Ridiculous [Arden]

[Ian Hunt]

I laugh, "He's never going to shut up with that now. Thanks Arden."

[Arden Patricks]

"Anytime," I laugh slightly. "If you like, you can always return the favor. I don't mind. Tell my nephew some sort of lie about me, I don't know."

[Ian Hunt]

"I don't think I will," I laugh slightly, "I'll spare you that. How are the small gaggle of small children lately anyway?"

[Arden Patricks]

"Pretty well, as far as I know." I shrug slightly. "Isobel broke her arm the other day because I think Micheal was trying to help her tightrope walk along a garden wall or something like that, something he shouldn't have. But I wasn't watching them at the time so I don't know. And Melody is with her useless father at the moment so I hope she's all right." I shrug, frowning slightly, and forget to ask right away how his are.

[Ian Hunt]

"Oh," I frown slightly, not sure whether I'm frowning at the fact that Isobel's broken her arm or that Melody is with Fitzy. I'm not sure why I care and wasn't totally aware that I was opinionated on the matter, but I'm pretty sure Arden looks after her better than Fitzy does.

[Arden Patricks]

I shrug, shaking my head. "It's my fault, really, the Fitzy thing. Had a shouting match with him about abandonment, and now trying to make him prove he's not as hopeless as he claims." I shrug again slightly. "So how about your lot?"

[Ian Hunt]

"Well, surely that's a good thing? No slurs on your ability to look after her, but maybe if he's trying...it might be a good thing," I shrug slightly.
I don't quite believe this, as I still think that Arden would take care of her better, but I don't want to say that.
"My lot are fine," I shrug, "They're all doing well and still alive and everything."
My lot are also potentially expanding, as Maddie is trying to goad Finley into coming to stay with us for the summer, which I'm not exactly ecstatic about, but I can hardly blame him for being related to Logan. And I'm also a little worried about Vi and how she might be holding up after Jay and everything, but apart from that, they're all very well.

[Arden Patricks]

"Still alive is good," I nod. "Very, very good. And yeah, that's the idea. And it's not that I don't want to... just that she ought to have a father, if possible."

"Yes, that's right, I'm doing very well. But what about when she's older, Fitzy? What in the hell am I going to tell her? 'Sorry, sweetie, you don't have a mum because she didn't want you. And I know you hardly ever see your dad but that's because he didn't either.'"
"Yeah, something like that," he nods, looking away. "Planning to add that even you didn't want her and tried to give her back?"
"That's beside the bloody point and you know it."

[Ian Hunt]

I shrug slightly, "I think you'd do a better job, personally. And maybe she'd appreciate it better if she was raised competently by her aunt, rather than raised incompetently by her father?"
Then I shrug again pretty quickly, "No disrespect meant."

[Arden Patricks]

"Probably true," I shrug. "I mean, I'm hardly one to claim that even bad parents are better than no parents at all... but I really don't think he'd be that incompetent if he actually tried. You thought you'd be a pretty awful father, didn't you?"

[Ian Hunt]

I shrug, "I am a pretty awful father, but I could be worse. But I don't know, I guess if you think he can, then I can't really disagree."
I haven't really seen or spoken to Fitzy since I was nineteen or twenty maybe, and then I've only heard the odd thing from Arden, and that's been pretty rare really, so I can't exactly pass judgement.

[Arden Patricks]

"You can," I shrug. "I mean, it could be that I'm wrong. But you're not an awful father so probably not, I guess."

[Ian Hunt]

"I don't know him well enough to disagree with any sound argument," I shrug, "So I won't."
I glance briefly next to me, as I remember that I wasn't here on my own, and then notice Daniel's wandered off to go and kick at a brick wall for a bit, so he's alright.

[Arden Patricks]

"Not that I have any sound arguments," I shrug, following his gaze. "Is he okay there?"

[Ian Hunt]

"I should think so," I frown slightly, then shrug and glance back at her, "But anyway..."

[Arden Patricks]

"All right...." I shrug slightly, deciding to take his word for it. "Um... anything else going on with you then?"

[Ian Hunt]

I think for a moment, then shrug slightly, "Not that I can think of."

[Arden Patricks]

"Just your usual chasing around of small children and such, then?" I shrug.

[Ian Hunt]

"That's pretty much all I do, yes," I shrug, "Anything going on with you?"

[Arden Patricks]

"Nope," I shrug, shaking my head. Except for visits to Azkaban. "I really don't do a whole lot with my life, I guess."

[Ian Hunt]

"Well, we're pretty boring then, all in all," I shrug.

[Arden Patricks]

"I'd say so," I nod. "Then again... we used to be interesting, and it's only really interesting if you're not living it." I shrug slightly. "Boring tends to be happier, I suppose."

[Ian Hunt]

"There's no disputing that," I agree.

[Arden Patricks]

I laugh slightly, trying to resist my first impulse to disagree, because if I do it'll just get confusing.
"I suppose a very small touch of something intriguing might not be too bad, though," I shrug.

[Ian Hunt]

"Intriguing...but positive," I decide.

[Arden Patricks]

"Exactly," I nod. "Though I can't think of anything that would count. How're things going with Alex and Poppy, anyway?"

[Ian Hunt]

"Pretty good," I shrug slightly, "Alex has got permission to throw a dictionary at me, providing that he can find it first so he's been looking. Poppy's getting very overexcited about coming home for summer."

[Arden Patricks]

"Well, that sounds fun for you then," I shrug. "Thiough, then again... they're usually quite heavy so it's not like he'd probably hit you with it. Are things... going any better then?" I ask, as hunting up a dictionary to throw at someone sounds a bit more playful than strict hatred.

[Ian Hunt]

"I imagine so," I nod, then shrug slightly, "Sometimes...I think so."
There are occasions when he'll talk to me, or at least we'll have conversations indirectly, and occasionally he'll stand next to me without too much protest. I also haven't forgotten that he nearly called me dad the other day.

[Arden Patricks]

"Well, it was bound to get better eventually." I smile slightly. "Just... slowly."