Learn

[Madeline Speare]

"Have we learned anything Alexander?" Madeline asks, raising an eyebrow at her ten year old son, arms crossed tightly over her chest. Honestly, she couldn't turn her back on him for five minutes, five bloody minutes without him getting into some sort of trouble.
"Wasn't my fault," He murmurs, keeping his gaze fixed on the floor, where Abby was sitting, sucking on a lollipop. "Why does she get one?"
Shooting her son a disbelieving look, Madeline sighs brushing her son's dark brown hair off his forehead, carefully not to brush her fingers over the bandage she had just wrapped around his head. The upside of being a Healer, she knew what she was doing.
"No more jumping out of trees, alright? You give your Da a hard time enough as it is."
"Not making any promises," Alex murmurs, a wry grin tugging at the corner of his lips to show his mother he was joking.
Madeline returns the grin, poking him lightly in the forehead, causing him to wince. "Where did you get that stubbornness of yours,"
He glances up at her, grin still in place. "You,"
"Touche'." She chuckles softly.

[Ian Hunt]

I suppose I really should be getting used to this place, and these situations. It's not as if it's very rare for someone I know to wind up here.
It's not as if I've been short of Claire's frantic owls in the middle of the night to ask me if I could please, please, please come down to sit with her because she doesn't like to be on her own when Matthew's hurt himself again because he's slept-walked right down the stairs or taken a running jump out of the upstairs hall window. Kris and Mez tend to be a lot more calm about it when Daniel winds up here, and they write as if it's a second thought that maybe I should be aware my demented younger brother has been trying to beat up kids twice his age. Occasionally, if Jay's not around, Shell will write to let me know that whoever has pushed Violet down the stairs or something.
But when all of this adds up, it doesn't match the amount of times I've been here for my Poppy and Alex's mishaps. She tends to just fall over a lot, or walk into people, or get into fights if she's in one of her weirder moods and that one time where she tried to take on the whomping willow, because it 'looked at her funny', and when I pointed out that trees don't have eyes she just smiled spacily and said 'Oh yeah'. But I think Alex is trying to wind up here repeatedly.
What's today's drama? Jumped out of a tree.

I don't even know why I bother coming here to meet them when Alex is around. I'm sure it'll end up the same as it always does, and he won't say a word to me or just give me that scornful look that I'm so accustomed to now.
It's been over a year. How long is it going to be before this is okay again?
I fucked up, I know. I made a two year long mistake. I'm fixing it. I'm trying.

So now I'm in a bad mood and I'm fully prepared for this to go as bad as usual and I shove my hands into my pockets as I head down the corridor.
I hate this place anyway. It's stupid to spend so much time in a place that I hate.
I hate to admit it but as soon as I catch sight of them I'm steeling myself.
"Hey Alex. How are you feeling?"

[Madeline Speare]

At the sound of his voice, both mother and son glance up. Alex gives the usual glare before crossing his arms over his chest.
Ruffling her son's hair, Maddie hoisting Abby up into her arms before heading over towards him,"You got the owl," She grins, kissing him softly.

It had been a year since he had gotten home and yes, most of the family had told her that she should not take him back, let alone let him near her children again, but Maddie hadn't listened. She had never been one for listening anyways. She had missed him, lord knows how much time she spent locked away in her room those two years.
"He's fine, just needs to stop doing stupid and dangerous things," She says, glancing over at Alex, who was picking at his jeans.

[Ian Hunt]

"Hmm," I reply absently, kissing her softly back, without really paying much attention to what I'm doing.
It's not as it requires much thought, and my attentions are sort of focused elsewhere anyway.
I glance very briefly at Alex, before looking back at her again, "Falling out of a tree, wasn't it?"

[Madeline Speare]

She nods, hoisting Abby higher in her arms, glancing back over at Alex.
"It was actually climbing out of his window, jumping into the tree and missing the branch,"
She nearly winces at the thought, Madeline couldn't help feel like that was somewhat her fault. She herself enjoyed climbing out of the windows and onto the roof. Maybe she wasn't setting the best example for her children. Lord knows Alex always tried to imitate her, he wanted to be nothing like Ian.

[Ian Hunt]

I raise an eyebrow, "Now that behaviour does sound familiar..."
I don't mean this in an accusatory way. It's simply just one of those cringe-worthy things that both of them happen to do that worries me senseless.

[Madeline Speare]

Madeline grins wryly,"I think it's a good time to play the 'like mother like son' card."

[Ian Hunt]

"Please don't remind me," I reply wryly, grinning weakly.

[Madeline Speare]

Grinning weakly, she leans forward kissing him."You love us,"

[Ian Hunt]

I kiss her softly, only briefly, "Of course I do. But are we allowed to get out of here yet?"

[Madeline Speare]

I laugh softly, of course he wanted to leave. Never liked this place, something's never change.
"In a few, still have to wait for results,"

[Ian Hunt]

"We already know he's derranged, why do we need results?" I glance at Alex briefly, unwilling to even look at him for too long.

[Madeline Speare]

I smack him lightly round the back of the head, settling Abby on my hip, careful so she wouldn't get any ideas to shove her lollipop into my hair.
"He is not, he's just..adventerous,"

[Ian Hunt]

"Sorry, adventurous," I correct myself with the smallest hint of sarcasm in my tone, "And was that necessary?"

[Madeline Speare]

"If sarcasm turns into my children's second language I'm killing you," I mumble, setting a squriming Abby down on the floor. "Yes, completely. We're almost done, just sit still for a few,"
Glancing back, I've only just realized that Alex isn't on the counter anymore.
"Shit," I murmur under my breath."I told him to sit still,"

[Ian Hunt]

"I love you too," I reply dryly, then glance behind her again, "Oh, was he supposed to be staying there? Sorry."

[Madeline Speare]

"Honestly," I mutter, putting my hands on my hips."He's already in hot water, you'd think that by now he'd get the concept of staying out of trouble,"

[Ian Hunt]

"Why's he in hot water?" I ask.

[Madeline Speare]

"Used your wand again this morning," I mutter, pushing my hair back off my forehead,"Let's just say we need a new backdoor...-again."

[Ian Hunt]

I put my hand to my pocket as I could have sworn that I had my wand with me, then take in what she's actually said, "Again?"

[Madeline Speare]

"Here," I mutter, pulling his wand out of my pocket and handing it back to him,"Should really keep better track of it,"
I watch Abby out of the corner of my eye, before nodding,"Mhm, broke it last...-" I stop halfway through the sentence though, He broke it last year a couple of months before Ian came home. I never liked talking about when he was gone, or what happened.

[Ian Hunt]

"Yeah, I've been meaning to start doing that," I murmur, taking it back off her and slipping it into my pocket.
Suddenly it's a lot easier to look at the ceiling when she says that though, but I manage after a moment to say firmly to wall above her head after a moment, "Last year?"

[Madeline Speare]

"Should try bit harder, don't want Abby to find it next, you know how she loves putting objects in her mouth," I say softly, scooping Abby back into my arms as she whimpers, wanting attention.
Keeping my attention of Abby, I gently brush her hair back off her forehead, nodding."Yeah, last year."

[Ian Hunt]

"Yeah, I'll try harder," I mutter, managing to drag my attention back to them again as I thankfully have no reply concerning last year.

[Madeline Speare]

Abby grins at both of us, before burying her head into my shoulder."Have anything to say to us baby?" I grin, kissing her softly on the forehead.

[Ian Hunt]

"She spoke the other day," I grin slightly.

[Madeline Speare]

I grin, glancing at Abby before looking back at Ian."Really? What she say?"

[Ian Hunt]

"Her own name," I laugh slightly, "And crazy person a few times."

[Madeline Speare]

"Full name?" I ask, kissing Abby softly on her forehead, before setting her back down,"I wish she talked more when she's around us though,"

[Ian Hunt]

"Yeah, the full name," I nod, "The other two aren't loud enough? Imagine if all three of them were."