Fic: From Beyond, "A Hero's Reward"
Title: A Hero's Reward
Fandom: From Beyond
Pairing: Gen
Rating: G
Word Count: 1406
Summary: Crawford has an encounter with the neighbors.
A/N: Shameless fluff based off a movie that's anything but (except for the whole uber-woobie main character thing).
Crawford slept in late, having worked into the small hours on new equations to put into the computer. A quick knock on Pretorious' door confirmed he had not returned from his own activities. Edward had teased him: "It's not healthy for a man your age to spend his Saturday night hunched over a keyboard! Go out! Live a little, Crawford!"
Crawford assured him he was perfectly happy with his current social life and said good night.
It was closer to lunch than breakfast when Crawford finally made it down to the kitchen. He frowned at the pile of dishes, knowing it'd be up to him again. When they discussed the living arrangements, the wording as far as Crawford could recall was "Occasionally help with the house chores." The reality was Crawford being maid as well as lab assistant. Edward said he had hired cleaning services in the past, but they all quit early on.
Crawford waited for the sink to fill with hot water and suds. He absently stared out the window, watching the autumn leaves drift in the breeze. His daydreaming was interrupted by a white blur darting across the lawn. Crawford blinked. It shot passed again.
Crawford shut off the faucet and ran outside. "Hey!" He shouted at the white ball of fluff burrowing under the brown leaves blanketing the grass. The small dog looked up and bounded towards him. It yipped and bounced, then fell back and rolled around in the crunchy leaves.
Crawford laughed. "Where did you come from?" He knelt and found a collar on its neck, but no tags. The dog let Crawford pick him up. He was a friendly little guy, licking at Crawford's face. He stilled when a distant voice could be heard calling, "Bunny! Bunny?"
"Is that you? Are you Bunny?" He set the dog down, expecting him to respond to his owner's call. He didn't. He pawed at Crawford's shoes and whined up at him.
Crawford sighed. "Oh, all right." He picked Bunny up again and tried to turn his face away from the slobbery tongue. He walked around the side of the house just to catch the old lady across the street throw her arms up in frustration and walk back inside her house. Crawford looked down at Bunny and pointed. "Home?"
Bunny yipped.
Crawford carried him across the lawn, pass the gate whose bars Bunny could easily slip through, and across the sleepy street. The front garden was immaculately kept, flower beds that were now twigs and dirt had been alive with color in the spring and summer. He pressed the doorbell.
The front door flew open. The plump, old lady gasped in delight. "Bunny!"
Bunny wriggled from Crawford's hold and leaped into his mistress' waiting arms. "Oh, thank you! Thank you, young man!"
"Oh, it was-"
"You must come in and let me give you something for finding my precious baby!"
"No, it's okay, really. I don't need-"
With Bunny still cradled in one arm, she grabbed Crawford's wrist and pulled him inside. "Nonsense! Nice boy like you ought to be rewarded. And I happen to have a fresh batch of cookies in desperate need of eating."
Cookies? Crawford's protesting died. Had she insisted on some kind of monetary payment, he would refuse profusely. Baked goods though? That was harder to reject.
He followed her further into her home as she babbled to the prodigal dog. "You shouldn't scare mommy like that! Mommy was so worried! So naughty! No cookies for Bunny. No, don't give me that look! Well, maybe one cookie. But that's it!"
Once inside the kitchen, she set Bunny on the floor. His claws clicked on the tiles. "Now, you just sit yourself down young man... I'm sorry. Here I am taking you into my house and I don't even know your name!"
Crawford pulled out a wicker chair from the round table. "That's okay. It's Crawford. Dr. Crawford Tillinghast."
"A doctor!" She halted in her shifting the cookies from the baking sheet to a plate with a spatula. "As in doctor doctor?" He could practically see the list of women's names in her eyes as she mentally went through the available, young relatives.
Crawford was never so happy to disappoint. "Sorry. Physicist, actually."
"Oh. I suppose that's fine, too." She piled all the cookies onto the plate and brought it over. As she sat she suddenly gasped in dismay. "Oh, look at your sweater! Covered in muddy paws!" Crawford looked down at himself. His chest was dotted with dirt. He brushed at it. It wasn't too bad, and it was hardly his favorite sweater. "I've changed my mind! No cookies for bad Bunny!" She glared down at the dog. Bunny crouched in contrition and whined.
"No, really, it's fine. I'm sure it'll come out." Crawford took a couple more cookies and considered making a run for it before he inadvertently got the poor creature into trouble again. "I should probably get going."
"No, no! Stay! Eat-up! You look like you could use some more food in you. Besides, you have to tell me all about the rescue!"
"The...?" Finding the dog. Right. "Oh, he just got into our yard. I live across the street at the Pretorious Foundation. I work for Edward Pretorious."
Her friendly smile faltered at the mention of his boss' name. "I see." She tapped her fingers nervously against the tabletop. "And uh..." She cleared he throat, eyes darting away from his face. "And what kind of work do you do for him?"
"I've been assisting him on a major science project. I'd go into detail, but I wouldn't want to bore you, and the theories can be a bit much for someone not within the field."
Her smile returned, filled with relief. "Science! And that's all?"
Crawford took another cookie. "Yep."
She reached across the table and patted his hand. "Good. That's very good. Nice, handsome boy like you shouldn't be getting himself involved in that sort of thing. No matter how much money you think you need."
Crawford saved himself from replying by stuffing another chocolate chip cookie in his mouth. They were really good, although he'd prefer gingerbread. He wondered just how much Edward's neighbors knew or suspected about his lifestyle. Crawford wasn't going to betray any confidences by confirming nor denying.
"I do feel terrible about that sweater. You look so darling in it." She stared at the shirt in contemplation for a moment before saying, "Well, I suppose I shouldn't be keeping you. Here, you better take the rest of those. My doctor says I shouldn't be eating so many sweets, and I don't want Bunny sneaking any in the night." She shooed the dog away from a cupboard where she took out some Saran to wrap the plate of cookies in.
She led him back to the front door. "Thank you again for returning Bunny. Bring back the plate when you can. No hurry."
Crawford stepped out onto the porch and turned. "Well, thank you Mrs... Uhm, I'm sorry, I don't know your name."
She chuckled. "You can call me Bunny!"
Crawford's mouth fell open. He flicked his eyes down to the small dog sitting in the doorway. "But, I-"
She laughed again. "We're both Bunny!" She continued to chuckle as she closed the door on him.
"Crawford?" Edward called when Crawford came back into the house.
"Yes, Edward?"
"Where have you been?" He asked, coming down the stairs. "And where did you get those?" He nodded to the plate in Crawford's hands.
"The lady across the street gave them to me."
"Oh, did she? Old gossip. Grilled you for information did she?"
"No! She was quite nice."
"Well, don't be surprised if people at the grocery store start whispering behind your back about you being my 'house boy' or something."
"She wouldn't do that. She likes me."
Edward laughed. "You're far too trusting. Are those chocolate chip?" He took the plate from Crawford and went back upstairs.
Crawford was kept busy, and it took several weeks to return the plate. When he did, she handed him a wrapped package. He waited until he was alone in his room to open it. He removed the ribbon and tore through the brown paper to find a hand-knitted sweater with a white dog's face on the front. When Crawford tried it on, it was a little big. Just as he liked it.
Fandom: From Beyond
Pairing: Gen
Rating: G
Word Count: 1406
Summary: Crawford has an encounter with the neighbors.
A/N: Shameless fluff based off a movie that's anything but (except for the whole uber-woobie main character thing).
Crawford slept in late, having worked into the small hours on new equations to put into the computer. A quick knock on Pretorious' door confirmed he had not returned from his own activities. Edward had teased him: "It's not healthy for a man your age to spend his Saturday night hunched over a keyboard! Go out! Live a little, Crawford!"
Crawford assured him he was perfectly happy with his current social life and said good night.
It was closer to lunch than breakfast when Crawford finally made it down to the kitchen. He frowned at the pile of dishes, knowing it'd be up to him again. When they discussed the living arrangements, the wording as far as Crawford could recall was "Occasionally help with the house chores." The reality was Crawford being maid as well as lab assistant. Edward said he had hired cleaning services in the past, but they all quit early on.
Crawford waited for the sink to fill with hot water and suds. He absently stared out the window, watching the autumn leaves drift in the breeze. His daydreaming was interrupted by a white blur darting across the lawn. Crawford blinked. It shot passed again.
Crawford shut off the faucet and ran outside. "Hey!" He shouted at the white ball of fluff burrowing under the brown leaves blanketing the grass. The small dog looked up and bounded towards him. It yipped and bounced, then fell back and rolled around in the crunchy leaves.
Crawford laughed. "Where did you come from?" He knelt and found a collar on its neck, but no tags. The dog let Crawford pick him up. He was a friendly little guy, licking at Crawford's face. He stilled when a distant voice could be heard calling, "Bunny! Bunny?"
"Is that you? Are you Bunny?" He set the dog down, expecting him to respond to his owner's call. He didn't. He pawed at Crawford's shoes and whined up at him.
Crawford sighed. "Oh, all right." He picked Bunny up again and tried to turn his face away from the slobbery tongue. He walked around the side of the house just to catch the old lady across the street throw her arms up in frustration and walk back inside her house. Crawford looked down at Bunny and pointed. "Home?"
Bunny yipped.
Crawford carried him across the lawn, pass the gate whose bars Bunny could easily slip through, and across the sleepy street. The front garden was immaculately kept, flower beds that were now twigs and dirt had been alive with color in the spring and summer. He pressed the doorbell.
The front door flew open. The plump, old lady gasped in delight. "Bunny!"
Bunny wriggled from Crawford's hold and leaped into his mistress' waiting arms. "Oh, thank you! Thank you, young man!"
"Oh, it was-"
"You must come in and let me give you something for finding my precious baby!"
"No, it's okay, really. I don't need-"
With Bunny still cradled in one arm, she grabbed Crawford's wrist and pulled him inside. "Nonsense! Nice boy like you ought to be rewarded. And I happen to have a fresh batch of cookies in desperate need of eating."
Cookies? Crawford's protesting died. Had she insisted on some kind of monetary payment, he would refuse profusely. Baked goods though? That was harder to reject.
He followed her further into her home as she babbled to the prodigal dog. "You shouldn't scare mommy like that! Mommy was so worried! So naughty! No cookies for Bunny. No, don't give me that look! Well, maybe one cookie. But that's it!"
Once inside the kitchen, she set Bunny on the floor. His claws clicked on the tiles. "Now, you just sit yourself down young man... I'm sorry. Here I am taking you into my house and I don't even know your name!"
Crawford pulled out a wicker chair from the round table. "That's okay. It's Crawford. Dr. Crawford Tillinghast."
"A doctor!" She halted in her shifting the cookies from the baking sheet to a plate with a spatula. "As in doctor doctor?" He could practically see the list of women's names in her eyes as she mentally went through the available, young relatives.
Crawford was never so happy to disappoint. "Sorry. Physicist, actually."
"Oh. I suppose that's fine, too." She piled all the cookies onto the plate and brought it over. As she sat she suddenly gasped in dismay. "Oh, look at your sweater! Covered in muddy paws!" Crawford looked down at himself. His chest was dotted with dirt. He brushed at it. It wasn't too bad, and it was hardly his favorite sweater. "I've changed my mind! No cookies for bad Bunny!" She glared down at the dog. Bunny crouched in contrition and whined.
"No, really, it's fine. I'm sure it'll come out." Crawford took a couple more cookies and considered making a run for it before he inadvertently got the poor creature into trouble again. "I should probably get going."
"No, no! Stay! Eat-up! You look like you could use some more food in you. Besides, you have to tell me all about the rescue!"
"The...?" Finding the dog. Right. "Oh, he just got into our yard. I live across the street at the Pretorious Foundation. I work for Edward Pretorious."
Her friendly smile faltered at the mention of his boss' name. "I see." She tapped her fingers nervously against the tabletop. "And uh..." She cleared he throat, eyes darting away from his face. "And what kind of work do you do for him?"
"I've been assisting him on a major science project. I'd go into detail, but I wouldn't want to bore you, and the theories can be a bit much for someone not within the field."
Her smile returned, filled with relief. "Science! And that's all?"
Crawford took another cookie. "Yep."
She reached across the table and patted his hand. "Good. That's very good. Nice, handsome boy like you shouldn't be getting himself involved in that sort of thing. No matter how much money you think you need."
Crawford saved himself from replying by stuffing another chocolate chip cookie in his mouth. They were really good, although he'd prefer gingerbread. He wondered just how much Edward's neighbors knew or suspected about his lifestyle. Crawford wasn't going to betray any confidences by confirming nor denying.
"I do feel terrible about that sweater. You look so darling in it." She stared at the shirt in contemplation for a moment before saying, "Well, I suppose I shouldn't be keeping you. Here, you better take the rest of those. My doctor says I shouldn't be eating so many sweets, and I don't want Bunny sneaking any in the night." She shooed the dog away from a cupboard where she took out some Saran to wrap the plate of cookies in.
She led him back to the front door. "Thank you again for returning Bunny. Bring back the plate when you can. No hurry."
Crawford stepped out onto the porch and turned. "Well, thank you Mrs... Uhm, I'm sorry, I don't know your name."
She chuckled. "You can call me Bunny!"
Crawford's mouth fell open. He flicked his eyes down to the small dog sitting in the doorway. "But, I-"
She laughed again. "We're both Bunny!" She continued to chuckle as she closed the door on him.
"Crawford?" Edward called when Crawford came back into the house.
"Yes, Edward?"
"Where have you been?" He asked, coming down the stairs. "And where did you get those?" He nodded to the plate in Crawford's hands.
"The lady across the street gave them to me."
"Oh, did she? Old gossip. Grilled you for information did she?"
"No! She was quite nice."
"Well, don't be surprised if people at the grocery store start whispering behind your back about you being my 'house boy' or something."
"She wouldn't do that. She likes me."
Edward laughed. "You're far too trusting. Are those chocolate chip?" He took the plate from Crawford and went back upstairs.
Crawford was kept busy, and it took several weeks to return the plate. When he did, she handed him a wrapped package. He waited until he was alone in his room to open it. He removed the ribbon and tore through the brown paper to find a hand-knitted sweater with a white dog's face on the front. When Crawford tried it on, it was a little big. Just as he liked it.