Babysitting

[Arden Patricks]

"Mm-hmm," I nod, shrugging. "And have you ever worked somewhere by the way? Where were you planning to?"

[Ian Hunt]

I shrug non-committedly, "I don't really have any idea. I can't really do anything."
It sounds quite pathetic, I realise after I've said it, but it's pretty much the truth. The only thing I've ever been really good at is torturing and murdering and there aren't many careers in that.

[Arden Patricks]

"Except, obviously, put up with kids, but as you're trying to get away from that it's not very helpful," I shrug, before deciding such a sentence was really pretty pointless except to be argumentative.

[Ian Hunt]

"Yeah, I can do that," I nod, "But Alex and Vi are starting school in September, and then it'll just be Abby and then she'll start school...eventually and then I'll have nothing to do which is pretty pathetic," I shrug, "So I should get round to finding something, at some point."

[Arden Patricks]

"True, I suppose." I shrug slightly. "Or you could just keep having more kids until you've got grandkids instead, and keep it up indefinitely instead of ever getting a job." I shrug again.

[Ian Hunt]

"Hmm," I tilt my head slightly as if considering this, "Tempting. No more kids though, or I'd probably have a mental breakdown."

[Arden Patricks]

"Haven't you already?" I ask, attempting to raise just one eyebrow at him rather than both but not quite managing.

[Ian Hunt]

I arch an eyebrow in response, sort of automatically at her raising her eyebrows at me, before conceding, "Mhm, I suppose so."

[Arden Patricks]

I shrug, deciding there's little else to say there, and glancing down at the small ones again.
"What do you say, Abby? Is he good at anything or just completely useless and mental?"

[Ian Hunt]

Abby grins up at her, before looking away again.
"I hope she's doing that for the sake of it rather than because she understood that," I grin wryly.

[Arden Patricks]

"Probably the first one...." I say, frowning slightly in mild uncertainty at that.

[Ian Hunt]

"I should think so. I hope so," I nod, glancing down at Abby again who's still grinning a ridiculous amount.

[Arden Patricks]

"Most likely," I say again, nodding, then shrug. "Though you never know...."

[Ian Hunt]

"That's what concerns me," I nod.

[Arden Patricks]

"Probably should...." I laugh slightly. "But it's probably just something else. Maybe the word 'mental' amuses her for some reason."

[Ian Hunt]

"Or Isobel is being witty in their mental conversation."

[Arden Patricks]

"If they're speaking telepathically, which we have yet to prove," I shrug. "And if she's being witty it's probably unintentional. She's too solemn."

[Ian Hunt]

"Taking that into consideration, yes," I agree, then shrug, "Maybe she's a riot in her own head, just not...in person."

[Arden Patricks]

"Possibly," I shrug, glancing down at her. "Somehow doubt it though. Funny little small person who never says anything...."

[Ian Hunt]

I laugh slightly, "Yeah, it doesn't look likely, I suppose."

[Arden Patricks]

"Mm," I nod, grimacing slightly. "She's a bit worrying, really. Turned two about three months ago and hasn't said a word or even hardly made a sound yet. That can't be normal, can it?"

[Ian Hunt]

I shrug slightly, "I don't really know. Maybe she's just a late starter?"

[Arden Patricks]

"Suppose...." I shrug slightly, pause, and then continue with the thought. "Just has us all worried, I guess, because Trisha apparently was like that - my older sister. And there seems to have been one Squib in each generation for about the last four, so...." I shrug again, glancing down at Isobel as she smiles mutely at Abby. "But I suppose it shouldn't really matter."

[Ian Hunt]

I frown slightly, before eventually shrugging slowly, "I suppose it doesn't really matter anymore though, does it? Now He's gone and all and it's all over. Nothing bad will happen to her if she did turn out that way."

[Arden Patricks]

"Yeah, true," I shrug. "Just hard to be convinced of that I guess. And it's not like... not necessarily, I mean...." I stop, shaking my head. Most people have doubts, I suppose, but most of it's just leftover paranoia really.

[Ian Hunt]

"I guess," I shrug slightly, then frown a little more involuntarily, "It's all over," I repeat firmly.

[Arden Patricks]

I nod, biting my lip slightly. "More or less."

[Ian Hunt]

I shake my head slightly, not wanting to argue about this in case my mind get's changed.
It is all over, it has to be all over, and that is what I'm going to believe.

[Arden Patricks]

I shake my head again, shrugging. "No... it's over," I say as if he'd argued. "Just... just not... not entirely, in some ways. It's not like everything's fine now, still... deatheaters running around and such, real ones, and...." I shake my head, wondering why in the hell I'm talking about this in the first place, much less to him and in front of a bunch of small children - regardless of whether or not they can understand me. "Never mind, sorry."

[Ian Hunt]

I listen to her as impassively as I can, and then just shrug very stiffly because I'm not going to say anything.