Functionally Dysfunctional
Title: Functionally Dysfunctional
Author: divas_lament
Beta: fonapola
Rating: PG-13, for language
Fandom: Smallville/Supernatural
Characters/Pairings: Chloe Sullivan/Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester/Sarah Blake, David Winchester, Andrew Winchester, Jack Winchester, Holly Winchester, Clark Kent, Connor Queen, Izzie Winchester.
Summary: Moments in the lives of the Winchesters through the years. Written for Spawn Fic Tuesday!
Functionally Dysfunctional
Chloe had been due in two weeks, but it looked like the newest addition to their functionally dysfunctional family was making his or her appearance early. Seeing as Sam and Sarah were out of town, visiting Sarah's father for Hanukkah, Andy’s care fell to Lois which would have been perfectly fine except she was still on a plane, getting back from a press conference in Los Angeles.
"Are you excited for your new brother or sister?" Clark asked as he sat with Andrew in Lois' Metropolis apartment.
Andy sat on the couch, clutching his stuffed turtle, and watching some commercial for the latest toy on television before A Charlie Brown Christmas resumed.
"Brother," he said simply, quite sure of himself for being almost three.
"What if it is a girl?"
Andy frowned at him, brow furrowed in indignation. "No. Davy said so."
---
“But why not?”
“No girls allowed!” Connor yelled down from the tree house.
“That’s not fair!” Holly shouted up to them, hands on her hips.
“Too bad!” Andrew responded, holding up the rope ladder so that she couldn’t reach.
Holly glared up at them. Jack, David, Andy and Connor were stupid. When she didn’t have a quick retort, the boys started to laugh. She huffed indignantly, spinning on her heel and marching back towards the house.
When the boys got tired of playing in the tree house, they decided to head into the house. Entering the living room, they were met with a surprise. The couch cushions, chairs, and quilts that were usually kept in the hall closet were arranged into a giant fort. Impressed, the boys found the entrance to the fort, a sign positioned outside that said ‘Ring for Service’. Connor found the bell and rang it. In a moment, Holly popped her head out and frowned.
“What? I’m busy.”
“Let us in,” David said.
“No.”
“Why not?”
Holly rolled her eyes. “No jerks allowed. Duh. Now go away.”
She shut the flap, climbing back to where she had been sitting. “Sorry, Uncle Sam. What happened with the Wendigo next? Did you get him?” Holly reached for the half eaten bowl of popcorn, ready to once again listen attentively to his story.
Sam, having been roped into building a fort with his niece to keep her occupied, shifted within the restricting confines. There was just enough room to sit cross legged against the back of a recliner. Finding a marginally comfortable position, he continued with his story….edited, of course. She was only eight.
---
Due to the way schedules worked out, it was usually Sam or Dean that would meet the kids after school. Dean owned his own business and Sam didn’t have set hours with his consulting job, so their schedules were flexible enough to give them time. Considering that both were out of town, Sarah had the task of picking up the kids that week. Sure, David was almost sixteen and could probably keep an eye on the others, but Sarah had a feeling that there might be a mutiny with bloodshed if he were left in charge for too long. She did not know quite what happened during his summer in New York, but he had definitely come back with an attitude that didn't sit right with his younger brother and cousins.
Sarah glanced at the clock, noting she was fifteen minutes late. She silently cursed her luck and the traffic that had plagued the highway as she was leaving Metropolis a little while ago. Turning into the school parking lot, she found Andrew, Holly, and Jack waiting outside on a bench.
"Where's David?" She asked as they piled into the back of the SUV, throwing their book bags towards the trunk.
Holly shrugged, sinking into the seat in the back, grabbing a bottle of water that Andrew passed back to her.
"He's too cool to hang out with middleschoolers," Jack responded, rolling his eyes as he took the bag of fruit that Sarah had packed for a snack.
She sighed, checking her watch. She had to get Andrew to his orthodontist appointment by three thirty and then she had to stop at the museum to pick up some contracts before they met Chloe for dinner in Metropolis. Today was not a good day for him to work at his own pace.
"It's cool, we don't want to hang out with him anyway," Holly muttered and only shrugged her shoulders when Sarah gave her a look in the mirror and started dialing David's cell. Before she could finish, she realized she needn't have pulled the phone out. . Her son was suddenly wandering over to the car from the group of friends she hadn’t noticed before. He pulled open the passenger's side door and climbed in, slumping down in the seat.
"Nice of you to join us," Sarah remarked as she pulled away from the curb. "When I say be out front, you be out front."
"Dad doesn't care," David said.
Sarah knew that wasn't true. Just last week Sam had been pissed when he had missed a meeting with a client because David had neglected to tell anyone he had detention and they’d spent a half hour waiting for him to turn up. "David, don't argue with me. I've had a tough enough day."
He frowned. "Can you just take me home?"
"No," Sarah said as she took the exit for the highway. "You know we're having dinner in Metropolis tonight."
"I can eat at home."
"He's just pissed because he got turned down," Andrew interjected, irritation etched on his features as he glanced at his cousin.
"What the hell do you know," David retorted, turning in his seat.
"That you got burned...by a cheerleader," Andrew smirked.
"You don't know what you're talking about."
"I think I do," he answered. "And the lame ass line you used on her? No wonder she laughed."
---
Chloe walked into the house just in time to see Holly hurl a hunting knife clear across the kitchen and hit her brother with remarkable precision directly below his right shoulder. If the knife had hit on the other side, it would have been right in his heart. Chloe's own heart constricted, worry and anger surging through her veins as she dropped her bag on the floor.
"HOLLY MARIE WINCHESTER," she shouted, crossing quickly to Andrew, who was leaning against the refrigerator, blood staining his shirt. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!"
Holly's face had gone white, eyes widened. "He...he..." She stuttered, the words failing to come. "He told me to!"
Andrew winced as he grasped the handle and pulled the knife out. "It's....fine...."
Chloe stared at him and watched, hand poised to heal him. He closed his eyes and a moment later, looked at his mom with a grin. She frowned as he pulled his shirt away, seeing his healed skin smeared with blood.
"Told you it would work," Andrew said, glancing at his sister.
"You're both grounded," Chloe said, realizing this was one of Andrew's experiments. At that moment, David walked into the room, ending his phone conversation as her glare found him. "And it's going to be a long time before any of you go on a hunt."
He had been left in charge. His ass was on the line too.
---
"You are severely unhinged, do you know that?" Holly shrieked as they stood at a crossroads in the middle of nowhere. The Impala was parked on the side of the deserted road, trunk armory open and waiting for the new supplies that were on their way.
"For god's sake, there will be other weekends," Dean ground out, tired of listening to her rant for the last half hour. At least when they had been in the car on the way out here, she had quietly seethed as she’d texted away on her phone. But once they’d hit a no service area, she had turned to sniping at him, furious that he had drug her out here all for a stupid restock trip.
She glared at him. "You are ruining my life. I hate this. I hate not being able to hang out with my friends. I hate having to keep all these secrets," she continued, ignoring that a red pickup had just pulled up behind them. Two young men got out of the cab of the truck.
"Get. In. The. Car." Dean said, effectively cutting her off and ignoring the fleeting stab of guilt that cut through him with her words. He wasn't having this discussion in front of others.
"Fine, like it matters how I feel anyway," she said, pushing her sunglasses down over her face and getting in the car, slamming the door a little harder than necessary.
Dean frowned, but took steadying breaths before turning to meet the Barrett brothers.
Daughters. He’d take five more boys over that one girl sometimes.
---
"Jack, I know you're set against it, but I wish you would think about it a little more."
"I'm not going to college, Dad," Jack said as they sat on the couch. Sam had been broaching the same sort of conversation for weeks, especially now that the deadlines were approaching. "It's not for me."
"You can study art."
"I can also study art with a library card and Mom's connections to different museums," he argued civilly.
"I just want you to be sure."
"It will still be there whether I go in the fall or in ten years."
Sam nodded, eyes looking back to the football game on television. Whether or not Jack realized it, he was like Sam in more ways than he thought. He knew what he wanted and wouldn't let anyone change his mind.
---
No one else was on the football field that day in some Podunk town off the highway. Which was a good thing for them, considering they had just dug up the decomposed body of a freshman. The deceased student had been a sacrifice to bring luck to the football team, but its spirit had been wreaking havoc on the school the last few years.
"What do you think?"
"Kind of makes the scarecrow tradition in Smallville look tame," Andrew spoke as he came to sit next to David on the empty bleachers. Jack and Holly followed behind him, the four of them looking out at the field, covered in dirt and sweat.
"Zombie football players would make an awesome short story," Holly answered, looking out at the field.
"Are you fucking kidding me right now?" David asked, lip curling slightly in distaste.
"You asked what I was thinking," she shrugged.
"Yeah, Dave, you should know better than to want to know what's going on in her mind," Jack teased, ruffling her hair.
---
"Hey Dave, can I talk to you?" Jack asked, standing on the back porch of their parents' house in Kansas. The boys had gone their own ways. Jack had been living in New Mexico the last couple months, David keeping up the nomadic Winchester tendencies.
David looked over at his younger brother. Their relationship was strained, at best. He never knew what had happened, except that they had drifted apart as they’d grown older.
"I've got this....opportunity."
"She hot?" David asked absently, taking a drink of his beer.
"It's not like that. It's a business deal."
David looked over at Jack again, brow furrowing against the glare of the setting sun. "What are you asking me for?"
"You've got a degree in business. It's a bar. The guy is retiring and he wants to sell it to me. I'm good with keeping a budget and ordering stuff but I don't have a clue about making a profit." Jack looked at the ground before looking over at his brother. "I could use a hand."
He looked away, focusing instead on their old fort that was falling apart. How many times had they played out there? It had been a long time since Jack had asked him for anything, let alone come to him for advice like he used to. Jack hadn't asked him for anything in recent memory and now he's here, asking David instead of going to someone else.
"I got some time," David said finally, glancing over at Jack who heaved a sigh of relief. "Just tell me you didn't sign anything yet."
Jack smirked over at him, just as Sarah called them in the house for dinner.
---
"Explain to me how they got them," Sam said, watching curiously from the safety of the porch as David and Holly battled it out in the backyard with swords. Real swords.
"I needed help moving some stuff out of the warehouse for the next exhibit and Jack found them," Sarah answered, folding her arms across her chest. "Our expert took a look at them and deemed them replicas, so all they were doing was collecting dust."
"And you said he could take them home," he surmised, glancing over at his wife.
She nodded. "The swords were just sitting in the lock up until David and Holly showed up. David still has Holly's favorite knife that he borrowed for that hunt in West Port last month and she wanted it back. They were out here not even five minutes after they went in the garage."
A clang of metal sounded from the backyard, followed by terse instructions and sarcastic rebuttals.
"Think we should get them some armor?"
---
"The Gotham Ghost sighted again," Chloe spoke, holding the phone between her ear and shoulder as she looked at the latest headlines.
"Guess so," Andy replied and she should almost hear the shrug over the line.
"I'm not sure I like it," she said thoughtfully.
"We've been over this before. I'm going to give Bruce a hand if he needs it when I'm in town. I'm not just going to wait around for big team missions."
"That's not what I'm talking about," Chloe said. "Gotham Ghost?"
"Jesus, Ma. You've already named me once. Can you just let it go?"
---
Sam was exhausted, having just driven straight from his father-in-law’s house to a hotel in Washington, D.C. The hotel was just a train ride from Gotham, but was close enough. Things were getting hairy at the Wayne Manor, and it was better that Izzie not be there for the time being-especially with a bunch of stressed and testy metahumans cramped up in a small space. Jack and David remained at the Manor, helping Dean and one of the Barretts finish refurbishing a cache of cheap weaponry. They would be out there the next day. Sam was in charge of his granddaughter until then.
Izzie sat with a book that Holly had been reading to her, while Sam read through an early released printout of some of the proposals on how Lex’s administration planned to enforce the Registration Act.
“Papa?” Izzie asked after a few moments, climbing onto the bed next to him, clutching an old, yellowed photograph.
“What’s up?”
“Who’s this in the picture with Holly?”
Sam looked at this picture more closely. It had been years since he had seen the picture. “That’s not, Holly, kiddo. That’s your great grandma, Mary - my mom. And that’s my dad, John. Where’d you get this?”
Izzie pointed to this discarded book. “Holly said Andy found it and that I should keep it safe. I wasn’t sure that I should show it to you, but…”
“No, no. I’m glad you did,” Sam smiled.
---
Holly leaned her head against the doorframe, body still sore and bruised, weakened from being dead the last twenty four hours. It was a miracle they had gotten out alive - for the most part. Lex’s security force had been expecting them, waiting to attack and the melee had raged for an hour as the few League members that had been sent in did what they had to do.
The boy had clung to her hand as they’d raced through the collapsing building, eyes wide with fear and anticipation. Yet, he had trusted the woman in the black and purple getup with a mask obscuring her face the moment she had knocked out his latest doctor with a touch of her hand. And when they found Connor bleeding from the abdomen, the boy had listened to every direction Holly had given him, not asking questions when she told him the way out of the building and that he would need to help Connor. They’d not only saved him, but he’d helped save them too when he’d used his power, freed from the confines of the lead room, to build a shield between them and the falling debris.
She had just visited him, wanting to talk to him - to show him she was okay.
“I just wanted to thank you,” Holly began, watching him carefully. “For what you did. That was very brave of you.”
“You died,” he said curiously.
Holly nodded. “I’ve got…powers, too.” He nodded, looking back at her expectantly. “I’m Holly.”
“I’m Lucas.”
“What are we going to do with him?” Connor asked as the group gathered in the appointed epicenter of the manor.
Holly frowned. “What do you mean what are we going to do with him?” She spoke freely, not daring to check herself. This was technically a League matter and she was no longer a member of the League after all. “That kid just saved our asses. He’s scared and has nowhere to go. He’s staying here.”
Andrew looked over at her sympathetically. “It’s dangerous here, Holly. We’re all too busy. And what happens if we get found out and have to evacuate?”
“And who’s going to take in a metahuman right now?” She argued back. “He should stay here.”
“Holly -” Connor began.
“I’ll take care of him,” Holly decided finally. “Lucas will be my responsibility.”
“Lucas?” Connor asked.
“That’s his name. You would know it if you spoke to him for a moment instead of shoving your head further up your ass.”
“You realize he is a kid and not a puppy, right?” Andrew said, watching his sister carefully. She glared back in annoyance. Andrew smirked. “Okay, Holl. You’re his guardian.”
Author: divas_lament
Beta: fonapola
Rating: PG-13, for language
Fandom: Smallville/Supernatural
Characters/Pairings: Chloe Sullivan/Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester/Sarah Blake, David Winchester, Andrew Winchester, Jack Winchester, Holly Winchester, Clark Kent, Connor Queen, Izzie Winchester.
Summary: Moments in the lives of the Winchesters through the years. Written for Spawn Fic Tuesday!
Functionally Dysfunctional
Chloe had been due in two weeks, but it looked like the newest addition to their functionally dysfunctional family was making his or her appearance early. Seeing as Sam and Sarah were out of town, visiting Sarah's father for Hanukkah, Andy’s care fell to Lois which would have been perfectly fine except she was still on a plane, getting back from a press conference in Los Angeles.
"Are you excited for your new brother or sister?" Clark asked as he sat with Andrew in Lois' Metropolis apartment.
Andy sat on the couch, clutching his stuffed turtle, and watching some commercial for the latest toy on television before A Charlie Brown Christmas resumed.
"Brother," he said simply, quite sure of himself for being almost three.
"What if it is a girl?"
Andy frowned at him, brow furrowed in indignation. "No. Davy said so."
---
“But why not?”
“No girls allowed!” Connor yelled down from the tree house.
“That’s not fair!” Holly shouted up to them, hands on her hips.
“Too bad!” Andrew responded, holding up the rope ladder so that she couldn’t reach.
Holly glared up at them. Jack, David, Andy and Connor were stupid. When she didn’t have a quick retort, the boys started to laugh. She huffed indignantly, spinning on her heel and marching back towards the house.
When the boys got tired of playing in the tree house, they decided to head into the house. Entering the living room, they were met with a surprise. The couch cushions, chairs, and quilts that were usually kept in the hall closet were arranged into a giant fort. Impressed, the boys found the entrance to the fort, a sign positioned outside that said ‘Ring for Service’. Connor found the bell and rang it. In a moment, Holly popped her head out and frowned.
“What? I’m busy.”
“Let us in,” David said.
“No.”
“Why not?”
Holly rolled her eyes. “No jerks allowed. Duh. Now go away.”
She shut the flap, climbing back to where she had been sitting. “Sorry, Uncle Sam. What happened with the Wendigo next? Did you get him?” Holly reached for the half eaten bowl of popcorn, ready to once again listen attentively to his story.
Sam, having been roped into building a fort with his niece to keep her occupied, shifted within the restricting confines. There was just enough room to sit cross legged against the back of a recliner. Finding a marginally comfortable position, he continued with his story….edited, of course. She was only eight.
---
Due to the way schedules worked out, it was usually Sam or Dean that would meet the kids after school. Dean owned his own business and Sam didn’t have set hours with his consulting job, so their schedules were flexible enough to give them time. Considering that both were out of town, Sarah had the task of picking up the kids that week. Sure, David was almost sixteen and could probably keep an eye on the others, but Sarah had a feeling that there might be a mutiny with bloodshed if he were left in charge for too long. She did not know quite what happened during his summer in New York, but he had definitely come back with an attitude that didn't sit right with his younger brother and cousins.
Sarah glanced at the clock, noting she was fifteen minutes late. She silently cursed her luck and the traffic that had plagued the highway as she was leaving Metropolis a little while ago. Turning into the school parking lot, she found Andrew, Holly, and Jack waiting outside on a bench.
"Where's David?" She asked as they piled into the back of the SUV, throwing their book bags towards the trunk.
Holly shrugged, sinking into the seat in the back, grabbing a bottle of water that Andrew passed back to her.
"He's too cool to hang out with middleschoolers," Jack responded, rolling his eyes as he took the bag of fruit that Sarah had packed for a snack.
She sighed, checking her watch. She had to get Andrew to his orthodontist appointment by three thirty and then she had to stop at the museum to pick up some contracts before they met Chloe for dinner in Metropolis. Today was not a good day for him to work at his own pace.
"It's cool, we don't want to hang out with him anyway," Holly muttered and only shrugged her shoulders when Sarah gave her a look in the mirror and started dialing David's cell. Before she could finish, she realized she needn't have pulled the phone out. . Her son was suddenly wandering over to the car from the group of friends she hadn’t noticed before. He pulled open the passenger's side door and climbed in, slumping down in the seat.
"Nice of you to join us," Sarah remarked as she pulled away from the curb. "When I say be out front, you be out front."
"Dad doesn't care," David said.
Sarah knew that wasn't true. Just last week Sam had been pissed when he had missed a meeting with a client because David had neglected to tell anyone he had detention and they’d spent a half hour waiting for him to turn up. "David, don't argue with me. I've had a tough enough day."
He frowned. "Can you just take me home?"
"No," Sarah said as she took the exit for the highway. "You know we're having dinner in Metropolis tonight."
"I can eat at home."
"He's just pissed because he got turned down," Andrew interjected, irritation etched on his features as he glanced at his cousin.
"What the hell do you know," David retorted, turning in his seat.
"That you got burned...by a cheerleader," Andrew smirked.
"You don't know what you're talking about."
"I think I do," he answered. "And the lame ass line you used on her? No wonder she laughed."
---
Chloe walked into the house just in time to see Holly hurl a hunting knife clear across the kitchen and hit her brother with remarkable precision directly below his right shoulder. If the knife had hit on the other side, it would have been right in his heart. Chloe's own heart constricted, worry and anger surging through her veins as she dropped her bag on the floor.
"HOLLY MARIE WINCHESTER," she shouted, crossing quickly to Andrew, who was leaning against the refrigerator, blood staining his shirt. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!"
Holly's face had gone white, eyes widened. "He...he..." She stuttered, the words failing to come. "He told me to!"
Andrew winced as he grasped the handle and pulled the knife out. "It's....fine...."
Chloe stared at him and watched, hand poised to heal him. He closed his eyes and a moment later, looked at his mom with a grin. She frowned as he pulled his shirt away, seeing his healed skin smeared with blood.
"Told you it would work," Andrew said, glancing at his sister.
"You're both grounded," Chloe said, realizing this was one of Andrew's experiments. At that moment, David walked into the room, ending his phone conversation as her glare found him. "And it's going to be a long time before any of you go on a hunt."
He had been left in charge. His ass was on the line too.
---
"You are severely unhinged, do you know that?" Holly shrieked as they stood at a crossroads in the middle of nowhere. The Impala was parked on the side of the deserted road, trunk armory open and waiting for the new supplies that were on their way.
"For god's sake, there will be other weekends," Dean ground out, tired of listening to her rant for the last half hour. At least when they had been in the car on the way out here, she had quietly seethed as she’d texted away on her phone. But once they’d hit a no service area, she had turned to sniping at him, furious that he had drug her out here all for a stupid restock trip.
She glared at him. "You are ruining my life. I hate this. I hate not being able to hang out with my friends. I hate having to keep all these secrets," she continued, ignoring that a red pickup had just pulled up behind them. Two young men got out of the cab of the truck.
"Get. In. The. Car." Dean said, effectively cutting her off and ignoring the fleeting stab of guilt that cut through him with her words. He wasn't having this discussion in front of others.
"Fine, like it matters how I feel anyway," she said, pushing her sunglasses down over her face and getting in the car, slamming the door a little harder than necessary.
Dean frowned, but took steadying breaths before turning to meet the Barrett brothers.
Daughters. He’d take five more boys over that one girl sometimes.
---
"Jack, I know you're set against it, but I wish you would think about it a little more."
"I'm not going to college, Dad," Jack said as they sat on the couch. Sam had been broaching the same sort of conversation for weeks, especially now that the deadlines were approaching. "It's not for me."
"You can study art."
"I can also study art with a library card and Mom's connections to different museums," he argued civilly.
"I just want you to be sure."
"It will still be there whether I go in the fall or in ten years."
Sam nodded, eyes looking back to the football game on television. Whether or not Jack realized it, he was like Sam in more ways than he thought. He knew what he wanted and wouldn't let anyone change his mind.
---
No one else was on the football field that day in some Podunk town off the highway. Which was a good thing for them, considering they had just dug up the decomposed body of a freshman. The deceased student had been a sacrifice to bring luck to the football team, but its spirit had been wreaking havoc on the school the last few years.
"What do you think?"
"Kind of makes the scarecrow tradition in Smallville look tame," Andrew spoke as he came to sit next to David on the empty bleachers. Jack and Holly followed behind him, the four of them looking out at the field, covered in dirt and sweat.
"Zombie football players would make an awesome short story," Holly answered, looking out at the field.
"Are you fucking kidding me right now?" David asked, lip curling slightly in distaste.
"You asked what I was thinking," she shrugged.
"Yeah, Dave, you should know better than to want to know what's going on in her mind," Jack teased, ruffling her hair.
---
"Hey Dave, can I talk to you?" Jack asked, standing on the back porch of their parents' house in Kansas. The boys had gone their own ways. Jack had been living in New Mexico the last couple months, David keeping up the nomadic Winchester tendencies.
David looked over at his younger brother. Their relationship was strained, at best. He never knew what had happened, except that they had drifted apart as they’d grown older.
"I've got this....opportunity."
"She hot?" David asked absently, taking a drink of his beer.
"It's not like that. It's a business deal."
David looked over at Jack again, brow furrowing against the glare of the setting sun. "What are you asking me for?"
"You've got a degree in business. It's a bar. The guy is retiring and he wants to sell it to me. I'm good with keeping a budget and ordering stuff but I don't have a clue about making a profit." Jack looked at the ground before looking over at his brother. "I could use a hand."
He looked away, focusing instead on their old fort that was falling apart. How many times had they played out there? It had been a long time since Jack had asked him for anything, let alone come to him for advice like he used to. Jack hadn't asked him for anything in recent memory and now he's here, asking David instead of going to someone else.
"I got some time," David said finally, glancing over at Jack who heaved a sigh of relief. "Just tell me you didn't sign anything yet."
Jack smirked over at him, just as Sarah called them in the house for dinner.
---
"Explain to me how they got them," Sam said, watching curiously from the safety of the porch as David and Holly battled it out in the backyard with swords. Real swords.
"I needed help moving some stuff out of the warehouse for the next exhibit and Jack found them," Sarah answered, folding her arms across her chest. "Our expert took a look at them and deemed them replicas, so all they were doing was collecting dust."
"And you said he could take them home," he surmised, glancing over at his wife.
She nodded. "The swords were just sitting in the lock up until David and Holly showed up. David still has Holly's favorite knife that he borrowed for that hunt in West Port last month and she wanted it back. They were out here not even five minutes after they went in the garage."
A clang of metal sounded from the backyard, followed by terse instructions and sarcastic rebuttals.
"Think we should get them some armor?"
---
"The Gotham Ghost sighted again," Chloe spoke, holding the phone between her ear and shoulder as she looked at the latest headlines.
"Guess so," Andy replied and she should almost hear the shrug over the line.
"I'm not sure I like it," she said thoughtfully.
"We've been over this before. I'm going to give Bruce a hand if he needs it when I'm in town. I'm not just going to wait around for big team missions."
"That's not what I'm talking about," Chloe said. "Gotham Ghost?"
"Jesus, Ma. You've already named me once. Can you just let it go?"
---
Sam was exhausted, having just driven straight from his father-in-law’s house to a hotel in Washington, D.C. The hotel was just a train ride from Gotham, but was close enough. Things were getting hairy at the Wayne Manor, and it was better that Izzie not be there for the time being-especially with a bunch of stressed and testy metahumans cramped up in a small space. Jack and David remained at the Manor, helping Dean and one of the Barretts finish refurbishing a cache of cheap weaponry. They would be out there the next day. Sam was in charge of his granddaughter until then.
Izzie sat with a book that Holly had been reading to her, while Sam read through an early released printout of some of the proposals on how Lex’s administration planned to enforce the Registration Act.
“Papa?” Izzie asked after a few moments, climbing onto the bed next to him, clutching an old, yellowed photograph.
“What’s up?”
“Who’s this in the picture with Holly?”
Sam looked at this picture more closely. It had been years since he had seen the picture. “That’s not, Holly, kiddo. That’s your great grandma, Mary - my mom. And that’s my dad, John. Where’d you get this?”
Izzie pointed to this discarded book. “Holly said Andy found it and that I should keep it safe. I wasn’t sure that I should show it to you, but…”
“No, no. I’m glad you did,” Sam smiled.
---
Holly leaned her head against the doorframe, body still sore and bruised, weakened from being dead the last twenty four hours. It was a miracle they had gotten out alive - for the most part. Lex’s security force had been expecting them, waiting to attack and the melee had raged for an hour as the few League members that had been sent in did what they had to do.
The boy had clung to her hand as they’d raced through the collapsing building, eyes wide with fear and anticipation. Yet, he had trusted the woman in the black and purple getup with a mask obscuring her face the moment she had knocked out his latest doctor with a touch of her hand. And when they found Connor bleeding from the abdomen, the boy had listened to every direction Holly had given him, not asking questions when she told him the way out of the building and that he would need to help Connor. They’d not only saved him, but he’d helped save them too when he’d used his power, freed from the confines of the lead room, to build a shield between them and the falling debris.
She had just visited him, wanting to talk to him - to show him she was okay.
“I just wanted to thank you,” Holly began, watching him carefully. “For what you did. That was very brave of you.”
“You died,” he said curiously.
Holly nodded. “I’ve got…powers, too.” He nodded, looking back at her expectantly. “I’m Holly.”
“I’m Lucas.”
“What are we going to do with him?” Connor asked as the group gathered in the appointed epicenter of the manor.
Holly frowned. “What do you mean what are we going to do with him?” She spoke freely, not daring to check herself. This was technically a League matter and she was no longer a member of the League after all. “That kid just saved our asses. He’s scared and has nowhere to go. He’s staying here.”
Andrew looked over at her sympathetically. “It’s dangerous here, Holly. We’re all too busy. And what happens if we get found out and have to evacuate?”
“And who’s going to take in a metahuman right now?” She argued back. “He should stay here.”
“Holly -” Connor began.
“I’ll take care of him,” Holly decided finally. “Lucas will be my responsibility.”
“Lucas?” Connor asked.
“That’s his name. You would know it if you spoke to him for a moment instead of shoving your head further up your ass.”
“You realize he is a kid and not a puppy, right?” Andrew said, watching his sister carefully. She glared back in annoyance. Andrew smirked. “Okay, Holl. You’re his guardian.”