Fish (Team Schmoop)
Title: Fishing
Author: jlm110108
Pairing/Characters: Margaret, Alan, Charlie and Donnie Eppes
Rating/Category: Gen
Summary: Fishy business with the Eppes family
Once you've read the fic, please rate it by going here: http://www.livejournal.com/poll/?id=1336957"
“Mommy! Can I go fishin’ with Donnie and Daddy?” Five year old Charlie Eppes barreled into the kitchen.
Margaret Eppes turned around, wiping her hands on a towel. “It’s okay with me. What did Daddy say?”
“He tole me to ask you.”
The kitchen door swung open again, and ten year old Don entered. “Aw, Mom, does he have to go? Dad and me never get to just do things together any more.”
“Dad and I,” Margaret corrected automatically. She studied Don’s face for a moment, then smiled. “All right. You and Dad go do your guy stuff together. Charlie, you stay with me today.”
“But I wanna go fishin’!” Charlie wailed.
Margaret pulled him into a hug. “You and I will do something very special today, Sweetie. I promise.”
That evening, Don and Alan returned, dirty, tired, and proudly carrying a stringer of fresh fish for supper. Margaret’s car was in the driveway, but the house was empty. “Margaret? Charlie?” Alan called, walking through the house.
“We’re out here!” Margaret’s voice came faintly from the back yard.
An amazing scene of destruction met their eyes. A large half barrel, which had not been in the yard when they left, stood next to a pile of dirt, which stood next to a hole, approximately four feet in diameter, which also had not been there when they left.
Margaret stood knee deep in the hole, shoveling dirt onto the pile. Charlie carefully sorted through the dirt, selecting rocks and setting them aside, sorted by size. Margaret looked up, and with the back of a muddy hand, pushed her straggling hair out of her eyes. “Hi!” she said brightly. “Wow! You boys did a great job providing supper. I’m starved.”
Alan stood, stunned, for a long moment, then looked down at the stringer of fish as if he had no idea where they had come from. “What is going on?” he finally managed to ask.
Charlie stood up and ran to hug Alan’s legs. “Mommy an’ me went fishin’ too. Only we’re going to put our fish in the pond.” He grabbed Don’s hand with one hand and Alan’s with the other. “Come an’ look!”
Margaret gnawed on her lower lip as she watched Charlie lead her husband to the scene of destruction. “You’ve been saying it would be nice to have a koi pond back here. And now that the boys are old enough that we don’t have to worry about them falling in, I figured it was about time.”
“I promised Mommy I would be really really careful around the pond so I don’t fall in.” Charlie piped up.
“I’m sure you did,” Alan said as he leaned over to look at the contents of the barrel. Two small orange and white koi swam contentedly in the barrel. “How long are they going to be able to live in there?”
“The salesman told us they could live in here until they get too big. Plenty of time to finish this,” she indicated the hole with a wave of her hand.
“An’ I figured out it would take three hunnerd and fifty nine gallons to fill the pond when we finish digging it,” Charlie said. “And Donnie,” he grew serious, “don’t you come here with your fishin’ pole. These fishes were spensive. And Mommy said I’m s’posed to take care of them.”
Donnie ruffled Charlie’s hair. “I won’t catch your fishies, Charlie. I don’t think they’re good to eat anyways.”
Author: jlm110108
Pairing/Characters: Margaret, Alan, Charlie and Donnie Eppes
Rating/Category: Gen
Summary: Fishy business with the Eppes family
Once you've read the fic, please rate it by going here: http://www.livejournal.com/poll/?id=1336957"
“Mommy! Can I go fishin’ with Donnie and Daddy?” Five year old Charlie Eppes barreled into the kitchen.
Margaret Eppes turned around, wiping her hands on a towel. “It’s okay with me. What did Daddy say?”
“He tole me to ask you.”
The kitchen door swung open again, and ten year old Don entered. “Aw, Mom, does he have to go? Dad and me never get to just do things together any more.”
“Dad and I,” Margaret corrected automatically. She studied Don’s face for a moment, then smiled. “All right. You and Dad go do your guy stuff together. Charlie, you stay with me today.”
“But I wanna go fishin’!” Charlie wailed.
Margaret pulled him into a hug. “You and I will do something very special today, Sweetie. I promise.”
That evening, Don and Alan returned, dirty, tired, and proudly carrying a stringer of fresh fish for supper. Margaret’s car was in the driveway, but the house was empty. “Margaret? Charlie?” Alan called, walking through the house.
“We’re out here!” Margaret’s voice came faintly from the back yard.
An amazing scene of destruction met their eyes. A large half barrel, which had not been in the yard when they left, stood next to a pile of dirt, which stood next to a hole, approximately four feet in diameter, which also had not been there when they left.
Margaret stood knee deep in the hole, shoveling dirt onto the pile. Charlie carefully sorted through the dirt, selecting rocks and setting them aside, sorted by size. Margaret looked up, and with the back of a muddy hand, pushed her straggling hair out of her eyes. “Hi!” she said brightly. “Wow! You boys did a great job providing supper. I’m starved.”
Alan stood, stunned, for a long moment, then looked down at the stringer of fish as if he had no idea where they had come from. “What is going on?” he finally managed to ask.
Charlie stood up and ran to hug Alan’s legs. “Mommy an’ me went fishin’ too. Only we’re going to put our fish in the pond.” He grabbed Don’s hand with one hand and Alan’s with the other. “Come an’ look!”
Margaret gnawed on her lower lip as she watched Charlie lead her husband to the scene of destruction. “You’ve been saying it would be nice to have a koi pond back here. And now that the boys are old enough that we don’t have to worry about them falling in, I figured it was about time.”
“I promised Mommy I would be really really careful around the pond so I don’t fall in.” Charlie piped up.
“I’m sure you did,” Alan said as he leaned over to look at the contents of the barrel. Two small orange and white koi swam contentedly in the barrel. “How long are they going to be able to live in there?”
“The salesman told us they could live in here until they get too big. Plenty of time to finish this,” she indicated the hole with a wave of her hand.
“An’ I figured out it would take three hunnerd and fifty nine gallons to fill the pond when we finish digging it,” Charlie said. “And Donnie,” he grew serious, “don’t you come here with your fishin’ pole. These fishes were spensive. And Mommy said I’m s’posed to take care of them.”
Donnie ruffled Charlie’s hair. “I won’t catch your fishies, Charlie. I don’t think they’re good to eat anyways.”