Medium - Back home
Title: Back Home
Author: semisweetsoul
Fandom: Medium
Characters: Allison/Joe, Ariel, Bridgette and Marie.
Genre: Family
Rating: PG - 13
Prompts: #151 higgledy-piggledy @ tamingthemuse, Allison/Joe, home @ smallfandomfest
Summary: Joe comes home and finds that it's good to be back.
Word Count: 1,278
Spoilers: Set at the end of season 5, before the season finale.
Disclaimer: I don’t own the show I’m just writing about it. This is a story based upon the fictional Dubois family.
A/N: Add the community to your friends page, watch semisweet_style.
Back home
“Mommy, it’s still raining.” Perched up on a chair near the window, Marie was peeking outside, staring at the pools of water on the pavement overflowing into the sidewalk.
“It’s okay, honey. It’ll stop eventually,” Allison reassured her as she switched off the blasting TV. Apparently, the downpour was much more entertaining to her daughters than ABC family.
“Daddy’s coming home tonight, right?” Bridgette asked, pouring herself a glass of orange juice, and one for her baby sister.
“Of course, he is. It’s perfectly safe to fly with a little rain.”
“A little rain?” Bridgette opened wide eyes. “If it goes on, Dad will have to come home swimming!”
“Speaking about swimming, it’s time to jump into your bath, girls.” Allison clapped her hands to quicken the execution. Grabbing one kid in her arms and the other by the hand, Allison led her daughters in the direction of the corridor to their bedroom. “Who’s going first?” The phone ringing stopped her midway. “Go ahead girls. I’ll be there in a second.”
It took Lee Scanlon about five minutes to give Allison an update on their current case - a basic update actually - for the kids distracted her with their yelling for her attention. Lee suggested he fax Allison the documents, which she promised to study when she would have five seconds of peace and quiet. She apologized to the detective, wondering if her noisy daughters shaped Lee’s perspective of soon becoming father to a little girl. She hung up the phone, and waited next to the machine for the copies hoping to get a glance at them right away, but the kids’ fight prevented her to do so. She left the papers on the living room table, hurrying to save her daughters from themselves.
“Mommy! I can’t find my pajamas,” Bridgette was yelling.
“Yes! I’m coming!”
When Allison stepped inside Bridgette and Marie’s territory, she couldn’t believe her eyes. “Oh, my god, what happened in there?”
Clothes scattered on the floor - in such a way, it seemed impossible to determine the clean ones from the dirty ones - toys as far as the eyes could see and on top of it, crumpled sheets - a sign of wrestling - gave Allison her worst vision of a difficult day, vision-wise.
Automatically, Allison started picking up clothes. Bridgette and Marie stood right there in the middle of the room without the least bit of reaction. “No wonder you can’t find your pajamas Bridgette, your room is all higgledy-piggledy!”
“higgl-- what?” Marie asked.
“Higgledy-piggledy,” Allison repeated, raising her voice. “It’s a mess!”
“Higgledy-piggledy,” Marie said once, then another time, and one more time. She found the word very amusing to say and hear.
“We got it, Marie!” Bridgette said irritated.
“Daddy’s coming home tonight; we don’t want him to think we can’t manage without him.” Allison watched carefully where she walked not to crush a doll’s leg or tear up a garment, and gave orders, “Marie in the tub, Bridge start cleaning, and no whining.”
*
When Joe arrived, he found his family in the middle of dinner. Allison and Bridgette jumped into his arms, as he moved and greeted Ariel with a kiss on her hair. He took off his wet jacket, and bag, and after washing his hands, sat among his family to share their meal.
“I’m glad you’re home, honey,” Allison said as she served him dinner.
“Nothing feels like home. Oh! Remind me to check on the weather next time; I could have used an umbrella.”
Joe started to eat with appetite, a pleasure after three days of restaurant food eaten alone, or take away swallowed before TV programs he didn’t really care about. Three days away from his girls felt like the end of the world.
He observed everyone as he ate. Ariel was smiling at him; Bridgette was sharing her latest discovery. Marie on the other hand, stared sadly at her plate. “Why did you stop eating, honey?” Joe asked, “You’re not hungry anymore?”
She shook her head, ponytail brushing her cheeks. “I can’t eat the vegetables, they are all… higgledy-piggledy.”
“Here we go again!” Bridgette exclaimed, dropping her fork on the table to bury her head in her hands.
“Okay, um… is it bad, sweetheart?” Joe asked.
“It makes Mommy angry.”
Joe turned his gaze to Allison who looked as utterly lost as her husband. “Pardon me?”
“Why would you think that?” Allison questioned the child as the phone rang and Ariel stood to answer. “It didn’t stop you from eating anything before.”
“Mom, it’s for you. It’s detective Scanlon,”Ariel announced, holding the receiver out to her mother.
Allison sent a ‘please take care of this, honey’ look to Joe as she grabbed the documents Lee sent her before and went to her bedroom for tranquility.
Despite Joe’s efforts, Marie refused to finish her plate. He cleared the table enjoying the rituals of family life, and then joined the kids on the couch where they started a tickling party.
Finally came bedtime, and as the kids brushed their teeth, Joe went to get Allison. Softly, he knocked on the door to their bedroom, and then pushed it a little, enough to let his head in.
Sat crossed-leg on the bed, cell phone glued to her ear, Allison was going through a stack of papers and some pictures scattered on the bedspread. Joe didn’t dare disturb her, he simply mouthed, “kissing duty”, and closed the door.
About twenty minutes later, Allison emerged from her case, and joined her husband in the kitchen. She found him by the sink, filling the dishwasher. Moving towards him, she slid her hands around his waist and rested her head on his back, breathing his scent. “What are you doing?”
“I’m tidying the kitchen. Apparently, Mommy gets angry if everything is all…” he pondered a second, “how did Marie say?” A smile curled on his lips, “… higgledy-piggledy.” Joe put the machine on. He turned, taking Allison in his arms, and kissing her softly. “I’ve missed you. All of you.”
“I know, Joe.”
“Don’t tell me you dreamt it.”
“I wish I had. It would have been nicer than what I saw.” She left the security of Joe’s embrace to place the phone receiver back in its place. “We reviewed all evidence with Scanlon again, it still doesn’t make any sense.” She sighed. “I wish I could do something about it.”
“Maybe you just need to sleep on it.”
“Maybe.
“I know a perfect way to make you relax, Al.”
“Oh, I have a feeling you do.”
*
Joe watched Allison peacefully asleep, and tucked the sheet over her naked back, dropping sweet kisses down her neck. “I love you,” he whispered. He certainly missed Allison while away, and the spontaneity they had in their sex life after sixteen years of marriage. Allison asked him if he wasn’t too tired from his flight, and she rolled her eyes when he answered that a fifteen minutes car drive with three Dubois girls was definitely more wearisome.
They made love, together, united, and the rest didn’t matter anymore. It didn’t matter that the girls’ room needed some cleaning, it didn’t matter that Marie hadn’t finished her dinner, it didn’t matter that Allison and Scanlon hadn’t resolved the case, which he knew they would eventually - they always did.
Joe knew that even when he was away he could picture home. From the sound of his daughters’ voices to the warm feeling of the house, the natural imperfections that were and would always be when raising three kids. Everyone could use a little disorder in their lives. He wouldn’t have it any other way, and that was all that mattered.
The End
Author: semisweetsoul
Fandom: Medium
Characters: Allison/Joe, Ariel, Bridgette and Marie.
Genre: Family
Rating: PG - 13
Prompts: #151 higgledy-piggledy @ tamingthemuse, Allison/Joe, home @ smallfandomfest
Summary: Joe comes home and finds that it's good to be back.
Word Count: 1,278
Spoilers: Set at the end of season 5, before the season finale.
Disclaimer: I don’t own the show I’m just writing about it. This is a story based upon the fictional Dubois family.
A/N: Add the community to your friends page, watch semisweet_style.
Back home
“Mommy, it’s still raining.” Perched up on a chair near the window, Marie was peeking outside, staring at the pools of water on the pavement overflowing into the sidewalk.
“It’s okay, honey. It’ll stop eventually,” Allison reassured her as she switched off the blasting TV. Apparently, the downpour was much more entertaining to her daughters than ABC family.
“Daddy’s coming home tonight, right?” Bridgette asked, pouring herself a glass of orange juice, and one for her baby sister.
“Of course, he is. It’s perfectly safe to fly with a little rain.”
“A little rain?” Bridgette opened wide eyes. “If it goes on, Dad will have to come home swimming!”
“Speaking about swimming, it’s time to jump into your bath, girls.” Allison clapped her hands to quicken the execution. Grabbing one kid in her arms and the other by the hand, Allison led her daughters in the direction of the corridor to their bedroom. “Who’s going first?” The phone ringing stopped her midway. “Go ahead girls. I’ll be there in a second.”
It took Lee Scanlon about five minutes to give Allison an update on their current case - a basic update actually - for the kids distracted her with their yelling for her attention. Lee suggested he fax Allison the documents, which she promised to study when she would have five seconds of peace and quiet. She apologized to the detective, wondering if her noisy daughters shaped Lee’s perspective of soon becoming father to a little girl. She hung up the phone, and waited next to the machine for the copies hoping to get a glance at them right away, but the kids’ fight prevented her to do so. She left the papers on the living room table, hurrying to save her daughters from themselves.
“Mommy! I can’t find my pajamas,” Bridgette was yelling.
“Yes! I’m coming!”
When Allison stepped inside Bridgette and Marie’s territory, she couldn’t believe her eyes. “Oh, my god, what happened in there?”
Clothes scattered on the floor - in such a way, it seemed impossible to determine the clean ones from the dirty ones - toys as far as the eyes could see and on top of it, crumpled sheets - a sign of wrestling - gave Allison her worst vision of a difficult day, vision-wise.
Automatically, Allison started picking up clothes. Bridgette and Marie stood right there in the middle of the room without the least bit of reaction. “No wonder you can’t find your pajamas Bridgette, your room is all higgledy-piggledy!”
“higgl-- what?” Marie asked.
“Higgledy-piggledy,” Allison repeated, raising her voice. “It’s a mess!”
“Higgledy-piggledy,” Marie said once, then another time, and one more time. She found the word very amusing to say and hear.
“We got it, Marie!” Bridgette said irritated.
“Daddy’s coming home tonight; we don’t want him to think we can’t manage without him.” Allison watched carefully where she walked not to crush a doll’s leg or tear up a garment, and gave orders, “Marie in the tub, Bridge start cleaning, and no whining.”
*
When Joe arrived, he found his family in the middle of dinner. Allison and Bridgette jumped into his arms, as he moved and greeted Ariel with a kiss on her hair. He took off his wet jacket, and bag, and after washing his hands, sat among his family to share their meal.
“I’m glad you’re home, honey,” Allison said as she served him dinner.
“Nothing feels like home. Oh! Remind me to check on the weather next time; I could have used an umbrella.”
Joe started to eat with appetite, a pleasure after three days of restaurant food eaten alone, or take away swallowed before TV programs he didn’t really care about. Three days away from his girls felt like the end of the world.
He observed everyone as he ate. Ariel was smiling at him; Bridgette was sharing her latest discovery. Marie on the other hand, stared sadly at her plate. “Why did you stop eating, honey?” Joe asked, “You’re not hungry anymore?”
She shook her head, ponytail brushing her cheeks. “I can’t eat the vegetables, they are all… higgledy-piggledy.”
“Here we go again!” Bridgette exclaimed, dropping her fork on the table to bury her head in her hands.
“Okay, um… is it bad, sweetheart?” Joe asked.
“It makes Mommy angry.”
Joe turned his gaze to Allison who looked as utterly lost as her husband. “Pardon me?”
“Why would you think that?” Allison questioned the child as the phone rang and Ariel stood to answer. “It didn’t stop you from eating anything before.”
“Mom, it’s for you. It’s detective Scanlon,”Ariel announced, holding the receiver out to her mother.
Allison sent a ‘please take care of this, honey’ look to Joe as she grabbed the documents Lee sent her before and went to her bedroom for tranquility.
Despite Joe’s efforts, Marie refused to finish her plate. He cleared the table enjoying the rituals of family life, and then joined the kids on the couch where they started a tickling party.
Finally came bedtime, and as the kids brushed their teeth, Joe went to get Allison. Softly, he knocked on the door to their bedroom, and then pushed it a little, enough to let his head in.
Sat crossed-leg on the bed, cell phone glued to her ear, Allison was going through a stack of papers and some pictures scattered on the bedspread. Joe didn’t dare disturb her, he simply mouthed, “kissing duty”, and closed the door.
About twenty minutes later, Allison emerged from her case, and joined her husband in the kitchen. She found him by the sink, filling the dishwasher. Moving towards him, she slid her hands around his waist and rested her head on his back, breathing his scent. “What are you doing?”
“I’m tidying the kitchen. Apparently, Mommy gets angry if everything is all…” he pondered a second, “how did Marie say?” A smile curled on his lips, “… higgledy-piggledy.” Joe put the machine on. He turned, taking Allison in his arms, and kissing her softly. “I’ve missed you. All of you.”
“I know, Joe.”
“Don’t tell me you dreamt it.”
“I wish I had. It would have been nicer than what I saw.” She left the security of Joe’s embrace to place the phone receiver back in its place. “We reviewed all evidence with Scanlon again, it still doesn’t make any sense.” She sighed. “I wish I could do something about it.”
“Maybe you just need to sleep on it.”
“Maybe.
“I know a perfect way to make you relax, Al.”
“Oh, I have a feeling you do.”
*
Joe watched Allison peacefully asleep, and tucked the sheet over her naked back, dropping sweet kisses down her neck. “I love you,” he whispered. He certainly missed Allison while away, and the spontaneity they had in their sex life after sixteen years of marriage. Allison asked him if he wasn’t too tired from his flight, and she rolled her eyes when he answered that a fifteen minutes car drive with three Dubois girls was definitely more wearisome.
They made love, together, united, and the rest didn’t matter anymore. It didn’t matter that the girls’ room needed some cleaning, it didn’t matter that Marie hadn’t finished her dinner, it didn’t matter that Allison and Scanlon hadn’t resolved the case, which he knew they would eventually - they always did.
Joe knew that even when he was away he could picture home. From the sound of his daughters’ voices to the warm feeling of the house, the natural imperfections that were and would always be when raising three kids. Everyone could use a little disorder in their lives. He wouldn’t have it any other way, and that was all that mattered.
The End