Fic: Stewing Over the Past
Title: Stewing Over the Past
Author: Erin (erinm_4600)
Characters, Pairing: Joe and Matthew (mention of Cordy and Joe's wife)
Rating: G
Summary: Matthew and Joe discuss the past
Warning: *Written for What's for Dinner? at writerverse.
Disclaimer: EVERYTHING about this one is MINE, ALL MINE. Mwahaha!! Inspiration comes from tvrealm, Team Chiller and the Team TV Show challenge, with thanks.
Matthew Bennett leaned over his father's shoulder and glanced into the heavy pot sitting on the stovetop. "It's not right," he warned, making a face at the color of the contents before leaning back.
"It is just fine, Matthew," Joe huffed then glanced into the pot. "It's not done yet." Matthew made another face and leaned against the chairback. The kitchen and dining room was small, but had always been just enough for the two of them. "Y'know," Joe continued, giving his son a look, "I used to cook for your mother, all the time. And you," he motioned to the young man, "clearly survived."
Matthew made a face and replied: "That's because George's mother always force-fed me before we left for school." Giving his father a nod, Matthew added: "Even she didn't trust your cooking." He laughed a moment later, as Joe reached over to swat at him.
Matthew watched his father for a moment, staring into the pot, and smiled. "Mom'd be proud, I think."
Joe raised an eyebrow and twisted his head. "Because I can make stew?"
Matthew laughed and shook his head. Crossing his arms, Matthew let out a breath and nodded toward the doorway. "Cord. To know you could have handled a girl," he explained with a nod. Joe's chin dropped slightly, and he glanced back to the pot. Joe didn't want to admit that having his niece around had made him wonder what life would have been like, had they not died that day.
"You knew?" Joe asked after a moment of silence. Even after all these years, thinking about his wife and unborn daughter brought up emotions he wasn't quite ready to face.
Matthew smiled. "You didn't know I knew?" he asked, honestly surprised.
"You never said anything," Joe replied, shaking his head. He always just assumed Matthew was better off not knowing that his mother hadn't been the only one to die, that day.
"Mom said it was a secret and I wasn't supposed to say anything." Matthew gave him a smile and pushed off the chair. "It's a good thing Cordy came here, dad. No offense to Uncle Bob," he said, "but she gets to have a chance at having a dad. And a pretty good one, if you ask me. And you get a second chance at-" He gave Joe another smile and clapped a hand to his father's shoulder. "Don't worry. I won't tell the world you're a big old teddy bear."
Joe made a face and turned as Matthew walked away. "I will shoot you."
"Yeah, yeah," Matthew waved, reaching for his jacket.
"Where are you going?" Joe asked, pointing to the stove. "Dinner is almost ready."
Matthew shook his head and pointed toward the door. "I'm going to go out and get something worthy of a birthday dinner."
Joe raised an eyebrow and looked at the pot, again. "You said I was a good dad."
"You are a great dad. You're just a terrible cook," Matthew told him with a shrug.
Joe made a face as his son opened the front door and looked back to the pot. "It's not terrible," he told the pot, and stuck the spoon in. After a quick sip of the stew broth, Joe made a face and shrugged.
"Okay, it's terrible."
Author: Erin (erinm_4600)
Characters, Pairing: Joe and Matthew (mention of Cordy and Joe's wife)
Rating: G
Summary: Matthew and Joe discuss the past
Warning: *Written for What's for Dinner? at writerverse.
Disclaimer: EVERYTHING about this one is MINE, ALL MINE. Mwahaha!! Inspiration comes from tvrealm, Team Chiller and the Team TV Show challenge, with thanks.
Matthew Bennett leaned over his father's shoulder and glanced into the heavy pot sitting on the stovetop. "It's not right," he warned, making a face at the color of the contents before leaning back.
"It is just fine, Matthew," Joe huffed then glanced into the pot. "It's not done yet." Matthew made another face and leaned against the chairback. The kitchen and dining room was small, but had always been just enough for the two of them. "Y'know," Joe continued, giving his son a look, "I used to cook for your mother, all the time. And you," he motioned to the young man, "clearly survived."
Matthew made a face and replied: "That's because George's mother always force-fed me before we left for school." Giving his father a nod, Matthew added: "Even she didn't trust your cooking." He laughed a moment later, as Joe reached over to swat at him.
Matthew watched his father for a moment, staring into the pot, and smiled. "Mom'd be proud, I think."
Joe raised an eyebrow and twisted his head. "Because I can make stew?"
Matthew laughed and shook his head. Crossing his arms, Matthew let out a breath and nodded toward the doorway. "Cord. To know you could have handled a girl," he explained with a nod. Joe's chin dropped slightly, and he glanced back to the pot. Joe didn't want to admit that having his niece around had made him wonder what life would have been like, had they not died that day.
"You knew?" Joe asked after a moment of silence. Even after all these years, thinking about his wife and unborn daughter brought up emotions he wasn't quite ready to face.
Matthew smiled. "You didn't know I knew?" he asked, honestly surprised.
"You never said anything," Joe replied, shaking his head. He always just assumed Matthew was better off not knowing that his mother hadn't been the only one to die, that day.
"Mom said it was a secret and I wasn't supposed to say anything." Matthew gave him a smile and pushed off the chair. "It's a good thing Cordy came here, dad. No offense to Uncle Bob," he said, "but she gets to have a chance at having a dad. And a pretty good one, if you ask me. And you get a second chance at-" He gave Joe another smile and clapped a hand to his father's shoulder. "Don't worry. I won't tell the world you're a big old teddy bear."
Joe made a face and turned as Matthew walked away. "I will shoot you."
"Yeah, yeah," Matthew waved, reaching for his jacket.
"Where are you going?" Joe asked, pointing to the stove. "Dinner is almost ready."
Matthew shook his head and pointed toward the door. "I'm going to go out and get something worthy of a birthday dinner."
Joe raised an eyebrow and looked at the pot, again. "You said I was a good dad."
"You are a great dad. You're just a terrible cook," Matthew told him with a shrug.
Joe made a face as his son opened the front door and looked back to the pot. "It's not terrible," he told the pot, and stuck the spoon in. After a quick sip of the stew broth, Joe made a face and shrugged.
"Okay, it's terrible."