Summary: Just an early summer morning in Echo. This is the second summer Severus comes to stay with the Wolffes.
The Animal Fair
The alarm went off on that warm Saturday morning in June. It was barely dark out when Grant swung his feet to the floor. He was going to do battle; this was the weekend of the annual Echo Community Rummage Sales and Damon had promised to drive him. Grant turned on the bedside lamp and leaned over to shake his husband. "Damon, come on, it's time to get up."
Damon groaned and pulled the blankets back up over his head. He grunted and rolled over in the bed, burrowing deeper in the blankets.
Pursing his lips together, Grant grabbed the edges of the blankets and yanked them free of his husband and the bed. "Come on, up now, you promised me."
Damon groaned again. "Pet..." He pulled the pillow over his head. "Grant... please..." His whining was muffled. "Too early."
"Fine," Grant snapped and tossed the blankets back over him before turning to dig through the pair of jeans Damon had been wearing the night before. "Did you get me the money I asked you for?" he asked as he went back to looking for the keys to the truck.
Damon sighed contentedly and pulled the blankets around him again. "In my jacket. More in my wallet if you need it." He mumbled from under the sea of velour, t-shirt sheets and quilts.
"Thank you, is there gas in the truck?" Grant asked as he picked up Damon's jacket and took the folded cash, tucking it into his pocket after he dressed quickly.
"Uh huh. Filled it up last night. Have fun, be careful." Soft snores followed Damon's words.
Grant shook his head and slipped his sandals on. He should have known Damon wouldn't go with him. Downstairs, he made a cup of instant coffee, grabbed a roll and his carefully plotted map of garage sales he intended to hit before nine am.
@@@@@
Nearly five hours later, Grant carefully steered the old truck back to its customary parking spot in the back yard and shut it off. He looked out the rear window at the nice haul he'd made and got out of the truck whistling softly to himself.
He walked in the back door and noticed the coffee maker had yet to be turned on and that meant Damon was still in bed. Grant flipped the appliance on and wandered into their bedroom. "Wake up baby, don't sleep the day away."
"I will if I want to." Damon's reply came from under the blankets again. "Go terrorize Sev or your patients."
"I'm making coffee," Grant said and rubbed the lump under the blankets for a moment before he walked out of the room with a sigh.
Now to unload his booty. Forty-five minutes later Grant had the first load of newly bought second-hand clothing in the washing machine and was going through a bag of stuffed animals that he'd be sending out to the reservation after he'd cleaned them up and repaired them.
Damon staggered out of the bedroom and stopped, staring out at the living room. It looked like the Muppets had invaded the house. Stuffed animals and dolls were all over the place, sitting on the table, the couch and even in his chair. They had spilled down onto the floor and Grant was still pulling them out of a large black trash bag. "What happened in here? It looks like Jim Hensen barfed all over the place."
Grant looked up and grinned at his husband. "He did. There are more bags out in the truck, could you get them please?" he asked as he pulled the last ones out of the black bag. "I got lucky this morning."
Severus stumbled down the stairs and stopped on the landing. "What happened in here? It looks like Hamleys exploded." He looked at Damon and then Grant in the floor. "Is there coffee and breakfast to fight off the fluff?"
Damon shook his head and went back to the bedroom for his wand. He wasn't dressed, had no intentions of getting dressed anytime soon. He came back, opened the door and summoned the bags from the truck. "This isn't lucky, Pet. I feel like I am in a crane machine."
Grant rolled his eyes at the two men and shook his head. "I bought all of these toys for the kids at Pine Ridge," he said softly as he carefully smoothed out the dress of a Raggedy Ann doll and set her to one side before pulling one of the new bags to him.
Damon smiled and waded through the toys to press a kiss to his husband's head. "I know you did Pet. Want me to start the washer up so we can do a load? Do you need your sewing kit?"
Severus looked sheepish for a moment. "What can I do to help?"
"I've already got the washer full of baby clothes Damon and yes, I'll need my sewing kit. You might go down to the craft store later and see if you can get me some eyes, yarn, hair, and some pretty pieces of fabric if you wouldn't mind," Grant said as he smiled at Damon. "Severus, there's coffee and fresh rolls in the kitchen, okay?"
Damon nodded and kissed grant again. "I will. Anything else?" Severus carefully stepped over the toys and made his way to the kitchen. He heard the washer stop and he went to change the load over for Grant.
"Have you been saving boxes at the bar for me?" Grant asked as he pulled out a stuffed elephant and set it to the side; it would need a new tusk before it found a new owner.
This was something he'd started doing several years ago; refurbishing children's clothing and toys for the kids out on the reservation where he'd grown up. He knew what it was like to grow up without a toy and didn't want another child to know that feeling.
Damon nodded. "The Bud guys left me lots of boxes baby. I get them when I go out for the craft stuff. He reached up onto the curio cabinet and pulled down Grant's storage box with his sewing things in them and passed it to his husband.
"I found some good appliances too that can be sent out," Grant said as he smiled at Severus when he came back in the room. "I'm sorry hon, usually you don't get here until after I've shipped everything out."
Severus shrugged and moved the stuffies out of the way so he could sit. "That's fine. Would you like me to spell them fixed for you?"
Grant smiled at Severus and shook his head. "Thank you, but no. It seems spelling them fixed just doesn't last as long with the kids playing with them. I don't mind fixing them, it's relaxing in a way. If you want to help, you might help Damon unload the rest of the truck in a little while. I found a nice rocking chair that needs to be refinished that I think Grandmother would like."
Damon groaned, softly, his day off just vanished into the wind. "Food first baby then I'll get started on the chair. What else is out there that I have to fix?"
Grant looked at his husband and smiled. "Don't worry about it baby, I'll do it, I know how I think she would like it. If you'll just unload it all for me, I'll work on getting everything cleaned up. I'll need all the boxes most likely if not more."
Damon shook his head for a moment then bent over the sofa, pressing a kiss to the side of Grant's face. "Give me a moment to get something in my stomach and I'll get my tools out. I still have that honey pine stain from when we sent them the bureaus. Want me to use that?"
Grant smiled and then nodded after he thought for a moment. "I think that would be really nice and I'll make some dark blue seat cushions as well for it," he said as he set a small set of baby blocks to the side to be cleaned up. "I can make you both something to eat, what would you like?"
"The rolls and coffee would be fine, if you don't mind adding some sausage or bacon to the side, Pet." Damon padded back to the bedroom and came out in his boots. "Come on Sev."
"Would you like some eggs too?" Grant asked as he got to his feet, patting Severus on the shoulder. "Eggs are good too, whatever you can find, Pet. You know how I get when working with wood and furniture." Damon smiled at Severus.
Severus put down one of the toys and smiled at Grant. "Thank you, I'll have the same. Is there anything I can do to help? Perhaps some potions that are difficult to acquire?"
"Thank you Sev, but I'd rather not send potions via WPS, the last time I did they were confiscated by officials. When I take potions or other medicines out, I do it when we go to Sturgis," Grant said as he left the living room to fix his men some food, happy he had them both helping him. Maybe he'd be able to ship everything by the end of the week.
"Come on Sev, let's get started. Knowing Grant this will be an all day affair and we can wrangle pizza and beer out of him for dinner. After we get the furniture unloaded and the stripper on it, we'll have to head up to Wheeling to the hobby supply place."
Severus looked at Damon and then looked around the transformed living room. "Alright. Do you use magic during any part of the process? It seems a bit messy to me," he said thoughtfully and began to consider the spells and charms he could use.
"No, no magic. Most of the kids on the res aren't wizards so we keep it Muggle for them. The second hand toys and clothes seem to last longer when we don't." Damon smiled at Severus when he got to the truck. Opening up the tailgate, he jumped up and looked down at Severus. "Manual labour has it's own rewards, Sev. I thought you might have learned that rebuilding the cycle."
Severus nodded as he watched Damon. He looked at the rocking chair in question and thought about the hours of work they'd be putting into over the next few days. Yes, Damon was right, there was something therapeutic about doing work with his hands and seeing beauty unfold where none was before.
"Shall I take the furniture into the barn?" Severus asked as he reached out to take the rocking chair from Damon.
Damon nodded. "Pull down the tarp off the cross and lay it down first. I'll go ahead and treat that as well since we are going to be out here." Damon ran a hand over the pitted top of the chair. "I'll have to clean up this scrollwork too but it shouldn't lose too much." He handed down the chair to Severus and pulled out an identical smaller version of the rocker before jumping down. "It'll take both of us to move that dresser."
"Alright, give me a moment," Severus said as he walked into the barn, mindful of the rocks since he was still barefooted and pulling the tarp down to spread over the packed earth floor.
Coming back to the truck, he picked up the rocking chair, carrying it into the barn before going back to help the other man with the large dresser. "How did Grant manage to get this in the truck to begin with?" he asked as he felt the pull in his muscles from the heavy wood.
Damon chuckled as he set the little rocking chair down on the tarp as well. "Most likely he batted them eyelashes and the boys all jumped to help ol Doc Wolffe." He watched Severus tender foot it in the barn and kicked off his boots. "Here, you pussy."
Severus snorted and then smirked at Damon's boots. "Thank you, but I'm alright. I'm simply not accustomed to walking around in this manner at home," he said with a shrug and then laughed at the image of Grant using his 'feminine' wiles to get things done.
"He wouldn't really do that, would he?"
Damon arched an eyebrow. "Watch him sometimes when he wants something." He shook his head, "Look who's in there cooking breakfast, while the men are unloading the truck."
Severus snorted, shaking his head. "And he calls himself a man," he muttered softly.
Damon chuckled. "Grant is very much a man when he wants to be but I'm telling you, he is a sneaky and devious creature. Don't be fooled by that little package." He climbed up into the truck and scooted the dresser down the bed. "Careful now, might be best if we move the drawers first. This old thing is heavy. They don't make hard wood dressers like this any longer. Wonder how much he talked the seller down for it."
"What is something like this worth?" Severus asked with a grunt as he took his end of the dresser. "Why can't we use a featherweight charm on this?"
Damon nodded. "Yeah I suppose but it's still going to have to come apart so I can sand it down and refinish it." He ran a hand over the top of the dresser, closing his eyes for a moment while he thought. "This is an old cherry wood lowboy probably mid-nineteen hundreds, maybe. I'd have to say close to a grand or better if someone had a vague idea what they had hiding under the years of varnish. Grant knows his antiques."
"He spent that much on this? It looks as though it's been sitting outside for years," Severus said in amazement as he shook his head and pulled a drawer out only to find an unabandoned mouse nest.
"Nice, he brought back friends as well," Severus said dryly as he looked down at the small pink babies.
Damon chuckled and shook his head. "No, he most likely didn't spend over maybe a couple hundred dollars, if that much. The guy probably had no idea what he had and Grant just cleaned him out. He learned from the best." He sighed and shook his head as he drew his wand and floated the baby mice to the tall grass under the shade tree.
"Mama and Grant used to do this every weekend for a while back. Things have always been bad on the res but back then it seemed like they were worse than ever."
Severus shook his head again. "How much do you think he spent altogether today? I mean, did he have a limit?" he asked curiously. He wouldn't mind going along on one of the so-called shopping trips.
Damon pulled out two drawers and sent them floating along to the barn. "I gave him three grand cause this was the big sale and he doesn't get to do this often anymore. He probably still has over half of that."
Severus pulled the dresser out of the back of the truck, carefully balancing it until Damon could pick up his end. "Why doesn't he just purchase things new to send out there?"
"He can get more for his money this way. They are kinda funny on the res about where something comes from." Damon cast the charm on the shell of the dresser and picked up his end. "Besides, if Grant showed up with a bunch of new things there would be a fight and I am so not wanting to listen to Rachel bitch."
Severus didn't quite understand, Rachel had always seemed reasonable and kind whenever he'd been around her, but he would defer to the older man's knowledge. "How long will this take to do?" he asked to change the subject. He knew that for some reason, Damon really didn't care for Grant's family and it wasn't the best subject to bring up.
Damon shrugged. "Depends on how many layers of years I have to go through. The drawers have to be rebuilt and made sturdy again. Won't know exactly until I get it all clean and the wood speaks to me."
He set the dresser down on the tarp and brushed his hands together. "Hopefully Grant will have breakfast done soon, I'm staving." He tuned and pulled out several rubber gloves and tossed a pair at Severus. "Grab that can over there and we'll get started."
Grant opened the back door, sticking his head out and yelling for his men. "Breakfast is ready, come on and eat!" He shut the door and began to set the bowls of eggs, fried potatoes, gravy, and plates of biscuits, bacon, and cinnamon rolls on the table before getting the juice and milk from the refrigerator.
Damon looked up and smiled then back at the furniture. Hungry as he was it had been a while since he'd had a decent piece to work on and he was excited. "Go on I'll be there in a minute Sev. I have to get this started first." He tipped the can of remove over onto the bush and began to glide it across the top of the dresser.
"Let me help, it'll get done faster," Severus said as he picked up another brush and began to work on the other side of the dresser. "On the sides as well, yes?" He squatted down next to the furniture and used long, even, slow strokes with the brush.
Damon nodded. "All over the painted or stained areas. A thin coat and we'll let the chemicals do most of the work." He moved over to the rocking chairs while Severus finished the dresser.
Severus nodded, following the instructions with meticulous care. "Afterwards, we wipe it off, yes?" he asked as he lifted his eyes to look over at Damon.
Grant pursed his lips and stared out the window at the barn. The food he'd cooked was getting cold. With a flick of his wand, he cast a warming charm and then set out to the barn.
"Damon?" he called as he entered the dark old building, letting his eyes adjust.
Damon nodded. "Let it set up. It should start bubbling and eating away at the old finish."
He looked up at the sound of Grant's voice. "Hey, Pet. Sorry I wanted to get this started for you. We are almost finished with this first stripping."
Grant smiled as he saw what Damon and Severus had been doing. "Thank you baby. I just wanted to let you know that it's ready. Is there anything you want me to do?" he asked as he picked up a rag and began to dust down the small rocking chair.
Damon nodded. "I think this is about it, Pet." He finished the large rocker and moved over to Grant, leaning in and pressing a kiss to his husband's neck. "You want to go with after we eat? I figured on going up to Wheeling."
"Yeah, I'd like that. I want to find some scrap material for doll clothes and all that," Grant said as he let Damon lead him out of the barn with Severus following along behind. "Severus, you will have to put shoes on though."
Severus looked down at his feet and the splatters of remover on his jeans. "I hope there is time for a shower?"
Grant nodded, "Yeah, before or after you eat. I can keep your food warm, or there's the microwave."
Damon shook his head. "Food first, showers after." He pinched Grant's bottom. "Going to join me, Pet."
"Maybe, it depends on how full I am," he teased as Severus rolled his eyes at the two of them.
Damon chuckled. "You are a dirty lil Injun and need a bath... with me." He opened the back door for the two men and inhaled the smells of Grant's cooking. "Merlin, I'm starved. Feed me, my Grant."
Grant snorted and swatted at Damon's arm. "If I'm dirty it's because you've made me that way," he teased as he walked in and began to plate up Damon's food.
Damon sank down into a chair at the table and grinned. "Had to and you had fun getting there, don't deny it." He sat up and looked at his husband. "When did you want all this done cause the ball games are in full swing now. I've got practice tonight. We are playing Elkin on Sunday."
"I'd like to ship everything by the end of the week, so if you'll let me know what you need me to do, I'll work on it when I get home in the evenings," Grant said as he picked up Severus' plate and began to fill it as well.
"I'll help as well," Severus offered as he watched the small man serve his food. For some reason, Grant seemed to just do it at each meal, right after he served Damon.
Damon nodded and picked up his fork. "I'll work as much as possible on the furniture and we'll get all that you need from the craft store today. Other than that I just need to know what colour you want the dresser stained."
"Cherry would be nice, don't you think? It would bring out the natural wood. Guess what I paid for that and the rockers," Grant said smugly as he finally served himself a bit of food.
Damon looked up at his husband curiously. "Do I want to know? It's a nice piece, Pet, for Mourning Dove?"
Grant nodded, he liked doing little things to make his grandmother's life a little nicer when he could. "I gave a hundred and a quarter for the set," he said as he reached for his glass of juice.
Damon nodded. "You did good, Grant." He dug into his potatoes and hummed. "Tastes good... what's for dinner tonight?"
"Whatever you want. We can stop in Wheeling if you want at Obie's for pizza," Grant said, knowing that was the place to take his husband for a good pie. "That alright with you two?"
Damon grinned and looked up at Severus, winking at the man as he chuckled. "That sounds good to me, Pet. What do you think Sev?"
Severus just watched the two men with a raised brow and shook his head. He didn't really care where or what he ate, it was guaranteed the entertainment in watching the old couple would enhance any meal.