[Whitechapel comment!fic] - Vegemite
VEGEMITE
"Veg-ee-myte? What's this stuff, Mum?"
Normally Hugo Riley wouldn't bat an eyelid at whatever was on the table, as long as he's got something to munch on. Being sixteen, the state of his tummy seem to only be divided into two: hungry and hungrier.
But that scene-stealing little yellow jar with something alien written on it caught his attention.
"It's like Marmite, hun, but it's from Australia," Megan Riley managed to answer between munches of her toast. Next to her, twelve-year-old Maddison was busy spreading a second piece of toast with that foreign stuff.
The teenager's eyes squinted a fraction, halfway between interested and suspicious.
"Right. Is it nice?"
Being a mum, Riley would've known that responding to her eldest son's questions will never end until he finds answers himself. Tonight, in particular, she knew Hugo wouldn't get anything satisfactory until he actually tries a piece of Vegemite toast himself.
"Just be quiet and pull a chair,"she replied and slid a clean plate towards him.
Hugo shot a look at his sister, and joined them. "You finished with the knife, Maddy?"
"In a minute."
The smell of toast and yeast filled the little kitchen, while the DC and her two young ones continued to munch on the upside-down breakfast.
"So who got this stuff from Australia, then?"
"It's our DI, his family friend was hosting some relatives from Down Under - and they ended up getting a ton of them - simply didn't know what to do with them. I think he got about 10."
"Your DI...is it that Chandler bloke?" Hugo asked between mouthfuls of toast.
"Yeah, that's him." Megan Riley's had a few occasions where she had to take her kids to the office whether before, during or after shift, so it was no surprise that they would remember. Besides, her boss is quite a character...bit hard to forget.
Megan Riley remembered that out-of-character morning in the office. How her boss was giving out little jars of what looked like Marmite to the staff and every one of them looked at the DI like something's possessed him - before mumbling out a puzzled "thank you?".
Mansell's got one, Kent's got one, Miles got two - for Judy. Then she remembered hearing a little conversation between the youngest DC and the DI.
"...giving all these away? Don't you want to keep one for yourself, Sir?"
"No, that's fine, Kent. I'm not a fan of Marmite, let alone an Australian version of it."
"Actually, Sir, one of my flatmates who's been to Australia said it's actually not that bad."
"Really, Kent? Maybe I just need to try it used in different ways, then."
"The one who always cleans the office?" her daughter piped up.
"Yeah, goodness, you've got good memory." Truth be told, Riley didn't quite expect her youngest to be that observant.
"Well, him and Emmy always clean the office together. Or they take turns."
Megan Riley's eyes widen. Now, come to think of it...
"I like Emmy. He lets me charge my iPod on his computer whenever I'm there," Maddison continued, still as matter-of-factly. "Does Em like your boss, Mum?"
Hugo's face scrunched, he kind of saw where the conversation was going. But he was more than a little interested."Oh my God, Mum, are those two a couple?!"
"That would be so cute! But, is he nice to Em too, Mum?" this time, her daughter's eyes made that cheeky sparkle that mirrored hers.
Megan Riley didn't know when her children became so observant and interested in adult work life - even for office gossip - her office. They sure are little observers, must be Mum's detective blood.
Then a thought sparked up in her head.
"Maybe. Hey, you know what, guys, I have an idea."
Hugo and Maddison looked at their Mum, waiting for something spectacular.
"Hugo, start the oven. Maddy, can you check if we've still got some flour, please?"
-------------------------------
Joseph Chandler looked inquisitively at the small tray of cheesymite scrolls neatly perched on his desk. It smelled fresh and tempting, evidently homemade. He suddenly worked out what was going on. A little smile formed on his lips.
He took a second to clean his hands with his loyal sanitiser and took a bite of one snail-shaped roll. It was certainly something different, but the mix of melted cheese and vegemite worked really well together.
-------------------------------
Emerson Kent was wondering what made his boss call him into his office five minutes before shift ends. And was even more confused when he found his DI sitting on his desk, smiling up at him, as if he's been waiting for him. Next to him, a small tray with two cheesymite scrolls left.
"Kent."
"Sir?"
"I was just going to get a coffee quickly after shift, would you like to join me?"
Kent's eyes widen.
"...you know, I just want to say thank you for these. I didn't know you were such a great cook, I actually don't mind Vegemite used like this, great idea. They were delicious," Chandler almost sounded like he was gushing.
Kent didn't know how to put it, but he couldn't believe what his boss just assumed. He pondered whether coming clean would cost him the coffee offer with his DI, because, honestly, he wouldn't miss it for the world.
"Sir...I...I didn't make those."
The office went quiet, but only for a couple of seconds because just outside Mansell and Riley were fighting over the last cheesymite scroll.
-------------------------------
"Veg-ee-myte? What's this stuff, Mum?"
Normally Hugo Riley wouldn't bat an eyelid at whatever was on the table, as long as he's got something to munch on. Being sixteen, the state of his tummy seem to only be divided into two: hungry and hungrier.
But that scene-stealing little yellow jar with something alien written on it caught his attention.
"It's like Marmite, hun, but it's from Australia," Megan Riley managed to answer between munches of her toast. Next to her, twelve-year-old Maddison was busy spreading a second piece of toast with that foreign stuff.
The teenager's eyes squinted a fraction, halfway between interested and suspicious.
"Right. Is it nice?"
Being a mum, Riley would've known that responding to her eldest son's questions will never end until he finds answers himself. Tonight, in particular, she knew Hugo wouldn't get anything satisfactory until he actually tries a piece of Vegemite toast himself.
"Just be quiet and pull a chair,"she replied and slid a clean plate towards him.
Hugo shot a look at his sister, and joined them. "You finished with the knife, Maddy?"
"In a minute."
The smell of toast and yeast filled the little kitchen, while the DC and her two young ones continued to munch on the upside-down breakfast.
"So who got this stuff from Australia, then?"
"It's our DI, his family friend was hosting some relatives from Down Under - and they ended up getting a ton of them - simply didn't know what to do with them. I think he got about 10."
"Your DI...is it that Chandler bloke?" Hugo asked between mouthfuls of toast.
"Yeah, that's him." Megan Riley's had a few occasions where she had to take her kids to the office whether before, during or after shift, so it was no surprise that they would remember. Besides, her boss is quite a character...bit hard to forget.
Megan Riley remembered that out-of-character morning in the office. How her boss was giving out little jars of what looked like Marmite to the staff and every one of them looked at the DI like something's possessed him - before mumbling out a puzzled "thank you?".
Mansell's got one, Kent's got one, Miles got two - for Judy. Then she remembered hearing a little conversation between the youngest DC and the DI.
"...giving all these away? Don't you want to keep one for yourself, Sir?"
"No, that's fine, Kent. I'm not a fan of Marmite, let alone an Australian version of it."
"Actually, Sir, one of my flatmates who's been to Australia said it's actually not that bad."
"Really, Kent? Maybe I just need to try it used in different ways, then."
"The one who always cleans the office?" her daughter piped up.
"Yeah, goodness, you've got good memory." Truth be told, Riley didn't quite expect her youngest to be that observant.
"Well, him and Emmy always clean the office together. Or they take turns."
Megan Riley's eyes widen. Now, come to think of it...
"I like Emmy. He lets me charge my iPod on his computer whenever I'm there," Maddison continued, still as matter-of-factly. "Does Em like your boss, Mum?"
Hugo's face scrunched, he kind of saw where the conversation was going. But he was more than a little interested."Oh my God, Mum, are those two a couple?!"
"That would be so cute! But, is he nice to Em too, Mum?" this time, her daughter's eyes made that cheeky sparkle that mirrored hers.
Megan Riley didn't know when her children became so observant and interested in adult work life - even for office gossip - her office. They sure are little observers, must be Mum's detective blood.
Then a thought sparked up in her head.
"Maybe. Hey, you know what, guys, I have an idea."
Hugo and Maddison looked at their Mum, waiting for something spectacular.
"Hugo, start the oven. Maddy, can you check if we've still got some flour, please?"
-------------------------------
Joseph Chandler looked inquisitively at the small tray of cheesymite scrolls neatly perched on his desk. It smelled fresh and tempting, evidently homemade. He suddenly worked out what was going on. A little smile formed on his lips.
He took a second to clean his hands with his loyal sanitiser and took a bite of one snail-shaped roll. It was certainly something different, but the mix of melted cheese and vegemite worked really well together.
-------------------------------
Emerson Kent was wondering what made his boss call him into his office five minutes before shift ends. And was even more confused when he found his DI sitting on his desk, smiling up at him, as if he's been waiting for him. Next to him, a small tray with two cheesymite scrolls left.
"Kent."
"Sir?"
"I was just going to get a coffee quickly after shift, would you like to join me?"
Kent's eyes widen.
"...you know, I just want to say thank you for these. I didn't know you were such a great cook, I actually don't mind Vegemite used like this, great idea. They were delicious," Chandler almost sounded like he was gushing.
Kent didn't know how to put it, but he couldn't believe what his boss just assumed. He pondered whether coming clean would cost him the coffee offer with his DI, because, honestly, he wouldn't miss it for the world.
"Sir...I...I didn't make those."
The office went quiet, but only for a couple of seconds because just outside Mansell and Riley were fighting over the last cheesymite scroll.
-------------------------------