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solarbaby614) wrote2009-03-17 05:34 pm
solarbaby614) wrote2009-03-17 05:34 pm
Once A Brother: Chapter 3
Title: Once A Brother
Author: Solarbaby
Disclaimer: All I own is the plot.
Words: 1472
General Summary: Sometimes being a brother is better than being a superhero.
Drabble Summary: From the dull look on Casey’s face, he’d heard every word that’d been said.
Spoilers: Pre-series.
Notes: Okay, I was going for sad, but this didn’t come out exactly right. Again, longer than a drabble by... a lot.
oOoOoOoOoOoOo
Breath
Letting out a long breath, RJ gave the green recliner one final shove. As it came to rest, he collapsed listlessly down onto it with a groan of appreciation. This was exactly what he needed after a long day of moving in. The loft was still sparsely decorating and what furniture he did have was second hand at best but he was happy to have a den of his own. A silly grin crossed his face as he flipped the single television on. Again, it was second hand and the picture tended to get fuzzy as the channels rose but it was his.
The channel ended up on the news and RJ was just reaching for a blanket when a piercing ring echoed through the loft. He gave a groan, momentarily letting the thought of just ignoring it wash over him. With his luck though, it would end up being the downstairs contractor or someone important. RJ pulled himself off the chair and headed for the stairs to the kitchen, cursing the fact that he hadn’t thought to bring it with him.
He snatched the phone up, giving a quick ‘hello?’ as he sat down on the beat up barstool. It gave an unsteady creak but held.
There was a throat clearing on the other end of the phone and an unfamiliar voice came on the line. “Is this Robert James Finn?”
A frown crossed his face at his full name. “Yes it is.”
“We regret to inform you that…”
RJ was suddenly very happy he’d sat down.
oOoOoOoOoOo
Casey couldn’t breathe. It felt like he was drowning, not able to do anything more than nod in thanks at the empty apologies. He couldn’t bring himself, trust himself, to reply, knowing he had the tendency to say the wrong thing at the wrong time. Grief encompassed the room, weeping and bemoaning for someone he wasn’t even sure if half of them knew. He nodded once again as a second cousin patted him awkwardly on the shoulder and told them he was sorry for the loss.
Even though all the wailing and mourning, it wasn’t like he couldn’t hear the whispers. He was sixteen, not stupid. Among this all, in the middle of a funeral home, gossip of his mother’s dead raged on. They ranged all the way from the humorous to the outrageous to hitting way to close to their mark.
“Who is that cutie?”
He glanced over to see that it was one of those giggling pre-teens that Monroe had told him was his cousin something removed. Following their eyes, Casey froze in shock. There, standing by the entrance, was none other than RJ himself. His brother was decked out in an uncomfortable looking suit, searching the crowd. When his eyes landed on Casey, he seemed relieved and started to head toward him.
“Robbie? Little Robbie Finn?”
A pained look crossed RJ’s face as he was intercepted by Aunt Margret. She seemed overjoyed to see the man, something that wasn’t reproached.
It didn’t help that she was drunk.
She latched herself onto him and began to weep loudly, attracting attention. Aunt Margret began mumbling something about knee high and babies.
For the first time in a while in what seemed like forever, he let out a small smile. The panicked ‘help me’ look his brother sent his way only made the smile widen. He looked on with pity and gave him a shrug. Aunt Margret had done the same to him when she’d first arrived. He contented himself to watch with vague amusement.
Seeing that he wouldn’t receive any help from his brother, it took RJ several minutes to extract himself from the woman, an aunt he barely remembered. He looked up in time to see Casey disappearing through a door on the other side of the parlor. RJ made it through the door after him, but couldn’t see him anywhere. He headed down the hall, pausing when muffled voices came through one of the doors.
RJ knew that it wasn’t any of his business and he really should have gone after his brother, but a recognized name made him stop dead. Approaching the door, he pushed it open slightly to find something the vaguely resembled a kitchen.
“…Casey! What am I supposed to do with the boy?”
“What about his father?”
“Oh, please. No one’s been able to find the man. I heard that no one’s seen him for the past few years! And now I’m stuck with the kid!”
“What did Monroe say?”
“That damn lawyer? Just that the only way I could get out of it was if the kid’s dad showed up. A ‘closer relative’ was what he said. How was I supposed to know those papers Isabella had me sign would toss the kid on me?!”
A large man came into RJ’s view and he let the door slide a little farther closed. At the same time, a voice whispered from behind you. “You really shouldn’t being doing that.” He jerked around. Standing behind him was none other than Casey.
And from the dull look on Casey’s face, he’d heard every word that’d been said.
“Casey…” He startled, unsure of what to say. To want to comfort his brother, but not knowing how. In the end, he let his instincts take over and wrapped his arms around his brother. Casey stood stiffly in the embrace for a few moments before burying his face into his brother’s shoulder. He frowned and glared at the door, as if he could decimate the man on the other side.
RJ needed to find the man called Monroe.
oOoOoOoOoOo
“Are you sure you want to do this?”
RJ sent the lawyer and exasperated look. “Of course I am. Otherwise I wouldn’t have came you.”
Eric Monroe merely shook his head. “I think you need to really think about this--.”
“Can I do this or not?”
The lawyer nodded, “Yes, of course you can. But you would become responsible for a sixteen year old teenager.” He didn’t understand this. What nineteen year old man would intentionally be responsible to a kid?
“He’s my brother. There’s nothing to think about.”
“Alright, then we just need you to sign a couple of papers and you can take him home.” After passing RJ the paperwork to look over, Monroe hit the intercom button and called the secretary. “You can send him in.”
“Yes, sir.” Came the dutiful reply.
RJ caught sight of the door open, but didn’t look up from the papers.
“RJ?” The voice was incredulous.
He looked up to see Casey, himself, staring at him.
“Sit down, Casey.” Monroe’s voice took on an authoritive tone that Casey immediately reacted to.
Casey slid into the chair beside his brother. To say he was confused would be an understatement. He’d been told that this meeting was over who would have custody of him but that didn’t explain what RJ was doing here. From what he’d heard, Uncle Marty was supposed end up with him.
“Alright Casey, here’s how it is. RJ has come to me and asked for custody for you. Do you have a problem with this?”
“What?” Casey blinked in shock. “You…” He looked at his brother before looking back at his late mother’s lawyer. “Huh?”
RJ frowned at the bewildered look on his baby brother’s face. It was as if he couldn’t believe someone would actually want to take him in. A feeling of panic came over him at the thought that maybe Casey didn’t want this. “You don’t have a problem with this, do you Case?”
“Huh?” Casey shook his head. “Um, no… but… are you sure?” He directed the question at his brother.
“Completely.” Self-assurance and confidence laced the elder brother’s voice, as if there was never a doubt in his mind. Which there wasn’t.
“Then… sure.” There was still an unsure look on Casey’s face. It was as if he expected RJ would change his mind at any moment.
For a moment RJ wondered what the hell their mother, or whoever, had done to his baby brother. “So what do I have to do?”
The lawyer handed him the last of the paper work, which took a several minutes to fill out. Finally, Monroe glanced over it with a nod. “Everything seems to be in order. Unless you have any more questions, there’s nothing left.” He seemed to dismiss them with a glance, not even waiting for their answer.
RJ rose but the other stayed glued to his seat, biting his lip as if he wanted to say something. He just shook his head and placed his hand on Casey’s shoulder. Casey jumped a bit at the touch but seemed to become a little more relaxed.
“Come on Casey. Let’s go home.”
Home.
Suddenly, Casey could breathe again.
Author: Solarbaby
Disclaimer: All I own is the plot.
Words: 1472
General Summary: Sometimes being a brother is better than being a superhero.
Drabble Summary: From the dull look on Casey’s face, he’d heard every word that’d been said.
Spoilers: Pre-series.
Notes: Okay, I was going for sad, but this didn’t come out exactly right. Again, longer than a drabble by... a lot.
oOoOoOoOoOoOo
Breath
Letting out a long breath, RJ gave the green recliner one final shove. As it came to rest, he collapsed listlessly down onto it with a groan of appreciation. This was exactly what he needed after a long day of moving in. The loft was still sparsely decorating and what furniture he did have was second hand at best but he was happy to have a den of his own. A silly grin crossed his face as he flipped the single television on. Again, it was second hand and the picture tended to get fuzzy as the channels rose but it was his.
The channel ended up on the news and RJ was just reaching for a blanket when a piercing ring echoed through the loft. He gave a groan, momentarily letting the thought of just ignoring it wash over him. With his luck though, it would end up being the downstairs contractor or someone important. RJ pulled himself off the chair and headed for the stairs to the kitchen, cursing the fact that he hadn’t thought to bring it with him.
He snatched the phone up, giving a quick ‘hello?’ as he sat down on the beat up barstool. It gave an unsteady creak but held.
There was a throat clearing on the other end of the phone and an unfamiliar voice came on the line. “Is this Robert James Finn?”
A frown crossed his face at his full name. “Yes it is.”
“We regret to inform you that…”
RJ was suddenly very happy he’d sat down.
oOoOoOoOoOo
Casey couldn’t breathe. It felt like he was drowning, not able to do anything more than nod in thanks at the empty apologies. He couldn’t bring himself, trust himself, to reply, knowing he had the tendency to say the wrong thing at the wrong time. Grief encompassed the room, weeping and bemoaning for someone he wasn’t even sure if half of them knew. He nodded once again as a second cousin patted him awkwardly on the shoulder and told them he was sorry for the loss.
Even though all the wailing and mourning, it wasn’t like he couldn’t hear the whispers. He was sixteen, not stupid. Among this all, in the middle of a funeral home, gossip of his mother’s dead raged on. They ranged all the way from the humorous to the outrageous to hitting way to close to their mark.
“Who is that cutie?”
He glanced over to see that it was one of those giggling pre-teens that Monroe had told him was his cousin something removed. Following their eyes, Casey froze in shock. There, standing by the entrance, was none other than RJ himself. His brother was decked out in an uncomfortable looking suit, searching the crowd. When his eyes landed on Casey, he seemed relieved and started to head toward him.
“Robbie? Little Robbie Finn?”
A pained look crossed RJ’s face as he was intercepted by Aunt Margret. She seemed overjoyed to see the man, something that wasn’t reproached.
It didn’t help that she was drunk.
She latched herself onto him and began to weep loudly, attracting attention. Aunt Margret began mumbling something about knee high and babies.
For the first time in a while in what seemed like forever, he let out a small smile. The panicked ‘help me’ look his brother sent his way only made the smile widen. He looked on with pity and gave him a shrug. Aunt Margret had done the same to him when she’d first arrived. He contented himself to watch with vague amusement.
Seeing that he wouldn’t receive any help from his brother, it took RJ several minutes to extract himself from the woman, an aunt he barely remembered. He looked up in time to see Casey disappearing through a door on the other side of the parlor. RJ made it through the door after him, but couldn’t see him anywhere. He headed down the hall, pausing when muffled voices came through one of the doors.
RJ knew that it wasn’t any of his business and he really should have gone after his brother, but a recognized name made him stop dead. Approaching the door, he pushed it open slightly to find something the vaguely resembled a kitchen.
“…Casey! What am I supposed to do with the boy?”
“What about his father?”
“Oh, please. No one’s been able to find the man. I heard that no one’s seen him for the past few years! And now I’m stuck with the kid!”
“What did Monroe say?”
“That damn lawyer? Just that the only way I could get out of it was if the kid’s dad showed up. A ‘closer relative’ was what he said. How was I supposed to know those papers Isabella had me sign would toss the kid on me?!”
A large man came into RJ’s view and he let the door slide a little farther closed. At the same time, a voice whispered from behind you. “You really shouldn’t being doing that.” He jerked around. Standing behind him was none other than Casey.
And from the dull look on Casey’s face, he’d heard every word that’d been said.
“Casey…” He startled, unsure of what to say. To want to comfort his brother, but not knowing how. In the end, he let his instincts take over and wrapped his arms around his brother. Casey stood stiffly in the embrace for a few moments before burying his face into his brother’s shoulder. He frowned and glared at the door, as if he could decimate the man on the other side.
RJ needed to find the man called Monroe.
oOoOoOoOoOo
“Are you sure you want to do this?”
RJ sent the lawyer and exasperated look. “Of course I am. Otherwise I wouldn’t have came you.”
Eric Monroe merely shook his head. “I think you need to really think about this--.”
“Can I do this or not?”
The lawyer nodded, “Yes, of course you can. But you would become responsible for a sixteen year old teenager.” He didn’t understand this. What nineteen year old man would intentionally be responsible to a kid?
“He’s my brother. There’s nothing to think about.”
“Alright, then we just need you to sign a couple of papers and you can take him home.” After passing RJ the paperwork to look over, Monroe hit the intercom button and called the secretary. “You can send him in.”
“Yes, sir.” Came the dutiful reply.
RJ caught sight of the door open, but didn’t look up from the papers.
“RJ?” The voice was incredulous.
He looked up to see Casey, himself, staring at him.
“Sit down, Casey.” Monroe’s voice took on an authoritive tone that Casey immediately reacted to.
Casey slid into the chair beside his brother. To say he was confused would be an understatement. He’d been told that this meeting was over who would have custody of him but that didn’t explain what RJ was doing here. From what he’d heard, Uncle Marty was supposed end up with him.
“Alright Casey, here’s how it is. RJ has come to me and asked for custody for you. Do you have a problem with this?”
“What?” Casey blinked in shock. “You…” He looked at his brother before looking back at his late mother’s lawyer. “Huh?”
RJ frowned at the bewildered look on his baby brother’s face. It was as if he couldn’t believe someone would actually want to take him in. A feeling of panic came over him at the thought that maybe Casey didn’t want this. “You don’t have a problem with this, do you Case?”
“Huh?” Casey shook his head. “Um, no… but… are you sure?” He directed the question at his brother.
“Completely.” Self-assurance and confidence laced the elder brother’s voice, as if there was never a doubt in his mind. Which there wasn’t.
“Then… sure.” There was still an unsure look on Casey’s face. It was as if he expected RJ would change his mind at any moment.
For a moment RJ wondered what the hell their mother, or whoever, had done to his baby brother. “So what do I have to do?”
The lawyer handed him the last of the paper work, which took a several minutes to fill out. Finally, Monroe glanced over it with a nod. “Everything seems to be in order. Unless you have any more questions, there’s nothing left.” He seemed to dismiss them with a glance, not even waiting for their answer.
RJ rose but the other stayed glued to his seat, biting his lip as if he wanted to say something. He just shook his head and placed his hand on Casey’s shoulder. Casey jumped a bit at the touch but seemed to become a little more relaxed.
“Come on Casey. Let’s go home.”
Home.
Suddenly, Casey could breathe again.