Mary Margret and David found themselves outside Archie's door early the next morning, a breakfast of donuts and coffee in hand. They were surprised to find Henry along the way but after a quick conversation they realised they were on the same mission. All three were concerned for the shrink and wanted to make sure he was okay, see if there was anything they could do to help.
When the only response to their knocking was Pongo popping his head in the window beside the door they all felt concern hit them. If they had stopped to think they would have realised the dog was calm and so everything was probably fine but they didn't stop to think, instead Henry bent down to pick up a clearly fake rock and retrieved a spare key, opening the door quickly. They all entered the house as they took in everything. At first the house seemed still, empty, but when they followed the dog into the living room they all felt a wave of shock go through them. Henry stood open mouthed as his eyes went comically big, while Mary Margret covered her mouth with both hands. David, for his part had his jaw set as the shock wore off and he glared slightly at the sight before him, at the red headed man who was snuggling his daughter as they both slept, intertwined. It was him who woke the sleeping pair as he let out a growled, "What the hell is this?"
Archie woke up instantly upon hearing David's tone, instinctively pulling Emma closer, protecting her from an unknown threat, but the second he opened his eyes he let out a pained groan and closed them tight again, a hangover letting itself be know. The pained groan woke up Emma, who also on instinct pulled Archie closer, wanting to comfort him. It took her a few moments, like Archie, to actually process what was happening.
They both loosened their holds as they realised who they were holding but didn't get further than that before registering their audience. Archie let out a confused and sleepy, "Henry", as he looked between the boy and his grandparents.
Emma, far more eloquently, let out a startled, "Mom, Dad, what the hell?" She rubbed her face and she tried to gather her thoughts before letting her eyes land back on Archie who's face had gone completely blank, no doubt with fear from the look her father was giving him. She frowned with concern at him a moment before sitting up, though she didn't go further than that.
David, for his part, was now clenching his fists as he looked at Archie and asked, "What is going on here?" Mary Margret put a hand on his shoulder to calm him down as he shifted his focus away from the stunned man and toward his daughter. In a far calmer voice with none of the anger he asked her, "Emma, can you explain this to us?"
She couldn't quiet find her words though as she felt Archie finally move to sit up next to her. She was looking at Henry's shocked but curious expression, trying to figure out what she felt she was missing there, when she lamely said, "Nothing's going on." When what she got in response was three raised eyebrows she became a little defensive as she told them, "Nothing happened you guys. We fell asleep, nothing else."
Henry spoke before the other two had a chance as he pointed out, "When I went to sleep last night you were home." All she managed to do was shrug in response before he added, more to himself, "I guess I know why you weren't there this morning when I tried to ask if you wanted to come here with me to check on Archie."
She had been about to defend herself again when his words hit her, "I was at the house but… wait, why were you coming to check on Archie?" She looked to the man beside her to see him staring resolutely at the carpet. She felt that tug of concern again as she looked back at her family and asked, "Why did you all come here to check on Archie?"
Speaking for the first time since entering the house Mary Margret answered Emma, "We've all been a little concerned about him lately. He's seemed off, sad. Last night when we past him in the street he didn't even look up at us when we said hello." She tried to catch Archie's eye as she said, "We all go to him to talk about our problems, so we thought we would try and do that for him, since he can't very well confide in himself." She walked up to him and knelt as she gently pulled his chin up, making eye contact as she told him, "We're worried about you, Archie."
Emma felt her heart clench as she looked at her mother's face, as she looked to Henry and as she saw that her father's previous outrage was now replaced by that deep concern as well. Finally she turned to Archie and taking a page from her mother's book gently used her hand to guide his head, to make him look her in the eyes. What she saw there had her breathing out a sad, "Oh, Archie." Pulling him into a tight hug she tried to figure out what was causing him so much pain. She had seen the hurt before, many times, but never like this, never so soul crushingly strong.
She tried to think back but no specific event hit her. She berated herself as she thought back to the night before, or more accurately earlier that morning, the fact he was still awake, that he'd been drinking, even the way Pongo had been acting. She should have realised just how much he needed her then, more than she had needed him. Silently to herself she vowed to get to the bottom of this and looking back toward her family she saw a new operation starting to form; operation cricket.
Archie, for his part, was feeling that pain he knew he would, though when Emma hugged him it eased. It eased further when Mary Margret sat on his other side and hugged him as well, soon joined by Henry who made it a true group hug. Even David stepped forward to put a comforting hand on his back. More to ease the tension then anything he guessed, David told him, "You're still going to explain to me what exactly happened here with my daughter, shrink." There was no heat behind it though, still, he had no doubt he meant it.
