Madeline & the Prickly Pear
🖤🖤🖤🖤
Summary: Z and Otto take Veda and Rosie trick or treating
Pairings: The Baizen’s
Rating: 🎃🎃
Warnings: mentions of divorce, mentions of a drug use, mentions of testing, mentions of an estranged mother, 18+ ONLY
Word Count: 1K
Desperate Lives AU Masterlist
Zephyr Baizen Masterlist
“Oh!” Story squeals as Veda walks into the kitchen with her costume on.
Twirling around in her Madeline dress, before scratching her nose, “Gaga, do you know where daddy and Froggy are?”
“I think they’re getting dressed, baby,” Veda gives her a little pout, and spins around to go find Zephyr. “You want Gaga to hold you while we wait for them, sweet girl?”
“Where’s Rosie?” Veda always needed confirmation of where her family was ever since Zephyr brought them to the castle, and never went back to Piper. He had tried to help his wife, but now he was officially divorced with full custody of both girls.
“Rosie is with Gimpa,” Veda’s finger scratches at her nose again, and her eyes start to fill up with tears when Otto jumps around the corner. And she starts laughing. “What are you supposed to be?”
“I’m a nun,” he smooths his hands down his side smiling, “Can you have Madeline without her nun?”
“Nope! Froggy get me!” She jumps up, reaching for Otto, until he throws her in the air, “Gaga, I’m okay. Where’s daddy?”
“Squeezing into his costume,” Otto scrunches his nose up, and Veda gives him nose kisses.
Carter carries in a baby Rosie who claps her hands reaching for Story, “Be careful. She’s a bit prickly, honey,” he leans over giving Story a kiss and his wife hugs up on her baby. “Where’s Z? You guys are going to be late.”
“Daddy won’t tell me what his costume is. Froggy!”
“Nope, I was sworn to secrecy. Mom, I think your son is showing off.”
“What do you…” Story snorts as Zephyr walks in. Shoulders back and walking funny. Tight outfit and all as he stands proudly.
“Otts, where’s my wind machine?” He asks, putting his fists on his hips.
“Daddy, you’re wearing tights!” Veda throws her head back laughing, pointing at Zephyr’s costume.
“I am Superman.”
“With tights! Froggy, he’s got tights.”
“I told you he had to squeeze in there.”
“Baizen, we made pretty babies.”
“This is a Superman costume, Veda baby. I am Superman!”
“Daddy! Next year! Next year can you be Peter Pan, and I’m Wendy, and Rosie is Tinkerbell! Please please!”
“But…that actually is tights this is…”
Carter shakes his head looking at Zephyr, “it’s tights, son. It’s tight all over. What are you trying to do bring a new…” Z shakes his head quickly at his dad. Zephyr kept his dating life away from the girls at all costs.
“I am going trick or treating with my favorite daughters,” Veda throws her head back laughing again, “and Otto. And then, we’ll be back for the party, okay?”
“Daddy, do you think,” she looks at Story pouting, “Do you think mama would want to see us?”
“Baby,” every holiday since they left, she always asks about Piper. And every holiday Zephyr has to explain she can only call until she goes to the ‘doctor’. It wasn’t fair that he had to keep his daughters from their mother. He had offered to pay for her rehab, but she didn’t want to do it. She was just pissed that she didn’t get any alimony. Everything was null and void because of her infidelity and abuse.
Zephyr walks closer to her, reaching his hands out for a big hug, “We’ll try calling her when we get back,” and he knows that when they get back he’ll have to make up another lie, because yet another phone was disconnected. She wasn’t able to use the girls to get what she wanted, money.
“Okay.”
“Yeah? Are you ready to go trick or treating with me and Froggy?”
“And Rosie!”
“Yes, and the prickly pear has to go, too. And then, you can bother Aunt Azzie, okay?”
“Z!” Story shouts at him. “You leave your aunt alone. Now go on. Party is at seven. And we’ve got the apple bobbing, dancing, food, jump houses, and games, okay?”
“Yep! And…” Veda draws out taking a deep breath. “We got Archie!”
“We do have Archie,” she smiles at her. “And Archie is a cactus just like Rosie Osie.”
“Ayy!” Rosie screams, clapping her hands.
“Go on, hurry up, so you can get back!” Story screams at them. Watching as her two oldest take her only grandchildren out trick or treating. “Baizen, I want more of those.”
“Woman, you have daughters still in elementary school.”
“I don’t care. I like those grandbabies. I like them living with us. And…I don’t like that woman, but have you been able to find her?” He shakes his head no. “Our son got him and the girls tested for stds, you realize that, right? You realize the lasting pain she caused our romantic baby? And those precious babies?”
“Story, this upsets you, and we’re not talking about it.”
“We have to. Veda wants her mother.”
“And we can’t make Piper want her. She was an opportunist. She saw a man that falls in love after he has sex, and baby trapped him twice. She’s not you, Story,” Carter knows that Story wants Piper to be better and clean, because she sees herself in their girls’ mother. “Honey, you didn’t baby trap anybody. You didn’t have this grand scheme. And you didn’t blow through someone’s money buying drugs.”
“No, I just sold my body for them,” she goes to turn away, but Carter pulls her close to him. “Baizen…”
“She’s not you. I will continue to search for her. And reach out towards her. But she’s not getting a dime from us. She got a settlement after the divorce. She might have…honey, I don’t want to talk about this. This is a holiday. It is a fun day. Our daughters will be home soon. Now let’s go get on our costumes of whatever couple you're making us be.”
“Lucy and Ricky.”
“And let’s enjoy the calm before the party. I’ll meet you in the vault. One, two,” Story gives him a smile before jogging up the stairs, “Three! Here I come!”
“You better not be coming yet, Baizen!”
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