Sunnydale AU: falling off the rope

[americas_son]

As promised, Cal takes his new car out for a real drive the next day. He thinks about not going back, just driving and driving and leaving Sunnydale and his family far behind, but he knows it wouldn't work

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[americas_son]

Much later that night, once Cal is in the guest room he used before, it doesn't really surprise him that he can't sleep.

It frustrates him, because he would have liked the break (from his thoughts, from reality), but it doesn't surprise him.

[poeticterms]

The soft whirr of the cameras is probably a sound Cal is used to by now, in this house.

[americas_son]

It is. He got used to it quickly; he did grow up in a house full of security cameras, after all, though there haven't been any in his room since he got old enough to object.

Loudly.

And repeatedly.

(It's one of very, very few things he's held firm on until his mother was the one who gave in.)

But tonight he doesn't mind it. Once the sound catches his conscious attention, he looks around until he finds the camera making it in here.

[poeticterms]

The camera in question is looking at him.

And in this house, looking is definitely the right word.

"Hello," Jarvis says softly.

[americas_son]

It probably shouldn't startle him, but it does.

". . . Hi."

[poeticterms]

Wry: "Sorry."

[americas_son]

Cal blinks up at the ceiling.

It's easy to assume, in the darkened room, that the gesture isn't visible.

"'Sokay."

[poeticterms]

"I'm beginning to forget you are not part of the family," he admits.

[americas_son]

Cal thinks about this.

Sherlock and Tony would make a much better family than the one he's got.

(Than what's left of the one he's got.)

"I do practically live here sometimes."

[poeticterms]

"You're welcome to continue the trend whenever you need."

And nobody can make you more welcome in a house than the house itself.

[americas_son]

Cal doesn't smile, but even close, but his expression eases a little.

"I know."

He can't even begin to find words for how reassuring that is. Feeling unwelcome in your own house is hard; being unsafe there (not just feeling, as he had after learning about Grahame, but being) is worse.

But he's both safe and welcome here, and that - well, there is a reason why he came running here yesterday without even thinking about it. And it wasn't entirely because of Sherlock.

[poeticterms]

"Good."

[americas_son]

Cal is quiet for a while after that; the reminder of Jarvis's presence has given him something new to think about, and he's only too willing to grab onto it and sort through what he knows about Jarvis so far.

Eventually, he asks,

"Were you named after anyone?"

[poeticterms]

What an odd question.

"No. Tony picked the name because he liked the sound."

[americas_son]

". . . oh."

Now it all makes even less sense, which Cal hadn't thought would be possible. How could Sherlock have been raised by a computer Tony made when he was eleven?

Cal rubs his hands over his face. Nothing this week has made any sense, why should this be any different?

[poeticterms]

Wryly: "Dare I ask why?"