Trouble
Title: Trouble
Character(s)/Pairings: Emily, Riley, Jake, Danny
Rating: PG
Summary: When the boys get into trouble at school...
Author’s Notes: All Eppes children were created by me
Spoilers: None
Disclaimer: I don't own anything affiliated with Numb3rs...sad.
Emily waved as she saw Colby pulling out and noticed that he was looking none too happy. She knew just how he felt and shook her head, knowing that this wasn’t the first time for either of them and it wouldn’t be the last.
Alan had agreed to stay with the kids for a bit until she could take care of business and she felt odd being without any of them, especially Sadie, who was now eight and wanted to go everywhere her mother went. She stepped inside and took a deep breath as she made her way to the desk. “May I help you?”
“Yes. I’m Emily Eppes…”
The woman’s smile faded a bit as she sighed, “Oh. Just one moment. Wait here please.”
Emily looked around for a moment as she tried to figure out what to do with herself. She was rarely alone these days and even though most people would wish for it, it seemed that she had forgotten how to function when she wasn’t multi-tasking.
Her thoughts were broken when the door opened and Danny, Jake, and Riley stepped out. Concern immediately swept across her features as she noticed Riley had a black eye and a bloody lip.
She started towards them when someone spoke, “Mrs. Eppes?”
With her eyes still carefully surveying Riley, she acknowledged the man who was now standing beside her. He continued, “I’m Dennis Michaels. I’m the principal. Thank you for coming.”
None of her boys would look her in the eye and reluctantly, she turned to look at the man and shake his hand. “I’m sorry that we have to meet under such circumstances.”
He nodded and cast a glance at the three Eppes boys. “I’ve given them all a week of detention. The other young man involved has been suspended from school. Your boys were looking out for someone else, but we still can’t condone fighting in our school system.”
Emily nodded, “I understand and I agree with you. They all know better.”
He offered her a smile, “I have a meeting that I have to get to. Perhaps the next time we meet, it will be to celebrate some sort of academic achievement and if not, Danny here will be graduating soon, pending he can keep himself out of trouble.”
She gave a look to her boys then, letting them know that she was disappointed in them.
The principal turned then and put his hands on his hips as he stated, “I’ll be seeing you boys next week. You’ll be having lunch with me and discussing the rules of conduct. Am I understood?”
The boys all mumbled, “Yes, sir.”
Satisfied, Mr. Michaels walked away and Emily stated, “All right boys. Let’s go.”
They all headed out to the parking lot in silence. When they reached the Suburban, Emily turned and stopped Riley from getting in. She reached out and gently turned his face one way and then the other, inspecting the damage.
After a moment, she surveyed all of their faces before crossing her arms and asking, “What happened, guys?”
Riley looked down at his feet and Danny and Jake exchanged a look before Danny spoke up. “We were in the hallway today after lunch and we were all just talking between classes like we always do.”
Jake piped up, “So then Sean Roberts…the leader of the jocks…”
Danny scowled and jabbed his brother, “Hey…”
Jake rolled his eyes, “All right, the leader of the conceited popular kids…walks down the hall at his usual time and usually he makes some sort of inappropriate comment to Hannah and we just ignore him. But today when he walked by, he smacked her right on the ass.”
Danny continued, “Before anyone knew what was happening, Riley here had the guy down on the ground beating the crap out of him and Jake was trying to pull him off while I was trying to keep Sean’s friends from jumping Riley.”
Emily huffed, “Well, it looks like someone got to him anyways.”
Riley was still not looking at her and when she returned her gaze to the other boys, she found that they were smiling. She frowned as she asked, “What on earth are you guys smiling at?”
Jake was full on laughing now as he pushed Riley playfully. “It wasn’t any of Sean’s friends that did this to Riley.”
Confusion crossed her features then as she asked, “How did this happen, then?”
Danny was chuckling as he asked, “You gonna tell her Riley?”
Riley glared at his brother before hissing, “Go ahead, you’re having such a great time over there. You tell her…”
Danny shrugged, “Gladly.”
He reached over and wrapped his arm around his mother’s shoulders and pulled her to him as if she were one of his buddies as he stated, “Mom…the truth is…Hannah is the one who kicked Riley’s ass.”
Emily’s eyes widened and then she quickly covered her mouth to try and hide the laughter that she knew was going to come, no matter how hard she tried to fight it. Danny pulled her into his chest to try and help her to collect herself without being seen, but Riley had already recognized the small sound that escaped her. “All right…all right. Go ahead and get it out of your systems. Riley got beaten up by a girl…that’s sooooo funny.”
He scowled and turned to get into the Suburban, but Emily moved first and intercepted him as she hugged him to her, “Oh Riley. Bless your heart. All of these years you’ve known Hannah…you know she hates it when people think that they have to defend her. I am sure she could have kicked Sean’s ass if she’d wanted to. Hell, she probably would have if you hadn’t jumped him first.”
Riley wrapped his arms around his mom, glad that she was there, even though he was still scowling that she’d laughed. He sighed aloud, “I know. It was stupid and that’s why I didn’t even try to stop her from reaming me. I knew I deserved it.”
He pulled back to look into her eyes, needing someone…anyone…to understand. “I just couldn’t stop myself. It was so automatic. I’m sorry Mom.”
Taking their cue, the other boys piled into the Suburban and closed the door so that Emily could have a moment alone with their younger brother.
Empathy filled her gaze as she looked at him, “I’m not the one that you need to apologize to Riley.”
He sighed, a woeful sound, “I know. I could call her…”
He looked up at her and seeing the look on her face, he groaned, “All right…can you drive me over there later?”
Pleased, Emily smiled, “Of course I will.”
He ran a hand over his hair and looked exasperated, “I have no idea what to say to her though. She’ll probably beat me up again just for coming there. I’m sure Aunt Callie and Uncle Colby are upset that she got in trouble.”
Emily nodded, “I am sure that they are, but that doesn’t change the fact that you’re going to be in detention with her for a week and she’s always at the house or you are at theirs and it’s going to be tense and awkward until you make things right.”
He rubbed at the back of his neck and nodded, “You’re right. Thanks Mom.”
She lowered her voice and stated, “For the record…I think it’s very sweet that you were there to defend Hannah, or any girl in that situation for that matter. But you know better with her…you need to stop watching so much television. Not all women need someone to fight their battles for them.”
He cracked a smile and then winced as he was painfully reminded of his split lip. “Don’t worry. I won’t be coming to the defense of any damsels that I even think are in distress for a while.”
Emily laughed and pulled him to her for a moment, kissing his head before she sighed, “Come on…let’s get you home and cleaned up.”
They got in the car and as they were driving, Emily was listening in as Danny came to a realization, “Oh no! Riley…wait until Dad sees you. He is never going to let you live this one down. Never. How much do you want to bet he gives Hannah a big high five the next time he sees her?”
Jake and Danny then roared with laughter at the very thought. Riley only scowled and mumbled, “Shut up, guys.”
Character(s)/Pairings: Emily, Riley, Jake, Danny
Rating: PG
Summary: When the boys get into trouble at school...
Author’s Notes: All Eppes children were created by me
Spoilers: None
Disclaimer: I don't own anything affiliated with Numb3rs...sad.
Emily waved as she saw Colby pulling out and noticed that he was looking none too happy. She knew just how he felt and shook her head, knowing that this wasn’t the first time for either of them and it wouldn’t be the last.
Alan had agreed to stay with the kids for a bit until she could take care of business and she felt odd being without any of them, especially Sadie, who was now eight and wanted to go everywhere her mother went. She stepped inside and took a deep breath as she made her way to the desk. “May I help you?”
“Yes. I’m Emily Eppes…”
The woman’s smile faded a bit as she sighed, “Oh. Just one moment. Wait here please.”
Emily looked around for a moment as she tried to figure out what to do with herself. She was rarely alone these days and even though most people would wish for it, it seemed that she had forgotten how to function when she wasn’t multi-tasking.
Her thoughts were broken when the door opened and Danny, Jake, and Riley stepped out. Concern immediately swept across her features as she noticed Riley had a black eye and a bloody lip.
She started towards them when someone spoke, “Mrs. Eppes?”
With her eyes still carefully surveying Riley, she acknowledged the man who was now standing beside her. He continued, “I’m Dennis Michaels. I’m the principal. Thank you for coming.”
None of her boys would look her in the eye and reluctantly, she turned to look at the man and shake his hand. “I’m sorry that we have to meet under such circumstances.”
He nodded and cast a glance at the three Eppes boys. “I’ve given them all a week of detention. The other young man involved has been suspended from school. Your boys were looking out for someone else, but we still can’t condone fighting in our school system.”
Emily nodded, “I understand and I agree with you. They all know better.”
He offered her a smile, “I have a meeting that I have to get to. Perhaps the next time we meet, it will be to celebrate some sort of academic achievement and if not, Danny here will be graduating soon, pending he can keep himself out of trouble.”
She gave a look to her boys then, letting them know that she was disappointed in them.
The principal turned then and put his hands on his hips as he stated, “I’ll be seeing you boys next week. You’ll be having lunch with me and discussing the rules of conduct. Am I understood?”
The boys all mumbled, “Yes, sir.”
Satisfied, Mr. Michaels walked away and Emily stated, “All right boys. Let’s go.”
They all headed out to the parking lot in silence. When they reached the Suburban, Emily turned and stopped Riley from getting in. She reached out and gently turned his face one way and then the other, inspecting the damage.
After a moment, she surveyed all of their faces before crossing her arms and asking, “What happened, guys?”
Riley looked down at his feet and Danny and Jake exchanged a look before Danny spoke up. “We were in the hallway today after lunch and we were all just talking between classes like we always do.”
Jake piped up, “So then Sean Roberts…the leader of the jocks…”
Danny scowled and jabbed his brother, “Hey…”
Jake rolled his eyes, “All right, the leader of the conceited popular kids…walks down the hall at his usual time and usually he makes some sort of inappropriate comment to Hannah and we just ignore him. But today when he walked by, he smacked her right on the ass.”
Danny continued, “Before anyone knew what was happening, Riley here had the guy down on the ground beating the crap out of him and Jake was trying to pull him off while I was trying to keep Sean’s friends from jumping Riley.”
Emily huffed, “Well, it looks like someone got to him anyways.”
Riley was still not looking at her and when she returned her gaze to the other boys, she found that they were smiling. She frowned as she asked, “What on earth are you guys smiling at?”
Jake was full on laughing now as he pushed Riley playfully. “It wasn’t any of Sean’s friends that did this to Riley.”
Confusion crossed her features then as she asked, “How did this happen, then?”
Danny was chuckling as he asked, “You gonna tell her Riley?”
Riley glared at his brother before hissing, “Go ahead, you’re having such a great time over there. You tell her…”
Danny shrugged, “Gladly.”
He reached over and wrapped his arm around his mother’s shoulders and pulled her to him as if she were one of his buddies as he stated, “Mom…the truth is…Hannah is the one who kicked Riley’s ass.”
Emily’s eyes widened and then she quickly covered her mouth to try and hide the laughter that she knew was going to come, no matter how hard she tried to fight it. Danny pulled her into his chest to try and help her to collect herself without being seen, but Riley had already recognized the small sound that escaped her. “All right…all right. Go ahead and get it out of your systems. Riley got beaten up by a girl…that’s sooooo funny.”
He scowled and turned to get into the Suburban, but Emily moved first and intercepted him as she hugged him to her, “Oh Riley. Bless your heart. All of these years you’ve known Hannah…you know she hates it when people think that they have to defend her. I am sure she could have kicked Sean’s ass if she’d wanted to. Hell, she probably would have if you hadn’t jumped him first.”
Riley wrapped his arms around his mom, glad that she was there, even though he was still scowling that she’d laughed. He sighed aloud, “I know. It was stupid and that’s why I didn’t even try to stop her from reaming me. I knew I deserved it.”
He pulled back to look into her eyes, needing someone…anyone…to understand. “I just couldn’t stop myself. It was so automatic. I’m sorry Mom.”
Taking their cue, the other boys piled into the Suburban and closed the door so that Emily could have a moment alone with their younger brother.
Empathy filled her gaze as she looked at him, “I’m not the one that you need to apologize to Riley.”
He sighed, a woeful sound, “I know. I could call her…”
He looked up at her and seeing the look on her face, he groaned, “All right…can you drive me over there later?”
Pleased, Emily smiled, “Of course I will.”
He ran a hand over his hair and looked exasperated, “I have no idea what to say to her though. She’ll probably beat me up again just for coming there. I’m sure Aunt Callie and Uncle Colby are upset that she got in trouble.”
Emily nodded, “I am sure that they are, but that doesn’t change the fact that you’re going to be in detention with her for a week and she’s always at the house or you are at theirs and it’s going to be tense and awkward until you make things right.”
He rubbed at the back of his neck and nodded, “You’re right. Thanks Mom.”
She lowered her voice and stated, “For the record…I think it’s very sweet that you were there to defend Hannah, or any girl in that situation for that matter. But you know better with her…you need to stop watching so much television. Not all women need someone to fight their battles for them.”
He cracked a smile and then winced as he was painfully reminded of his split lip. “Don’t worry. I won’t be coming to the defense of any damsels that I even think are in distress for a while.”
Emily laughed and pulled him to her for a moment, kissing his head before she sighed, “Come on…let’s get you home and cleaned up.”
They got in the car and as they were driving, Emily was listening in as Danny came to a realization, “Oh no! Riley…wait until Dad sees you. He is never going to let you live this one down. Never. How much do you want to bet he gives Hannah a big high five the next time he sees her?”
Jake and Danny then roared with laughter at the very thought. Riley only scowled and mumbled, “Shut up, guys.”