erinm_4600
in
12to32
Fic: When the News Packs a Punch
Title: When the News Packs a Punch
Author: Erin (erinm_4600)
Characters, Pairing: Jeb, DG, Raw, Teddy and Wyatt (mention of random OCs, Cora, Lee, Cain and Az)
Rating: PG
Summary: The problem with High School is that it's High School.
Warnings: post-series, Every Broken Road... 'verse. *Written for the Fall/Winter Seasonal Challenge at tm_challenge. Inspired by Picture to Burn by Taylor Swift and beta'd by my Mom, who's trying to pretend like she cares... :) Thanks to americanfairy, badgirl2bad4u, diesa_j and nawag1r for the vote of pummel.
Prompts: Noteworthy, Abacus, Foreshadow, Gossip, AC: Pummel, Invoke, Humility, Redepmtion, Conceit, Plead, Faith and Bias
Disclaimer: The original characters belong to L. Frank Baum and their respective actors. The current characters belong to Sci-Fi, the movie folks and their respective actors. The OCs are mine.
the first part | the second part
Snug as a Bug | Moving On | Simple Habits | Down the Path | From the Shadows | Emergency Situation | Keep Her Safe | Who Knew There Were Dragons in the Zone? | Hearing Things | Getting Around the Law | When the News Packs a Punch | Only in the Movies
the fanmix
NOTEWORTHY
DG was sitting on the couch, looking over the day's reports when the aide stepped into the doorway. Jeb looked up from the folder in his hands and noticed the envelope. "Sir," the aide said simply, offering the envelope.
DG glanced up at the voice and returned her attention to the report. Jeb turned, setting the folder down on the small table behind him, and nodded to the aide as he took the envelope.
"This should be good," he muttered, causing DG to look up again as the aide stepped out of the doorway.
"What's that?" she asked, glancing back down to the report to mark her spot.
"A note from the school," Jeb sighed as he broke the seal and pulled out the slip of paper. DG blinked and raised her head. 'Oh, Teddy...' she thought with a frown. The boy was definitely her son; head in the clouds and never sitting still.
"What did he do?" she asked in a neutral tone, watching Jeb's reaction to whatever was written on the page.
And, for the rest of her days, DG would swear that, for a split second, Wyatt Cain had returned from the dead.
"He didn't do anything."
ABACUS
Wyatt was sitting at her writing desk, with her elbow resting on the surface and cheek pressed to her knuckles. Her free hand was flicking the beads on that stupid machine. There was a frown on her face and she was silent, trying to shut out the sound of a hundred thoughts wanting to be heard all at once.
She knew it was a matter of time before one of them came looking for her.
She wished it would be her mother, but knew that it would be him.
She let out a breath, flicked again, then heard:
"Hey, Kid."
FORESHADOW
Wyatt slowly sat up and placed her hands in her lap, but she didn't look up to her father. "Whatcha doin'?" he asked, as if he'd just been passing by and saw her sitting at the desk.
"Nothing," she said quietly, staring at the stack of notepaper sitting on the desktop. Jeb nodded slightly and pushed himself off the door jamb, stepping into the room. He moved over to the end of her bed and sat down, facing the door.
"So, how's school?" he asked simply, letting his eyes move sideways just enough to watch her movements. Wyatt felt her breath catch and her eyes shut as she tried to keep her emotions in check.
It wasn't her fault. Dillon Pritchard was a jerk and he got what he deserved.
"It's school," she replied quietly. Jeb frowned, looked at the wall above the door for a moment, and took a deep breath.
"What happened, Wiles?" He already knew what happened; it was in the note from the school. But he wanted to hear it from her.
Wyatt slouched in her chair and twisted to face Jeb. She opened her mouth and promptly shut it again, then turned her head away.
GOSSIP
She had tried so very hard not to let Dillon get to her. She really tried. He just wouldn't stop. She was used to being picked on by the others at school; that's what you get when your mother is the Queen. She'd known everyone at the school as long as they'd been there.
She didn't like any of them. Not any more.
They were horrible and mean and she would rather be stuck in lessons with the cranky old tutor she'd had when she missed school after she fell out of the tree.
Wyatt pushed up from her chair and moved over to the bed, stepping around her father and sitting down next to him. She was still staring at the floor when she finally spoke.
"I didn't mean to do it," she said quickly as the tears started spilling out. "I swear, I didn't mean it," she continued, shaking her head. Jeb put his arms around her and pulled her close. "I'm sorry, Daddy," she said quietly.
"I'm sorry, too," he said into her hair and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "You are not a liar," he said a moment later.
"Yes, I am, Daddy."
PUMMEL
Jeb pushed Wyatt back and leaned down to her eye-level. "We may have left out some details, but no one lied." They had been completely honest with everyone when it came down to announcing the 'arrival' of Wyatt to the royal family.
It was only a matter of time before this day arrived. DG had expected it, bringing it up the day they decided to raise her as their own. He wished there was something he could say or do to keep her from being hurt.
"Why does it even matter?" she asked quietly.
"Because it's high school," DG said from the doorway. She tilted her head slightly and gave Wyatt a small smile. "And high school sucks." Wyatt pulled away from Jeb and shook her head.
"Mom, I-"
"You are not in trouble. Well," DG countered quickly. "-not with me. School..." she trailed off, raising an eyebrow and shrugging. "I can't help you with that one, Wyatt. You break the rules, you have to accept the punishment. I know you didn’t mean it," she added quickly, as Wyatt moved to protest.
"How would you have handled it?" Jeb asked DG.
"I'd have waited until after school to deck him."
INVOKE
"I tried to ignore him," Wyatt countered as DG moved over to join them on the bed. DG pulled Wyatt into a hug and rubbed her daughter's arm. "I just wanted him to stop..." DG glanced at Jeb and then did a slight double-take at the sight of Teddy in the doorway.
"I didn't mean for you to get in trouble," he said quietly, causing Wyatt and Jeb to look up. Jeb shot a look to DG and they both looked back to Teddy.
"What do you mean, Teddy?" DG asked, noticing Wyatt shaking her head slightly in Teddy's direction.
HUMILITY
DG waved Teddy over with her finger and threw another glance to Jeb. "Talk, little man," she said with a frown. Teddy fidgeted for a moment and shrugged slightly at his sister before looking at the floor.
"Dillon's brother said that Dillon was picking on Wyatt and I told him to stop and then he said that she wasn't even my sister-" DG's eyes shot from Wyatt - who flinched - to Jeb and back as Teddy stared at the floor. "-and I told him to shut his mouth and then he pushed me and then Wyatt hit him."
Jeb rested his chin on the top of Wyatt's head as DG held out a hand for Teddy and pulled him over to her. "It wasn't her fault," he said again. "He made her sad and..." Teddy trailed off as DG hugged him tightly.
"Nobody touches my brother but me," Wyatt said with a forced smile and tapped his shoulder.
Giving Wyatt a little smile, Teddy looked up to DG. "I told Mister Lareigh, but he wouldn't listen to me." DG nodded and looked at both of her children, then Jeb, and frowned. Wyatt took a deep breath and looked at her lap as Jeb and DG had a quick, silent conversation with their eyes.
Teddy gave Wyatt another look and he took her hand for a moment and gave her a smile. "Sorry, Wy." She, in return, reached up and ruffled his hair. DG watched the exchange and nodded for Jeb to take Teddy out of the room.
"Come on, bud," Jeb said a moment later, holding out a hand for Teddy and standing up. "Let's give the girls a few minutes and you can tell me what Mister Lareigh said." As they cleared the door, Wyatt began to cry.
REDEMPTION
DG hugged Wyatt tightly, cursing the fact that kids could be so mean, even in the Zone. She wanted them to go to the public school so that they would have friends and some sort of a normal life.
Which is what they were getting; she knew the subject of Wyatt's parentage would come in to play at some point, but she never expected it to come from a sixteen-year-old bully.
Wyatt pulled away and wiped her eyes, trying to catch her breath and calm her nerves.
"Teddy needs to know the truth, Mom. From us."
"Okay... we'll tell him."
CONCEIT
DG moved around the corner and stopped short at the sight of Jeb leaning against the wall. She threw a glance back toward Wyatt's room and took a deep breath before meeting him halfway.
"I know I'm supposed to set an example," he said quietly as her hands moved to his arms. She knew him far too well. "-but I'm gonna kill that kid."
"No," she said calmly. Jeb closed his eyes and leaned forward, resting his forehead against hers.
"I'm sorry," he breathed.
"Why?" DG asked, tilting her head and smiling.
"I didn't believe you," he shrugged. "You told me that kids were cruel, but-" DG smiled again and pulled his face to hers so she could kiss him.
"You think this is bad?" Jeb raised an eyebrow. "Weren't you a teenage boy?" she grinned and hooked her arm around his.
"What are you talking about?" he asked, not following.
"You never picked on a girl you liked?" Jeb's eyes went wide and he turned back toward Wyatt's room.
"Over my dead body," he whispered.
"Welcome to the party, Dad," DG said with a smile and kissed him again. "She wants to tell him," DG whispered a second later.
PLEAD
Raw brought Teddy to the door of DG's office and nodded into the room. Teddy could see Wyatt standing in the corner and Jeb was leaning against DG's desk. Jeb waved Teddy over as DG moved toward Raw.
"Raw will stay," he nodded. DG moved her hand to his cheek and smiled.
"Thank you, but you don't have to."
Raw nodded. "Raw knows. Will stay." DG smiled again and took a deep breath before turning to her family.
"Hey, bud," she said, nodding Teddy over as he turned to look at her. "C'mere." Teddy moved away from Jeb and sat down in the chair DG directed him to. She knelt down in front of him and smiled.
"There's something I need to tell you," she said. "But first, there's something I need you to do for me." Teddy said nothing, but nodded. DG shot a glace to Wyatt and Jeb and turned back to Teddy.
"I need you to promise-" Teddy reared back at the word and DG reached for his hands and squeezed slightly. "I need you to promise me that you won't be mad at Wyatt." Teddy looked over to his sister; she was looking at the wall below the window.
"You can be mad at me, you can be mad at Daddy. It's okay... But not Wyatt. Please, Teddy," DG asked again. Teddy looked back to DG, then to Jeb and Raw. He didn't understand what was wrong, but knew it must be important.
Mom said the P-word.
"I promise," he said quietly, and DG smiled.
"Okay," she started, taking his hands and squeezing gently. How could she start this conversation? It wasn't as simple as just putting it out there.
"I'm not Wyatt's mom the same way I am yours."
Okay, maybe it was that simple...
FAITH
Teddy looked at Wyatt, but she was still looking at the wall. She didn't look happy at all, he noticed. 'Like yesterday at school... right before she punched Dillon.'
DG ran a hand over his hair and gave him a sad smile. "Wyatt's mom and dad died," she said slowly, making sure that he had enough time to process. She threw a glance over her shoulder, thankful Raw had stayed. She turned back to Teddy and leaned down slightly to catch his eye.
"And I promised her mother I would take care of her... keep her safe." She looked at Jeb, who smiled at her. She turned back to Teddy and nodded.
"Some very bad men were trying to hurt me and my sister, and Daddy and Grandpa were trying to keep us safe. That's how I met Wyatt's mom," she nodded, when Teddy looked up at the mention of their grandfather.
"The bad men found us and your dad took Wyatt and me away and kept us safe." DG looked at her own lap for a moment and then straightened. "And we should have told you sooner."
Teddy looked at his own lap as he tried to think about all the new information. 'Wyatt had a different mommy?' Why didn't they tell him before? That meant Dillon was telling the truth, so why did Wyatt hit him? It wasn't her fault her mother died. And if his mother made a promise...
He didn't like this one bit.
Teddy jumped up and moved over to Wyatt and pointed to her. "You are my sister!" he shouted, denying whatever it was DG had told him. Next, he pointed to Jeb, then DG. "He's our daddy and she's our mommy and Dillon Pritchard is just jealous because he doesn't have a sister."
BIAS
Teddy threw his arms around Wyatt and buried his face into her stomach. "You're my sister," he exclaimed again. Wyatt opened her mouth, but no sound came out. Instead, she clamped her mouth shut and gave a look to her parents before leaning forward and pressing her nose to the top of Teddy's head.
She really tried not to cry, but the frustration of the last two days and the absolute fear that her little brother would hate her had frayed her nerves. Raw helped DG up as soon as Teddy shot up and she'd moved over to Jeb's side at the desk. Giving them a few moments, DG finally stepped away from Jeb and moved over to join the hug.
"I love you both, very much," she said, pressing kisses to each of their foreheads. "And I'm sorry you have to go through this."
"What about us?" they heard and the three of them turned to see Jeb and Raw standing next to each other. Teddy let go of DG and bolted for Jeb, and Wyatt stepped over to Raw. He always did give her the best hugs.
Jeb reached for DG's hand and squeezed. They'd get through this.
___________
Mom says that there's no way Wyatt will give Dillon the time of day after this. Coming from her, it bared repeating. :D
Yes, Virginiareader, there is a FANMIX
the Big Damn Prompt table
Author: Erin (erinm_4600)
Characters, Pairing: Jeb, DG, Raw, Teddy and Wyatt (mention of random OCs, Cora, Lee, Cain and Az)
Rating: PG
Summary: The problem with High School is that it's High School.
Warnings: post-series, Every Broken Road... 'verse. *Written for the Fall/Winter Seasonal Challenge at tm_challenge. Inspired by Picture to Burn by Taylor Swift and beta'd by my Mom, who's trying to pretend like she cares... :) Thanks to americanfairy, badgirl2bad4u, diesa_j and nawag1r for the vote of pummel.
Prompts: Noteworthy, Abacus, Foreshadow, Gossip, AC: Pummel, Invoke, Humility, Redepmtion, Conceit, Plead, Faith and Bias
Disclaimer: The original characters belong to L. Frank Baum and their respective actors. The current characters belong to Sci-Fi, the movie folks and their respective actors. The OCs are mine.
the first part | the second part
Snug as a Bug | Moving On | Simple Habits | Down the Path | From the Shadows | Emergency Situation | Keep Her Safe | Who Knew There Were Dragons in the Zone? | Hearing Things | Getting Around the Law | When the News Packs a Punch | Only in the Movies
the fanmix
NOTEWORTHY
DG was sitting on the couch, looking over the day's reports when the aide stepped into the doorway. Jeb looked up from the folder in his hands and noticed the envelope. "Sir," the aide said simply, offering the envelope.
DG glanced up at the voice and returned her attention to the report. Jeb turned, setting the folder down on the small table behind him, and nodded to the aide as he took the envelope.
"This should be good," he muttered, causing DG to look up again as the aide stepped out of the doorway.
"What's that?" she asked, glancing back down to the report to mark her spot.
"A note from the school," Jeb sighed as he broke the seal and pulled out the slip of paper. DG blinked and raised her head. 'Oh, Teddy...' she thought with a frown. The boy was definitely her son; head in the clouds and never sitting still.
"What did he do?" she asked in a neutral tone, watching Jeb's reaction to whatever was written on the page.
And, for the rest of her days, DG would swear that, for a split second, Wyatt Cain had returned from the dead.
"He didn't do anything."
ABACUS
Wyatt was sitting at her writing desk, with her elbow resting on the surface and cheek pressed to her knuckles. Her free hand was flicking the beads on that stupid machine. There was a frown on her face and she was silent, trying to shut out the sound of a hundred thoughts wanting to be heard all at once.
She knew it was a matter of time before one of them came looking for her.
She wished it would be her mother, but knew that it would be him.
She let out a breath, flicked again, then heard:
"Hey, Kid."
FORESHADOW
Wyatt slowly sat up and placed her hands in her lap, but she didn't look up to her father. "Whatcha doin'?" he asked, as if he'd just been passing by and saw her sitting at the desk.
"Nothing," she said quietly, staring at the stack of notepaper sitting on the desktop. Jeb nodded slightly and pushed himself off the door jamb, stepping into the room. He moved over to the end of her bed and sat down, facing the door.
"So, how's school?" he asked simply, letting his eyes move sideways just enough to watch her movements. Wyatt felt her breath catch and her eyes shut as she tried to keep her emotions in check.
It wasn't her fault. Dillon Pritchard was a jerk and he got what he deserved.
"It's school," she replied quietly. Jeb frowned, looked at the wall above the door for a moment, and took a deep breath.
"What happened, Wiles?" He already knew what happened; it was in the note from the school. But he wanted to hear it from her.
Wyatt slouched in her chair and twisted to face Jeb. She opened her mouth and promptly shut it again, then turned her head away.
GOSSIP
She had tried so very hard not to let Dillon get to her. She really tried. He just wouldn't stop. She was used to being picked on by the others at school; that's what you get when your mother is the Queen. She'd known everyone at the school as long as they'd been there.
She didn't like any of them. Not any more.
They were horrible and mean and she would rather be stuck in lessons with the cranky old tutor she'd had when she missed school after she fell out of the tree.
Wyatt pushed up from her chair and moved over to the bed, stepping around her father and sitting down next to him. She was still staring at the floor when she finally spoke.
"I didn't mean to do it," she said quickly as the tears started spilling out. "I swear, I didn't mean it," she continued, shaking her head. Jeb put his arms around her and pulled her close. "I'm sorry, Daddy," she said quietly.
"I'm sorry, too," he said into her hair and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "You are not a liar," he said a moment later.
"Yes, I am, Daddy."
PUMMEL
Jeb pushed Wyatt back and leaned down to her eye-level. "We may have left out some details, but no one lied." They had been completely honest with everyone when it came down to announcing the 'arrival' of Wyatt to the royal family.
It was only a matter of time before this day arrived. DG had expected it, bringing it up the day they decided to raise her as their own. He wished there was something he could say or do to keep her from being hurt.
"Why does it even matter?" she asked quietly.
"Because it's high school," DG said from the doorway. She tilted her head slightly and gave Wyatt a small smile. "And high school sucks." Wyatt pulled away from Jeb and shook her head.
"Mom, I-"
"You are not in trouble. Well," DG countered quickly. "-not with me. School..." she trailed off, raising an eyebrow and shrugging. "I can't help you with that one, Wyatt. You break the rules, you have to accept the punishment. I know you didn’t mean it," she added quickly, as Wyatt moved to protest.
"How would you have handled it?" Jeb asked DG.
"I'd have waited until after school to deck him."
INVOKE
"I tried to ignore him," Wyatt countered as DG moved over to join them on the bed. DG pulled Wyatt into a hug and rubbed her daughter's arm. "I just wanted him to stop..." DG glanced at Jeb and then did a slight double-take at the sight of Teddy in the doorway.
"I didn't mean for you to get in trouble," he said quietly, causing Wyatt and Jeb to look up. Jeb shot a look to DG and they both looked back to Teddy.
"What do you mean, Teddy?" DG asked, noticing Wyatt shaking her head slightly in Teddy's direction.
HUMILITY
DG waved Teddy over with her finger and threw another glance to Jeb. "Talk, little man," she said with a frown. Teddy fidgeted for a moment and shrugged slightly at his sister before looking at the floor.
"Dillon's brother said that Dillon was picking on Wyatt and I told him to stop and then he said that she wasn't even my sister-" DG's eyes shot from Wyatt - who flinched - to Jeb and back as Teddy stared at the floor. "-and I told him to shut his mouth and then he pushed me and then Wyatt hit him."
Jeb rested his chin on the top of Wyatt's head as DG held out a hand for Teddy and pulled him over to her. "It wasn't her fault," he said again. "He made her sad and..." Teddy trailed off as DG hugged him tightly.
"Nobody touches my brother but me," Wyatt said with a forced smile and tapped his shoulder.
Giving Wyatt a little smile, Teddy looked up to DG. "I told Mister Lareigh, but he wouldn't listen to me." DG nodded and looked at both of her children, then Jeb, and frowned. Wyatt took a deep breath and looked at her lap as Jeb and DG had a quick, silent conversation with their eyes.
Teddy gave Wyatt another look and he took her hand for a moment and gave her a smile. "Sorry, Wy." She, in return, reached up and ruffled his hair. DG watched the exchange and nodded for Jeb to take Teddy out of the room.
"Come on, bud," Jeb said a moment later, holding out a hand for Teddy and standing up. "Let's give the girls a few minutes and you can tell me what Mister Lareigh said." As they cleared the door, Wyatt began to cry.
REDEMPTION
DG hugged Wyatt tightly, cursing the fact that kids could be so mean, even in the Zone. She wanted them to go to the public school so that they would have friends and some sort of a normal life.
Which is what they were getting; she knew the subject of Wyatt's parentage would come in to play at some point, but she never expected it to come from a sixteen-year-old bully.
Wyatt pulled away and wiped her eyes, trying to catch her breath and calm her nerves.
"Teddy needs to know the truth, Mom. From us."
"Okay... we'll tell him."
CONCEIT
DG moved around the corner and stopped short at the sight of Jeb leaning against the wall. She threw a glance back toward Wyatt's room and took a deep breath before meeting him halfway.
"I know I'm supposed to set an example," he said quietly as her hands moved to his arms. She knew him far too well. "-but I'm gonna kill that kid."
"No," she said calmly. Jeb closed his eyes and leaned forward, resting his forehead against hers.
"I'm sorry," he breathed.
"Why?" DG asked, tilting her head and smiling.
"I didn't believe you," he shrugged. "You told me that kids were cruel, but-" DG smiled again and pulled his face to hers so she could kiss him.
"You think this is bad?" Jeb raised an eyebrow. "Weren't you a teenage boy?" she grinned and hooked her arm around his.
"What are you talking about?" he asked, not following.
"You never picked on a girl you liked?" Jeb's eyes went wide and he turned back toward Wyatt's room.
"Over my dead body," he whispered.
"Welcome to the party, Dad," DG said with a smile and kissed him again. "She wants to tell him," DG whispered a second later.
PLEAD
Raw brought Teddy to the door of DG's office and nodded into the room. Teddy could see Wyatt standing in the corner and Jeb was leaning against DG's desk. Jeb waved Teddy over as DG moved toward Raw.
"Raw will stay," he nodded. DG moved her hand to his cheek and smiled.
"Thank you, but you don't have to."
Raw nodded. "Raw knows. Will stay." DG smiled again and took a deep breath before turning to her family.
"Hey, bud," she said, nodding Teddy over as he turned to look at her. "C'mere." Teddy moved away from Jeb and sat down in the chair DG directed him to. She knelt down in front of him and smiled.
"There's something I need to tell you," she said. "But first, there's something I need you to do for me." Teddy said nothing, but nodded. DG shot a glace to Wyatt and Jeb and turned back to Teddy.
"I need you to promise-" Teddy reared back at the word and DG reached for his hands and squeezed slightly. "I need you to promise me that you won't be mad at Wyatt." Teddy looked over to his sister; she was looking at the wall below the window.
"You can be mad at me, you can be mad at Daddy. It's okay... But not Wyatt. Please, Teddy," DG asked again. Teddy looked back to DG, then to Jeb and Raw. He didn't understand what was wrong, but knew it must be important.
Mom said the P-word.
"I promise," he said quietly, and DG smiled.
"Okay," she started, taking his hands and squeezing gently. How could she start this conversation? It wasn't as simple as just putting it out there.
"I'm not Wyatt's mom the same way I am yours."
Okay, maybe it was that simple...
FAITH
Teddy looked at Wyatt, but she was still looking at the wall. She didn't look happy at all, he noticed. 'Like yesterday at school... right before she punched Dillon.'
DG ran a hand over his hair and gave him a sad smile. "Wyatt's mom and dad died," she said slowly, making sure that he had enough time to process. She threw a glance over her shoulder, thankful Raw had stayed. She turned back to Teddy and leaned down slightly to catch his eye.
"And I promised her mother I would take care of her... keep her safe." She looked at Jeb, who smiled at her. She turned back to Teddy and nodded.
"Some very bad men were trying to hurt me and my sister, and Daddy and Grandpa were trying to keep us safe. That's how I met Wyatt's mom," she nodded, when Teddy looked up at the mention of their grandfather.
"The bad men found us and your dad took Wyatt and me away and kept us safe." DG looked at her own lap for a moment and then straightened. "And we should have told you sooner."
Teddy looked at his own lap as he tried to think about all the new information. 'Wyatt had a different mommy?' Why didn't they tell him before? That meant Dillon was telling the truth, so why did Wyatt hit him? It wasn't her fault her mother died. And if his mother made a promise...
He didn't like this one bit.
Teddy jumped up and moved over to Wyatt and pointed to her. "You are my sister!" he shouted, denying whatever it was DG had told him. Next, he pointed to Jeb, then DG. "He's our daddy and she's our mommy and Dillon Pritchard is just jealous because he doesn't have a sister."
BIAS
Teddy threw his arms around Wyatt and buried his face into her stomach. "You're my sister," he exclaimed again. Wyatt opened her mouth, but no sound came out. Instead, she clamped her mouth shut and gave a look to her parents before leaning forward and pressing her nose to the top of Teddy's head.
She really tried not to cry, but the frustration of the last two days and the absolute fear that her little brother would hate her had frayed her nerves. Raw helped DG up as soon as Teddy shot up and she'd moved over to Jeb's side at the desk. Giving them a few moments, DG finally stepped away from Jeb and moved over to join the hug.
"I love you both, very much," she said, pressing kisses to each of their foreheads. "And I'm sorry you have to go through this."
"What about us?" they heard and the three of them turned to see Jeb and Raw standing next to each other. Teddy let go of DG and bolted for Jeb, and Wyatt stepped over to Raw. He always did give her the best hugs.
Jeb reached for DG's hand and squeezed. They'd get through this.
___________
Mom says that there's no way Wyatt will give Dillon the time of day after this. Coming from her, it bared repeating. :D
Yes, Virginiareader, there is a FANMIX
the Big Damn Prompt table