[Fic] Heroes - What the Stork Brought
Title: What the Stork Brought
Author: themaskedmckay
Rating: Gen
Fandom: Heroes
Pairing: None
Words: 863
Disclaimer: Characters do not belong to me.
Spoilers: Season Three - up to and including Episode 19: Shades of Gray
Summary: Martin & Virginia Gray bring their new son, Gabriel, home.
Author's Notes: The Gray familiy is so messed up.
"I promise you, Gabriel. You won't be like your first father. I'm going to raise you with love. He never had a mother's love when he was a boy and it made him bitter and mean."
Gabriel stared out the window in the living room. His hands were clenched into fists and his nose was nearly pressed up against the glass. His eyes searched the shadows of the New York City night for something, or someone, hidden in the darkness. He trembled with every shaky breath.
"Gabriel? Are you listening?"
"Yes," he replied softly.
Virginia wrapped her arms around Gabriel's head, knocking his glasses askew and hugged him tightly. When he didn't respond she kissed the top of his head then released him. He made no move to straighten his glasses, which hung from one ear now, so she gently put them back in place and smoothed his hair flat.
"For God's sake, Virginia!" Martin said as he pulled Gabriel around so he could kneel and look at his face. He gripped Gabriel's jaw with his hand and turned his head this way and that, examining his face like he might a clock. "The boy's in shock. We should take him to the hospital."
Virginia pulled Gabriel away from her husband and he clutched instinctively to her leg. "Are you crazy? They'll want to know who he is, how we got him! He'll be fine; he just needs some love and maybe a sandwich."
"A sandwich," Martin said. "You think a sandwich is going to... you know what? Forget it. You wanted him, you look after him. I need a drink."
"That's right I wanted him! I'm a mother now, Martin! And Gabriel's a very special little boy! You just watch he's going to be different than Samson!"
"Don't you ever mention my brother's name to me again," Martin shouted from the kitchen. "Samson murdered that little boy's mother, whoever the hell she was, and he sold my nephew to us for less than what I paid for that broken, German watch!"
Virginia covered Gabriel's ears. "Don't say such things!"
Martin eyeballed his wife and popped the cap off his beer bottle. "Boy's not going to remember any of this, Ginny. I told you, he's in shock." He sighed and rubbed his face. "Poor kid’s the son of the Devil's own."
Virginia helped Gabriel sit at the table. He was obedient and pliant and made no move after he was seated. "He is not the son of a Devil. He's a good little boy." She covered his small hand with her own, "Aren't you Gabriel?"
"Yes," he answered with a whisper.
"There! See? Now," she stood up and adjusted her cardigan, "I'm going to make him a sandwich."
"Again with the damn sandwich! I swear to..." He stopped and finished off his bottle of beer. "Remember our agreement?" Martin asked.
"Of course I do." Virginia was making a peanut butter sandwich using Wonder bread and Jiffy peanut butter. Children liked Wonder bread and Jiffy peanut butter she'd been assured by the nice lady at the grocery store.
"Well? I got you a kid." Martin tossed his empty bottle in the garbage and jerked his head at the luggage piled up by the door.
Virginia's back was straight and she refused to turn around to look. "You did. Thank you."
"Yeah, well. Sign the papers and I'll go."
"You'll still be his father, right? And you’ll teach him the business?"
"For God's sake, Virginia! Yes! You know what those papers say as well as I do! Just... you've got the kid now, let me go."
Virginia stepped stiffly over to the table and set the sandwich in front of Gabriel. She patted his head lovingly then glared at Martin. "I'm happy you're leaving, Martin." She marched over to the counter and angrily scrawled her signature on the top paper. "Here! You can go live in your shop! I've got Gabriel now, and he's going to be better than both you and your brother! And he's going to love me!"
Martin stared at her then snatched the papers out of her hands and shoved them in a suitcase. "Oh yeah? Well he's welcome to you! You're crazy and he's the son of a devil; you two should be very happy together!"
"We will be!" Virginia yelled at the door just before Martin slammed it shut in her face. She stood there, breathing heavy with anger, glaring at the door until a small noise reminded her she wasn't alone. Gabriel had finished eating his sandwich and had pushed his plate away.
"Oh! You finished that up like a good boy, Gabriel! Would you like a glass of milk, too?"
"Yes," he said quietly.
Virginia raised a finger. "Yes... please?" she asked. He looked at her for a long moment, trying to figure out what she was asking, then understanding came to him.
"Yes, please," he said in a slightly louder voice.
She smiled brightly at him and said, "I love you, Gabriel." He didn't answer her but she knew he would learn. Given time and patience and love he would learn to say it in return.
Author: themaskedmckay
Rating: Gen
Fandom: Heroes
Pairing: None
Words: 863
Disclaimer: Characters do not belong to me.
Spoilers: Season Three - up to and including Episode 19: Shades of Gray
Summary: Martin & Virginia Gray bring their new son, Gabriel, home.
Author's Notes: The Gray familiy is so messed up.
"I promise you, Gabriel. You won't be like your first father. I'm going to raise you with love. He never had a mother's love when he was a boy and it made him bitter and mean."
Gabriel stared out the window in the living room. His hands were clenched into fists and his nose was nearly pressed up against the glass. His eyes searched the shadows of the New York City night for something, or someone, hidden in the darkness. He trembled with every shaky breath.
"Gabriel? Are you listening?"
"Yes," he replied softly.
Virginia wrapped her arms around Gabriel's head, knocking his glasses askew and hugged him tightly. When he didn't respond she kissed the top of his head then released him. He made no move to straighten his glasses, which hung from one ear now, so she gently put them back in place and smoothed his hair flat.
"For God's sake, Virginia!" Martin said as he pulled Gabriel around so he could kneel and look at his face. He gripped Gabriel's jaw with his hand and turned his head this way and that, examining his face like he might a clock. "The boy's in shock. We should take him to the hospital."
Virginia pulled Gabriel away from her husband and he clutched instinctively to her leg. "Are you crazy? They'll want to know who he is, how we got him! He'll be fine; he just needs some love and maybe a sandwich."
"A sandwich," Martin said. "You think a sandwich is going to... you know what? Forget it. You wanted him, you look after him. I need a drink."
"That's right I wanted him! I'm a mother now, Martin! And Gabriel's a very special little boy! You just watch he's going to be different than Samson!"
"Don't you ever mention my brother's name to me again," Martin shouted from the kitchen. "Samson murdered that little boy's mother, whoever the hell she was, and he sold my nephew to us for less than what I paid for that broken, German watch!"
Virginia covered Gabriel's ears. "Don't say such things!"
Martin eyeballed his wife and popped the cap off his beer bottle. "Boy's not going to remember any of this, Ginny. I told you, he's in shock." He sighed and rubbed his face. "Poor kid’s the son of the Devil's own."
Virginia helped Gabriel sit at the table. He was obedient and pliant and made no move after he was seated. "He is not the son of a Devil. He's a good little boy." She covered his small hand with her own, "Aren't you Gabriel?"
"Yes," he answered with a whisper.
"There! See? Now," she stood up and adjusted her cardigan, "I'm going to make him a sandwich."
"Again with the damn sandwich! I swear to..." He stopped and finished off his bottle of beer. "Remember our agreement?" Martin asked.
"Of course I do." Virginia was making a peanut butter sandwich using Wonder bread and Jiffy peanut butter. Children liked Wonder bread and Jiffy peanut butter she'd been assured by the nice lady at the grocery store.
"Well? I got you a kid." Martin tossed his empty bottle in the garbage and jerked his head at the luggage piled up by the door.
Virginia's back was straight and she refused to turn around to look. "You did. Thank you."
"Yeah, well. Sign the papers and I'll go."
"You'll still be his father, right? And you’ll teach him the business?"
"For God's sake, Virginia! Yes! You know what those papers say as well as I do! Just... you've got the kid now, let me go."
Virginia stepped stiffly over to the table and set the sandwich in front of Gabriel. She patted his head lovingly then glared at Martin. "I'm happy you're leaving, Martin." She marched over to the counter and angrily scrawled her signature on the top paper. "Here! You can go live in your shop! I've got Gabriel now, and he's going to be better than both you and your brother! And he's going to love me!"
Martin stared at her then snatched the papers out of her hands and shoved them in a suitcase. "Oh yeah? Well he's welcome to you! You're crazy and he's the son of a devil; you two should be very happy together!"
"We will be!" Virginia yelled at the door just before Martin slammed it shut in her face. She stood there, breathing heavy with anger, glaring at the door until a small noise reminded her she wasn't alone. Gabriel had finished eating his sandwich and had pushed his plate away.
"Oh! You finished that up like a good boy, Gabriel! Would you like a glass of milk, too?"
"Yes," he said quietly.
Virginia raised a finger. "Yes... please?" she asked. He looked at her for a long moment, trying to figure out what she was asking, then understanding came to him.
"Yes, please," he said in a slightly louder voice.
She smiled brightly at him and said, "I love you, Gabriel." He didn't answer her but she knew he would learn. Given time and patience and love he would learn to say it in return.