25 Unicorn Street, Saturday Evening

[fancypantsdoc]

Simon had had a quiet day, spent on the couch reading a book. In fact, he was still doing just that, occasionally sipping on a cup of tea. This was just what he wanted to do. No more excitement and oddities, thanks.

[open to kid and mother, and to housemates.]

Comments

[blondecanary]

Dinah held Malcolm's hand as she rang the doorbell, and gulped. "Okay, now, remember what I told you. He's not going to know us. At all. It's a whole... thing. Okay?" At Malcolm's nod, Dinah muttered, "And let's hope he doesn't freak out."

[fancypantsdoc]

Simon opened the door and looked at the girl and the small boy. "Yes?" he said. "Can I help you?" This must be someone looking for his housemates. The girl looked like she might be a student. The child... he didn't want to think about that.

[newlances]

Before Dinah could say anything, Malcolm grinned up at him. "Hi Daddy. Found you!"

[fancypantsdoc]

Daddy??? Simon blinked. "Uh, there must be a mistake. I... I'm not a father."

[blondecanary]

"And I'm not a mother. Either. Yet." Dinah gulped. Okay. Cute older guy. Great. Could've been worse? Somehow? "Uh, the Island, it's doing something..."

Malcolm had now detached himself from her leg and attached himself to Simon's.

"With time travel," she went on valiantly. "And, kids are showing up. Future kids. I guess."

She gave him a very uncertain smile.

"Uh. I'm Dinah? Hi? And he's, uh. Malcolm. Tam."

[newlances]

"Malcolm Lawrence Tam," Malcolm agreed. "Daddy, do you gots any cookies?" He shot his mom a guilty look. "For laters?"

[fancypantsdoc]

Cookies? "I have cookies. Please, come in." He still didn't know what to make of this, but it seemed only polite. "Tea?" he asked Dinah. "And, uh, milk?"

[blondecanary]

"That would be great," Dinah said gratefully. "I'm sorry about this, I wasn't even sure-- I'm still not sure you're the right Dr. Tam, but Malcolm insisted, and the name's the same," she said, following him in at full bibble. "And three other kids who say they're mine showed up, and I don't even have a real boyfriend!"

[newlances]

Malcolm, meanwhile, was taking all of this in stride, and following Dad to the cookies. Mom was freaking out a little, but she did that sometimes. He picked up a book he found on a table, and kept following Dad.

[fancypantsdoc]

The boy seemed nice, Simon noted. "That's on anatomy," he pointed out as he put the cookie jar on the table.

Dinah made him a little more uneasy. She was so young! He cleared his throat. "So, it this a... Fandom thing?" He had to ask.

[blondecanary]

"Yes," Dinah said, sounding relieved to her own ears. "Mr. Rogers, one of our teachers, he warned us about this a couple times during the semester... he said that if you went to Prom, you should be ready to have children the next day, but he didn't go into details and I thought, you know. He meant babies, not your real, maybe-possible, in-the-future, kids." Gulp. Which implied all sorts of things that were making Dinah blush even harder. "Not that we have to! Or will! I mean, Malcolm's not the only one, and... Um..."

[newlances]

Malcolm was looking at the pictures of people's insides, thinking they looked cool. When Mom started spluttering, he looked up, interested. "Mom has three other kids," he volunteered. "Older'n me." He turned a page, and told Dad, "They got different daddies. I don't know 'em."

[fancypantsdoc]

"Yes, he might not happen. Ever. Here." Simon blushed too, then added: "I mean not that you're... I just... You're very young."

He glanced at the boy. "Malcolm? Is that after...?"

[newlances]

"Your friend Captain Reynolds," Malcolm said, giving Simon a small, bright smile. "And Lawrence for Mommy's daddy. We live in New Gotham, and you work at the Clinic there."

[blondecanary]

Simon's nervousness oddly calmed Dinah down, since clearly he wasn't going to hit on her right then or anything. Malcolm's mention of her father grabbed her attention, but it really was something to ask about when they were alone. "Malcolm? Do you know how your daddy and I met? Um. Back home?"

[newlances]

"You came back for a Homecoming, after you were all done with school, an' you met him at a party here," Malcolm said, turning another page. "And then you dated and then Daddy moved to New Gotham 'cause your job is there."