Owen Rook (drowningman) wrote in light_of_may, @ 2010-03-22 01:47:00 |
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Entry tags: | 2009-07-07 |
But Daddy, why can't I have a pet dinosaur?
Who: Owen and Marisa Rook, and their son Edward (NPC)
Where: The movies
When: Afternoon
What: Edward finally sees his mommy
After his son had sprained his wrist, Owen was babying him a little. He couldn't help it. The boy was only four and his only child. Things being the way they were, he was likely to be his only child for a very long time and he didn't like it when he was in pain. So he asked him what he wanted to do and he wanted to see the Ice Age movie. Actually, what he said was he wanted to see the movie with all the teeth on the poster. By the end of the movie, the toddler wanted to be a dinosaur doctor. Or a dinosaur scientist. Shaking his head, Owen picked up his son and disposed of the half-eaten popcorn and the drink Edward had barely touched. Kids.
They headed out into the crowded lobby and Owen didn't put him down, not wanting him to get his arm banged. "But Daddy! I promise I take good care of him." The boy tugged on his father's tee shirt, wanting his attention, but the elemental thought he'd seen someone in the lobby. No, trick of his eyes. "Daddy!"
"Yes, buddy? I'm listening." Yes, he was lying, but it was a little white lie. One Edward saw straight through.
"What I say?" He crossed his arms and Owen laughed. Kissing his son's cheek, he shook his head. "I don't remember. Your Daddy is an old man. Remind me." Edward laughed as his father ruffled his hair. "I want a dinosaur. Peeese, Daddy! I take good care of him. Like you and Hudson."
"Sorry, buddy, but dinosaurs can't be pets. It's against the law." He made a face, like he knew his father was stretching the truth. "Sid could have one," he said with a huff. "And Gamma and Gampa would let me have one!"
He shook his head, about the respond that he wouldn't when he looked up and saw the same person he thought he'd seen before. Only this time there was no denying who it was. Marisa. He stood there, blinking, holding on to his son like he'd seen a ghost. Because there was no way his wife was standing at the same movie theater as them. No possible way.
Marisa had been in Scarlet Oak for over two months now, settling in - and refusing to get an actual apartment because that just seemed... odd for some reason. Perhaps by the time school started. These were the thoughts that were running through her head as she walked by the movie theater and caught the whiff of a very familiar scent. Owen. Oh, she knew he was here, had come here because of him, but running into him randomly didn't often happen... but he hadn't seen her. And he had Edward. Marisa's heart almost stopped at the sight of Edward with his arm done up. What had happened to him?! Unable to resist, Marisa had followed them into the theater and bought a ticket to the movie, though she had watched none of it in favor of watching Edward, and his father. Owen looked better now than a year ago, she approved of that change.
Before enough time had passed the movie was over, the theater emptying and Marisa let herself be carried out with the flow. And then she realized that Owen was looking right at her, frozen. Running away is the easy thing to do, Marisa reminded herself as all her instincts screamed for her to do that. Running was easier and wouldn't end in getting hurt, an imaginary throb in her side reminding her that physical pain was very much a reality. Play it off, wonderful actress, you can do this. "And what happened to your arm, little guy?" Marisa asked, the lump in her throat not affecting her voice as she stepped closer, offering her best smile to Edward as she looked at his arm. "Not often I see a kid whose hurt himself." She didn't say anything to Owen, didn't quite trust herself to actually look up at him.
Edward grew shy as he was addressed by the woman that was his mother. He had no idea who she was, despite the fact that he'd always seen pictures. Hell, Owen still kept a picture of them on their wedding day on his dresser. His throat felt closed as he watched her with their son, who's face was currently buried in Owen's shoulder. How did he explain to the boy that this was his mother? 'Oh, Edward, this is your mother. She abandoned you soon after you were born because I caught her in her cat form. Then of course, I knifed her a year ago. Can you say hi to the nice lady?' Yeah, that was likely to go over well. The guilt he felt over having hurt her physically was still something he bore every day.
"It's okay, buddy. Say hi to the lady. Tell her what happened to your arm." Owen didn't address her directly, but his eyes remained her on as he felt his son sit up a little.
"I fewl. On tha playgound. Daddy took me to tha kinic and I gots a olipop." He looked proud of himself as he spoke, that he'd been a brave boy. "Is a spain."
Marisa bit her lip when Edward buried his face in Owen's shoulder like he had a reason to be shy around her. And he does, she reminded herself as she had to struggle against the urge to reach out and stroke his hair. She'd seen pictures from her mother and sister and seen him from a distance but the last time she'd been this close to him he hadn't been able to do much of anything. Definitely not talk. "Oohhhh, that had to be scary," Marisa said, clasping her hands behind her back so that she wouldn't reach out. "But if you got a lollipop that means you were awfully brave... hopefully it heals fast for you. Did you like the movie? Do you like dinosaurs?" A question she should have known the answer to and didn't. My own fault.
He still couldn't believe she was there, that she'd come up to them, that she was talking to their son. It felt like some dream and he didn't know how to react. Owen watched her try not to touch him and as much as he wanted to have her hold him, he couldn't bring himself to let Edward go, who was now nodding at Marisa, clearly warming up to her. "Yep. I was bave. Very bave." Then she mentioned dinosaurs and he lit right up. "Yesh. I love dinosaurs. But Daddy says I can't has one fer a pet! Is no fair! I take cares of it!"
Owen bounced him a little. "Bud, I know you'd take care of it, but we don't have room for a dinosaur in the house." He looked down at his son and kissed his temple. Taking a deep breath, he looked back at his wife and managed a kind of a smile. "How are you, Risa?" he asked, the nickname just slipping out.
She wanted to hold him, more than anything. But it didn't look like that was going to happen. Not that she'd expected it to. She didn't even know what she did expect or why she had decided to let him see her today. Maybe because they had been at the movies or because Edward had hurt himself and she just... wanted to. "Maybe you should have a kitty instead," Marisa offered with a little smile. "Those are small enough for houses and they're such good pets." She was a little prejudiced. But then her mind went off of Edward and her eyes shot up to Owen, wide with surprise that he had called her that. The woman could remember exactly the last time he had, right before he left for Boston four years ago. Not fair, she didn't want to remember that right then. "I'm... fine, Owen." Not quite a lie and not quite true. "Accepted a position at UoM not long ago, teaching theater. And you?"
"We has a dog. His name is Hudson and he talks to Daddy all tha time. Right, Daddy?" Oh, thanks, for outing your father, little man. Owen cleared his throat. "I dunno tha' Hudson would like a kitty. What do you tink, Daddy?"
He rubbed his son's back. "Not sure, Edward. We can try and figure that out later." Leaning in, he whispered in his ear, "Thought we weren't going to tell people that Hudson can talk," he said softly to the little boy, who made that oops face. He looked back at Marisa and smiled sheepishly, as if to say kids. The middle of a crowded lobby was not the place to tell his wife that he was an elemental. Instead, he focused on her words, what she was saying. "That's great. Risa. Really great. I'm so happy for you. I'll be starting at the high school in the fall." Everything seemed to be coming full circle.
Edward tugged on his father's shirt again. "Daddy, Daddy, Daddy! Can tha nice lady come fer pisa with us? Peese?!" The lump was back in his throat. "I guess that's up to her, little man." He looked over at her. "Would you like to join us for pizza?"
A talking dog. Really? Marisa's expression was surprised when she looked at Owen. He had a familiar. That meant he was something like an elemental or a witch... and he'd been a hunter for a time. That had to be like being hit between the eyes. Sort of like standing there and watching as Owen held their son and touched him in those little familiar ways that she couldn't. Hearing Owen call her by that ridiculous nickname he had attached to her back in college didn't help any. Maybe confrontation hadn't been such a good idea, running away was always a good second choice. "I'm glad for you, Owen, you were always happy when you were teaching." Her smile was weak and she had taken a step back, away.
Until she heard Edward asking if she could come with them for pizza. 'The nice lady'. That was exactly what she was to him and it hurt as bad as a silver blade. "I..." Marisa stopped, cleared her throat. Running away again? No. "I'd love to join you for pizza." She smiled at Edward. "I'd love to hear more about what you like."
Edward seemed pleased and honestly, Owen was too. "There's a good place in this shopping center. We could just walk there." Seemed easier than moving cars, plus getting a four year old into and out of a car seat for a two minute drive seemed a little excessive. He led the way, trying not to think of the fact that most people seeing them on the street would think they were a perfect little family. Glancing over at her, he realized that they looked very much so like the perfect family. And he missed that so badly. How many anniversaries had they missed together? Holidays? Birthdays? Seeing her that, watching her talk to their son, Owen missed her more than anything, the pain of separation an ache in his chest.
"I'm glad you're teaching too. I know you loved it." She was good at teaching. Hell, he missed her singing in the shower, in the kitchen, softly in the morning. God, this was such a bad idea.
Walking together. Marisa took the time that they were walking to look away, making sure that her eyes were at least a little dry. This really hadn't been her best idea and for awhile she couldn't say anything because her throat was burning and she knew that if she did then she'd start crying and she'd have to leave. Edward really couldn't see her cry and Owen... oh no, Marisa really would run away before she let Owen see her cry again. "Yes... I missed it quite a lot." There were a lot of things she had missed in the past four years. Bartending was really not her thing, far too many people around. Just like movies weren't the sort of place she frequented. She wondered if Owen even remembered things like that or if he had managed to forget. He had managed to - ah ah, stop that.
"So what kind of pizza is it that you like?" Marisa asked, only just stopping herself from calling him Edward. She wasn't supposed to know his name. "Lots of meat or vegetables?" She personally couldn't stand vegetables and knew that was her were side shining through.
He was too shocked to realize that she hated the movies, preferring to rent them and watch them curled up on the couch. Owen had always liked their movie nights, how they usually ended up making out on the couch like teenagers in love, hoping not to get caught by mom and dad. Edward reached for her shoulder when she was looking away, trying to get her attention to point out someone who had a dinosaur on their tee shirt. He smiled at her, a toothy little grin, having decided he really liked her for some reason he couldn't explain in his four-year-old brain. "I like peproni."
Owen rubbed Edward's back, stopping himself from saying that he gets that from her. "Still like meat lovers?" he asked as they stood in line. She wasn't bolting and he took that as a good sign, hoping that maybe they could figure out a time to talk without little ears around. That would probably be best. Was she really going to be around? If so, he wasn't going to deny her presence in their son's life. He couldn't do that.
Edward had touched her. Marisa almost stopped walking, one hand automatically going up to cover his. It was so small and hard for her to let go but she did, not wanting to frighten him or alarm Owen. "Pepperoni..." There they were, at the pizza parlor and Marisa nodded at Owen, a little surprised that he remembered. "Yeah, meat's the only way to go on a pizza, don't you know that yet?" It was a joke that she couldn't keep back, probably the same way he was about her nickname. "Have you ever had sausage or bacon on a pizza?" Marisa asked, looking at Edward. Mainly to keep from looking at Owen. It was harder to look at him because, unlike Edward, he knew exactly what she'd done. Edward was too young to know, didn't even recognize her face so it was easier for her somehow.
The little boy shook his head. "Then you will today, bud," he said. It felt normal to order a meat lovers for them. He smiled at her and moved to the front of the line to order the pizza. "Iced tea okay?" he asked, not really one to give their son soda. He was an active enough kid as it was without all the extra sugar. After ordering the pie, knowing he could eat most of it himself, they waited for their food. When it was ready, Owen had to either ask Marisa to hold the pizza or their little boy. "Ed, bud, is it okay if she holds you while Daddy gets the pizza?" Even though he was asking his son, he was looking at his wife, feeling Edward nod against his shoulder.
Iced tea was fine, which Marisa confirmed with a nod. It didn't take too long for the food to come up and then Marisa was offered something she hadn't expected. Not at all. The chance to hold her son. Her throat went even tighter, her eyes bright as she nodded her acceptance and reached out to take him from Owen. He was heavier than the last time but still light. Marisa was careful not to hold him too tightly but it was hard. He felt so good in her arms and Marisa could feel the tears welling up. She squeezed her eyes shut and turned her face away so that at least Edward wouldn't see. When she was able to get herself back under control she looked back at Owen. "Thank you," she said quietly. "I'll find us somewhere to sit. Do you still need a booster seat little guy or do you sit at the table all by yourself?"
It was almost too much to see her holding him and his throat felt thick. Unable to speak, he just nodded and turned his attention to getting their food, still watching them, mostly to see where they were going to be sitting. "Booster sea peese!" Edward was his usual self, not realizing that his mother was holding him. He smiled at her and saw that her eyes were a little wet. "You otay?" he asked in that soft child's voice that usually made Owen melt and hold him close.
Owen, for his part, was now holding a box and three cups with lids and straws, bottle of iced tea under his arm as he made his way over to the table where his family was waiting. God, his family. Could they really be that again? Could he forgive her for leaving? Could she forgive him for hunting her down, for wounding her with his knife, the knife that was now long since gone. All the silver was gone from his house.
Marisa reached out to grab a booster seat before she reached the booth, taking in a steadying breath when Edward asked if she was okay. No, she thought as she set the seat down and put him in it. Her fingers trailed over his hair, smoothing a few pieces down before she slid in across from him, wanting to watch him more than she needed to be near him. Owen could sit there. Better to be able to watch both of them... but especially him. She couldn't lie, she was still a little nervous about the fact that he had been able to stab her once. With silver. I'm not okay because you're four and don't know who I am and that's my husband but he wanted me dead. "I'm okay little guy," Marisa said, pulling up her actress facade. It would work. When Owen came she reached for the tea and poured three glasses almost without thinking and distributed the plates before waiting for him to give out the pizza. Almost like it was normal.
For a few minutes, getting their meal set up, it did feel normal, like a routine they just fell into, and in that moment, it felt good. Normal was good. He cut Edward's pizza in half and put it on the plate in front of him. "Careful of the bandage, okay?" He ruffled his hair and looked across the table at Marisa and smiled at her. Until he remembered what had happened between them. Owen took a big bite of pizza, watching her. "It is good to see you," he said after a mouthful. It had been even better to see her holding their little boy. He needed his mother. And, if Owen were ready to admit it, he needed his wife. Taking a sip of his drink, he couldn't keep his eyes off her.
Normal was good, but this wasn't normal. Marisa knew that. This was some strange happenstance that hadn't been supposed to happen... or it had. She had held Edward for the first time in four years and it had felt amazing, she would give up everything to be able to do that again. To see him every day, get him ready to go off to daycare or preschool... Her son. Their son. She didn't even know if he was like her, like Owen, or none of the above. So many things she didn't know. And she felt it, Owen watching her even while he was taking a drink. The back of her neck heated up a little. He'd done that all the time before, just watching her for some reason she didn't understand. "I... wasn't sure you'd want to," she murmured, taking a bite of pizza. "We didn't part on good terms, Owen. I just... I couldn't help myself." She had needed to see Edward, and him. The him part he didn't need to know so much.
"I know we didn't." Edward was pretty busy munching, clearly having his mother's love for meat on his pizza. But he was still sitting there, making it hard for them to have a real conversation, the one he wanted to have with her, needed to have. Owen had so much to apologize. He needed to know why she left, how long she was back for, but he couldn't ask her that with their son sitting there. "It's alright. But maybe we could have dinner or something? Really talk without little ears around?" Maybe she still liked how he made his steaks on the grill. God, he hoped so. Was she still the woman he'd fallen in love with all those years ago?
It most certainly wasn't alright. If things were alright then the past four years wouldn't have happened. None of it. He wouldn't have come early and seen her as a snow leopard and she wouldn't have proven to be worse than her mother by running away without her child. At least Felicia had taken her children with her when she went. Marisa could have at least tried harder... she blamed herself for that daily, and for not trying harder when Owen had found her again. Though really, in the face of silver what could she have done? Nothing. "I'd like that, I think," Marisa said slowly. Not because she didn't want Edward around, she wanted nothing more than him there, but because children shouldn't hear some things. Like that their mothers had abandoned them. "It's the full moon tonight." The words were hard, but she had to know, had to know now. "Is he... does he..." She didn't even know what answer she wanted to hear.
"Still like steak?" he asked softly. Owen put the other half a piece in front of his son. The moon. He'd forgotten about that in the year since he'd hunted. A year ago he'd be getting ready to hunt, hoping he'd find the snow leopard. "No, he doesn't." Maybe that would have been easier, if their son was like her. Maybe then he would have searched for her, had her explain what was going on, why there was a cub in their son's crib. But they didn't have that. She was just gone and there was a crying baby boy in the crib that night.
"Always love steak." Marisa felt her heart sink just a little again. She hadn't needed to worry at all. Edward was as normal as her sister had been. Of course he is... why would Owen have gone hunting if he had had an explanation? He couldn't have hunted something that his own son was. Marisa still didn't like knowing that there really wasn't anything of her in the little boy. Too bad her mother hadn't told her that part. "And that's... that's good. That's very good. You didn't have to go through that." She cleared her throat and looked away from the pizza. She didn't really want to eat it anymore, her stomach was rolling and rejecting the idea of food. Hunting could always be done that night. "Where do you want to have this dinner of yours?" And why was she so willing to trust that he wouldn't just put a silver bullet through her heart this time? Something said he wouldn't, but he had cut her once and it was impossible for her to forget.
He reached out and touched her arm, not wanting her to get upset. It was a natural, knee-jerk reaction. "He's a lot like you, though. Always humming. Loves meat. Same favorite color." He'd never realized how funny it was that a were's favorite color was silvery gray until just then. Owen brushed his finger tips over her arm, wanting her to feel comfortable. God, how things just fell into place. It was weird, something he never expected. "You could come to the house." He had no intention of hurting her. All he wanted was to talk, to find out what went wrong and see if it was fixable. For them. For their son. Part of him, a larger part than he was willing to admit, wanted it to work, to be able to reconcile with his wife.
Marisa's breath caught when he touched her. Then Owen told her that Edward was like her in some ways, odd little ways. Humming, her son hummed like she did. For that month that she had been with him, Marisa had always hummed to him, the little songs that she loved and had wanted to teach him. Had Owen done that for her? These were the things that she needed to know... to know if she could stay in Scarlet Oak with them and co-exist. She didn't really dare to hope for more than that after what she had done to them, but maybe just that. Even if Edward didn't know who she was. "I could do that," Marisa agreed slowly, eyes going down to Owen's fingertips going over her skin, leaving a trail of goosebumps behind. Snow leopards weren't the sort of creature who mated for life so she wasn't bound to him like some weres by something she couldn't control, but she'd fallen in love a long time ago and that hadn't just... gone away. Him touching her like that was stirring up memories long ago buried and it was making her nervous even as it calmed her in another way. "When would you want me to come? Other than not tonight since we couldn't talk." Unless he'd learned abilities she didn't know existed.
When. That was a good question. "Tomorrow night?" It was the sort of thing that shouldn't wait. Not if she was going to randomly show up at the movies, be around town. They needed to talk, figure this all out. Owen realized he was touching her and pulled back, looking down at his barely touched pizza for a minute. He hadn't ordered meat lovers in four years. He'd have to ask his parents to watch Edward, probably for the night. It would give them time to figure it out and time for Owen to get his head together after. He couldn't predict then what would happen, just like he hadn't been able to predict it a year ago. "Marisa, I'm sorry," he said softly, looking down at their son as he picked at the meat, deciding that's what he wanted to eat instead of the whole pizza. "For what happened a year ago. I, uh, I don't keep any of that stuff in the house anymore. Got rid of all my gear and there isn't any silver, so you, uh, you don't have to worry." His eyes met hers, hoping that would make her understand that he'd been ignorant and he'd paid the price for that.
Tomorrow. She didn't have any plans, rarely ever made plans for the day following the full moon. It was more of a habit than anything else, she liked to relax after a night spent out, but she could make an exception. This once.
But then he was saying that he was sorry. Marisa looked away from him, watching Edward as he picked at the meat on his pizza. Something that Marisa herself had always done when she was a kid, before she'd learned that it could taste just as good altogether. A little thing, but it made her smile. "No silver," she repeated, her actress face still on when she looked back at Owen. He didn't look like he was telling a lie, had never had an exceptionally great talent for it that she knew of, but could she believe him? That she wouldn't get hurt again. And not just physically. Mentally she still wasn't healed, she couldn't even think of Owen as anything but just that - Owen. "That's good, Owen, that's very good." No more silver necklace, no silver knife... Marisa drew in a deep breath and smiled at him. "I'll be able to come. Talk some." Figure out what was going on, if she could see Edward more, make Owen understand why she'd left. If he wanted to know.
Even though her words were more positive, he couldn't help but still feel like an idiot for what he'd done. If Marisa forgave him for it, and that was a big if, he would still feel guilt for hurting the woman he loved. He'd spent four years hunting to try and avenge her, never having really come to terms with her loss. So when he found her again, it was hard on him. He didn't know what to do, what to think. And now, when he'd tucked it all away, she came back into his life and he couldn't help but feel joy at that, even if there was so much else he was feeling too. "I'm glad. There is so much to say." He looked down at Edward, who had stopped picking and looked pretty sleepy. "I should get him home for a nap."
It was probably better that Marisa didn't know what was going through Owen's head, because it only would have confused her more. That wasn't what she needed right then, not with the full moon being so close. So she just nodded, not knowing what else to say. "Then you should take him home for a nap," Marisa nodded, finishing off her tea. She thought that a nap actually sounded pretty good for herself too. It was going to be a long night after all. "I'm... glad I ran into you both. I'll see you tomorrow night?"
After cleaning up his son's face and their table, he helped the little guy up and held him close. "Tomorrow night." He smiled at her. "I'm really glad I ran into you, too. Have a good night." Holding his son close, they went to leave the pizzeria until Edward tugged on his father's shirt and asked to be put down. As soon as his feet hit the ground, he ran over to Marisa and wrapped his little arms around her legs. "Is nice ta meet you!" he said brightly, smiling up at her, having no idea who he was meeting. The lump in his throat was back and he knew that he couldn't deny his son the chance to know his mother.
"Nice to meet you too," Marisa replied, stroking the top of Edward's head gently. She knelt down and hugged him back quickly. "You be a good boy and don't hurt yourself anymore, okay?" She smiled at him before standing back up and smoothing out her t-shirt before pushing him gently towards Owen. "Have a good night." What else was she supposed to say? They were leaving and she was waiting until they were gone to go herself. Didn't want to be tempted to follow.
Edward came back to his father, slipping his good hand into Owen's. "Be safe." He knew what was out there, especially on the night of the moon. Owen waved and took his son outside and helped into the car. "We're going to see Grandma for a little while, okay buddy? You can tell her all about the dinosaurs and see what she says about them being good pets, okay?" Edward nodded sleepily before Owen closed the door. God, even a thirty three year old man needed his mother, only this was more for advice. What does one do when your wife comes back? He didn't have a clue.