Hey Guys! Sorry it has been a while, I just figured out how to connect to wifi here at camp.
Disclaimer: I do not own lab rats!
"A decision about what?" Bree asked.
"About what to do with Donald," Douglas sighed.
"What would you do?" Bree asked, concern creeping into her voice.
"I don't know," Douglas shrugged.
Bree bit her lip. "You aren't going to hurt him, are you? I mean- of course I am still mad at him but-"
"You don't want him any harm, that is okay," Douglas said, "It is the same for me,"
Bree raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
"Of course," Douglas smiled. "He is my brother, even after everything that has happened between us,"
"You are not just saying that to set a good example?" Bree asked.
Douglas smirked. "No, I really do care about my brother. We just... have a complicated history,"
"Are you still mad at him then?"
Douglas sighed. "To a point, but I am more hurt than angry,"
Bree nodded. "So, if you still care about him, then even if you are hurt you could still work things out?"
"I suppose," Douglas replied. He looked at his daughter, who was staring at the ground. "Bree, are you okay?"
"I don't know," Bree whispered. "I just wish I knew how to make everything okay,"
"And what do you define as 'okay'?" Douglas asked her.
Bree shrugged. "I guess, okay would be, where no one is fighting and everyone is on good terms with each other,"
"And how would we get to that point?" Douglas asked.
Bree sighed. "I have no idea. Just like you, I really care about Mr. Davenport, but I am also very angry at him. I don't want to be any more, but I don't know how to make things right,"
Douglas put a hand on her shoulder. "Honey, you may be a bionic super hero, but you don't have to take these colossal problems on your shoulders alone. That is what having a family is for. So, for right now, how about you focus on getting ready for school?"
Bree smirked. "Okay,"
Douglas watched his daughter get up and head to the door. Bree then turned around in the doorway and looked back at him. "Douglas?"
"Yes Bree?"
"How did you do it all these years? Taking on these problems without a family?" Bree asked.
Douglas took a deep breath. "I managed,"
"Well, at least you don't have to worry about that anymore Dad," Bree smiled, blushing a little bit after seeing Douglas' huge grin.
"See you after school," Bree said quickly, leaving the room.
"Yes!" Douglas cheered, rolling back onto the bed, unable to keep the excitement in.
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With the kids away at school, there was no one to get on Douglas' case about the 'bed rest' orders.
Douglas made his way up to the attic, coughing up all of the dust that had settled in the air. Surrounded by walls of cardboard boxes, he decided that it was time to start cleaning out the attic. But being the brilliant pack rat he was, he sat down with the first box, only to take an hour to get through it.
Then again, this box held a very important photo album. From a wedding.
His wedding.
Among the boxes and dust bunnies, Douglas made himself at home while he reminisced. There were countless photos taken before the wedding, various family members with too many D names. Douglas' heart twisted and turned as he got to the photos he actually remembered. The ones of him and Hope, but also of him with his best man.
Donald.
How did his life change so much? Back then this all would have been unimaginable. Donnie turning on him, Hope getting sick, the kids becoming bionic.
But it all happened anyway.
Douglas liked to imagine what life would have been like if Donald had never interfered. I could have had everything, Douglas thought.
At least I have my kids, he thought. For now.
How long would it be before they wondered back to Donald? After all, he was the one who raised them. And Donald was his brother after all.
Douglas stretched out his legs and stood up. He made his way down to the main level and walked outside, hoping the fresh air would do him some good.
As he started down the block, Douglas eyed the clouds, which spotted the sky.
I was strong enough to live with Donnie for this long, Douglas thought.
But that was only to be with the kids, he corrected. But, for a while, the Davenport brothers were back.
Was I really that foolish to think we really could be? Douglas sighed. I guess so.
At that moment Douglas looked up, as his face meet with the protruding precipitation.
In this mindset, Douglas couldn't care less that he was getting drenched. He was enjoying the fresh air, the only thing that cleansed his mind.
I want us to be brothers again, but to forgive him for what he did would be to say that Hope was important, that her death, was nothing. In reality, it was the contrary, she was everything to him.
Just then, Douglas' ankle slipped, landing him straight into a pile of mud. the sopping wet, mushy dirt covered most of his body, masking most of the man.
He stayed their for a moment.
Douglas may have been a mess, but this time it was literal. No matter how hard he tried, life always got warped into some kind of mess he couldn't get himself out of. Or at least not without a few scars. But wasn't it worth trying?
Douglas stood up, futilely attempting to shake some of the mud off. Defeated, he began to head back for home.
By now odds are that the kids are already home, Douglas sighed. He opened the front door and stepped inside.
Chase looked up from the kitchen table. "What happened to you?" he asked.
"Life," Douglas smirked. He took of his shoes and jacket before heading upstairs to clean up. His fingers trembling, he took the phone from the table and dialed an oh so familiar number.
Downstairs, Chase turned back around to his sister. "Should we be worried?"
Bree shrugged. "Eh, stranger things have happened today. You don't have science with Adam, remember?"
Chase nodded. "Yes, I know,"
After finishing his assignment, Chase headed upstairs. He stopped in front of the door to Douglas' room when he heard his voice.
"Hey, Donnie, we need to talk. Call be back as soon as you get this message,"
So? Please review and tell me what you think as we near our end game!