[100_tales] Something Next to Normal
Title: Something Next to Normal
Author: defy_n_gravity
Prompt: 100_tales: 070. Embarrassment
Characters: Parker, Michael Westen, Madeline Westen
Rating: T
Words: 846
Disclaimer: No claim on Leverage or Burn Notice or their characters. Just for fun.
Warning: Slight spoilers for Burn Notice 512: Dead to Rights.
Author's Notes: Follows this. Idk. Enjoying the crack friendship here and I have nothing better to do. I'm probably the only one amused, but whatever.
Summary: Maddie snorted and shook her head. “If I didn't know any better I'd say your two were up to a job.”
Michael and Parker sat across from each other at Michael's workbench with a chessboard between them. He was eying the board carefully for his next move and she was watching him.
“So...now Anson is behind it all?” She asked.
“It would seem that way,” he nodded, not looking up.
“Eliot could make him disappear.”
“I don't think it'll be that simple,” Michael replied. Just at that moment the door to the loft swung open and Madeline Westen walked in.
“Michael, why haven't you-” She stopped mid-sentence when she caught sight of Parker, and a grin spread on her lips. “Parker! What a pleasant surprise.”
Parker smiled back and stood, waving slightly. “Hi Maddie.”
Maddie moved over and threw her arms around the girl. Parker didn't pull away, but she was obviously surprised and a bit uncomfortable. She didn't hug the woman back.
“Mom...” Michael said slowly.
“Oh. Sorry, I'm sorry.” Maddie let Parker go and shrugged. “It's just good to see you, dear. Michael didn't tell me you'd be in town.”
“Parker likes to surprise me,” Michael said with a tight smile.
Parker just grinned over her shoulder at Michael. “It's more fun.”
“What brings you around?” Maddie asked.
“I heard-”
“Eliot came down to visit Fi and Parker thought she'd tag along, isn't that right, Parker?” Michael cut in. He gave Parker a look that she studied, before nodding slowly.
“Sure. What he said.”
Maddie raised a brow and shot it over to Michael. “Really?”
“I would suggest you drop in on Fiona and see for yourself, but...I really wouldn't disturb them if I were you,” Michael replied, finally making his move on the chessboard. He got up to his feet and slipped his hands into his pockets. “What brings you by, Mom?”
Maddie still didn't seem to believe Michael, and Parker was rocking on her heels a bit. Madeline still kept a careful eye on them both as she replied, lighting up a cigarette. “I was just wondering why I haven't seen you in days.”
“I've been busy,” Michael answered. “Entertaining our out of town company and all.”
“Have you been entertained?” Maddie asked Parker.
Parker looked over at Michael then back at Maddie. She nodded quickly. “We...went to...the movies,” she said.
Maddie snorted and shook her head. “If I didn't know any better I'd say your two were up to a job.”
“No,” Parker shook her head. “He won't let me help.”
“Parker,” Michael said warningly. She clamped her mouth shut and he sighed again.
“So there is a job? Michael, why-”
“There is no job,” Michael rubbed his forehead.
“No job,” Parker shook her head. “I just wanted something to do.”
“Right,” Michael said, going along with it. “And I told her I had nothing here for her. So we went to the movies instead.”
“We might go to the beach tomorrow!” Parker said with a grin.
“We'll have to get you a swim suit first,” Michael pointed out.
“Yes. A swim suit,” she nodded. “For the beach.”
Madeline sighed and stabbed her cigarette out in the ashtray. “Okay, okay. Whatever you say. Since you're going to be around, does that mean you'll both come over for dinner tonight?”
“No, we-” Michael started, but Parker cut her off.
“Okay!” Her grin brought out a wide smile from Maddie.
“Good,” Maddie nodded. She started for the door. “I'll go figure out what we're having.”
“You're....cooking?” Michael asked.
“Sure,” his mom nodded. “How often do you think Parker here gets a home cooked meal?”
“You're...going to cook just for me?” Parker asked.
“Of course, sweetheart,” Maddie nodded.
“We'll be there,” Michael said finally. He could hardly disappoint Parker when she looked so excited about the prospect of someone making her dinner.
“Good!” Maddie started for the door again, but got stopped short when Parker rushed over and wrapped her arms around her tightly. It was Maddie's turn to be a little surprised, but it didn't last long and she hugged the girl back. She made no comment on how tight Parker was clinging on for the moment, she just rubbed her back. “It's good seeing you again, Parker. I hope you know you're welcome here any time.”
When she did let go and leave, Parker turned to Michael, her eyes on the floor. She looked a little embarrassed and Michael wasn't about to make it worse.
“Should we get back to the game?” He asked gently. She nodded and reclaimed her seat. He sat across from her and waited while she decided on a move. As she moved her piece her lips curled up.
“She said I'm welcome any time,” she said softly.
“Well...” Michael cleared his throat a bit and kept his eyes on the board. “You are.”
Author: defy_n_gravity
Prompt: 100_tales: 070. Embarrassment
Characters: Parker, Michael Westen, Madeline Westen
Rating: T
Words: 846
Disclaimer: No claim on Leverage or Burn Notice or their characters. Just for fun.
Warning: Slight spoilers for Burn Notice 512: Dead to Rights.
Author's Notes: Follows this. Idk. Enjoying the crack friendship here and I have nothing better to do. I'm probably the only one amused, but whatever.
Summary: Maddie snorted and shook her head. “If I didn't know any better I'd say your two were up to a job.”
Michael and Parker sat across from each other at Michael's workbench with a chessboard between them. He was eying the board carefully for his next move and she was watching him.
“So...now Anson is behind it all?” She asked.
“It would seem that way,” he nodded, not looking up.
“Eliot could make him disappear.”
“I don't think it'll be that simple,” Michael replied. Just at that moment the door to the loft swung open and Madeline Westen walked in.
“Michael, why haven't you-” She stopped mid-sentence when she caught sight of Parker, and a grin spread on her lips. “Parker! What a pleasant surprise.”
Parker smiled back and stood, waving slightly. “Hi Maddie.”
Maddie moved over and threw her arms around the girl. Parker didn't pull away, but she was obviously surprised and a bit uncomfortable. She didn't hug the woman back.
“Mom...” Michael said slowly.
“Oh. Sorry, I'm sorry.” Maddie let Parker go and shrugged. “It's just good to see you, dear. Michael didn't tell me you'd be in town.”
“Parker likes to surprise me,” Michael said with a tight smile.
Parker just grinned over her shoulder at Michael. “It's more fun.”
“What brings you around?” Maddie asked.
“I heard-”
“Eliot came down to visit Fi and Parker thought she'd tag along, isn't that right, Parker?” Michael cut in. He gave Parker a look that she studied, before nodding slowly.
“Sure. What he said.”
Maddie raised a brow and shot it over to Michael. “Really?”
“I would suggest you drop in on Fiona and see for yourself, but...I really wouldn't disturb them if I were you,” Michael replied, finally making his move on the chessboard. He got up to his feet and slipped his hands into his pockets. “What brings you by, Mom?”
Maddie still didn't seem to believe Michael, and Parker was rocking on her heels a bit. Madeline still kept a careful eye on them both as she replied, lighting up a cigarette. “I was just wondering why I haven't seen you in days.”
“I've been busy,” Michael answered. “Entertaining our out of town company and all.”
“Have you been entertained?” Maddie asked Parker.
Parker looked over at Michael then back at Maddie. She nodded quickly. “We...went to...the movies,” she said.
Maddie snorted and shook her head. “If I didn't know any better I'd say your two were up to a job.”
“No,” Parker shook her head. “He won't let me help.”
“Parker,” Michael said warningly. She clamped her mouth shut and he sighed again.
“So there is a job? Michael, why-”
“There is no job,” Michael rubbed his forehead.
“No job,” Parker shook her head. “I just wanted something to do.”
“Right,” Michael said, going along with it. “And I told her I had nothing here for her. So we went to the movies instead.”
“We might go to the beach tomorrow!” Parker said with a grin.
“We'll have to get you a swim suit first,” Michael pointed out.
“Yes. A swim suit,” she nodded. “For the beach.”
Madeline sighed and stabbed her cigarette out in the ashtray. “Okay, okay. Whatever you say. Since you're going to be around, does that mean you'll both come over for dinner tonight?”
“No, we-” Michael started, but Parker cut her off.
“Okay!” Her grin brought out a wide smile from Maddie.
“Good,” Maddie nodded. She started for the door. “I'll go figure out what we're having.”
“You're....cooking?” Michael asked.
“Sure,” his mom nodded. “How often do you think Parker here gets a home cooked meal?”
“You're...going to cook just for me?” Parker asked.
“Of course, sweetheart,” Maddie nodded.
“We'll be there,” Michael said finally. He could hardly disappoint Parker when she looked so excited about the prospect of someone making her dinner.
“Good!” Maddie started for the door again, but got stopped short when Parker rushed over and wrapped her arms around her tightly. It was Maddie's turn to be a little surprised, but it didn't last long and she hugged the girl back. She made no comment on how tight Parker was clinging on for the moment, she just rubbed her back. “It's good seeing you again, Parker. I hope you know you're welcome here any time.”
When she did let go and leave, Parker turned to Michael, her eyes on the floor. She looked a little embarrassed and Michael wasn't about to make it worse.
“Should we get back to the game?” He asked gently. She nodded and reclaimed her seat. He sat across from her and waited while she decided on a move. As she moved her piece her lips curled up.
“She said I'm welcome any time,” she said softly.
“Well...” Michael cleared his throat a bit and kept his eyes on the board. “You are.”