Freddie exclaimed. "Jason and the twins never did this!"
"Y-Yeah," Sam said. "They kind of did. And I knew you'd probably overreact, so-so I just never mentioned it to you."
"Wait," Freddie said, closing his eyes. "You're telling me Jason and the twins came home drunk and I never even knew about it? My kids were hoodlums and I never was informed?!"
"They were not hoodlums," Sam said. "They did it once, I handled it, they never did it again."
"Oh my blood pressure," Freddie said, sitting down on the bed. "How-When-"
"When Jason was seventeen," Sam sighed. "He called me to pick him up from some party because he had too much to drink."
"Jason's our good one!" Freddie cried.
"I picked him up from some party the robotics club threw, I think he still qualifies as our good one," Sam said, rolling her eyes. "But you were asleep by the time we got home. The next morning I talked to him, I grounded him, and he never did that again."
"What about the twins?" Freddie asked shakily.
"You remember that weekend when Ashton was sixteen that she suddenly became very helpful and washed both our cars, cleaned out the garage and organized the attic?" Sam said. "Well that's because her and Clarissa decided to indulge themselves on Carly's wine collection while she was out of town and that was my punishment."
"Nooo," Freddie moaned. "What about Emma?"
"You sure you want me to tell you?" Sam asked.
"I need to hear," Freddie nodded. "Lay it on me."
"Well when she was seventeen her soccer team decided a good way for them to celebrate winning their biggest match of the year was to drink a bunch of beers that one of her teammate's sisters bought for them," Sam said. "Which is why that weekend she mowed the lawn and painted the basement."
"Oh my God…" Freddie said. "Our children went wild."
"No they didn't," Sam said. "They were stupid, sure, but they were still good kids. And Tyler's still a good kid too. He's gonna give us gray hair by the time he graduates, but he's still good. We'll talk to him tomorrow and we will punish him, but he's still the sweet kid who almost cries at the end of any movie where a dog died."
"Yeah," Freddie sighed. "I guess. But when you say we're punishing him-"
"Oh, we'll pull out our best stuff," Sam assured him. "My car needs waxing and the rain gutters need cleaning for starters. And he's going to be missing the next several parties."
"Good," Freddie said approvingly. He laid back on the bed. "Teenagers are the worst."
"Thanks for the update," Sam said, rolling her eyes. "I had no idea."
