Chapter Text
“Hmph, this is foolish,” Simon mutters, wanting to cross his arms but these blasted shackles preventing him.
“Now, now, Prosecutor Blackquill,” Bobby says, glancing at him in the rear view mirror. “What did I tell you about keeping an open mind?”
“Oh shut up, Fool Bright.”
Bobby raises his eyebrows. “And I thought I asked you not to call me that.”
“You did,” Simon says. “I just do not care what a simpleton like you things, Fool Bright. Your outlook on life is laughable, and your obsession with a hollow version of justice is incredibly foolish. Which is why I named you Fool Bright.”
Bobby decides not to press the argument, and Simon smirks before staring out of the window.
For the last two weeks, Bobby Fulbright has been the handler of Simon Blackquill. Tasked with rehabilitating him enough to be able to prosecute in court again, Bobby is totally obsessed with reforming Simon. However, his idea of rehabilitation seems to revolve around refusing to electrocute Simon with his shock handcuffs (what utter bastard invented these things, and what even bigger bastard insisted that every man to leave the prison has to wear them under the threat of being electrocuted by their police escort?) and being nicer to him than any police officer has ever treated him. To be honest, it is so unnerving Simon just finds him annoying.
As Simon has behaved himself these last two weeks (which means he hasn’t gotten into any fights in prison, something that happens whenever the dullards he shares his space with provoke him), Bobby has been granted permission to take Simon outside of the prison grounds for a few hours. And even though he hasn’t set foot outside of the clink for five long years, Simon didn’t want to come. Spending forced time in the company of a hyperactive, too enthusiastic detective makes sitting in his cell all day seem fun. But Bobby insisted, which is why he sits in the back of a car, scowling at his reflection in the window.
“I’m taking you to the park, Prosecutor Blackquill,” Bobby says after a long period of silence. “Have you ever visited Gourd Lake? They used to say there’s a monster in the water.”
“Yes, and during the case where the Chief Prosecutor was on trial for murder the whole thing was proven to be a misunderstanding,” Simon says.
“I know that, sir. I was testing your knowledge.”
“Of course you were, Fool Bright.”
Bobby glances at him in the rear view mirror, and Simon wonders if he’s going to get scolded again.
But, no… instead of that, Bobby starts crying.
“Oh, not again,” Simon mutters.
One of the many things he has unwillingly learned about Bobby these past two weeks is that he’s probably the most emotional police officer in existence. He cries so easily some would call him pathetic, but Simon just finds it exasperating.
“Sorry, Mr Blackquill, sir, I didn’t mean to start crying,” Bobby says, wiping his eyes. “But I really was trying to test your knowledge,” he says, sounding so hurt it is almost pitiful. Almost.
“Fine, I apologise for causing you to sob,” Simon says, and Bobby smiles tearfully. “Now can we just get on with it? If I have to be out with you, I would at least like to walk by the monster free lake.”
Bobby smiles. “Of course, sir.”
---
Approximately ten years since he first sat in a car with Bobby, Simon slumps in the passenger seat, yawning. Fool Bright drives, drumming his hands against the steering wheel. In the back of the car, two children sit in booster seats: five year old Sam and four year old Jamie.
Sam and Jamie are recent additions to their family. The boys are the children of Bobby’s cousin, who died in a car accident last year. Bobby couldn’t bear to see them put in an orphanage, so he insisted on adopting them. Ever since he was acquitted, Simon has a clean record and Bobby obviously does, so they easily became the guardians of the two children.
Simon has always been rather good with children (he was great friends with Athena and Juniper back… before everything went wrong) despite his grouchy appearance, and he has found himself becoming a very good father these last few months. And Sam and Jamie have started to settle in as members of the Blackquill-Fulbright family.
“Where are we going, Papa?” Sam asks.
“To a birthday part of a dear friend of mine,” Simon says. “She cannot wait to meet the two of you.”
“What’s her name?” Jamie says.
“Athena. We’ve known each other for a long time.”
“Do you know her, Dad?” Simon asks Fool Bright.
Bobby glances at him in the rear view mirror, smiling. “I certainly do. We met on a case a few years ago now.”
What Fool Bright rightfully doesn’t add is that Athena thought she met Bobby far earlier than she really did, having really met the phantom who was impersonating Bobby. But after the whole ugly case with the phantom was cleared up and they got the real Fool Bright back, the pair really did meet. Of course, that story isn’t appropriate for the children and neither of them feel like triggering their PTSD.
“Is she a prosecutor too?”
“Or a detective?”
“Neither,” Simon says. “Athena is a defence attorney, and we are fierce rivals in court.”
“He only says that because she’s beaten him so many times,” Bobby says, and the boys giggle.
“Fool Bright,” Simon says, glaring at him, but Bobby simply smiles.
“Papa?” Jamie says. “Why’d you call Dad Fool Bright? Isn’t fool a mean word?”
Simon glances at Bobby, who nods.
“Well, it normally is mean and when I first called him that, I was being mean,” Simon explains. “You see, your dad annoyed me a lot when we first met. I thought he was foolish so I made a play on his surname and called him Fool Bright. But as we got to know each other and I found I genuinely enjoyed his company, it became more of a friendly nickname. Now it is a complete term of affection.”
Simon turns his head and sees the boys staring at him with wide eyes. Bobby looks like he is going to cry.
“What?” he says.
“That’s so nice, Papa,” Jamie says.
“You really love Dad even though you act so grumpy, don’t you?” Sam says.
And when Simon says, “I do,” Bobby grins as ridiculous tears of happiness fill his eyes, and Simon blushes a deep shade of red.