Fic: Buccaneers
[Blame Disney. Dani is 6; Ben, Clint Jr., and Jake are all under 2.]
"How come I don't have a cool name, Mama?"
Jess frowned down at her daughter. "What?"
"How come I'm not named after somebody cool?"
"You're named after Uncle Danny, silly."
Dani's frown is the same as her mother's. "Yeah but Ben's a jedi and Jake's a pirate!"
"Uncle Danny's a superhero." Dani rolled her eyes. Jess stifled her giggles. Six years old and jaded about superheroes. "A ninja?"
"Jedis and pirates have swords. And ships. And shows."
Jess started to respond that ninjas can have swords and shows and probably ships but James spoke up from the sofa. "Why do you think Jake is named after a pirate?"
Dani gave him a withering look that was also very much like her mother. Jess couldn't quite stifle her giggles this time. "It's a show on Disney Junior," she explained. "Jake and the Neverland Pirates."
"Ah." He smiled at Dani. "I've never seen it."
"You shouldn't lie to little kids."
"Dani!" Jess put on her Mommy voice. "Apologize to Mr. Barnes."
"But how did Jake get the pirate name if he hasn't seen the show? That doesn't make sense!"
"It makes more sense than James lying about having seen a kids show." Dani didn't really understand the logic in that.
James leaned down to address the girl. "There could be more Jakes than Pirate Jake, right?" Dani didn't really understand the logic in that either.
"But only he has a ship named Bucky."
"I ... what?" Dani grinned, assuming victory. James looked up to her mother to find Jess turing an impressive shade of scarlet. A blush or a lack of oxygen as she tried not to laugh he wasn't certain.
"Jake's ship," she squeaked out. "It's named Bucky."
"Oh."
"Like you!" said Dani, triumphantly.
"Right."
"I'm sorry!" said Jess. "I couldn't stop laughing about it, I had to explain..."
James shook his head. Smiling he turned back to Danielle. "I promise you, Dani, I've never seen the show. Maybe you could show me."
She clapped her hands. "Mama!"
"All right." Jess hunted for the remote while Dani bounded over to the playpen.
"The babies too!" Jess nodded and plucked Jake -- who'd ignored the entire conversation about his name -- and Ben out of the pen. Corralling the kids on the floor Jess joined James on the couch and set up the show.
"The one where Bucky saves the day!"
"I know." Jess selected the episode and the info came up on screen.
"Why does it say this has been watched thirty-seven times?" James asked quietly.
"It's her favorite," Jess answered, not entirely convincingly.
"Jessica..."
"SHHH!" said Dani.
The adults sat back in silence and watched the show.
"We're back! Dinner should be ready in twenty."
"SHHH!"
Carol raised her eyebrows. "Whatcha watching?"
"Jake and the Pirates," answered Dani. She pulled Ben over to make space for Clint Jr. as his mother placed him down next to the others.
"With Bucky?" asked Carol.
"You've seen it?" asked James. Jess started turning red again. Carol shrugged. Bobbi nodded. "...Who hasn't seen it?"
Carol shrugged again. "Luke."
"Tony," added Bobbi.
"Stephen."
"No, Steve and Sharon saw it with us."
"Not Steve, Stephen."
"Oh. Hmmm..."
"I get it," interrupted James.
"I'm sorry!" said Jess, hands wide.
"You're lucky you're you," said James, quietly.
The moment hung in the air and was eclipsed by the end of the show.
"My name's cooler than yours, Junior."
"Dani!" Out came the Mommy voice again.
"Sorry, Junior. Sorry Mrs. Barton."
"Okay everyone. Time to get ready for dinner." Carol picked up Ben and started to usher everyone toward the door.
James held the remote and as everyone filed out hesitated over "Delete Recording". Instead he hit "Save and Close".
"How come I don't have a cool name, Mama?"
Jess frowned down at her daughter. "What?"
"How come I'm not named after somebody cool?"
"You're named after Uncle Danny, silly."
Dani's frown is the same as her mother's. "Yeah but Ben's a jedi and Jake's a pirate!"
"Uncle Danny's a superhero." Dani rolled her eyes. Jess stifled her giggles. Six years old and jaded about superheroes. "A ninja?"
"Jedis and pirates have swords. And ships. And shows."
Jess started to respond that ninjas can have swords and shows and probably ships but James spoke up from the sofa. "Why do you think Jake is named after a pirate?"
Dani gave him a withering look that was also very much like her mother. Jess couldn't quite stifle her giggles this time. "It's a show on Disney Junior," she explained. "Jake and the Neverland Pirates."
"Ah." He smiled at Dani. "I've never seen it."
"You shouldn't lie to little kids."
"Dani!" Jess put on her Mommy voice. "Apologize to Mr. Barnes."
"But how did Jake get the pirate name if he hasn't seen the show? That doesn't make sense!"
"It makes more sense than James lying about having seen a kids show." Dani didn't really understand the logic in that.
James leaned down to address the girl. "There could be more Jakes than Pirate Jake, right?" Dani didn't really understand the logic in that either.
"But only he has a ship named Bucky."
"I ... what?" Dani grinned, assuming victory. James looked up to her mother to find Jess turing an impressive shade of scarlet. A blush or a lack of oxygen as she tried not to laugh he wasn't certain.
"Jake's ship," she squeaked out. "It's named Bucky."
"Oh."
"Like you!" said Dani, triumphantly.
"Right."
"I'm sorry!" said Jess. "I couldn't stop laughing about it, I had to explain..."
James shook his head. Smiling he turned back to Danielle. "I promise you, Dani, I've never seen the show. Maybe you could show me."
She clapped her hands. "Mama!"
"All right." Jess hunted for the remote while Dani bounded over to the playpen.
"The babies too!" Jess nodded and plucked Jake -- who'd ignored the entire conversation about his name -- and Ben out of the pen. Corralling the kids on the floor Jess joined James on the couch and set up the show.
"The one where Bucky saves the day!"
"I know." Jess selected the episode and the info came up on screen.
"Why does it say this has been watched thirty-seven times?" James asked quietly.
"It's her favorite," Jess answered, not entirely convincingly.
"Jessica..."
"SHHH!" said Dani.
The adults sat back in silence and watched the show.
"We're back! Dinner should be ready in twenty."
"SHHH!"
Carol raised her eyebrows. "Whatcha watching?"
"Jake and the Pirates," answered Dani. She pulled Ben over to make space for Clint Jr. as his mother placed him down next to the others.
"With Bucky?" asked Carol.
"You've seen it?" asked James. Jess started turning red again. Carol shrugged. Bobbi nodded. "...Who hasn't seen it?"
Carol shrugged again. "Luke."
"Tony," added Bobbi.
"Stephen."
"No, Steve and Sharon saw it with us."
"Not Steve, Stephen."
"Oh. Hmmm..."
"I get it," interrupted James.
"I'm sorry!" said Jess, hands wide.
"You're lucky you're you," said James, quietly.
The moment hung in the air and was eclipsed by the end of the show.
"My name's cooler than yours, Junior."
"Dani!" Out came the Mommy voice again.
"Sorry, Junior. Sorry Mrs. Barton."
"Okay everyone. Time to get ready for dinner." Carol picked up Ben and started to usher everyone toward the door.
James held the remote and as everyone filed out hesitated over "Delete Recording". Instead he hit "Save and Close".