Cherry Vanilla/Guava/Trail Mix smoothie
Authors: Marina and Casey
Story: Shifts universe (post-Shifts)
Challenge: Cherry Vanilla 2 (there’s something in the air) [Marina]; Guava 14 (the best is yet to come), Trail Mix 7 (hallway) [Casey]
Toppings/Extras: Caramel, Sprinkles, Smoothie
Word Count: 650
Rating: G
Summary: Grayson barges in on Ellen and Henry at the end of the work day.
Notes: Follows this. We actually wrote this two weeks ago and it's been sitting in my Shifts document waiting to be edited ever since, whoops.
"So, what did you think of your first day?" Henrietta Stone asked, motioning Ellen into one of the chairs across from her desk.
Ellen smiled without effort. She had been doing that all day-it was hard not to, around the kids, and a very welcome change from the past few weeks. "I loved it. You all are doing some great work here and I had fun with the tots. It's definitely been a good day."
"Good," Henrietta said with a smile. "I'm not sure where you'll be tomorrow. Depends on where we need the help."
"That's fine with me."
She scrutinized Ellen more closely, slipping her bifocals off her nose. "From what I observed, you plainly adore the kids. Are you looking to go into childcare?"
"I...wasn't," Ellen said slowly, "but I like it."
"Well, take your time and if you have anywhere in particular you want to try, just let me know and we'll fit you in."
"Wherever you need me is just fine for now," she said, not wanting to appear picky. Having a job-and one she actually liked, at that-exhilarated her, and she did not want to ruin it.
"Just let me know," Henrietta said.
Before she could continue, her door banged open and Grayson waltzed in. "Henry, I...Oh, hi!" he said, spotting Ellen and beaming.
She turned, and had to grin back at the expression on his face. "Hi, Grayson."
"Grayson! For the last time, haven't you ever heard of knocking?" Henrietta grumbled.
"Nope! It's fundamentally out of my brain capacity."
"Just give up now," Ellen advised.
Henrietta shook her head. "Somehow I can't help it."
"That's okay," Grayson told her. "I forgive you."
Ellen got up from her seat. "Are you ready to go?"
"Yup. Just gotta pick my stuff up from my office and then we need to swing by for Nate, if Rachel will ever let him go."
"Okay." She turned back to Henrietta. "Do you need me for anything else?"
"Nope. I'll see you tomorrow morning!"
Ellen picked up her purse. "Great. I'll go with you then, Grayson. Thank you, Ms. Stone!"
"Please, call me Henrietta," she said, but the latter syllables were drowned out by Grayson's loud "Henry!"
"Sure, if you want," Ellen said, shooting Grayson a Look.
He grinned irrepressibly. "What?"
Henrietta just rolled her eyes. "Have a good evening, you two. Give Nate a hug for me."
"Thanks, we will." Ellen all but pushed Grayson out the door.
"Oww," Grayson whined. "What's that for?"
"You were teasing your boss," she said sternly.
"Ellen, I didn't recommend you to Henry so you could lecture me."
She grinned. "Well, you're stuck with me now."
He heaved a sigh. "I suppose I can live with that. I'll just have to do it when you're not around."
"Well, I guess if I'm not there I can't interfere." Ellen smiled and hooked her arm through his. "Seriously, though, thank you. I really appreciate it."
Grayson grinned. "My pleasure. Now you can prove to Drew that I really do have a big kid job!"
"If I must," she said, with a longsuffering sigh.
"Well, you don't, but I'd appreciate it. Randy too."
"As long as I don't have to call him that when I say so."
"But that's half the fun!" He began to bounce alongside her.
"I'll leave that part to you."
"Fine."
"Dada! Ellen!" Nate squealed, sprinting forward out of practically nowhere and tackling Ellen around the knees.
"Hey, Nate!" Ellen scooped the little boy up and settled him comfortably at her waist. "Ready to go home?"
"Uh huh!"
Grayson's grin widened. Ellen glanced at him. "What?"
He blinked and then immediately adopted a look of complete innocence. "Nothing," he said, accepting Nate's bag from Rachel and thanking her in an absent sort of way.
"Okay, then," Ellen said, amused. "Let's go home."
"Home!" Nate echoed happily.
"Sounds good to me," Grayson agreed.
Story: Shifts universe (post-Shifts)
Challenge: Cherry Vanilla 2 (there’s something in the air) [Marina]; Guava 14 (the best is yet to come), Trail Mix 7 (hallway) [Casey]
Toppings/Extras: Caramel, Sprinkles, Smoothie
Word Count: 650
Rating: G
Summary: Grayson barges in on Ellen and Henry at the end of the work day.
Notes: Follows this. We actually wrote this two weeks ago and it's been sitting in my Shifts document waiting to be edited ever since, whoops.
"So, what did you think of your first day?" Henrietta Stone asked, motioning Ellen into one of the chairs across from her desk.
Ellen smiled without effort. She had been doing that all day-it was hard not to, around the kids, and a very welcome change from the past few weeks. "I loved it. You all are doing some great work here and I had fun with the tots. It's definitely been a good day."
"Good," Henrietta said with a smile. "I'm not sure where you'll be tomorrow. Depends on where we need the help."
"That's fine with me."
She scrutinized Ellen more closely, slipping her bifocals off her nose. "From what I observed, you plainly adore the kids. Are you looking to go into childcare?"
"I...wasn't," Ellen said slowly, "but I like it."
"Well, take your time and if you have anywhere in particular you want to try, just let me know and we'll fit you in."
"Wherever you need me is just fine for now," she said, not wanting to appear picky. Having a job-and one she actually liked, at that-exhilarated her, and she did not want to ruin it.
"Just let me know," Henrietta said.
Before she could continue, her door banged open and Grayson waltzed in. "Henry, I...Oh, hi!" he said, spotting Ellen and beaming.
She turned, and had to grin back at the expression on his face. "Hi, Grayson."
"Grayson! For the last time, haven't you ever heard of knocking?" Henrietta grumbled.
"Nope! It's fundamentally out of my brain capacity."
"Just give up now," Ellen advised.
Henrietta shook her head. "Somehow I can't help it."
"That's okay," Grayson told her. "I forgive you."
Ellen got up from her seat. "Are you ready to go?"
"Yup. Just gotta pick my stuff up from my office and then we need to swing by for Nate, if Rachel will ever let him go."
"Okay." She turned back to Henrietta. "Do you need me for anything else?"
"Nope. I'll see you tomorrow morning!"
Ellen picked up her purse. "Great. I'll go with you then, Grayson. Thank you, Ms. Stone!"
"Please, call me Henrietta," she said, but the latter syllables were drowned out by Grayson's loud "Henry!"
"Sure, if you want," Ellen said, shooting Grayson a Look.
He grinned irrepressibly. "What?"
Henrietta just rolled her eyes. "Have a good evening, you two. Give Nate a hug for me."
"Thanks, we will." Ellen all but pushed Grayson out the door.
"Oww," Grayson whined. "What's that for?"
"You were teasing your boss," she said sternly.
"Ellen, I didn't recommend you to Henry so you could lecture me."
She grinned. "Well, you're stuck with me now."
He heaved a sigh. "I suppose I can live with that. I'll just have to do it when you're not around."
"Well, I guess if I'm not there I can't interfere." Ellen smiled and hooked her arm through his. "Seriously, though, thank you. I really appreciate it."
Grayson grinned. "My pleasure. Now you can prove to Drew that I really do have a big kid job!"
"If I must," she said, with a longsuffering sigh.
"Well, you don't, but I'd appreciate it. Randy too."
"As long as I don't have to call him that when I say so."
"But that's half the fun!" He began to bounce alongside her.
"I'll leave that part to you."
"Fine."
"Dada! Ellen!" Nate squealed, sprinting forward out of practically nowhere and tackling Ellen around the knees.
"Hey, Nate!" Ellen scooped the little boy up and settled him comfortably at her waist. "Ready to go home?"
"Uh huh!"
Grayson's grin widened. Ellen glanced at him. "What?"
He blinked and then immediately adopted a look of complete innocence. "Nothing," he said, accepting Nate's bag from Rachel and thanking her in an absent sort of way.
"Okay, then," Ellen said, amused. "Let's go home."
"Home!" Nate echoed happily.
"Sounds good to me," Grayson agreed.