Ch. 5 – Boys and their Toys
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St. Louis, Five Years after Season 3
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"Kara! Where are you?"
Danny's voice was unexpected. He had left an hour ago with a list of errands to run that would necessarily require at least four stops, and she hadn't expected to see him again until dinner. Slightly concerned by his early return, Kara left the half-made guacamole sitting on the counter – she thought she might actually die of joy when Sasha located avocados at the market two days ago – and popped her head out of the kitchen, only to discover her husband striding towards her with a broad smile on his face.
"Is everything okay?" She asked, wiping her hands on her apron. "You're home early."
Danny blinked, as though confused by the question, before leaning over to give her a kiss, backed up by a charming grin. "I'll finish the shopping later. Look what I found!"
Observing the small white package in his hands, presumably the source of the excitement, Kara had no clue what she was looking at. "What is it?"
"They're pop rockets, Kara." Danny stopped, staring at her expectantly. When there was no response, a faintly incredulous look passed over his face. "You've never heard of pop rockets?"
"Nope." Kara shook her head, smiling despite herself as she wondered, once again, how she had managed fall head-over-heels in love with a man who could act more like a three-year-old than their actual three-year-old. Although she usually made a point to patronize new stores, wanting to encourage the economic development of the new capital, she had decidedly mixed feelings about the novelty shop – named Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes in a clear nod towards the owners' favorite book – that opened three months ago. It wasn't the store itself that was the problem so much as Danny's choice of purchases. At least this package didn't look like it contained fireworks. Tex might have been more amused than annoyed by the fire that Danny and Carlton accidentally started on his roof, but the other neighbors were unlikely to be so understanding. "So what are pop rockets?"
"They're...," Danny paused before admitting. "Well, they're hard to explain. But they're awesome! My dad used to buy them for us when we were kids."
The apparently casual statement was telling, as was the shadow that crossed his face. As lucky as Danny was to have part of his family survive, the loss of his father ran deep. Kara reached over to grasp his hand. "Can you give me a hint? What do they do?"
"Let me get the boys and I'll show you." Grinning again, Danny glanced around. "Where are they anyway?"
"Upstairs," Kara replied. Last time she checked, the two were jumping on Frankie's bed, claiming to be monkeys, but now it was suspiciously quiet.
"Frankie! Mark! Come see what I have!"
Moving to the kitchen, Danny quickly unwrapped the package. Eyeing the twelve small plastic canisters with strings dangling from the end dubiously, Kara picked one up, immediately noticing the warning to point away from people. "Do you think this is safe for a three-year-old?"
It wasn't that she didn't trust Danny with their sons. Not exactly. It was just that his judgment was sometimes a little….off when he was excited about something. Like the time he confidently assured her that two-year-old Mark was old enough to hold his own sparkler, a decision that Doc Rios took a dim view on when he was treating the resulting burns.
But Danny wasn't deterred. "These are totally safe. I promise."
A stampede across the ceiling told her that Frankie and Mark were on their way downstairs.
"Daddy!" Mark threw himself at his father, demanding to be picked up. "Present for me?"
"What is it, Dad?" Frankie asked, poking at the plastic silos with his finger, as baffled as Kara. Next to him Halsey began whining, likely bothered by the faint scent of gunpowder coming off the package.
Sitting down and jiggling Mark onto one knee, Danny gave Frankie a stern look. "Okay guys, this is going to be really fun. But you have to listen very carefully and do exactly what daddy tells you or we'll have to put the rockets away. Okay?"
Two solemn nods followed. Picking up one of the small plastic containers, Danny helped Frankie hold it, aiming outwards, and together they pulled the string, resulting in a rather loud bang and the stench of smoke, as a packet of confetti cannon-balled into the previously clean kitchen. For a moment there was dead silence, before Halsey began barking, his eyes training suspiciously on the colored strips of paper. Kara moved towards Mark, expecting hysterics over the unexpected noise, but instead the toddler began laughing, wiggling off Danny's lap to grab at the confetti.
"Halsey, asseids!" With a move of Danny's hand, the barking ceased, Halsey moving towards the dog bed in the corner of the room, although he continued to stare at the pop rockets suspiciously.
Frankie stared at the small empty rocket he was now holding. "That was so cool! Like a parachute out of a spaceship!"
"Mark, do you want to try?" Danny asked, grabbing another rocket from the table.
"Me, me, me!" Was the enthusiastic reply.
Almost as excited about his brother's turn as his own, Frankie reached over to help Mark position the rocket. "Like this, Mark! Now pull the string! Go!"
Fifteen minutes later all twelve rockets had been popped and both boys were on the floor, scooping the confetti into their toy garbage truck with a bulldozer, having just as much fun with the small scraps of paper as they had actually popping the rockets. Sticking the half-made guacamole in the refrigerator to finish later, Kara poured herself and Danny a cup of coffee, joining him at the table. Snapping her fingers, she called Halsey to her side, sinking her hand into the dog's thick fur. "So you used to buy these with your father?"
Danny nodded, a wistful look crossing his face. "On Saturdays we would go to the grocery store, Dad, Caroline and me, and he would let us pick out a toy from the dollar rack. We would go home and set them all off right away. Caro and I loved these things."
"It sounds like a good memory."
"It is."
Kara let the silence stretch for a few moments before inquiring, in a far more stern tone, "Did you purchase any other novelties that I should be aware of?"
"Nope." Danny smiled at her charmingly over the top of his coffee cup, suddenly looking far younger than his thirty-four years. "Although next week they might get some drones. I asked Tom to reserve one for us. Thought the boys would love it."
Kara bit her lip to stop herself from laughing. "I'm sure that they will."
Almost as much as their daddy.