Overland Park, KS, Sunday FT
Time in Kansas was dragging on and things weren't getting any easier. Sure, Bryce had finally gone the fuck away (for the moment at least) but what he'd left behind was just more turmoil and disarray. It would probably have pleased him.
See, the day before, Kate and Bod had been just minding their own business in the Gregson living room when there'd been a commotion upstairs. They were the last to rush up: Max and Grandma Sandy had beat them there. Marshall had looked devastated and angry, and Tara - yes, Tara, finally - had been crying her eyes out. It was a mess. As it turned out once the situation had calmed down somewhat, Alice had been there first, and then Bryce had come out and gotten into a fight with Marshall.
And then Tara had made the snap decision to go to the facility Charmaine had been trying to suggest for her the day at the art museum. And this morning, Max had gone to take her there, except... "I can't believe you came home!" Charmaine exclaimed, annoyed, at the ensuing family meeting after Tara and Max had shown up back at the house in the afternoon. "We talked about this, you were on your way! I mean, what the fuck?"
Apparently, they'd changed their minds. In fact, they'd changed their minds so much that instead of the local-ish facility in Kansas, Tara was going to go all the way to Boston instead. For 'three months of in-patient program, followed by ongoing aftercare for as long as she needed'. And Max was going to go to Boston with her. And she seemed a wee bit keyed up for someone who was about to hop in the first clown car to Goofyville, Mass.
"Yes, Kate, because, Kate, I am ready to fight," Tara said, when Kate confronted about it. "I looked at the worst parts of myself right in the eye and said, 'I mean something. I matter. I have a life to lead!'"
Oh, yeah, and they didn't need to worry about Bryce because Bryce, apparently, was dead. Uh huh. Also, Max was supportive of this plan. They just needed to iron out some details, like where Marshall would stay, since they didn't want to uproot him and take him out of school. That subject was dropped, though, since they wanted to think it over whether he was good to just stay with Kate (and whether Kate was even sure she was going to be staying put for the next three months - what with Bod's graduation looming in the near future, she wasn't so sure), and Tara had a favor to ask.
"It would mean a lot to me if we had one last family supper. That we all make together. And, Marshall, I was thinking you could be our chef de cuisine and I could be your sous chef."
But Marshall's reply was dry in a way that made Kate want to groan wth how much he sounded like, well, her. "Yeah, that's an excellent idea, seeing that less than 24 hours ago you punched me in the face."
"Look, Marsh... I know --"
"No, a dinner party sounds delightful. It's exactly what this family needs." He got up to head out. "Send me an invitation."
When Kate went next door to relay this new info to Bod, all she really wanted to do was take a nap because Jesus, this shit was tiring. So tiring. And much more fucked up than she could have expected just a short while ago.
[ooc: NFB, NFI, OOC-okay, nimeni minorly modded with permission! Paraphrased with tweakage from USoT S03E11 and S03E12, 'The Good Parts'.]
See, the day before, Kate and Bod had been just minding their own business in the Gregson living room when there'd been a commotion upstairs. They were the last to rush up: Max and Grandma Sandy had beat them there. Marshall had looked devastated and angry, and Tara - yes, Tara, finally - had been crying her eyes out. It was a mess. As it turned out once the situation had calmed down somewhat, Alice had been there first, and then Bryce had come out and gotten into a fight with Marshall.
And then Tara had made the snap decision to go to the facility Charmaine had been trying to suggest for her the day at the art museum. And this morning, Max had gone to take her there, except... "I can't believe you came home!" Charmaine exclaimed, annoyed, at the ensuing family meeting after Tara and Max had shown up back at the house in the afternoon. "We talked about this, you were on your way! I mean, what the fuck?"
Apparently, they'd changed their minds. In fact, they'd changed their minds so much that instead of the local-ish facility in Kansas, Tara was going to go all the way to Boston instead. For 'three months of in-patient program, followed by ongoing aftercare for as long as she needed'. And Max was going to go to Boston with her. And she seemed a wee bit keyed up for someone who was about to hop in the first clown car to Goofyville, Mass.
"Yes, Kate, because, Kate, I am ready to fight," Tara said, when Kate confronted about it. "I looked at the worst parts of myself right in the eye and said, 'I mean something. I matter. I have a life to lead!'"
Oh, yeah, and they didn't need to worry about Bryce because Bryce, apparently, was dead. Uh huh. Also, Max was supportive of this plan. They just needed to iron out some details, like where Marshall would stay, since they didn't want to uproot him and take him out of school. That subject was dropped, though, since they wanted to think it over whether he was good to just stay with Kate (and whether Kate was even sure she was going to be staying put for the next three months - what with Bod's graduation looming in the near future, she wasn't so sure), and Tara had a favor to ask.
"It would mean a lot to me if we had one last family supper. That we all make together. And, Marshall, I was thinking you could be our chef de cuisine and I could be your sous chef."
But Marshall's reply was dry in a way that made Kate want to groan wth how much he sounded like, well, her. "Yeah, that's an excellent idea, seeing that less than 24 hours ago you punched me in the face."
"Look, Marsh... I know --"
"No, a dinner party sounds delightful. It's exactly what this family needs." He got up to head out. "Send me an invitation."
When Kate went next door to relay this new info to Bod, all she really wanted to do was take a nap because Jesus, this shit was tiring. So tiring. And much more fucked up than she could have expected just a short while ago.
[ooc: NFB, NFI, OOC-okay, nimeni minorly modded with permission! Paraphrased with tweakage from USoT S03E11 and S03E12, 'The Good Parts'.]