A/N: HAPPY ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY TO THIS FIC!
Thank you everyone for the wonderful reviews and your thoughts on the previous chapter.
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX
"What the fuck is going on with him? With them? Why would that stupid doctor not tell us, I, we are more family then her fucking husband." Aunt Gemma fumed as they made their way out to the hospital parking lot.
"Gemma." Uncle John said trying to calm her down, although it only seemed to make her madder. In fact she didn't know why Uncle John would call her name, whenever her mom was upset and her daddy would try and calm her down she would 'unleash the Fitz' temper as daddy called it.
She saw her aunt's light with fire, and as she spun to look at her uncle who was holding onto to her hand.
"Don't you dare 'Gemma' me, John Teller. I've been that girl's friend since I was nine years old and family since my Daddy put his hands on me; so don't you ever tell me to calm down." She yelled at him before spinning on her heel and marching off to the car.
She squeezed her Uncle's hand, who looked down at her and slightly smiled before they followed after her Aunt with the rest of the family trailing behind, having enough sense to not mention her mother or how upset her Aunt was at being left in the dark.
The drive back to Jax and Tommy's house was mostly silent, except for the curse words spewed out of her Aunt's mouth about her father or the incompetent doctors. She tried to pay no mind to the things her aunt said about her daddy but it was kind of hard when the car interior acted like a sounding board bouncing off the words straight into her ears.
"Ma's just made, she don't mean anything by it." Jax finally told her as they pulled onto their street.
"Yeah, I know." She said nodding her little head before unbuckling her seatbelt as Aunt Gemma pulled into the drive followed closely behind by Uncle John's motorcycle.
Just as the engine cut off Uncle John was already at the door of the car and opening it up.
"Little guy tuckered himself out at school today." Her uncle commented as he undid the straps to Tommy's' booster seat.
Cutting off her diatribe about how incompetent the staff is at the hospital Aunt Gemma informed him of the reason why their eldest had a busted lip and their youngest was so tuckered out.
Removing Tommy from his booster gently he handed him off to her Aunt before looking over at her and Jax.
"Did he deserve it?" He asked looking between Jax and herself, the sides of his lips quivering as he tried to keep a straight face.
She looked over at Jax before fluttering her eyes at her uncle before hopping out of the backseat.
"Yep." She clipped out as she skipped into the house, backpack zippers jingling as she went.
"Yeah he did, he was scaring Tommy and threatening Tara. So I kinda just acted, he deserved I swear." Jax told his father as soon as John focused back on his oldest son.
"Well then I'm proud of you Jackson, you were a man today. I'm glad that you were there for Tommy when he needed help and I'm very proud of you for standing up to someone who was hurting, or at least threatening to hurt Tara. A true man doesn't hurt women, remember that son." She heard Uncle John tell him as they walked slowly up the driveway, before stepping through the front door effectively stumbling into her as she toed very slowly out of her shoes.
"Ears like an elephant, and looks like a Viper; Beautiful but deadly." Uncle John mumbled to himself before he shot Jax a proud smile and made his way farther into the house and plopping himself at the table and pulling out a book.
"Dinners on the table in ten, go wash up!" Aunt Gemma called out as she pulled the lasagna out of the oven.
Shuffling off the couch she zigzagged around Tommy's' red power ranger fighting Jax's black power ranger and made her way down the hall to the bathroom to wash up before Aunt Gemma got angry.
She hummed to herself as she rinsed her hands of the Irish soap, and it actually was Irish soap from Ireland. She knew because her mommy had brought back four suitcases or something big like that from her trip to visit her cousins because daddy had kidded her about bringing home soap as gifts when the boys would have clearly preferred whiskey. She never got the joke but it seemed to irritate her mother so she never pressed to understand it.
"You gonna hog the sink forever or can the rest of us wash ourselves of our sins?" Uncle John spoke up, scaring her and in the process splashing water all over the countertop and her shirt.
Looking up into the mirror she saw her Uncle leaning against the doorframe with the boys hovering in the doorway. She shot her uncle an annoyed looked as the water slowly seeped into her shirt, which only made him grin and Jax to mumble something about it not being a bird bath, which of course had her uncle in a fit of laughter, deep belly chuckles that had him shaking his head in happiness.
Hopping down from the little stool that was reserved for Tommy, she held her head high as she walked past the three chuckling boys before walking down the hall and toward the dining table.
"What is taking those boys so long?" Her aunt asked as she set the bowl of salad on the table before turning around to bring back the dressings and the basket of bread.
She shrugged her shoulders as her hand cut out a piece of garlic crusted lasagna (Mommy's recipe) and handing to her before starting to dish out another smaller serving for Tommy and one of equal size for Jackson.
Aunt Gemma looked up at her as she set down Jackson's plate and furrowed her brows in thought. "Why are you wet?" She asked coming to stand right beside her.
"Uncle John scared me." She told her aunt before she bit into her piece of bread.
"That man is a child, I swear." Her aunt said clearly annoyed before she snapped her fingers and demanded that she go change into her pajamas, because god knows her Father would have a conniption if she died on her watch.
Doing as she was told she set down her half eaten piece of bread, scooted out of her chair and made her way back down the hall with her aunt on her heels.
"John I told you to make sure the boys washed their hands not to give Tara a half-assed attempt at a bath. Seriously, hurry up dinners on the table, if you boys aren't at the table by the time I count to ten I'm giving Tara desert and control over the television. Now scoot." Aunt Gemma stopped to berate her Uncle and the boys as they passed the bathroom door.
Walking into 'her' room she closes the door and sits down on the floor gently undoing the laces and setting them near the craft desk before she goes over to the chest at the foot of the bed and pushes it open, making it squeak in protest. The smell that hits her nose is one of primrose. She pulls out her blue nighty and before setting it gently on the bed as she takes off her wet shirt and jeans. Once she's in her pajamas and folded her clothes as best she can, because mommy always told her to keep her room at aunt Gemma's clean she heads out back to the table as her stomach starts to growl.
"Look there it's a Wendy bird" Uncle John shouts in amazement while pointing at her as she sits down in her chair in-between Jax and her Uncle.
She couldn't stop the smile that blossomed on her face at the nickname. Picking up her fork she dug right into her piece of lasagna and didn't say another word until it vanished off her plate and settled into her stomach.
"Looks like someone enjoyed my cooking," her aunt laughed before wiping off half of the tomato sauce from Tommy's chin, "Do you think you have room in that tummy of yours for a brownie with a side of ice-cream?" Her aunt asked her turning away from the mess that is Tommy's face.
She tapped her chin in thought before she beamed back at her aunt and shook her head enthusiastically.
After dinner was cleaned up and Tommy had has his bath, she talked to her Mommy on the phone to wish her a good night and sweet dreams before Uncle John caved and gave her two piggyback rides around the living room while her aunt prepared the desserts.
"I'm getting too old for this kiddo. The horsey is going to die of exhaustion, let him relax in the barn before the next ride." Uncle John puffed out as he stopped in front of the couch and laying down on the floor with her still securely sitting on his back.
"Another one Uncle John, another one." She prodded jumping up and down on his back for emphasis.
"No, not another one, a great man once said 'Don't beat a dead horse'. Its good advice let me rest for a bit." He said before closing his eyes despite her pleading.
"I thought a great man once said 'All horses deserve, at least once in their lives, to be loved by a little girl.'" Her Aunt Gemma quipped as she came out of the hall carrying three heavy blankets with Tommy trailing behind her dragging along a blanket twice his size.
"I WANT A TURN DADDY, I WANT A TURN!" Tommy squealed before dropping the blanket and running over to them and scrambling onto his back.
"Guess the horsey is going to need some fuel for another passenger. Are those brownies ready yet, Gem?" Uncle John asked before heaving a sigh, getting into horse mode.
She heard her aunt Gemma chuckle as she set the four blankets on the couch before ruffling Tommy's damp hair.
"Guess that's a no?" He asked as she lifted his head and neighed.
"Give 'em one more ride baby and I'll check on the brownies." Aunt Gemma ordered swatting her Uncle's butt kicking him into action before she headed toward the kitchen.
The ceramic bowl warmed her hands as her Aunt handed it to her once she was comfortable on the couch. The soft glow of the television giving off the only light to eat her brownie a la mode and make sure it didn't spill onto the carpet. The ding-dong of the clock tower and the barking of Nana made her giddy with excitement.
"Looks like you could be flown off to Neverland any moment squirt." Uncle John kidded her as he stole a chunk of her melted vanilla covered brownie.
She scowled at him as he popped it into his mouth and grinned back at her.
"Stealing children's dessert, I would say that makes you either a lost boy or Captain Hook." Aunt Gemma added to the conversation as she tore off a piece of Tommy's dessert and followed her husband's lead.
"You guys are ruining the movie." Jax snapped at his parents from his position on the living room floor.
"Remind me to tell Piney and Chibs you shushed me because I was interrupting your Disney movie." Uncle John told him before chuckling as Jax threw his pillow at his face.
"Alright, Alright. Knock it off both of you, no rough housing, especially when there is ice cream and brownies near my brand new carpet." Aunt Gemma yelled at father and son.
Uncle John at least looked a little scared as he set the pillow beside him before Jax turned back to the movie.
"Do you want so more ice cream, sugar? It's all melted and it looks soupy." Her aunt asked her softly as she grabbed Tommy's small bowl and got off the couch.
She took one more slurp of the melted brownie and vanilla soup before holding it out in the glow of the Darling's bedroom.
The joys of learning how to fly were drowned out as motorcycles roared to life in battle cry, glass broke and screams.
Aunt Gemma's carpet would never be the same again.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
Things have gotten crazy, like decided to get another two-year degree type of crazy. So I have decided to sit at home, even though my family is out of school right now and my brother literally just finished his first year of college today and everyone is already starting up with the summer plans. However, what this rambling means for all of you LOVELY READERS is that I need to save money, and for me that means not doing anything. So I will be glued to this computer for one-shots and chapter updates for the next three months. Wish me luck.