"I’ll get the door!” Simba announced to no one in particular, considering Berlioz was the only other one home. Ashlee was out with friends, which was why they’d chosen this night in particular to have everyone over. Didn’t want to stress her out when this (inevitably - Berlioz’s negativity) potentially blew up.
Simba didn’t think it was going to. It was going to go well! He was determined for it to. Because the holidays were about family (according to Ber) and this was the perfect opportunity to get everyone together and fix everything (according to the Hallmark movies Simba had been binging.)
“Hey!” Simba beamed as he opened the door. “Woah,” he blurted a second later, unable to help himself. He had figured that it’d be weird to see her, but that didn’t even come close. She looked so much like Belle had at her age it was a little uncanny. Kind of cool. Simba was jealous. He wished he had a daughter that had come back in time to say hi to him.
“Hi Oncle Simba!” Opal chirped.
Well, he supposed he would take a niece.
Immediately, Opal sank down to pet the dogs, rubbing all of them on the head. “Aw, hey old man!” she said to Bowie, kissing him on the nose.
“Hey,” Simba said, shaking Lou’s hand as he came through the door. “You can put the presents under the tree.”
“Is there one for me?” Opal asked, popping up and gliding towards Simba. She popped up on her toes for a hug, which Simba obliged, still kind of feeling some weird sense of deja vu.
“Course there is one for you, sorry if it’s not great--short notice and all that.”
“I’m sure it’s great, where is Oncle Berlioz?”
“In the kitchen.”
“Great.” Opal headed in that direction without having to be told where it was.
[simba’s outfit, with this shirt and these pants] [toulouse’s outfit] [opal’s outfit]
It had been a long time since Belle had made time for Berlioz. She felt guilty for that, but they had seen each other. At busy family dinners with Simba, Hades, Toulouse, and all the children running underfoot. They saw each other at tense summer board meetings, at friendly game nights, and here and there. But they hadn’t spent time, just the two of them, in a very long time.
So, Belle had shown up at Berlioz’s house with Shuck at her side on a grey, brisk, late summer evening. Fireflies had lit her path up to the house and now, they were walking along the lake. She wished they could hit the trails, but they were still mostly overgrown.
Her arm looped through Berlioz’s as they walked, her cheek on his bicep. The dogs bounded ahead, wrestling together as they went, like children themselves.
They were quiet at first. Belle had not said why she came over. Only that she’d wanted to talk to Berlioz. Now, she just wished they could stay silent. With Berlioz, silence was easy. Talking was usually too, but--Belle didn’t know where to start. Everything felt very tangled. She felt guilty and she felt sad and part of her still felt a bitter sort of jealousy, watching Hades fall apart without Toulouse.
“Toulouse...” Belle started, because that was where it all started, no matter what version of the story was told. “He left for Paris and he hasn’t come back.” They took a few more steps, their shoes crunching along the gravel of the lake.
“I don’t believe he’s going to come home, to the cottage, when he does. If he does.” She sighed a little and shifted her grip on his arm, not looking up at him.
In which Berlioz shares some news about his birth father with his siblings...[takes place: idk some time in late April maybe??? idk we mentioned Marie’s birthday lol]
@ber-bonfamille-lyons, @marie-a-bonfamille
[tw -- fucked up family dynamics lmao]
BERLIOZ:
Today, Ber was gonna tell Marie and Lou about Jenny. And it was probably going to go spectacularly wrong.
It was important that Berlioz started at this pessimistic baseline. Sure, some of Simba’s sunshine had rubbed off over the years. In fact, enough had that Berlioz thought in the end, everything might be alright– that end might just be very very very very far from now. First, he’d have to endure his siblings’ shock and then, perhaps, some quarreling. He tried to play out the scenario in all the worst cases possible just to prepare himself. Yelling, fighting, insulting. In one torrid nightmare version, Berlioz imagined Lou disowning him from the family, though it wasn’t like he had the power to do that.
He probably wouldn’t either. It was just an exercise, remember. Expect the worst. Hope for nothing. At best, expect an awkward conversation and pouting from his elder brother. Marie, he dared think she might be slightly delighted, if only because she had always wanted a sister…though she’d probably change her mind if she ever met Jenny.
One thing at a time, eh?
So here they were all gathered in the Bonfamille Manor again. Berlioz decided it was best to do it outside. It was at least pretty outside. The flowers were all blooming, Nounou making wonderful work of the garden as she always did. Sun out, a few clouds, rather warm– at least if Ber was going to get yelled at, he’d do it somewhere very pleasant.
Simba, by the way, was not here. He’d thought very hard about it and asked him to come, then changed his mind, when one of the nightmare scenarios involved Lou and Simba fighting each other over tea while Berlioz slumped off a chair and crawled into the hydrangeas.
If Ber was to be sneered at, he’d just take it, then go. That was the official plan. Just. Black out a little, wait for Lou to be finished, then hop the fence and meet Simba at the lake to decompress.
“So,” said Berlioz as he looked at his siblings, unsure how to even… how did one begin a conversation such as this, eh? “How’s everything then?”
Apparently, like that.
TOULOUSE:
Being called around for tea wasn’t so strange. He tried to stop by the manor a few times a week. It usually was not hard. His schedule was open enough to leave him restless, especially with the twins in daycare all day. Yes, most of the time he was watching Opal, but especially on the weekends, when her parents were both home he felt--adrift.
So, he had taken to coming around the manor to sulk when he felt…unnecessary at the Acherons. No one noticed this. Belle and Hades because they had their hands full with the children. His mother, and sister because she was delighted any time he showed up. His brother, because he came around even more seldom than Lou. Although Maman scolded him for not coming by as often as Lou, which was empty in terms of evidence, because even if Lou and Ber came over the same amount, his mother would probably scold Berlioz for not coming over enough. Plus, even if Lou came once a week, it would be more than Ber bothered to show up.
It was even more rare that the three of them were all together like this with no distractions from the Acheron children, their mother, or their cousines.
For Lou, it felt a bit strange, but nice. The weather was perfect, if a bit chilly with the wind (not that he minded a bit of a chill these days.) The food was delicious and, even if they had nothing to say to each other, his siblings were the best kept company, in his opinion.
There was something to be said today at tea, however. Lou could sense it. He had no idea if this was because he was simply an older brother, or if the wolf sensed the unease in the air. Regardless, Ber was being particularly twitchy.
So, Lou endeavored to make him say whatever was on his mind by remaining stubbornly silent. He poured his tea, put his sugar in, stirred it. Once the crystals had melted and he’d tapped his spoon on the rim, Ber was ready to speak--and give nothing away.
“Adequate,” Lou replied to his brother. He did not have a better word to describe it. Anything too positive would feel like gushing, anything less would make it sound like he was discontent. Adequate was, indeed, high praise from him.
“Marie? Did you have a good birthday?”
MARIE:
Marie thought this was very strange.
All three of them, just… enjoying tea in the garden? Without a parent involved to shoo them all into one spot and make them sit politely? Of course it was not uncommon for her to spend time with her brothers, the three of them all together, but this felt like something their Maman would organise, not Berlioz. Something was afoot.
And yet, Marie wasn’t too bothered. Maybe a tad suspicious, but she wasn’t worried. She liked to think that if it was something urgent, or awful, there wouldn’t have been time for tea. How many times now had the three of them been in mortal peril? She was starting to understand the difference between real danger and domestic troubles. Whatever it was that Berlioz had to say, it couldn’t be too bad. Not if it was being done over a cup of tea and some of NouNou’s madeleines.
In fact, Marie was so not bothered that she hadn’t been paying much attention. She had been playing with TuTu’s ears as the puppy slept slumped over Marie’s leg, pinching them gently between thumb and forefinger and thinking that they were really far too big for her tiny head. She looked up when she heard her name, glancing between her brothers before she broke out into a bright smile.
“Wonderful as always,” She chirped, reaching over the dog for her tea. “It was actually sort of nice to keep things low-key for a change. Certainly a lot less stressful than party planning.”
BERLIOZ:
Well this was all well and good, wasn’t it?
This was the best case scenario: Marie happy, fresh off the high of getting yet another pet (she should probably chill out, but he was married to Simba who was constantly begging for more dogs, so he got it). And then Lou… who was– adequate. In Lou speak, that was a goddamn glowing review of this life, not that Ber would point that out. These updates, as brief as they were, were almost enough to give Berlioz hope that they’d gotten through the worst of their growing pains and might actually be on the other side of it.
But that would be naive. And Ber could be a lot of things, but never naive. In fact, he usually overcorrected to be so bloody prepared for disaster that he caused it.
He might be about to cause some disaster right now.
Berlioz nodded, his hands under the table, rubbing over his exposed knees through the rips in his jeans. Right, so, er, as much as he’d like to draw this out, nice and painful, his shit communication skills meant he couldn’t think of any small talk beyond asking about TuTu. And Lou was a bit sour over TuTu so that would just put Lou in a worse mood so…
Best. Do it. Now?
“Yeah, I’ve been tellin’ you that. Private’s always better,” said Ber. He leaned back in his chair, scratched behind his own ear. His gaze jumped from the table to Lou. Lou was staring at him. Lou knew. Or he knew something. C’mon then, out with it.
“Er, so– so anyway actually– er– so uh– here’s somethin’ funny.” Was it funny? “So uh, I actually ended up lookin’ into the whole– birth father situation and get this, I ah– found him. I sent him an email and everything.”
Pause– brace for impact.
TOULOUSE:
Lou blinked slowly at his brother.
His half-brother, technically, as he was so rudely reminded out of the blue. Lou did not like thinking about Ber that way. It didn’t make sense to him. As soon as the truth of it all had come to light, Lou had immediately pushed it out of his mind. It didn’t matter in any way that counted for something, but--he couldn’t help but worry that Ber would use it as an excuse. Lou was under no false impressions about how Berlioz felt about the Bonfamille name.
He had just, foolishly, hoped that Berlioz would leave it alone. That it wouldn’t matter, because who needed a father anyway? Lou barely had one and he’d managed. Marie had more or less gotten Toulouse for a father, and she’d turned out decently enough.
“Quoi?” Lou asked, eyes narrowing slightly.
He wasn’t sure what else Berlioz wanted from him. Was he supposed to congratulate him? Or be curious about this man who had broken apart their family? (Oh yes, Toulouse certainly blamed him--how could he not?)
MARIE:
Marie looked up, and just like Toulouse, blinked owlishly.
It was perhaps ironic that Marie had acted exactly the way Lou had, in that she didn’t really like to think about Ber technically not being one of them. A Bonfamille. He was… someone else. And if you had asked her as recently as five years ago, she would’ve rolled her eyes and said well, duh. In a far more ladylike manner, of course, but still. She would’ve said that much was obvious. Berlioz had always been different — it was why he and Marie had squabbled so much. They hadn’t been able to agree on anything, really.
But that Marie wasn’t the one who was sat at the table now, looking at Berlioz as though he’d just grown a second head. She and Berlioz got along a lot better nowadays. He’d been the first to support her, when she’d decided to leave her coronation. They were certainly friends now, which she wasn’t sure she would’ve said a few years ago.
Though, that didn’t change the fact that Berlioz was still, had always been and always would be, so different to his siblings. And now he had found his father. Whatif this father was exactly like Berlioz? And what if there was another Lou and another Marie that were exactly like Berlioz, and he ditched the two of them? Maybe now was a little late to be realising it, but Marie didn’t want Berlioz to ditch her. Worse yet— if he did, he’d probably take Simba with him.
Marie didn’t voice any of these concerns, however. She looked between her older brothers (her older brother, her older half-brother), and sipped her tea. Lou had pretty much summed it up, anyway.
BERLIOZ:
Ah– so this was going to go exactly how he thought.
In a way, this was a relief. But Berlioz’s body still stiffened slightly as his brother cut his eyes toward him. What was honestly more surprising was Marie’s non reaction, though. He’d expected– well, Ber didn’t know exactly what he expected, but he did expect something. Marie liked to be vocal about her opinions, and sure, she knew how to mask when she needed to but it wasn’t like she’d ever shied away from telling Ber exactly how she felt or what she thought of him. Yet here his little sister was– just looking. Waiting? Thinking??
He realized he’d been relying on Marie’s support more than he thought. He swallowed roughly, not really sure what to…
“Uh… yeah,” uttered Berlioz. His hands fell in his lap and he fiddled with a leather bracelet on his wrist, pulling it back and forth so it rubbed into his skin, though not hard enough to hurt or anything like that. It was just something to do, some other thing to think about, instead of the blank faces of his siblings.
“I mean I didn’t– I thought maybe he wouldn’t even write back. I dunno. I just had to do it or I’d always wonder, I guess,” he confessed and looked down at that wrist, that bracelet, feeling like he was in a pew, telling a priest all his sins. “But I guess he did write back and uh– well he seems like an alright bloke actually, and he’s got a daughter, so that’s– she’s younger than you, Marie–
He looked up at her now, desperate for something. Surely she’d be happy– or interested? Or something?
“Name’s Jenny. She does jazz piano.” He swallowed again. “Uh…yeah.”
MARIE:
Marie almost dropped her teacup right down onto her dog’s head.
Inside Marie there were two wolves. Although they were less like wolves and more like little, perfectly groomed kittens, but that was not the point. One was desperate for a sister. She had grown up as the youngest of two brothers and even though those brothers had taken care of her she knew it was nothing like having a sister. There was a bond between sisters that Marie had seen, on the television, with her friends, between her own mother and her tantine, and the idea that she would never really know what that was like gnawed away at her.
The other one, however, was terrified of being replaced. Or, well, up until now it had been terrified of being left behind, which was the natural fear of the youngest sibling. Always following on the heels of her brothers, Marie had felt like, lately, the distance between them was growing faster than she could keep up. And this Jenny and her jazz piano– piano! The one thing she and Berlioz had ever really done together, growing up, had been to sit at that piano under the direction of their mother. And perhaps he hadn’t really wanted to be there (Marie couldn’t be sure; she had enjoyed herself, most of the time. She had liked any excuse to sing), but Marie thought that was one of the few things they’d bonded over. That they had in common. This Jenny, she would just slot right in, wouldn’t she?
She wasn’t sure which voice in her head she should listen to first. The one that wanted to know more, or the one that wanted to panic. The one that wanted to know more had a lot of very clever and very reassuring points to make, but the one that wanted to panic was a lot louder
But Marie was mature now. Ish. She could read a room, at the very least, and she had a feeling Toulouse was not going to take this very well, and she could see that look in Berlioz’s eyes. The one of a man in open water, hoping for a lifebuoy.
She glanced at Toulouse. She looked back at Ber. She put her teacup down before TuTu got soaked right through.
“Have you spoken to her?” She asked, leaning in a little closer. “What’s she like? Have you said anything about– us?”
BERLIOZ:
Lou was dead silent.
This was a very bad thing.
Berlioz was trying not to focus on that. He reminded himself that it was expected– that he was prepared for it. Lou was entitled to his feelings and he could get upset if he liked, so long as Berlioz remembered it had nothing to do with him - that he himself had done nothing wrong - he was perfectly in his rights to reach out to whoever he wanted and go about this on his own timetable and in his own way.
He could hear Nancy’s voice as he recited these affirmations to himself. He had gone over all this with her in advance, as anxiety dictated.
But he could also hear Simba too. He could imagine him here, the weight of his hand squeezing Berlioz’s knee, his eyes bright and fierce as he stared down his brother. It was definitely a good thing he wasn’t actually present, but… imagining him still gave Berlioz an anchor. Once this was all finished, no matter how it ended, he’d have a home to go back to and a husband who loved him. More than any of his affirmations, this alone gave him the confidence not to apologize.
At least Marie had, er, an expression. His eyes darted back to her as he saw her lean forward, put down her little tea cup. Her questions were quite polite and a bit restrained, but when he lifted his eyes to meet her own, she at least looked sincere.
He’d never appreciated Marie more than now.
“Oh uh– yeah, course. I told her about both of you,” he said, nodding. “She knows you’re trying to open your own boutique…that Lou paints and uh– likes dinosaurs–” a bit of a weird anecdote to come out, but it had. It was one of Berlioz’s favourite things about his brother, maybe because it reminded him of their youth, playing legos and pretend. “She’s um… she is actually much more like you two than she is like me.” He chuckled, tugging at that bracelet of his again. “Sort of… confident and strong-minded and all that. Her parents– well, uh, my bio dad I guess– they’re divorced too and she was pretty protective over him. Thought me reaching out was some ploy for blackmail or whatever. But uh, yeah, she’s cool.”
TOULOUSE:
“Suppose that’s another tick in the nature column,” Lou said, his voice measured but underneath it was scathing.
He didn’t like this. He did not like it at all. His immediate instinct was to forbid Ber from seeing her. From seeing his biological father. It was like when you slipped and grabbed onto the person next to you by instinct. Except it was Berlioz he felt slipping—away from him. Away from their family. This was a fear that Toulouse had had as far as he could remember. He used to hold on so tightly to Ber’s hand, at galas, at performances, at dinner parties in their dining room. Always knowing Ber wanted to run.
The same feeling had been there not too long ago, when they’d sat on the balcony at the beach and discussed the deaths of their loved ones. Toulouse had known then there was nothing holding Berlioz to him. There was no tether. Not even string.
And Lou was self aware enough to know that this was his fault. No matter how much he had tried: first to comfort Ber, then to mold him, then to punish him, and finally to try and accept him as he was—Ber didn’t care. And Ber wasn’t interested.
There was too much baggage and this new family was shiny and new.
“The appropriate term is birth father,” Lou continued in the same tone: nonchalant bordering on furious.
“Are you planning on pursuing a relationship with them?”
BERLIOZ:
Here were some good things, eh?
Lou was not yelling. Lou had not openly insulted anyone yet, really. That first comment was a bit…well, Ber didn’t know exactly how to take it, it was just a bit sarcastic but Ber was plenty sarcastic all the time. Point was, in his nightmares, he had built Lou’s reaction up to be explosive and cutting. It wasn’t going well. Ber could read the bloody room in that sense. But it could always be worse.
And see, times like these really drove home why pessimism was the correct philosophy of choice for Berlioz.
Not that any of those good things made this any easier.
Berlioz was still on edge, expecting a proper blow-up at any moment. Lou would probably not yell, but that didn’t mean his anger couldn’t lash out and do its damage. Ber swallowed, a beat passing. He had hoped Marie might jump in with something, just to give Ber an extra second, or to distract from the question at hand, the answer to which Ber knew was gonna proper piss his brother off. Unfortunately, nothing. So the clock ticked again. Ber put his hands on the arms of the chair. He had to say something, or Lou would fill in the silence with something worse.
Though what was worse than ‘yes’ for his brother?
“Well,” stalled Berlioz, since ‘well’ was not ‘yes.’
“Well,” a second time. “I mean, um, sort of– I dunno exactly… they live in the States so s’not like I’ll see ‘em all the time or like I’m plannin’ a trip or anything like that but uh, y’know, email exchanges and all that, I was thinking, maybe, if they er… were okay… with that…”
He trailed off, words getting quite mumbled at the end there.
MARIE:
Marie looked between the two of them, wondering if this was about to turn into a very big, very snippy argument. The worst Bonfamille arguments were always snippy, in her opinion. Yelling was vulgar, and unnecessary in the first place because a point that had to be made by shouting wasn’t a very good point at all. Arguments that were even-toned cut deeper, because you knew the other person really meant what they were saying.
She looked at Lou when Berlioz explain, stumbling and starting, but the more mumbly his voice got, the more he tripped over his words, Marie’s gaze was drawn to Ber, her lips pressing into a thin pink line.
The thing was, Marie wanted nothing less than for Berlioz to go and find some new family, a family that would be much better suited to him than the one he had now. Was it not enough that he had found and crafted a family of his own in Swynlake? Why did he have to go looking for a new one? And from America, no less! It was all horrible. Not just because they were Americans, though that was part of it (and yes, she loved Pacifica, but honestly), but because America was on the other side of the world. What if Ber like this family so much he moved there? Distance made people forget things. Forget other people. Easy to forget your little sister when you had another, littler sister that you got on with a lot better right at hand.
She swallowed thickly, picking up her tea cup again so she could take a sip from it, hoping that might help. Even if Ber said he wasn’t planning anything, that just meant he wasn’t planning anything now. Things would change. They would grow closer. And then Ber would leave.
Marie knew she should be happy for him, but it was very difficult, and Marie had never really liked doing anything that was particularly difficult. Still, she tried for a smile, even if it was a tad more like a grimace. “So you’re going to… email them? That’s… good.”
BERLIOZ:
Lou was quiet again. Bad.
But Marie was quiet too. And this, this was definitely worse – and entirely unexpected. Even in the nightmarish scenarios he’d dreamed up in order to prepare for this, he’d never imagined Marie rather stoic and still, drinking tea with a pinched lip. Where the hell was his sister? Wasn’t she going to ask more questions? She was nosy as hell, outgoing to a T – didn’t she want to look up Jenny’s Instagram or start making snooty comments about the Americans that shared half of Ber’s DNA?
If she did, even if she was mean and judgmental, Berlioz woulda thought, okay, things were gonna sort themselves out. But Marie was quiet. Polite. Holding herself back. More than ever, she resembled not their mother, but Lou, who was sitting right beside her.
They were… going to gang up on him, weren’t they?
Great. Good. Hadn’t prepared for that one. Though it also just didn’t make sense, like sure, Lou hated all this from the start, but Marie? What was Marie’s problem?
Time around Simba meant that he really, almost, nearly said this out loud. His gaze traveled from sibling to sibling, the silence spreading between the three again, like a second tablecloth. He could rip it from underneath them all and risk breaking everything. That had never been his move.
“I mean, yeah,” he said after that beat. “Just to keep in touch.” Another beat, waiting for someone to say something, but they didn’t. And that desire to break things resurfaced. Strange. But he’d been prepared for disaster, waiting for disaster, so to walk away from a stilted, awkward conversation with no climax was probably worse, yeah? It meant the disaster would lurk and bite at Berlioz’s heels when he least expected it. He’d rather just get it out of the way.
And so he decided he’d piss ‘em off.
“I mean….I think you’d actually like ‘em. Jenny and Steve,” he said.
MARIE:
Marie looked at Lou, waiting for him to say something. Lou, specifically, because there was absolutely no way he didn’t have any opinion on the matter. That he didn’t have something he wanted to say. She had expected him to steer the conversation – he was the eldest, it was his job to be in charge.
And Marie really, honestly didn’t know what to say. She didn’t know how to be happy for Berlioz whilst also feeling like a little girl trying to cling to his trouser leg to keep him from leaving. Had she ever told Ber that she was sorry for all those teenage years spent squabbling over the stupidest little things? They had all just gone away, water under the bridge, but maybe she should’ve said something to him. Maybe then he wouldn’t have gone looking for a new family, because he’d have a perfectly good one right here in Swynlake.
There was a very small part of Marie’s brain that was capable of rational thinking, and had she ever listened to it, she would’ve known that that was pretty mean. She would understand that Berlioz was allowed to look into his birth father and to the other half of his family, especially seeing as he’d been lied to for a very long time now. It was a shame that she didn’t pay more attention to that little rational voice, really. Everything might have gone a lot more smoothly if she had.
As it was, Ber’s comment irritated her a little, because her first thought was that she didn’t want to like them. They weren’t family and they were trying to take her brother (brothers, she kept reminding herself, because Simba would surely go as well) so why should she like them? But she had to be happy for Ber, so she hid the small crease in her brow by looking down at TuTu momentarily; when she looked up again she smiled, as encouragingly as she could.
“Are they both into music?” She asked, remembering the jazz piano comment. Marie didn’t really like jazz, but she supposed that made sense, for an American.
TOULOUSE:
Lou’s scoff was loud enough to cut across Marie’s innocent inquiry.
He knew Berlioz was trying to rile him, in the way that only his siblings really could. Almost anyone else and Lou could keep his demeanor calm. Aloof. But the comment grated because it spoke to that deep, clawing fear that had been rising in him ever since Ber had started talking. That Ber liked this new family. That Ber liked this new family more than the one he already had.
And Lou blamed himself for this. He knew he had not been the brother Ber needed for—most of their lives. Certainly their adult ones. Potentially ever since they’d come to this forsaken town. Now, because the universe was cruel, it had given Ber another option. A better option.
It hurt and so, Lou did exactly what he always did when he was hurt. When he felt out of control of a situation. When he felt the people he loved, whether real or in his own head, slipping away.
“Marie, his father,” Lou spat the word with as much disrespect as he could manage (which was a lot, as you might imagine), “was in a touring rock band.”
Lou sat up from where he’d been sulking in his patio chair. The wolf inside him was whining, making it hard to think. Though, whether it was because Ber was trying to pick a fight or Ber was trying to leave was anyone’s guess.
“But yes, sure, we will all get along splendidly. You know, you should invite them for tea,” Lou suggested scathingly, “Maman would love that.”
BERLIOZ:
Ah, and there it was.
Well, Berlioz had poked the dragon on purpose, so he wasn’t surprised. In fact, as Lou finally let out the sneer he had been holding, Berlioz only felt relief. There, a real reaction– as unfair and stupid as the reaction was. At least it sounded like his brother. At least Berlioz had been right. At least now, Berlioz could actually deal with it.
Would this go the way all the fights from their childhood would go? Ber would press back, but Lou would be stronger? Would Berlioz’s lip wobble? Would he slink away in retreat only for Lou to come find him later, with a cigarette, or a drink, or other metaphorical olive branch? They wouldn’t talk about it. The silence would become the agreement. If Ber never brought up Jenny and Steve again, all would be well.
Normally Berlioz would be fine with all that but this time was different. Maybe he was just sick of playing the same broken record and tiptoeing around his big brother when he bloody shouldn’t have to.
He sighed, a short puff of air– clearly exasperated. Not trying to hide it. “This isn’t about Maman,” he said, thought that wasn’t what he wanted to say–
This isn’t about you. Ah yeah, he wanted to say that. But even Berlioz wasn’t quite brave enough yet. He felt like a kitten dancing around a much bigger cat, trying to swat at its tail without getting its head bit off.
“Look, I’d just rather we all treat each other decently, okay? I dunno what’s goin’ to come of it.” His shoulders raised to his ears. “Maybe we’ll talk a lot, maybe we won’t, maybe they’ll visit, maybe they won’t, but I don’t wanna pretend like I’m doin’ something wrong either way. I’m not.”
TOULOUSE:
Toulouse knew what he expected from Berlioz: for him to shrink. For him to get small, so that Lou could wrest control of the situation. That was the whole problem, wasn’t it? Lou, suddenly feeling out of control. Suddenly feeling like his brother was leaving him. It made his world tilt on its axis until everything was distorted, like he was slipping, grasping, floundering—trying to stay upright. It made the wolf whine, riotous in his chest.
Prehaps he shouldn’t expect his brother to shrink. Or want him to. In many other situations, he wouldn’t. If he was standing up to anyone else.
If he reflected on this later, maybe he would feel guilty.
But Lou was the worst of himself: impulsive, cruel, and angry—when he felt those he loved slipping away.
“You can’t just expect us to all get along,” Lou snapped. “If you didn’t think you were doing anything wrong why didn’t you tell us you were contacting them if that’s what you planned on doing? You haven’t told us anything for months and now are forcing these people into our family and just expecting us to all get along. Why should I treat this man decently when all I know about him is that he didn’t care about tearing a family apart in the first place? I don’t understand what you’d want to do with him either.”
MARIE:
Marie had been quiet, thinking about their Maman. Poor Maman. Marie knew what it was like to make…. romantic mistakes. To get caught up in the moment and let it sweep you away, caught in a tide that just dragged you out to a whole ocean of trouble. Marie doubted Maman was sorry about it, because that dalliance had given her Berlioz, but she was probably going to be mortified to have that man back in her life. And their father! Poor Papa. She knew that things had not always been easy between the boys and their father but Marie knew her Papa, and she couldn’t imagine how difficult it would be, to have to play happy families…
But she was pulled away from that as Lou’s voice washed over her, his words bringing her back to the table. She watched in abject horror, her eyes wide, flitting from one brother to the other. This was going from bad to worse, and the way Lou snapped, just as Berlioz had wanted him to–
Marie was not much of a problem solver. She caused more problems than she tended to solve and she usually needed someone else to help her with those problems, but she usually meant well. And that was all she could hope to do right now - to mean well. She had no idea what the right thing was to say, but she had to say something, before Berlioz could use this as an excuse to leave the Manor and run away to his new family, never to return again.
“I understand.” She said, her voice squeaky. She didn’t chance a glance at Toulouse, knowing that he would be glaring at her. In her own defense, however, it was sort of impossible to appease both brothers at the same time right now. “I understand why you would want to know him. But…” She spoke slowly, gently, trying not to visibly wince. “Lou’s right. It might have been nice to know you were thinking about it. It’s… rather sudden. Or it seems that way, anyways.”
BERLIOZ:
Thank god for Marie, honestly.
Without her, Ber wasn’t sure what he would have said. But he would have said something. He was a coiled up snake, the tension having built this entire bloody tea, and now he wanted to strike out as Lou just as Lou tried to strike out at him. It was a miracle that Lou’s shots hadn’t done more damage as it was. Perhaps a year ago, they would have. But now when his brother spoke, Berlioz just saw the holes in his words, the holes in his own confidence. It wasn’t fucking about Berlioz. It was never about Berlioz. It was always about Lou– his opinions and his desires.
But as Marie tried to soften everything, some of that tension did bleed from Ber’s rigid shoulders. His gaze darted to his little sister. And he did feel– a little guilty. But not that guilty. He never claimed to know what he was doin’, after all. He’d approached his new father like a kicked animal, moving very slowly. It wasn’t like he’d planned for Jenny to show up on his door.
Not that he was goin’ to tell either of his siblings that much. They didn’t deserve to know.
(It was sad that Ber felt that way. But he’d hold up his guards. Lou proved he needed them.)
“I’ve just been figuring it all out for myself, okay?” he told them both. “I didn’t even know if he was going to answer me or if he did, what I was gonna feel about it. It was a shot in the dark– not some grand plan to go behind your back. I don’t fucking do that. It’s not like I’m tryin’ to hurt anyone.”
Why would his brother think he was? Why did Lou always treat Ber’s decisions like personal attacks against him?
“So I’m tellin’ you now, cuz, well, he has contacted me and all that. Isn’t that good enough?”
TOULOUSE:
“But why?” Lou pressed. “You don’t have to figure it out for yourself.”
That was what Lou didn’t understand. It wasn’t Ber’s decision so much that upset him (though, yeah). It was the fact he decided it and then just…did it. Told them after the fact. Like they were an afterthought. Like they didn’t matter.
When Belle and Hades had asked him to move in with them, the first people Lou had told were Marie and Berlioz. He told Marie because if she told him she still needed him at home, he would’ve stayed. And he told Berlioz--because…because he had wanted to. Because Berlioz was his best friend. It felt as simple as that to him.
So Lou didn’t understand why Ber hadn’t said anything at all to him. Had Lou not been supportive? When Pere had been horrible, Lou had severed his own relationship with him. He barely talked to their father anymore. Only text messages to let him know he was still alive once a month or so. He hadn’t done that for himself, but for Ber. All he wanted was to talk. To know these things.
Had he asked? Not necessarily, but that was because he hadn’t known there was anything to ask about! Ber had never once indicated that he wanted to contact his birth father. And Lou had done the research too, because of course he did. About what to call the man (birth father) and avenues to find him. But Ber had done all of those things without him--because he thought he had to do it alone?
Lou felt like he was standing there, a little kid with a drawing he’d done, holding it out for a parent who took it and turned around, throwing it away.
It made him bristle against the hurt, his jaw set as he stared at his brother.
BERLIOZ:
Because you would have told me not to do it.
Berlioz didn’t say that– but he believed it. Lou would mean well, because Lou always meant well, but he also never made room for other people to have different opinions, or feelings. That’s how it felt anyway. He was always right. He was the eldest. He was taking care of everyone. Well, Berlioz hadn’t needed his brother this time– not when it came to deciding somethin’ like meeting his birth father.
Sure, Berlioz had gone back and forth on whether or not to send the email to Steve. And he’d gone back and forth on whether he’d tell Lou and Marie, before or after. A heads up, he could see, might be nice. But it still didn’t really have anything to do with them.
It wouldn’t have changed what Ber woulda done, one way or the other.
And even though his siblings were lookin’ at him, Marie all baffled and Lou clearly pissed off, none of the usual guilt squirmed in his stomach. Was this how Simba felt? Ber wondered. Was this what it was like to feel good about a decision? Would he still have felt this way if Steve and Jenny had turned out to be total dicks?
Those were sorta useless hypotheticals though, so he put them aside.
“Well– maybe I needed to figure it out for myself. This time,” said Berlioz. That was true too, the lesser cruel version. “It’s not personal. I just had to do it my way.”
Didn’t Berlioz always?
MARIE:
He just had to do it his way. As with all things, their entire lives, Berlioz did whatever he was going to, in the way he was going to do it. Had Berlioz’s different parentage ever actually been a surprise? Or, when it had come to light, had Marie just been more surprised that this hadn’t all come up sooner
She pressed her lips into a thin line, resisting the urge to nibble away at the inside of her lip with anxiety. It would be very easy to side with Lou right about now. She almost wanted to, just to ease some of the hurt etched into her eldest brother’s features. Because whilst Marie was a little hurt that Ber hadn’t brought this up sooner, she thought that herself and Berlioz were not quite as close as he was with Lou. In fact, she knew that was the case. Just because they got along these days didn’t mean they were suddenly best friends.
But she knew she couldn’t take sides. Taking Ber’s side would only upset Lou further, and taking Lou’s side would only push Ber further away. She remembered when they were little, and about to cross the street, how she had reached up and held onto their respective hands. She felt like they were back there, except now they were pulling away, moving in different directions, and Marie didn’t know how to hold onto them both.
“But… you’ve told us now.” She said, trying to shift away from things that had already happened, and that they couldn’t change. “So if anything else happens you’ll– you’ll tell us. Right?”
BERLIOZ:
“Right,” said Berlioz right away.
His eyes jumped to Lou, but away just as fast.
But there wasn’t any reason to hide it anymore. Not that Ber had thought he was doing it. He hadn’t been hiding, he was just…waiting. He was just figuring it all out, like he’d told them. Maybe he woulda met Steve and hated the bloke, eh? Then what was the point of continuing on a relationship? There wouldn’t have been. And he wouldn’t have caused any unnecessary ripples in his life. He would have spared himself the additional embarrassment, or spared Lou and Marie the obligation to hate the man on his behalf, or whatever.
But now… yeah, well… he really did think they could get along. That didn’t mean Lou and Steve would get downright chummy or that Jenny and Marie would become best mates. But if every now and then, they came around, they could just say hi and it wouldn’t be…weird.
Okay. It would be weird. But not the sort that would torture Berlioz privately. It was a weird he could handle.
This was only if Lou got on board with the whole thing, and he wasn’t sure that his brother would.
“I don’t think much is gonna happen soon anyway besides, I dunno– texting or emailing but– yeah if I uh, decide to visit them or they come here or whatever, you’ll know.”
TOULOUSE:
Toulouse did not believe Berlioz.
And why would he? Ber had not been forthcoming with any of the other details of his new family. Even though Lou had never wavered in his loyalty. He had ruined his own relationship with their father. (Yes, their father. Hector had raised Ber, even absently. He had been the only father Ber had known. He counted.) Lou had easily shifted his definition of family. It had already been shifting to accommodate Hades and Belle, the children.
He had told Berlioz he would support him, no matter his choice. To tell Hector. To never tell him. That promise had extended to what Ber chose to do with the new information.
But apparently, none of that mattered because Berlioz was not loyal. He did not care about Lou or Marie or their feelings. He was selfish.
He had only ever felt trapped by them, hadn’t he?
Lou looked at his brother and felt like he was seeing him for the first time. The feeling burned through him like the coldest winter wind, until his insides felt scraped clean and numbed.
His expression was as smooth as marble and he stood in one fluid, graceful movement—as if he was worried that an extraneous twitch of a finger would shatter him. His voice, when he spoke, was cool and even.
“Very well. You’ve clearly said what you’ve needed. Is there anything else?”
AQUATA:
Aquata noticed it when she had slipped into the bathroom to check her makeup. And then she had to do a double take. Who in Neptune’s name was taking a pregnancy test?
Only three of her sisters lived in Swynlake right now. Arista wouldn’t have been able to keep it a secret. Neither would Ariel (Aquata hoped not, anyway). And come to think of it, Alana had been acting a little weird, anyway…
The first person she ran into in the hallway was Adella, and Aquata quickly pulled her into the bathroom. “Is Lana pregnant?” she said breathlessly.
ADELLA:
Adella had barely adjusted from the jet lag when Aquata kidnapped her into the bathroom. Holy shit!
“Neptune, no way? What on earth— she doesn’t want kids, right? I can’t imagine Jake changed her mind…wait. Why?”
AQUATA:
Aquata took her hand out from behind her back and unfurled it to reveal a small plastic pregnancy test— with two very clear lines. “I mean, who else’s would it be, right? I found it in here.”
/./ /./ /./
AQUATA:
Did Aquata think it was a little weird that the Lyons were coming? Yeah, a little. But it was probably a good thing that JEFF seemed to be hanging out with Sarabi more, that he had friends his age. And maybe she could talk to Simba about the VFD more.
“Hey! Come on in,” Aquata said when the doorbell rang. “So glad you could all make it.”
SIMBA:
Was it a little weird to be going to Triton Christmas? Simba didn't think so! He got invited to a lot of Christmas celebrations in town. He wanted to stop by all of them, but Ber always said no. The only reason he'd agreed to this one was because Mama was going. Which was a little odd, but not very, because Sarabi was popular and got invited to a lot of things too.
So, here he was, arms laden with presents, Ber and Ashlee a step behind him.
"Hey, Q!" Simba said, leaning down to give her a hug and almost covering her in an avalanche of presents. "Happy we could make it. Is Tina here?"
BERLIOZ:
Yeah, this was a little weird.
But if Ber was gonna pick some party to go to, it would be the Tritons. He knew them well enough; liked them all well enough, and now that a lot of them weren't even here anymore, it meant it wasn't quite as...overwhelming. So yeah, he could do a dinner and chat with Lana or Aquata (his favourites, in that order). And Sarabi was going to be here, and at this point, she was like his mother too. Well. She technically was his mother, sort of...
"Hullo," he greeted with a little wave, but then mostly stuck with Ashlee, helping her navigate around Simba and the avalanche of presents. He'd be her pal tonight too, he figured. Stick together when things got a bit mad.
ASHLEE:
Ashlee was hesitant on coming to the Triton's, now she would never say no but really she didn't get it? Why now? Why this year? It felt weird and all she really could be happy about was that it wasn't a full house.
Now that just sounded horrible. Simba could do enough of the talking with a small group that Ashlee could just coast.
Still she smiled offering a wave and a wide area of space so she didn't have to offer hugs or get hit by a present or five.
This was still all weird. Nodding her head in she waited for Ber so she could follow his lead in.
AQUATA:
"Yeah, she's in the kitchen! Let me just put these under the tree, though," Aquata said, taking a few of the presents out of Simba's hands so that at least he could see where he was going. Classic Simba. He always had to go all-out. "Is your mum on her way, or..." Aquata had assumed she would arrive with the rest of the Bonfamille-Lyons, but she was nowhere to be seen.
SIMBA:
Simba let Aquata take the presents, distracted as he looked for his friend, who was obscured by the small crowd of people standing between the door and the kitchen. He caught a flash of red that he assumed was her and was just about to take a step in her direction when--
He swung his head around again.
"Huh? Mama? She's coming, is she? I didn't know that! Did we know that, mume?" He turned to Ber with a shrug of his shoulders. Ber would've remembered if Simba didn't.
BERLIOZ:
Uhhhhhhhhhhh... did they...?
No. No, Ber didn't think so, but in that moment he was reluctant to say that. He was starting to get a feeling. It was an instinct he'd picked up from being a child of divorced parents. How many times did he remember strange men, Maman's 'friends,' showing up at the house? Or Pere introducing them to a woman-- another 'friend?' He had known in his heart what these people were. But he'd never acknowledged it. Neither did his parents.
This felt like that.
Ber didn't wanna just lie to Simba though. He hesitated, then slowly said, "Uh... no, I don't think so. I don't think she mentioned it..."
ASHLEE:
Ashlee had a bad feeling about this, the day already felt out of sync and she kind of hated that. But she wasn't the one that had to deal with that, No that was all Simba, and Maybe Berlioz.
Instead she just pulled out her phone texting her boyfriend instead as a way to distract herself.
/./ /./ /./
AQUATA:
Questioning Adella hadn't really led anywhere. But maybe that was just because she was out of town. Honestly, she didn't expect Arista to be able to hear something like a pregnancy in the family and keep it quiet, but it was worth trying...
"Ris! I need to talk to you!" Aquata said when she spotted her sister, pulling her into the bathroom next.
ARISTA:
We’ll it was that time of year again! Holiday dinners and family time, what could be better?! She’d just finished putting her wrapped gifts under the tree when she was caught by Aquata just outside the bathroom. Her eyes widened, “What? What’s wrong?” Bathroom talks had to be serious.
AQUATA:
Aquata took a deep breath, ready to do a whole preamble about how she didn't know if this was true or not, but she figured that was why she would ask Arista, and don't freak out, except the fact that somebody was pregnant...
"Is Lana pregnant?!" Aquata blurted out, waving the positive pregnancy test for emphasis. "I found this in the bathroom and it's not Della's and I'm assuming it's not Ariel's and it's definitely not mine, so— do you know?"
ARISTA:
The blonde's eyes widened further if that were possible, eyes stuck on the stick that was probably totally peed on like fairly recently. But now wasn't the time to think of that.
"Pregnant? No... I don't think so? But then again, she and Jake have been spending an awful lot of time together lately and like whispering about stuff before I walk in the door and then changing the subject and I saw apartment listings on his computer one time when I was over visiting and I thought it was strange because he loves his apartment so much and has lived there for like since he moved here but you know if they need more space that would make sense for the baby, ohmigosh she's pregnant." She finally took a breath and looked from the test to Aquata.
"Maybe she was double checking here before making her announcement tonight? Maybe they're waiting to tell us? Jake did seem rather nervous about something, much more fidgety than he normally is. Although, he could just be playing with his new hair because I mean, he didn't have much to play with before and I've been known to play with mine from time to time without even knowing it." She squinted her eyes, thinking back to what he was doing.
"Also wow, everyone's just having babies now, huh."
AQUATA:
Aquata ignored all the comments about Jake's new haircut, because there was something much bigger going on here.
Oh Neptune. If Alana was pregnant (which it was beginning to sound like) then of course she would need more space for the baby. Aquata couldn't live somewhere with a baby! And Jake would probably want to be there too, which meant Alana was growing up and having a baby and having her own place and everything was about to change, everything, and... what, was she even planning on telling anyone this? Obviously she hadn't left that pregnancy test in the bathroom on purpose...
"Neptune. No, you're right, that's got to be it, then. Fuck..." Aquata said, her face going pale. She turned and started pacing back and forth. "I mean, I'm happy for her, obviously, but... fuck. This is so much to process. I'm her bloody roommate! Why didn't she tell me?"
ARISTA:
Arista just frowned a bit, that's true. Alana really should have told Aquata. She put her hand on her sister's shoulder, "It's okay, Q. Obviously there is still time to figure stuff out. Months of it. Maybe they just wanted to make sure Daddy didn't hear it from anyone else first, you know?"
AQUATA:
Aquata's stomach dropped. She hadn't even thought about Daddy. But Alana must have told him, right? She wouldn't keep that from him.
"Actually... I think Daddy might know already," Aquata said in a low voice. "Don't you think he's been a little strange lately, too? More than once, I've called him and gotten a busy signal... and he's always got these 'plans' lately. He never has plans. Maybe it's something to do with the baby..."
ARISTA:
Huh, Arista didn't think Daddy was acting too strangely or having any secret plans. He was just out with Sarabi a lot. It was a new relationship but then again, maybe her sisters thought it was weird. "I haven't really noticed those things but then again I still live here." She gave a slight shrug.
AQUATA:
"Really?" Well, maybe Arista had just missed it. She could be a bit of a bubblehead sometimes. "I dunno, I just don't think it's right for her to tell him and not us. I mean, I'm literally her roommate. But... it's fine. I won't say anything until after Christmas. Let's just... get through tonight, yeah?"
ARISTA:
Arista was excited though. Her sister was having a baby. "Oh yes, we'll get through tonight and then we get to start doing baby shopping, and who knows Q, I might end up being your new roommate with the way the apartment has cycled through sisters." She joked, not about the baby shopping though, tiny clothes were the best kinds of clothes.
AQUATA:
"Yeah, maybe." Aquata smiled weakly. As much as she'd like that... she didn't really do well with change. Moving out of the family home and into Alana's apartment had been a big change for her. And now she was going to have to think about adjusting to live with a new person? Alana had been her only roommate all throughout her life. Was she ready for this? "Uh, we should probably get back out there before people start wondering where we are."
ARISTA:
"Yes, we really should be getting back. I think dinner is almost done by the way things are smelling." She smiled at her sister, knowing she didn't enjoy change, many of her sisters didn't. Perhaps it was the fact that they'd all had their lives turned upside down at a young age, but what she did know was that if anyone would get through changes that were big like this it would be her sisters. She bounded down the stairs to find Jake alone at the dining room table, poor guy in his ugly christmas sweater nursing an egg nog, undoubtedly spiked. "Alana abandon you to be bombarded with sister questions?"
Jake looked up and just laughed, "Nah, she's in there talkin' with JEFF about something I think." He gave a shrug, "None of my business."
The blonde sat down next to him, "Yes but it will be won't it, oh it's just so exciting." The Australian gave her a look which she didn't entirely notice (although it was one of confusion because no one was supposed to know about their news but again why would that make him on a need to know with JEFFs business, it wasn't like they were getting married). Arista just continued, "Oh it'll just be so great, and you'll be the best father." Father. I can't believe you both waited until now to tell us all. And of course you'll have all the best family support and you'll be in a new situation and ugh, it'll be great I love the holidays, don't--"
Jake finally got a word in, his mouth agape, "I--wait what? She--"
And then the call for dinner rang out and all the family filed in and Jake was left sitting and sweating through his sweater. Was she pregnant? Did she not tell him? He just looked at her as she sat down, no idea what his face was doing at this point and took the largest gulp of eggnog possible.
/./ /./ /./
ALANA:
This was a big deal.
Okay -- maybe, objectively, it wasn't a big deal. People her age and younger moved in with their longterm boyfriends all the time! But it was a big deal to Alana, because, well, she'd never thought she'd be doing this. She'd never thought she'd want to do this.
And there was, of course, the question of Daddy.
Only Arista and Ariel even lived in the house anymore. And though Lana wasn't, like, moving anywhere, it was still a big step. She didn't want him to be lonely.
She'd spent most of the day trying to figure out a good time to tell him, and she figured it would be best done away from the others. While everyone prepped for dinner, Lana slunk away, looking for her father. He wasn't in the kitchen, where Benjamin and his partner and Tina and Roman were cooking. He wasn't in the living room, where Arista was strumming a guitar and leading everyone in Christmas carols. Was he in the study? Or the bathroom?
Lana walked upstairs.
"Daddy --!" She stopped dead in her tracks.
JEFF:
It wasn't that JEFF was keeping anything from his daughters...on purpose.
Part of it was Sarabi, who was still getting comfortable with everything. Which was fine, because he was still figuring it out himself. It was nice to have someone else to confide in about love and grief. Someone who understood. It was nice to have someone else to talk to, who wanted to talk to him. Not that his daughters had abandoned him, but they were all grown now. With relationships and lives of their own.
It had happened sort of on accident. Sarabi and JEFF had known each other for thirty years now. Their spouses had known each other. There had only ever been friendship. But, about six months ago, something had changed. Maybe it was just loneliness. Maybe it was just a shift. JEFF tried not to think too hard about it. Sarabi was lovely--smart and charming and funny and beautiful.
And they'd tell their respective children. At some point.
For right now, a quiet Christmas was just fine for them. They hadn't even planned this moment alone, but JEFF had forgotten one of his gifts upstairs and Sarabi needed her scarf she'd left over and--
Well, it was innocent, what Alana saw. Just an embrace. And, yes, okay, a kiss too, but--a gentle one, before they went back downstairs.
And then Alana's voice cut sharp between them, separating them like a knife.
"Oi!" he barked at her, like she was the one doing something wrong. (Not that kissing Sarabi was wrong but, you know--)
"Hello, Alana," Sarabi said with a smile, smoothing a hand down the front of her dress, as collected as ever, even if she was blushing.
ALANA:
This was --
This was a lot to process.
Her father and Simba's mum?! Kissing?! On Christmas?
Suddenly, a lot of things made sense. Like why Sarabi was even over in the first place. Like why Sarabi had offered to help with Aquata's campaign events. Like why Sarabi and JEFF had spent Halloween together --
"How -- when -- what -- no don't answer that last one!" Alana's face flushed. Her heart beat a little faster. She wasn't sure how she felt about this all. Her immediate reaction was shock, of course. Then betrayal. Why hadn't he told them? Then anger. What about their mum?
"Does anyone else know?!"
JEFF:
"Er, no, we were going to tell everyone tonight."
That was a lie. They hadn't really discussed that.
Sarabi shot him a glare, but he wasn't looking at her. He was watching Alana. This wasn't how he wanted this to go at all. He didn't know how he was going to do it. Maybe one by one? With Tiny first...but--maybe this was better. JEFF had no idea if he would've gotten up the gumption otherwise.
"Okay, we weren't going to tell everyone," he admitted after a moment, shoulders slumping a bit. "I'm sorry, Lan. You weren't--" he stopped himself, started again. "I didn't want anyone to find out like...this."
ALANA:
"Well, when were you going to tell us?" Alana whispered. She knew she had to whisper because the minute the Christmas music stopped playing, everyone would be able to hear this. "Were you just going to carry on about this like two lovestruck teenagers with strict parents?"
JEFF:
"Now, young lady," JEFF said in a hushed warning tone. "There is no need for that. We are adults. We can keep our relationship personal if that is how we feel most comfortable."
ALANA:
"Oh, yeah, like that's a good idea," snorted Alana. "You keep one secret in this family and everyone suddenly thinks you've stabbed them in the back."
Alana realized how hypocritical she was being right now, as the person currently acting like she was being stabbed in the back.
She folded her arms over her chest.
"Fine -- I won't say anything, but really you should tell them all sooner rather than later. If you drag it out, they're gonna take it badly -- you know that." She huffed and pursed her lips. She couldn't really look at her father. Or Sarabi, even. Had they... done it?! Ew ew ew ew ew -- gross.
The bright side of this was that, well, he really couldn't say anything about her own news now, could he?
"Ahem, while i have you here," said Alana. "IthinkI'mgonnamoveinwithJake! Okay! That's it! I'll leave you two to canoodle!"
JEFF:
Yes, like Alana was doing right now. What he had been worried about. Even if he had told them the first day, they probably would've accused him of hiding it. And he was allowed to figure it out on his own, thank you. It wasn't like it hadn't been complicated. It was still complicated. Wonderful and painful all at once.
"Alana--" he huffed, crossing his arms over his chest.
He wanted to say it wasn't totally his fault. That he would've been ready to say something a few months ago, but Sarabi was more hesitant. She said Simba wasn't ready. JEFF didn't know if his girls were ready or not, but he was. Wasn't that what mattered? Or was that selfish? He wasn't sure, so he hadn't pushed.
Now, he couldn't exactly throw his girlfriend under the bus.
"Alana Cordelia!" he barked as she tried to turn and run back down the stairs. Probably a bad idea, because people definitely heard that. JEFF had a booming voice.
Sarabi put a hand on his arm and he glanced at her but looked back at his daughter. He stared at her for a moment and then softened slightly.
"I think that's lovely. Just--let me know when you need help moving, alright?"
ALANA:
"I will," said Alana, who had wanted this conversation to be over a while ago. She'd already backed away to the staircase, ready to bolt down and find Jake. She wouldn't tell her sisters, of course, but she could and she would tell her boyfriend. In private, of course. But very frantically.
"I -- " She looked at her dad, knowing she should say something more. She shouldn't leave it like this. Maybe a few years ago she would've stormed off, but Alana didn't want to drive any more wedges between her family. "I'm happy for you two. Really."
It felt like a bitter pill, those words, but as she swallowed, she knew it was true. That shock, that anger, that surprise, it still lingered. It probably would for a while.
But here was her father looking soft and looking happier than she'd seen him in ages. And with all the sisters growing up and moving out, well, Lana was glad he had someone.
She did, however, know he had a full storm ahead telling the rest of the girls. Let alone Simba.
"I'll see you two downstairs," she said, turning around. "Don't keep us waiting too long."
/./ /./ /./
AQUATA:
Aquata was mostly mad at Alana. Which was probably misdirected anxiety about everything about to change, but her anxiety tended to sublimate into anger, because it made her feel less powerless, and everything she did just made Aquata's blood boil. There was definitely something going on with her and Daddy, Aquata decided, overanalyzing every one of their interactions.
If Alana could tell Daddy, why couldn't she tell everyone else, huh? Weren't they supposed to be sisters? Weren't they supposed to be roommates? The more Aquata ruminated on it, the angrier she got. But she couldn't say anything. Not until after Christmas was over. It was making her crazy.
"Sorry," Aquata scowled, sounding not very sorry at all when she bumped into Alana on the way to the kitchen. "Can you get the napkins? Someone forgot them."
ALANA:
So, Alana was trying to be Totally Normal about the whole Daddy x Sarabi thing going on. But now she kept glancing at them, reading into every interaction they had -- their hands touched as they passed the salad bowl! Daddy totally darted his eyes towards her bum! Ah!
She almost missed what Aquata said when they bumped into each other.
"Oh crap," said Alana. "Sorry -- that was supposed to be me. I'll go back and get them."
AQUATA:
“Don’t strain yourself,” Aquata retorted, her voice dripping with sarcasm. She snatched the basket of dinner rolls from the countertop and practically stomped back into the dining room, then sat down in her usual place, stone-faced and silent.
ALANA:
At that, Lana raised an eyebrow. Aquata could be... so weird sometimes. Especially when she was hungry. Though... maybe this wasn't her being hungry? Maybe she was upset about something --
Maybe she knew about Daddy!
Oh man -- that had to be it! No wonder Aquata was looking so surly. She'd probably found out about it the same way Alana had and thought that no one else knew.
Alana grabbed the napkins and hurried back to Aquata, whispering under her breath.
"Wait -- do you know?"
AQUATA:
“Of course I fucking know. It wasn’t exactly subtle,” Aquata replied venomously, her voice barely a whisper. She crossed her arms and looked at the ceiling. Okay, maybe she was being a little bit dramatic, but this was probably better than picking an all-out fight, right?
Though the more Aquata ruminated on it, the closer she got to just yanking Alana into the hallway and demanding the truth.
ALANA:
Wait -- had Alana really been the last to find out? Well, probably Attina and Adella (and Andrina, of course) didn't really know. But if Aquata was pointing out how obvious it was, maybe Alana just hadn't been around as much... granted, she'd been so busy with the shoppe and stuff.
"I guess it was pretty obvious in retrospect," she scoffed. Was this Aquata's way of telling her she needed to come around to more family events? It wasn't her fault she was busy! "Look, I've just been so stressed and busy that I didn't really pay attention."
AQUATA:
Aquata’s eyes went wide in alarm, and she slowly turned her head to stare at Alana in concern. “Wait, when did you realize?”
ALANA:
"Uh, just earlier today. When I went upstairs." Alana shrugged. "When did you? Did you know before me?!"
"Alright!" JEFF clapped his hands together. "Let's sit down for dinner!"
Alana pressed her lips shut. She knew she probably shouldn't talk more about it while Daddy was here. But they could gossip when they got home and yes, Lana would apologize about not being more present or whatever -- but really she wanted to figure out when Aquata had found out!
She took her seat at the table, right between Jake and Aquata. Everyone sat down and Alana tried not to stare too much at Sarabi. Simba, meanwhile, looked totally oblivious as he sat on right down next to his mom. She darted her eyes to Aquata, raising her eyebrows in an OMG isn't this weird? God -- at least someone else knew so she didn't have to feel so alone.
"Let's have a toast!" said JEFF, raising his glass. Alana reached for the wine bottle, pouring herself a hefty amount of red. "To family -- coming from far." He looked at Tina and Adella. "To the family we make for ourselves." He smiled at Sarabi and Simba, and Alana really had to behave. "And to our new family!" This was, of course, to Roman and Jake.
Alana reached for Jake's hand and gave it a squeeze.
AQUATA:
Aquata couldn't take this anymore. How could Alana be so relaxed about this? To the point that she was talking about "not noticing" and now drinking wine? Clearly nobody in the family was taking this seriously enough— and Aquata was the one who would have to step in. As the older sister, for once.
"Alana! You can't drink that!" she said hotly, pointedly not raising her glass.
JAKE:
Jake continued to just nervously sit in his seat, he made sure to wipe his hands on his pants before Alana grabbed for them. He just kept looking over at her. Was she gonna tell her whole family now? New family? He almost coughed on his own drink when Aquata stepped in.
SIMBA:
Simba raised his eyebrows but didn’t say anything cause it wasn’t any of his business but he was paying attention.
ALANA:
Alana had been mid-sip when Aquata spoke. Immediately she spit the wine back out into the glass and looked at it. She was... confused. The wine had tasted fine, from what she could tell! And now that Aquata had spoken so loud, everyone was looking at them -- in a rather pointed way, mind you -- and Alana thought it was rather silly, but also she didn't know why everyone was making a fuss
"Why? What's wrong with it?" she asked, lifting the glass up to the light. "Did we grab the wrong bottle? Is something wrong? Why are you all staring at me?"
AQUATA:
Neptune, she couldn't believe that her sister could be so dense. That was Aquata's first thought, and not that there could have been some kind of misunderstanding. Because she was certain that she was right about it. She didn't even take any time to think about it before—
"Because you're bloody knocked-up, aren't you?" Aquata blurted out, loud enough now that the whole table could hear. "I mean, come on, Lana! Stop trying to hide it! Pregnancy tests don't lie!"
ALANA:
At first, Alana wanted to laugh — surely this was some elaborate practical joke? Maybe Aquata had gotten whiff of the fact that she was planning to move out and this was her dumb, emotionally stunted, very Aquata way of saying she was sad about it.
But Alana looked at her sister a little longer and it became quite evident that Aquata was serious.
“What the bloody hell are you talking about?!” Alana snapped. “I’m not pregnant! Oh my God — you thought I was pregnant?!”
JAKE:
Jake’s face went red as the ribbons on the presents across the way. His whole body felt like it was drenched in sweat as Aquata blurred out that his girlfriend was pregnant. He gulped slightly as eyes turned to him as well and he just sort of stammered out an intelligible response. Arista just patted him on the shoulder, smiling.
As soon as Alana told them otherwise he just exhaled, “Thank fuck.” He cleared his throat before apologizing for his language, sheepishly, “Uh sorry.”
ARISTA:
Arista just frowned a bit, brows furrowed. Then who’s pregnancy test was it? Also why is everyone acting so weird today?
ADELLA:
“Well if it isn't Alana's...and it isn't mine...Ris?" Adella asked, narrowing her eyes at the blonde. "No, you totally would've texted me if you suspected."
Adella and Ris were so close! She'd've told her...surely?
AQUATA:
"Obviously Lana's the one who's pregnant, she literally just admitted it to me— 'it was pretty obvious in retrospect?' I mean, you just said that, do not try to deny it!" Aquata argued, her face turning a deeper shade of red. It was one thing to hide it. But to flat out lie? And laugh at Aquata like she was crazy? Well, that was a new level!
SIMBA:
Alana was pregnant?
Simba perked up as soon as the words were said and he was already reaching over to slap Jake on the back, when Alana denied it. It was too late, the forward motion was already happening—and Simba clapped Jake on the shoulder, grinning like a git.
But, then, Alana and Aquata were off arguing about whether or not she was. And Simba really shouldn’t butt in. It wasn’t his business. Clearly this was a family thing. But also! It was a baby! And Simba loved babies. He simply couldn’t help himself.
“Aw, Lan, it’s great if you are! Don’t be shy.” He grinned bright at her.
ROMAN:
Roman knew who's pregnancy test it was and still he couldn't help the grin as he watched everything unfold. "Man I missed Triton Dinners."
AQUATA:
Aquata glared at Roman. Not funny.
ROMAN:
Panic dialed Rob on FaceTime, this would be something he was sure the other would enjoy
ALANA:
"What!" Alana yelped. Suddenly, everyone was talking and looking at her and Simba was reaching over the table and --
Alana stood up, slamming both hands on the table. The wine in her glass lapped at the edges, almost spilling onto the red Christmas table cloth.
"I'm NOT pregnant!" she shouted. "I never took a bloody test, because I got my bloody, bloody period last week, so there is literally no possible way I could be pregnant and I had no idea that's what you meant --" She whirled to Aquata, tone sharp and accusatory, and jabbed a pointed finger towards her. "I thought you were talking about Daddy and Sarabi making out under the mistletoe!"
JAKE:
Now that she mentioned it, she did in fact have her period last week. He recalled that fact because he was sent out to the market for tampons while Alana got into her usual monthly sort of mood. Wow, he really was dense today wasn’t he? He blamed the spiked egg nog and the overly warm ugly sweater he was wearing.
At the new news though, his brows rose, a bit shocked but hey JEFF had to move on at some point right? Go Mr. Triton.
ROMAN:
That was something Panic didn't know and casually he turned his head to the newest couple with raised eyebrows.
AQUATA:
As Alana started to defend herself, Aquata was taking a big sip of water, which she promptly sprayed out in front of her.
She couldn’t even really process the pregnancy test revelation because that image of Daddy and Mrs. Lyons…. what?
Also, eeeek!
Also… a lot suddenly made sense.
“What?!?!?!” Aquata shrieked, whipping her head around to look at JEFF. “What the fuck?!”
ASHLEE:
Ashlee slowly lowered in her seat her eyes flicking between everyone.
ARISTA:
Arista looked a bit confused in all the chaos, “Wait did people not know? It’s been going on for a while. I just figured everyone knew about it.” She shrugged and took a sip of her own holiday spiked drink like it was no big deal.
SIMBA:
The whiplash of an excited Simba looking for a baby to love on--
And a Simba who was just finding out that his mum was dating someone was swift, immediate and terrifying.
"What?" Simba echoed. Though, his voice was quieter than the Tritons who raised up in a ruckus. Even Attina, who had been quite and blushing this whole time was looking at her dad, wide-eyed and confused. But while JEFF tried to field his daughters...
Simba only had eyes for his mum, who was shifting back and forth in her seat, looking at Simba and then flicking her eyes to her plate.
"Girls, GIRLS!" JEFF said, his voice booming, though not angry. "I'm sorry. This isn't how we wanted you to find out." A glare for Alana. A glare for Aquata. "But yes. Sarabi and I have been seeing each other for a few months now. It has only just become something more...serious."
Now, he grabbed her hand, which was resting on the table, giving it a squeeze.
Simba contemplated murder.
"We were going to tell you after the New Year."
"Oh, is that when you were going to mention it?" Simba snapped at his mum.
"Simba," Sarabi said in a soft, warning tone.
"Don't Simba me when you're going around behind my back!"
"Simba!"
"Simba--" JEFF also tried.
"Don't--" Simba's eyes cut towards JEFF. "Well, I think I've lost my appetite." He pushed his chair back with a loud scrape.
"Onyango," Sarabi hissed, which was usually enough to get Simba to snap to.
"C'mon Ber, Ashlee, we're leaving."
BERLIOZ:
Well. He had seen this coming, but because Berlioz was Berlioz, he'd hoped he was wrong anyway. He'd invented plenty of totally plausible explanations and did not point out the growing pattern of Sarabi and JEFF interactions and just prayed. But here it was. His instincts were right. Of course they were right.
Now, Ber winced. Maybe he should have brought up this possibility to Simba... just in case.
Well, it was too late now though. And hey, Ber was on Simba's side. No matter what, obviously, but this was a pretty shit way to find out, and if Sarabi and JEFF had wanted to keep it on lock until New Year's, they should have probably been more careful-- or just more smart.
Quietly, Ber got up, putting a hand on Simba's shoulder. He squeezed just once. "Uh, thanks for the meal," he uttered.
ASHLEE:
Ashlee wished Simba hadn't said her name, she had been slowly slipping in her seat so she could maybe hide as everyone yelled between each other. over each other. But he had, and well Simba was ready to leave and Berlioz was ready to leave which meant Ashlee was ready to leave.
"What he said." Ashlee mumbled agreeing with Berlioz as she stood up as well awkwardly stepping back from the table.
AQUATA:
Aquata still couldn't really wrap her head around it. All of it was happening in slow motion, and yet she couldn't keep up. Daddy and Sarabi? But... look, she knew he was going to move on eventually, and she didn't want to make it seem like she was still hung up on the past. Obviously, she was fine. It was just... how had nobody told her? For several months? Why would he tell Lana and Ris and not her? Were they afraid she would freak out or something?
Well... the truth was that she was freaking out, but.... no, she wasn't. She was fine.
Aquata stared at JEFF, her face bright red, her napkin clenched in her fist. She barely paid any attention to whatever was going on with the Bonfamille-Lyons.
"B-but... I saw the two of you talking, it wasn't about..." No, Aquata realized. It was probably about Sarabi. Aquata could imagine it now, all of them sneaking around and keeping secrets from her! "I can't believe you would tell her and not me!"
ARISTA:
“I mean I live at home so it wasn’t as if I wasn’t going to notice Daddy talking on the phone quietly and smiling more and rushing out to things.” Arista gave a slight shrug. “I thought everyone just kind of figured it out too.” She looked between everyone and then looked to Jake and Alana, “But also that doesn’t explain why you two are being weird, or why there’s a positive pregnancy test in the bathroom. Someone in this house peed on it.” She took a sip of her drink before calling after the Bon-Lyons, “Doesn’t it matter that your mom is happy?” Before turning to everyone else, “Or that Daddy is also happy? That they’re happy together?”
ALANA:
Simba had dramatically gotten up and stormed out. Alana had half a mind to do the same thing, but instead, she just stuck her tongue out at Aquata. She did feel a little better that Aquata hadn't known about this whole JEFF x Sarabi situation and that she hadn't been the last person to find out.
"To be fair, he didn't tell me -- he was just rubbish at keeping it a secret --" Arista spoke and Alana realized there was still an elephant in the room. One shaped like two bright pink lines. "Wait -- so who's pregnant?!" She gasped and whirled to face JEFF. "Is it Sarabi?!"
ATTINA:
"Oh my god," Attina exclaimed, rolling her eyes at the same moment that JEFF said:
"Young lady!"
And Sarabi paled, looking like she was going to just disappear.
"It's me!” Attina shouted. “I am pregnant. Neptune."
This wasn't how Attina wanted to do this. She was going to tell everyone today! At the end of dinner, maybe. She had already had suspicion a few weeks ago and taken a test then, but she'd taken another one this morning to confirm things. Thank Neptune she'd already talked all of this over with Panic. If they wanted to tell her family right away or wait...just in case. But, telling them now had felt like the right thing.
And now, apparently, it was the necessary thing.
"Yeah, it's me! Happy everyone?" she huffed and flopped back a little in her seat, face red, scowling slightly that her surprise had been ruined.
AQUATA:
For once, Aquata didn't have a response to that. She just stared at Attina, mouth slightly agape, eyes wide.
Tina? Pregnant? Again?
If she had known it were Tina, she would never have made such a to-do about the pregnancy test. Sure, she would have wanted Tina to tell her, but she knew this was a sensitive topic for her sister. But somehow, she had convinced herself it was Lana. And now she felt quite stupid
But... she also felt really excited. Like, tentatively so. But... okay, she could forget the hurt feelings and the frustration and the shock of finding out about Daddy and Mrs. Lyons for a second, because... Tina was pregnant?
"Wait..." Aquata said, and then she realized she didn't know what to say next. Her eyes were shiny and a little watery, and there was just a little bit of glee behind her tone. "Tina... for real?"
ALANA:
"Oh my gosh!" Alana, who was still standing let us remember, shoved her chair aside and scurried towards the other side of the table and threw her arms around both Attina and Roman, pulling them into a hug while they were both sitting and she was standing, which meant that their heads knocked against her bosom, like she was some sort of Virgin Mary in a stained glass window and both Attina and Roman were but wee babes.
"Oh my God! Congratulations! Ah! I'm so glad it's you and not me!"
ARISTA:
Arista was already on the verge of tears as she spoke, “Oh Atty that’s so great.” She’d have to craft a new lullaby. She looked at the two of them and Alana then to Jake who looked like he’d dodged the biggest bullet of his life and was now attempting to relax.
ATTINA:
This wasn't exactly how she wanted all of this to go down. Especially considering the news about Sarabi and Daddy. Attina had no idea how she felt about that. She should probably be happy for Daddy. It wasn't like she didn't worry about him all the time but...
She didn't want another mum. Not that she thought Sarabi was trying to replace Athena...but it was still weird. And her mum feelings were extra complicated, on account of having been one and becoming one again.
Mums, apparently, were the theme of this Christmas.
Someone took her hand. She looked over and smiled a little at Panic. Then 'oofed' as Alana came over to hug her. She laughed and reached up to touch her sister's arm.
Right.
They could figure out the Sarabi thing later. Right now--she wanted to smile with her family and share this with them, while she could.
"Thank you," Attina chuckled. Her gaze slid to her dad, who was smiling, blue eyes twinkling with tears. He winked at her across the table and she blushed, but smiled, feeling tears in her own throat.
"That's lovely, dear," Sarabi said and Attina smiled at her too.
"Thank you. We're very excited. And we can't wait for all of you to be a part of it. Happy Christmas! Now, uhm, let's eat!"
JEFF chuckled, letting out a relieved breath. "Yes. Food sounds good. Dig in. We still have to open presents!"
"Man, I never thought I’d say this, but I’m glad to be outta Swynlake.”
Simba said breathed in the fresh, Parisian air as he swung his and Ber’s between them. In front of them, the Eiffel tower loomed, casting its shadow towards them across the lawn.
Paris was not his favourite place in the world. It was not, really, his first choice for the place he went after his charter curse was lifted, allowing him to leave town for more than until midnight. But, they were doing double duty here. Wasn’t just a vacation. Unfortunately. That was why Simba was dressed in a pair of Chinos and a button down.
They were meeting Hector and Toulouse for dinner tonight, but before that: Simba was determined for the both of them to enjoy themselves.
Belle had not known what to expect, really, from Berlioz’s invitation to come over for a “game night.” She had a feeling that it wasn’t an invitation to a chess tournament, which made her slightly apprehensive. Not to mention that now was certainly not the time, between the Order, the magic drain, and some, erm, personal matters, but she knew that Simba had been injured and that Berlioz was trying to do something nice. Belle was usually opposed to breaks, but considering everything--
Maybe they were overdue for one.
She was right about the fact it wasn’t a chess tournament as she sat next to Hades in the Bonfamille-Lyons’ living room, peering skeptically at the colorful boxes that Simba was laying on the table.
“Okay, we have Pictionary, Cards Against Humanity, Monopoly, Candyland, LIFE, Cluedo...we have some others, this was all I could carry out of the closet for now.”
Belle glanced at Hades. “Erm...I’ve heard of Monopoly before? And...Cluedo?”
[outfit, with a cardigan, belle wouldn’t be caught dead in a tanktop]
"You know, this whole thing is extremely homophobic,” Simba pouted as he hobbled awkwardly into their house onto his crutches. Ber hovered by his side, in case Simba fell and busted his ass. Again. (That’s what got them into this the first time.)
“Can’t have sex for a week? Have to have these stupid crutches for two months? I’ll have them for my birthday! And this cast is itchy. I am just supposed to walk around with it itchy and horrible for two months? What about Wudu and Ghusl?! Not to mention it is probably gonna freak the kids out tomorrow. And we’re graduating on Wednesday, how am I supposed to bloody walk across the stage? I hate prom,” Simba huffed, nearly knocking one of his crutches out from under him as he leaned on it and gestured with the other while Ber closed the door and wrangled the dogs.
“Seriously? How am I supposed to do anything?” Including getting down from their dais. Just getting up the stairs and into the house had already been a whole production. He glanced at them dubiously and then back at Ber, scowl in place.
So, it was prom season again! One of Simba’s favourite times of year. He loved prom, obviously. He was the one who had petitioned to have it created for the adults every year and everyone loved it! There was more to it than that, though, because it was also around Ber’s birthday, so there was double reason to celebrate. Also, because it was around Ber’s birthday meant it was around the anniversary of Simba asking Ber to marry him (which, yes, according to Simba, was a reason to celebrate.)
Maybe the best part, though, was that Simba got to create a promposal for Ber. These were usually just for the two of them, but they were always a good reason to do something nice for his husband. Simba liked big and flashy and public, but Ber didn’t, so, Simba did big and flashy and at home.
He was excited now, though also a bit nervous. Had no idea how this one was going to come off. (Ha. Pun.)
Simba stood in the kitchen, staring at the empty kitchen chair that he’d put in the middle of the floor. The lights were down low. There were rose petals scattered around it and candles lit. The dogs were upstairs so they didn’t get in the way. Ashlee was already in her room for the night...hopefully she didn’t need water, lol. It was a bit late anyway, Ber had gone out for drinks with a few mates. (Simba was a bit jealous. He could use a drink. No, no. That would kill the mood. Plus, Simba knew things hadn’t exactly been easy the last few weeks, so--this was part apology. At least, that’s what Simba hoped Ber thought it was at first, so he wouldn’t spoil the surprise for himself. So, he’d just been snacking on salt and vinegar crisps, which, in hindsight, probably not the best choice.)
When the front door opened, Simba perked up.
“Babe?” he called, appearing in the doorway between the kitchen and the living room. His eyes sparked. “I’ve got a surprise for you!”
[outfit with his Oxford sweater, v important for this]
