A Family Tree
Future!fic for nokidflash and cisskabob. But the fic is really an excuse for the art ;) Characters used with permission, characters without PBs were assigned them with love <3
prompt: Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one. ~Jane Howard
Cassie presented the family tree to Bart and Cissie the day they brought Ick home. It was wrapped impeccably, the card made out in Cassie's neat lettering to : Mr., Mrs. and Iris King-Jones-Allen, and even Bart was speechless for a millisecond. Of course that might have something to do with the number of empty leaves. Cassie left a lot of space for growth. And as the years went by, more and more people were added. Though Bart's side was sparse, Cissie's extended family had grown a bit once Ollie was a part of it, and soon enough the King-Jones-Allens numbered six just themselves.
"Mama, is this me?"
"No, that's your sister."
"Ick?"
"Ick."
"Did you take the picture or did Dad?"
"Aunt Cassie took all of them."
"Is that why she's not in any of them?"
"Well, no. She's not really related."
"So?"
Cissie looks at the leaves that surrounded her picture and Bart's. Roy. Mia. Bowstring. Max. She smiles down at his namesake. "You're right."
--
"You're pregnant again?"
"What? No." She shakes her head. "No, Ick--"
"Ick's pregnant?!"
"What? Cassie! No! Cassie!"
"I'm sorry! You said Ick."
"Because Ick and Lian are not related--"
"Yes. Good. Because that would be wrong."
Cissie keeps going as if she had not spoken. "--but they both have a Grandpa Ollie--"
"Ohhhh." Cassie nods understanding. "Ollie's found another kid."
"Cassie. Stop interrupting."
Cassie closes her lips over her teeth in chagrin. Cissie takes a deep breath.
"I want you to add you to the tree."
Cassie frowns. "...Me? Why?"
"You're our family." Cissie smiles. "You and Tim and Jack -- and Kon and Elly and Wanda -- and Steph and -- all of you. You're our family, too. You know that."
"Yes."
Cissie thinks of Max and her smile grows. "So you should be on the tree." She points to the space beside Bart's picture, where her side outnumbers his.
Cassie looks thoughtful. "What about room for grandchildren?"
"We can get another tree for grandchildren." Cassie nods. "Years from now."
Cassie laughs. "Right."
"Right."
from the baby at center right: Ick, Jenni&Max, Ick, Jenni, Dick, Lian, Roy, Connor, Mia, Steven, Carol, Ollie, Bernie&Cissie, Bonnie, Cissie, Bart, Max, Wally, Iris&Jai, Wanda&Elly, Kon, Jack, Tim, Cassie, Steph, Cass, Bat, Max, Jenni&Bat, Ick, Jenni, Max&Bat (and Lian's horse :P)
prompt: Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one. ~Jane Howard
Cassie presented the family tree to Bart and Cissie the day they brought Ick home. It was wrapped impeccably, the card made out in Cassie's neat lettering to : Mr., Mrs. and Iris King-Jones-Allen, and even Bart was speechless for a millisecond. Of course that might have something to do with the number of empty leaves. Cassie left a lot of space for growth. And as the years went by, more and more people were added. Though Bart's side was sparse, Cissie's extended family had grown a bit once Ollie was a part of it, and soon enough the King-Jones-Allens numbered six just themselves.
"Mama, is this me?"
"No, that's your sister."
"Ick?"
"Ick."
"Did you take the picture or did Dad?"
"Aunt Cassie took all of them."
"Is that why she's not in any of them?"
"Well, no. She's not really related."
"So?"
Cissie looks at the leaves that surrounded her picture and Bart's. Roy. Mia. Bowstring. Max. She smiles down at his namesake. "You're right."
--
"You're pregnant again?"
"What? No." She shakes her head. "No, Ick--"
"Ick's pregnant?!"
"What? Cassie! No! Cassie!"
"I'm sorry! You said Ick."
"Because Ick and Lian are not related--"
"Yes. Good. Because that would be wrong."
Cissie keeps going as if she had not spoken. "--but they both have a Grandpa Ollie--"
"Ohhhh." Cassie nods understanding. "Ollie's found another kid."
"Cassie. Stop interrupting."
Cassie closes her lips over her teeth in chagrin. Cissie takes a deep breath.
"I want you to add you to the tree."
Cassie frowns. "...Me? Why?"
"You're our family." Cissie smiles. "You and Tim and Jack -- and Kon and Elly and Wanda -- and Steph and -- all of you. You're our family, too. You know that."
"Yes."
Cissie thinks of Max and her smile grows. "So you should be on the tree." She points to the space beside Bart's picture, where her side outnumbers his.
Cassie looks thoughtful. "What about room for grandchildren?"
"We can get another tree for grandchildren." Cassie nods. "Years from now."
Cassie laughs. "Right."
"Right."
from the baby at center right: Ick, Jenni&Max, Ick, Jenni, Dick, Lian, Roy, Connor, Mia, Steven, Carol, Ollie, Bernie&Cissie, Bonnie, Cissie, Bart, Max, Wally, Iris&Jai, Wanda&Elly, Kon, Jack, Tim, Cassie, Steph, Cass, Bat, Max, Jenni&Bat, Ick, Jenni, Max&Bat (and Lian's horse :P)