Two days before Thanksgiving...

[amityville_sweetheart]

Ah, Florida. Warm weather all year long, even in late November. Home of beautiful palm trees, the Mouse, warm, sandy beaches... and bugs big enough to count as the state bird. Ew.

Glancing at the clock, Corrine makes a left at the last light before her sister's house. She'd turned off the heat to the rental car hours ago, and only an hour after that the windows had gone down. It was nice to feel the cool breeze through her hair and not be shivering, but the farther and farther they drove into the warmth of Florida, the more anxious she got. This would be her family's first time meeting Caleb, and his first time meeting them.

If at all possible, she wanted to avoid screaming matches or fist fights, but she had a feeling by the end of the day it'd be inevitable. Just for safety's sake, Corrine had insisted that they stay at the hotel only 20 minutes away. Angela's house was more than big enough to accomodate her and Caleb, but she had a feeling her older sister would probably try and offer them seperate rooms. Not to mention it gave them a place to escape if the family got too unbearable.

Corrine waits patiently at a stop sign before turning into a residential neighborhood. The yards are spacious, every house has two car garages, and there are children playing football in a yard. The driveways are either packed with cars or completely empty, and with a nervous sigh, Corrine pulls the car into the third house on the right.

Turning off the car, she turns to Caleb. "Well, we're here." A nervous smile. "Ready?"

Comments

[outcast-xtras.livejournal.com]

"Speaking of Kenton, I've got something for you, Resie. Caleb'll probably like it, too. Consider it an early Christmas." Louis leans over the side of the couch, pulling out a large cherrywood picture frame. Several photos are in the frame, all of immediate family.

"Jack helped me put them together. I made one for you, Angela and sent one off to Patrice. They're all a little different for each of us, but yours have the pictures from..." He looks hesitant for a moment, and sad. "From the last day. See, there's your graduation pictures, from kindergarten, high school, and college. Jack suggested we include Casey, too, so I put in the one mama got done for Nan the Christmas before. Then there's you and papa from the restaurant that day, and you and Genie at his confirmation."

[damage-girl.livejournal.com]

Corrine's completely speechless as she takes the frame, her fingers running over each picture, but resting an exceptionally long time on the photo of her and her father. She still misses him so much, even after all these years. Especially now, though, after everything. She doesn't have the heart to speak of any of it to her siblings. Louis and Angela didn't need to know it, considering it may have very well been her father that started it all. She shakes that thought from her mind.

"Th... thank you, Louis. It's... it's beautiful." There are tears in her eyes, and she looks utterly stunned.

[outcast-xtras.livejournal.com]

For the first time since Corrine and Caleb's arrival, Angela genuinely smiles. "Mine has everyone's newborn pictures with papa. Mine, Patrice, Louis, you, Genie, Casey. And the last family portrait before I moved out in the center."

She leans over, giving her sister a hug, then tilting her chin up to look in her eyes. "Don't worry, Roary. None of us have forgotten how hard it was for you, staying there through the worst of it. You're a stronger person than you know." With a sigh, she stands, heading off towards the kitchen. "I'm going to check the turkey, see what kind of loot the girls got."

[caleb-z.livejournal.com]

After Angela leaves, Caleb begins looking at the photograph of her in kindergarten and can’t help but smile.

“You were a rather cute child, love.” Then his gaze shifts to his girlfriend. “Some things never change, it would seem. And do mind your sister’s words – they aren’t without merit.”

[outcast-xtras.livejournal.com]

Louis smirks, shaking a finger in Caleb's direction. "I like this one!" he says through laughter. "Keep 'im!"

He leans over towards the two, voice low. "Have you told him about Christmas with Greg, what was it? Four years ago? Three?"

[damage-girl.livejournal.com]

Corrine facepalms, shaking her head but still laughing. "Oh, Merciful Kitten, Louis! No! I haven't managed to scare him off yet, please don't!"

[caleb-z.livejournal.com]

Caleb is a creature of immense natural curiosity. To one like him, bait like that is beyond impossible to resist. He briefly scratches the back of his neck with his right hand as he responds.

“Why, uh … no. She, uh … never did tell that tale. Though, after viewing her reaction, I, uh … I am rather curious.”

[outcast-xtras.livejournal.com]

"I have to! He's got to hear this!" Louis sits back on the couch, hands up as he sets the scene. "Picture this. We're here at Angela's house for Christmas, three years ago, I think. Angela, her husband Dave, the girls, me and my partner Jack, my sister Patrice and her now ex-husband, Michael. Resie finally gets here with Greg. Everything looks good right up until dinner. First, Greg offers to help Dave make something in the kitchen, and sets a kitchen towel on fire 'cause he leaves it right next to the range. Through gritted teeth, Angela practically chases him out of the kitchen."

His grin is getting wider and wider as he continues. "So we sit down to eat, and Dave asks Greg how him and Resie met, and he goes on this whole story about how they were both standing in the line at the bank, and-- no lie right here-- he says, 'I couldn't believe this hot little thing was talking to me'. And Angela is trying not to choke on her turkey, and Dave's not really sure what to say! Resie's got a hand over her face, blood red, and thank the heavens for Patrice never being able to shut the hell up, because SHE says, 'Yeah, I guess you would be happy to get a girl like my sister. No one else would put up with your dumb shit'!"

Louis has to stop from laughing, rubbing his face before he can speak again. "So, dinner's pretty quiet from then on, we don't want to give this asshat anymore chance to talk. After dinner we go into the living room, we're all sitting around chit-chatting, and at this point Greg is blitzed off on white wine. HE decides, at the height of inebriation, to bring the bags in from the car. He gets halfway up the driveway and falls over, hitting his head on the cement post and knocking himself out, cold! So-- so--" Still through laughter, "Dave and Resie run him to the ER where they sit for four hours before they're seen, they want to keep Greg overnight, and about four in the morning Dave decides to head home. Greg's conscious at this point, and still quite drunk, he tells Resie-- 'I better finally get something out of this for putting up with your family's bullshit', and Dave just LAYS HIM OUT. Takes Resie back here, and when Greg shows up the next morning ready to bitch Resie out, Angela has Michael and Dave toss him down the driveway!"

His face is red from hysterical laughter at this point, and he shakes his head, giving Corrine a sympathetic smile. "I'm sorry, sis, I know that was a horrible Christmas for you, but the utter audacity of that guy. Oh, what a loser!"

[caleb-z.livejournal.com]

Despite an intense effort not to, Caleb winds up hunched over in laughter. As he begins to calm down, his head shakes from side to side.

“No, no! The .. best part would have to be what Corrine here did to the little sod when he finally went too far!”

[outcast-xtras.livejournal.com]

"Oh HO? I haven't heard this!" Louis turns to his little sister, grinning like the cat that ate the canary. "I know you went back to Metropolis with him, what happened to the jackass?"

[damage-girl.livejournal.com]

Corrine's doing her best to cover her face with her hands. She's obviously embarassed, but still somewhat amused. "Well, I know I told Angela-- did I tell you? That little rat took me to court!"

She shakes her head, the feeling of bitter righteousness coming back as if it was yesterday. "He took me to court for some insane amount, saying I owed him pain and suffering for the treatment at Christmas, and the hospital bill! And then, he takes up another civil suit for all the money he says I owe him for helping me get on my feet! AND HE WINS! I saw him, oh, I dunno, maybe a month later? Two? I saw him at the subway station, so I... uh... I sent the turn-style spinning at just the right time. Every cent he got from me he spent on reconstructive surgery for his manly bits."

[outcast-xtras.livejournal.com]

Louis looks stunned for a moment, staring first at his sister, his eyes wide and mouth gaping in shock. He glances over at Caleb, and realizing they're both utterly serious, a wide grin works up his face.

With no small amount of pleasure, he high-fives his sister. "WAY TO GO, SIS!"

[caleb-z.livejournal.com]

Caleb can’t help the prideful smile that now overcomes him.

“What goes around comes around, I suppose.” A beat. “No, uh .. no pun intended, of course.”