BCM - Poor
ooc: Future fic! Set three years from now. skids_sally and dreamtofreality used with permission and love.
It had started out a nice enough day.
He'd dropped his sisters off at the bus station, with Emily going to dance camp and Tabitha going to space camp for the next month. It'd been almost three years since his sisters had come into his care, and he had to admit: if it hadn't been for Pepper helping with paying for these exclusive camps, his sisters would have had to stay at home.
Being a public defender was nice and all, but it didn't pay the big bucks private practice did. He was finding it harder and harder to make ends meet, especially since now that Alice had her degree, she spent her time making movies that he just didn't even pretend to understand. She called it art. He called it a waste of time, but he kept his mouth shut, and kept on working. Someone had to provide for the family, and he wasn't going to expect Pepper to take care of all of it.
Regardless, he was still in a good mood. An entire month with just his wife, no kids around, and a less than heavy caseload. He had no problems with that.
Of course, he hadn't expected to come home and see himself on the television. Next to one of his informants, no less. Still, he tried to remain calm. Alice was intently taking notes, and he knew he wouldn't get much of an answer. "What the fuck is that," he asked, tossing his keys on the table and shrugging out of his jacket.
"A project I'm working on. Did you get the girls to the bus on time?" She didn't even look at him, her attention on the screen. Sighing, he sat down on the couch, putting his feet up on the table, which she playfully swatted away. At least she noticed that, he thought.
"I did. What project? Why is that me? And why is that Frank?" The images were getting more and more disturbing and he wasn't enjoying this at all. "Answer me, for fuck's sake!" He hadn't meant to raise his voice, in fact, he couldn't remember ever raising his voice at her, but with all the stress of everything, well, he couldn't help it.
It worked though. She looked him suddenly, her eyes widened in shock. "I wanted to make a documentary about the reality that is Gotham city. It's dark and dreary, and the criminal aspect is fascinating."
He looked at her like she was an idiot. "Yeah. It is. And it's why I have a job. But if it gets out that my own wife is following me around, filming my interactions, then how do you think it's going to look, Alice? Think people are going to trust me? Or tell me things? I have informants for a reason, ways to get my information, but if you're putting it out there on another waste of time movie, then what the fuck?"
She glared at him, muting the conversation on the television. "Are you calling my art a waste of time?"
If he was a smart man, he wouldn't have answered that. Instead, he looked at her and without hesitation answered yes. "It takes up your time, keeps you out of the house, and for what? Nothing. You're not doing anything with your degree, Alice. You're filming things you think are interesting but no one else does. And it takes money. All of it. And I keep giving it to you but I'm fucking done. I can't keep doing this. I'm amazed we're not bankrupt but the way things are going? By the end of the summer, I'll have to find another job. And I don't have the fucking time for that. At all. So either you do something productive..."
"Or what?"
He frowned. "I don't fucking know. But you better get your fucking act together."
"Like you're so perfect," she responded, in anger. They rarely fought, if ever, but when they did, it always got explosive. "You think I don't know where you go on weekends, or when you're in New York? Fucking whoever you want, doing what you want? And then I'm here with YOUR sisters, and yes, I know I agreed to take them in too but you need to grow up too, William. And you're older than I am. You think you'd have gotten your shit together by now."
He'd heard enough. Bounding off the couch, he stalked into the bedroom, Alice right on his heels. "What do you think you're doing," she asked, arms crossed. Her voice was so loud, so angry, it was grating. He grabbed the nearest bag, throwing in whatever he could find.
"If you have to ask, you're dumber than I thought," he responded calmly, zipping the bag up. "I don't know when I'll be back. Have fun with your movies. Hope they're worth it."
"I hope she's worth it," was all Alice could think of to say.
And during the three hour trip to New York, he wondered about that. About everything. There was no way he was going to go to Pepper's. He didn't want to hear the lecture. Instead, he pulled up outside of Sally's apartment and rung the buzzer. She sounded a little surprised to hear his voice, but there was no hesitation.
He brought his bag and when she opened the door, he engulfed her in a huge hug, dropping a kiss on the top of her head. "What's up, Blevins?"
"Nada," she answered, pulling away. "Are you staying for a while or something? What's with the bag, Mr. Beachum?"
He rolled his eyes at her name for him and put the bag down. "I don't know what I'm doing. I think I just left Alice. And if you ask why, I won't have an answer. At all."
She sighed knowingly. "Fair enough. Though I'm not gonna be good company, just warning now." She walked into the living room, and sat back down on the couch that he'd obviously roused her from. Joining her, he stretched out and raised an eyebrow.
"What's wrong with you then?" She didn't answer and he thought for a moment. And then grinned. "Oh is Bachelor being a jackass again?" Still no answer.
"Let me deduce then. You're home. It's a Friday night." He gave her the once over and smirked. "And you were all dolled up, ready to go out and he cancelled."
"He took a FLOOZY out, Will," she exclaimed, her arms out stretched. "A floozy! I am much better than a floozy!" She pouted a little and added: "And he forgot. Not cancelled. He just forget about me."
"What a fucking loser. Want me to beat him up?" She raised an eyebrow and he laughed. "Alright fine, so I probably couldn't. But the sentiment is there, you know?"
She sighed, he sighed, and together, they sat and watched the television in companionable silence and it was during a commercial for Sonic's that Will suddenly blurted out, "You know what we should do?" Sally turned her head and gave him a questioning gaze. "Just leave. Go get some Sonic's or something. Isn't the nearest one in Idaho or something?"
"Why would we want to go to Idaho?"
He shrugged. "I don't know. Potatoes are cool...but that's not the point, Sal. Come on. Let's go. Just.... leave. I can go steal a car from Pepper....haven't you ever just wanted to drive..randomly go somewhere, anywhere? Besides," he added, "you're not working right now. And you can take pictures along the way. Come on." He could see she wasn't convinced and he grinned. "It'll make the Bachelor jealous. I'm pretty fucking sexy AND you won't be readily available you know."
That did it. "Let me pack a bag."
It didn't take long before they were en route to Pepper and Warren's and thankfully, they were both asleep. It was easy enough to take the keys to one of the lesser used cars, and Will left a brief note explaining to Pepper how Sally and him had decided they were madly in love and were going to run away with a circus. He figured if she cared enough, she'd call.
Getting into the driver seat of the truck, he turned to Sally. "It's now or never. What do you say, Ms. Blevins?"
She smiled slowly, and leaned back in her seat, clicking the seatbelt into place. "I say let's roll, Mr. Beachum. But I saw the note and I thought I'd let you know that you're not gonna get into my pants."
"We'll see about that."
Will Beachum
Fracture
1433
It had started out a nice enough day.
He'd dropped his sisters off at the bus station, with Emily going to dance camp and Tabitha going to space camp for the next month. It'd been almost three years since his sisters had come into his care, and he had to admit: if it hadn't been for Pepper helping with paying for these exclusive camps, his sisters would have had to stay at home.
Being a public defender was nice and all, but it didn't pay the big bucks private practice did. He was finding it harder and harder to make ends meet, especially since now that Alice had her degree, she spent her time making movies that he just didn't even pretend to understand. She called it art. He called it a waste of time, but he kept his mouth shut, and kept on working. Someone had to provide for the family, and he wasn't going to expect Pepper to take care of all of it.
Regardless, he was still in a good mood. An entire month with just his wife, no kids around, and a less than heavy caseload. He had no problems with that.
Of course, he hadn't expected to come home and see himself on the television. Next to one of his informants, no less. Still, he tried to remain calm. Alice was intently taking notes, and he knew he wouldn't get much of an answer. "What the fuck is that," he asked, tossing his keys on the table and shrugging out of his jacket.
"A project I'm working on. Did you get the girls to the bus on time?" She didn't even look at him, her attention on the screen. Sighing, he sat down on the couch, putting his feet up on the table, which she playfully swatted away. At least she noticed that, he thought.
"I did. What project? Why is that me? And why is that Frank?" The images were getting more and more disturbing and he wasn't enjoying this at all. "Answer me, for fuck's sake!" He hadn't meant to raise his voice, in fact, he couldn't remember ever raising his voice at her, but with all the stress of everything, well, he couldn't help it.
It worked though. She looked him suddenly, her eyes widened in shock. "I wanted to make a documentary about the reality that is Gotham city. It's dark and dreary, and the criminal aspect is fascinating."
He looked at her like she was an idiot. "Yeah. It is. And it's why I have a job. But if it gets out that my own wife is following me around, filming my interactions, then how do you think it's going to look, Alice? Think people are going to trust me? Or tell me things? I have informants for a reason, ways to get my information, but if you're putting it out there on another waste of time movie, then what the fuck?"
She glared at him, muting the conversation on the television. "Are you calling my art a waste of time?"
If he was a smart man, he wouldn't have answered that. Instead, he looked at her and without hesitation answered yes. "It takes up your time, keeps you out of the house, and for what? Nothing. You're not doing anything with your degree, Alice. You're filming things you think are interesting but no one else does. And it takes money. All of it. And I keep giving it to you but I'm fucking done. I can't keep doing this. I'm amazed we're not bankrupt but the way things are going? By the end of the summer, I'll have to find another job. And I don't have the fucking time for that. At all. So either you do something productive..."
"Or what?"
He frowned. "I don't fucking know. But you better get your fucking act together."
"Like you're so perfect," she responded, in anger. They rarely fought, if ever, but when they did, it always got explosive. "You think I don't know where you go on weekends, or when you're in New York? Fucking whoever you want, doing what you want? And then I'm here with YOUR sisters, and yes, I know I agreed to take them in too but you need to grow up too, William. And you're older than I am. You think you'd have gotten your shit together by now."
He'd heard enough. Bounding off the couch, he stalked into the bedroom, Alice right on his heels. "What do you think you're doing," she asked, arms crossed. Her voice was so loud, so angry, it was grating. He grabbed the nearest bag, throwing in whatever he could find.
"If you have to ask, you're dumber than I thought," he responded calmly, zipping the bag up. "I don't know when I'll be back. Have fun with your movies. Hope they're worth it."
"I hope she's worth it," was all Alice could think of to say.
And during the three hour trip to New York, he wondered about that. About everything. There was no way he was going to go to Pepper's. He didn't want to hear the lecture. Instead, he pulled up outside of Sally's apartment and rung the buzzer. She sounded a little surprised to hear his voice, but there was no hesitation.
He brought his bag and when she opened the door, he engulfed her in a huge hug, dropping a kiss on the top of her head. "What's up, Blevins?"
"Nada," she answered, pulling away. "Are you staying for a while or something? What's with the bag, Mr. Beachum?"
He rolled his eyes at her name for him and put the bag down. "I don't know what I'm doing. I think I just left Alice. And if you ask why, I won't have an answer. At all."
She sighed knowingly. "Fair enough. Though I'm not gonna be good company, just warning now." She walked into the living room, and sat back down on the couch that he'd obviously roused her from. Joining her, he stretched out and raised an eyebrow.
"What's wrong with you then?" She didn't answer and he thought for a moment. And then grinned. "Oh is Bachelor being a jackass again?" Still no answer.
"Let me deduce then. You're home. It's a Friday night." He gave her the once over and smirked. "And you were all dolled up, ready to go out and he cancelled."
"He took a FLOOZY out, Will," she exclaimed, her arms out stretched. "A floozy! I am much better than a floozy!" She pouted a little and added: "And he forgot. Not cancelled. He just forget about me."
"What a fucking loser. Want me to beat him up?" She raised an eyebrow and he laughed. "Alright fine, so I probably couldn't. But the sentiment is there, you know?"
She sighed, he sighed, and together, they sat and watched the television in companionable silence and it was during a commercial for Sonic's that Will suddenly blurted out, "You know what we should do?" Sally turned her head and gave him a questioning gaze. "Just leave. Go get some Sonic's or something. Isn't the nearest one in Idaho or something?"
"Why would we want to go to Idaho?"
He shrugged. "I don't know. Potatoes are cool...but that's not the point, Sal. Come on. Let's go. Just.... leave. I can go steal a car from Pepper....haven't you ever just wanted to drive..randomly go somewhere, anywhere? Besides," he added, "you're not working right now. And you can take pictures along the way. Come on." He could see she wasn't convinced and he grinned. "It'll make the Bachelor jealous. I'm pretty fucking sexy AND you won't be readily available you know."
That did it. "Let me pack a bag."
It didn't take long before they were en route to Pepper and Warren's and thankfully, they were both asleep. It was easy enough to take the keys to one of the lesser used cars, and Will left a brief note explaining to Pepper how Sally and him had decided they were madly in love and were going to run away with a circus. He figured if she cared enough, she'd call.
Getting into the driver seat of the truck, he turned to Sally. "It's now or never. What do you say, Ms. Blevins?"
She smiled slowly, and leaned back in her seat, clicking the seatbelt into place. "I say let's roll, Mr. Beachum. But I saw the note and I thought I'd let you know that you're not gonna get into my pants."
"We'll see about that."
Will Beachum
Fracture
1433