Office (Team Schmoop)
Title: The Principal's Office
Author: jestana
Pairing/Characters: Alan Eppes, Margaret Eppes, Don Eppes, Charlie Eppes, OMC; Alan/Margaret
Rating/Category: PG/Gen
Word Count: 737
Spoilers: N/A
Summary: Don and Charlie are both sent to the principal's office.
Warnings: None, references to fighting
Challenge: Office for Team Schmoop
Beta: umbralillium.
Poll: Here
The Principal's Office
Alan and Margaret Eppes approached the principal's office, wondering what they would find on the other side of the door. That Donnie would get into trouble was not much of a surprise. He was a typical teenager: moody, full of testosterone, and ready for a fight. Charlie, on the other hand, didn't like fighting. He generally tried to avoid them, preferring to bury himself in his beloved math.
When they were admitted, they found their sons at opposite ends of the couch against the wall. Fourteen-year-old Donnie was slouched in his corner, arms folded across his chest defiantly, his lower lip split. Nine-year-old Charlie was curled up in his corner, his right arm cradled against his chest and his left eye nearly swollen shut.
"What happened?" Alan demanded as Margaret crossed to the couch and sat down between their sons, coaxing Charlie into her lap. "Were they fighting each other?"
"No, Mr. Eppes," Mr. Levinson answered calmly as he closed the door behind them. "They were fighting another boy: Michael Goodwin. He claims that your sons ambushed him and Charlie held him while Don beat him up."
Before either Alan or Margaret could say anything, Don jumped to his feet, glowering at the principal. "That's a lie!"
"Would you care to tell us the truth, then, Mr. Eppes?" Mr. Levinson requested, sitting down in one of the chairs across from the couch.
The teenager hesitated, glancing at each of his parents. "Will I get in trouble?"
"That depends on what the truth is." Margaret patted the couch next to her.
Alan sat down in the other chair. "Please, Donnie?"
"Fine." Don flopped onto the couch with a put-upon sigh. "I was on my way to my locker to get to class when I heard the sounds of someone getting beat up." In Margaret's arms, Charlie made a whimpering sound and clutched more tightly at his mother. Donnie glanced at his brother and gave an exasperated roll of his eyes. "I turned the corner and it was Goodwin, beating up Chuck."
The mop of black curls poked up over Margaret's arms, brown eye giving Donnie a baleful look. "Don't call me Chuck."
"Boys," Alan warned, glancing from one to the other. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that Mr. Levinson was fighting back an amused expression.
Sighing, Don continued, "I couldn't let him beat up my brother. I mean, no one's allowed to do that except me."
"Don!" This time, it was Margaret who gave her oldest son a baleful look.
He held up his hands in mock surrender, a smirk twitching at the corners of his mouth. "Kidding, Mom." Alan quickly covered his mouth with his hand to hide his smile. "Anyway, I told Goodwin to stop and he took a swing at me. So I hit him back. We didn't stop fighting until Mr. Ellerby and Mr. Bernard pulled us apart."
"Thank you, Don." Mr. Levinson nodded. "You're suspended for a week for fighting."
His jaw dropped. "What?! I didn't start the fight!"
"No, but you didn't report it to a teacher, either." Mr. Levinson gave the teenager a stern look. "I'm glad you felt you had to protect your brother--" a sly glance at Charlie "--for whatever reason, but students should not take matters into their own hands."
Don's eyes flashed mutinously. "Goodwin could have seriously hurt Charlie by the time I'd found a teacher and come back with them!"
"I know." Mr. Levinson sighed softly. "That's why you're only getting a week of suspension while Mr. Goodwin is getting three."
* * *
The four of them left soon after that. It wasn't until evening that Alan and Margaret had a chance to discuss the day's events. "Donnie shouldn't have tried to handle it himself."
"He's just like us, Alan," she murmured, resting her cheek on his chest, right over his heart. "He sees someone in trouble and he has to go help them."
Alan sighed, nodding in reluctant agreement. "I guess that's why he liked playing Cops and Robbers so much when he was little."
"Probably." She shifted enough so she could meet his eyes. "I'm just glad he defended Charlie. I worry sometimes that he resents him too much."
He nodded, smoothing her hair back from her cheek. "He may not understand his little brother, but he still loves him."
"I hope it never fades."
"Me, too."
End
A/N2: As a bonus, try to spot all the references to previous roles Judd Hirsch, David Krumoltz, and Rob Morrow played. There are five total. Happy hunting!
Author: jestana
Pairing/Characters: Alan Eppes, Margaret Eppes, Don Eppes, Charlie Eppes, OMC; Alan/Margaret
Rating/Category: PG/Gen
Word Count: 737
Spoilers: N/A
Summary: Don and Charlie are both sent to the principal's office.
Warnings: None, references to fighting
Challenge: Office for Team Schmoop
Beta: umbralillium.
Poll: Here
The Principal's Office
Alan and Margaret Eppes approached the principal's office, wondering what they would find on the other side of the door. That Donnie would get into trouble was not much of a surprise. He was a typical teenager: moody, full of testosterone, and ready for a fight. Charlie, on the other hand, didn't like fighting. He generally tried to avoid them, preferring to bury himself in his beloved math.
When they were admitted, they found their sons at opposite ends of the couch against the wall. Fourteen-year-old Donnie was slouched in his corner, arms folded across his chest defiantly, his lower lip split. Nine-year-old Charlie was curled up in his corner, his right arm cradled against his chest and his left eye nearly swollen shut.
"What happened?" Alan demanded as Margaret crossed to the couch and sat down between their sons, coaxing Charlie into her lap. "Were they fighting each other?"
"No, Mr. Eppes," Mr. Levinson answered calmly as he closed the door behind them. "They were fighting another boy: Michael Goodwin. He claims that your sons ambushed him and Charlie held him while Don beat him up."
Before either Alan or Margaret could say anything, Don jumped to his feet, glowering at the principal. "That's a lie!"
"Would you care to tell us the truth, then, Mr. Eppes?" Mr. Levinson requested, sitting down in one of the chairs across from the couch.
The teenager hesitated, glancing at each of his parents. "Will I get in trouble?"
"That depends on what the truth is." Margaret patted the couch next to her.
Alan sat down in the other chair. "Please, Donnie?"
"Fine." Don flopped onto the couch with a put-upon sigh. "I was on my way to my locker to get to class when I heard the sounds of someone getting beat up." In Margaret's arms, Charlie made a whimpering sound and clutched more tightly at his mother. Donnie glanced at his brother and gave an exasperated roll of his eyes. "I turned the corner and it was Goodwin, beating up Chuck."
The mop of black curls poked up over Margaret's arms, brown eye giving Donnie a baleful look. "Don't call me Chuck."
"Boys," Alan warned, glancing from one to the other. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that Mr. Levinson was fighting back an amused expression.
Sighing, Don continued, "I couldn't let him beat up my brother. I mean, no one's allowed to do that except me."
"Don!" This time, it was Margaret who gave her oldest son a baleful look.
He held up his hands in mock surrender, a smirk twitching at the corners of his mouth. "Kidding, Mom." Alan quickly covered his mouth with his hand to hide his smile. "Anyway, I told Goodwin to stop and he took a swing at me. So I hit him back. We didn't stop fighting until Mr. Ellerby and Mr. Bernard pulled us apart."
"Thank you, Don." Mr. Levinson nodded. "You're suspended for a week for fighting."
His jaw dropped. "What?! I didn't start the fight!"
"No, but you didn't report it to a teacher, either." Mr. Levinson gave the teenager a stern look. "I'm glad you felt you had to protect your brother--" a sly glance at Charlie "--for whatever reason, but students should not take matters into their own hands."
Don's eyes flashed mutinously. "Goodwin could have seriously hurt Charlie by the time I'd found a teacher and come back with them!"
"I know." Mr. Levinson sighed softly. "That's why you're only getting a week of suspension while Mr. Goodwin is getting three."
* * *
The four of them left soon after that. It wasn't until evening that Alan and Margaret had a chance to discuss the day's events. "Donnie shouldn't have tried to handle it himself."
"He's just like us, Alan," she murmured, resting her cheek on his chest, right over his heart. "He sees someone in trouble and he has to go help them."
Alan sighed, nodding in reluctant agreement. "I guess that's why he liked playing Cops and Robbers so much when he was little."
"Probably." She shifted enough so she could meet his eyes. "I'm just glad he defended Charlie. I worry sometimes that he resents him too much."
He nodded, smoothing her hair back from her cheek. "He may not understand his little brother, but he still loves him."
"I hope it never fades."
"Me, too."
End
A/N2: As a bonus, try to spot all the references to previous roles Judd Hirsch, David Krumoltz, and Rob Morrow played. There are five total. Happy hunting!