Work Text:
The house was oddly silent. Addie put down the magazine she had been reading and strained her hearing to see if she could pick up any sign of her children. With three boys under the age of ten her home was rarely ever quiet, especially since the private school she sent Joey and Grant to had let out for summer two weeks before. She had sent Grant to his room earlier for pushing Joey into the pool but that only accounted for Grant. She should still be able to hear Joey and Dick, especially Dick, the fact that she did not unnerved her.
The young mother stood and started making her way through the quiet house. She checked the pool first to find it deserted and decided to check the bedrooms. It was possible that her youngest sons had gone to take naps, especially Dick. The five-year-olds' boundless energy wore her out at times but the boy did occasionally require sleep.
She checked Grant's room first and found her oldest son playing a video game and sulking. He ignored her when she tried to speak to him and Addie quickly gave up. She then checked Joey's room and found the seven-year-old working a four-foot jigsaw puzzle on the floor of his bedroom. The boy looked up at her as she entered the room and gave her a wide smile. Addie returned the smile and moved closer to look at the puzzle over her son's shoulder.
“I just finished putting the border together. Would you like to help me finish it?”
“Don't you want to finish it yourself so you can show your father when he returns home?” The boy frowned down at the puzzle and shook his head.
“I can always work another one. Will you help me, mama?” Addie felt herself smiling slightly.
“Of course Joey. Give me a chance to check on your younger brother first, all right? ” Joey nodded and grinned.
“Ask Dick if he wants to help too.” Addie nodded. .
“I will as soon as I find him. Do you know where he is?” The blond-haired boy shook his head and Addie sighed. She made her way out of Joey's bedroom and headed down the hall to Dick's. She pushed the door open and peeked inside, hoping to find her adopted son but finding an empty room instead.
Frustration crept into her mind and she headed back down the hall to Joey's room. She stuck her head in.
“Your brother is not in his room. I will be back as soon as I find him. Go ahead and work your puzzle and if you finish it before I get back we will start a new one from the beginning and work it all the way through together.” Joey gave her a bright smile and nodded and Addie moved back into the hall.
The African manor that she and Slade kept was large and the boy could be anywhere. She wished that Wintergreen had not accompanied Slade on his business trip. The elder Brit always seemed to know where Dick was when he was home. She would have to find the child herself, luckily there were a few places that the boy seemed to frequent. She checked the living room first, followed by the children's playroom, the parlor, and the rear patio. Her frustration grew when she found herself still unable to find her youngest son and she decided to check the bedroom that she and Slade shared. Dick rarely went in there when Slade was not home but it was possible that the boy had retreated there for some reason.
The room seemed empty at first glance but a light breeze drew her gaze to the open window and her eyes fell on Dick's small form. The boy had wrapped himself around Safi, his stuffed elephant, and curled up on the narrow cushion that padded the window seat.
As Addie moved closer she saw the tear tracks that lined Dick's face and silently cursed. Slade was better at dealing with their youngest son's breakdowns. The boy opened up to the man in ways that Dick did not with her. With Slade gone, however, she would be forced to try and guide the boy through his latest emotional storm. The key was figuring out what had triggered this round of tears. Slade had told her once that with Dick there was almost always a trigger. She knelt beside the window and brought her hand up to pet it through Dick's hair.
“Dick sweetie what's wrong?” The child turned his face into the cushion and sniffled softly.
“I miss my daddy.” Addie continued to run her hand through the boy's soft locks.
“I know you do sweetheart. It is all right to miss him.” She knew it would take time for Dick to heal. The child's parents had been killed less than a year before and Dick's adoption had only been finalized a little over a month ago. The boy had yet to settle into the idea that he had a new family. “Can you tell me what is making you upset?” The child shook his head and sobbed into the cushion.
“I just miss him. I won't ever see him again.”
“Did Grant say something to you? Or Joey?” Dick continued to shake his head and Addie was not sure how to encourage the child to talk to her. “Did you see something that reminded you of him?” Dick finally nodded and Addie held back a sigh. “I can only help if you tell me what you saw.” For a moment she thought that the boy was not going to answer.
“A come-er-shall.” The normally articulate five-year-old stumbled over the word and it took Addie a moment to figure out what he was talking about.
“A TV commercial?” The boy nodded. “A commercial for what Dick?” Her son sniffled again and shook his head. This time Addie did let the sigh escape her. A television ad could mean that anything had triggered Dick's emotional outburst. Addie knew one thing, she was not going to get Dick to calm if she left him as he was. “Dick?” She waited until she had the boy's attention. “You do not have to tell me right now. Why don't you come help Joey and I work a puzzle.” Dick brightened slightly at the suggestion and Addie scooped the slim boy into her arms as she moved to stand. She carried Dick into her bathroom and sat him on the countertop long enough for her to wet a washcloth. She wiped at the tear tracks and moved to pick him back up.
Dick wrapped one of his little arms around her neck as she settled him against her hip and used the other to clutch at the stuffed elephant. The boy rested his head against her shoulder and Addie carried him towards Joey's room.
Joey had not made much progress on the puzzle and he seemed pleased to see the two of them. Addie shifted Dick off of her hip and moved to sit cross-legged on the floor of her son's bedroom. She settled Dick in her lap and watched as the boy carefully settled Safi into his. Much to her surprise Dick leaned forward and started helping Joey sort the pieces according to color and even helped the older boy fit a couple of pieces together. The child was bright but not quite old enough yet to piece together the puzzles more complex designs so Addie found pieces that matched and gave quiet directions as she helped the five year old put them together.
They finished the puzzle about the time that she needed to begin dinner. Addie excused herself and ruffled the boys' hair as she exited the room. She had only been in the kitchen for a few moments when Dick wondered in after her. She acknowledged him briefly and continued her preparations. A sudden noise behind her caused her to spin and she turned to find that Dick had pulled out two of the cabinet drawers and was using them to climb up onto the counter's surface. The boy blushed when he realized that he was being watched.
“Next time ask so you don't break something. I would have put you up there.” The boy's flush deepened and he hung his head.
“Yes Addie.”
“Would you like anything special for dinner?” The boy shook his head.
“I'm not really hungry.” Addie glared at the small child. Dick had barely eaten at lunch. She was not letting him begin to skip meals. The kid was tiny for his age as it was. The boy's parents had been acrobats so genetics played a role in his size but depression was also taking its toll on the boy. She tried to keep her voice soft when she spoke.
“You have to eat.” She walked over and poked him gently in the ribs, trying to earn a smile from him as she kept her voice light. “You are too skinny child.” The gentle attempt at a tease had the opposite reaction and Dick's face fell.
“'m sorry Addie.” The woman tilted his chin up and shook her head.
“You just need to eat. I don't want you to get sick.” Dick nodded. “I can put in a pizza, or some chicken nuggets, french fries, peanut butter and jelly?” The child gave her a small smile. Addie would have preferred that Dick ate healthier than her suggestions but as long as he ate she would be happy.
“Peanut butter and jelly and french fries.” Addie made a face at the thought of this disgusting combination and the boy in front of her giggled.
“French fries and chicken nuggets.” Dick nodded, seemingly pleased, or at least satisfied with that combination.
“'kay.”
“Good.” She moved to lift him off the counter but he scooted further back.
“Can I watch?”
“If you want.” The boy nodded and Addie moved back across the kitchen. She worked in silence until Dick spoke again.
“When is Slade going to be home?” Addie paused. She had asked herself a number of times and she honestly had no answers to give the boy.
“I don't know hon. In couple days at the most, I assume.”
“I miss him.”
“I know you do. I'm sure he misses you too.”
“Really?”
“Yes, Dick.” The boy fell silent and stayed quiet as she prepared the rest of the meal. When she was almost finished she moved over to him, lifted him off the counter, and set him down. “Go put Safi in your room, wash up, and tell your brothers that it is almost time for dinner.” The boy nodded and disappeared. When he was gone Addie moved to set the table.
The boys filtered into the dining room a few minutes later and Addie started setting out the serving dishes. Dinner was quiet and Addie spent the few hours following the meal reading while the boys watched television. She sent Dick up to bed when the five year old leaned against her leg and started to doze and Grant and Joey followed him shortly afterward.
Addie stayed up a little bit longer to read before heading to bed herself. Years of military training had instilled an early-to-rise mentality in her mind and even though she was no longer on active duty she still liked to work out before the boys awoke and insisted on breakfast.
Her alarm went off early the next morning and Addie pushed the blankets back and dropped her feet to the floor. She started to move across the room towards her bathroom when her eyes were drawn to the window. Dick had curled up on the bench with a blanket and his elephant. Addie rubbed at her eyes and fought back her frustration. At least Dick did not look like he had been crying. She scooped the slim boy into her arms and her youngest son nuzzled against her sleepily.
“Addie?”
“Hush. Let's get you back to bed.” She shifted her hold on the child and Dick was startled.
“Safi...”
“I've got her baby.” Dick thankfully settled and Addie carried him down the hall to his room. She tucked him back into bed, secured Safi under the child's arm, and brushed a gentle hand through his hair as the boy curled around the toy. When she was sure that Dick was asleep she slipped out of the room.
The next three mornings followed a similar pattern. She would wake up, find Dick asleep on the window-seat, scoop him up and carry him back to his room where she would tuck him back in. She noticed a change in more than the boy's sleeping patterns. He was so much quieter and not nearly as energetic. She tried without success to get the little boy to talk to her but Dick seemed unable to tell her what had upset him so badly. Addie was half-convinced that he was not even sure himself.
She was ready to contact Slade and have him come home early when he and Wintergreen finally returned. It was well after dinner and Addie had already sent Dick to bed when the pair found her on the back patio watching Joey and Grant splash in the pool. Joey noticed them first and her son's excited shout of 'Dad!' pulled her attention away from the boys to focus it on her husband.
Addie moved to stand as he approached her. The man had time to give her a brief kiss and ask her if everything was all right before Joseph, sopping wet and grinning, wrapped himself around Slade's leg. The man gave their son a smile and brushed wet hair back from Joey's forehead as Joey started to babble about everything he had done during the week Slade had been gone.. Addie handed the boy a towel before he could completely soak his father but the man seemed more amused than frustrated as Joseph continued to chatter.
Grant finally approached them and Slade gave their eldest a brief hug. They exchanged a few words before Slade indicated that Grant could head back to the pool. Grant seemed to appreciate that and said hello to Wintergreen before moving to the edge and diving into the water. Joey continued to talk and Addie followed Slade's gaze as he glanced around the yard and fenced-in pool. Their gazes met and she saw him asking with his eyes where Dick was.
“Dick has already gone to bed.” The man nodded and focused his attention on Joey. Addie decided to let the man focus on their middle child before she brought up the problem with their youngest. Joey was content to chatter for a few more moments before his interest started to stray back to the pool. Slade gave the boy a gentle nudge in that direction and told him to go ahead.
“Something is bothering you.” Addie gestured towards the pool.
“Let the boys swim until it starts getting dark and once they are out of the pool we can talk.”
“Wintergreen can watch them.”
“Nothing is wrong that cannot wait.” Dick was already asleep, there was no use waking him. He would be able to see Slade in the morning.
“Adeline.” She sensed the warning in his tone and merely shook her head. If he was going to leave her here with their boys then he could wait until she was ready to tell him that a problem had arisen.
“Dad watch!”
“Humor them, Slade.” She could see the uneasy set of his shoulders but he gave her a curt nod as he moved to one of the deck chairs. The two of them watched the boys swim for about an hour and some of the tension seemed to ease. It was still there and as they called the boys from the pool it seemed to return. Wintergreen obviously saw it because he stepped in and herded Grant and Joey into the house, making sure to close the door behind himself to leave the two of them alone. Addie moved to follow them but Slade caught her elbow.
“What's wrong Addie?” Addie turned to face him and sighed. “Adeline.”
“Something upset Dick. I don't know what it was. All I've been able to get out of him is that he misses his father. It could be simple depression or there could be something triggering it. I'm not sure.” The man ran a hand through his hair.
“Is he all right?”
“I don't know. Physically he seems fine but not emotionally.” Slade turned and headed towards the house and Addie quickly moved to follow him.
“He's asleep Slade. Don't wake him up now.” Slade seemed undeterred and Addie struggled to keep pace with the taller man's longer strides. “Slade.” She followed him up the stairs and down the hall towards Dick's room. Before he could enter she caught his wrist. “Let him sleep.”
“I will.” Addie sighed and let him go as he reached for the doorknob. He twisted the knob without a squeak and opened the door on hinges that remained amazingly silent. The man stuck his head inside for a moment and Addie could see the frown cross his face from where she stood in the hallway. “Where is he Addie?”
“Dick's not...”
“No Adeline.” The man's voice rose by a fraction and Addie bristled at the tone that implied her incapable of caring for a child.
“He is in our room. He has ended up in there the last few nights, never this early though. Usually, he brings his blanket and curls up in the window seat where he goes back to sleep.” Slade nodded, seemingly losing some of the tension, and turned to head back to their room.
Just as Addie predicted they found the little boy curled up on the window bench with Safi. Slade glanced at her. “Do you let him sleep here or take him back to bed?”
“He is usually here in the morning so I take him back to bed. Do you know why he is doing this?” Slade shook his head and he knelt beside the window. The man slid his arms under the child's body and lifted him. Dick seemed to partially wake as he snuggled into Slade's warmth and tightened his arm around the elephant.
“Daddy... missed you.” Slade froze and Addie could see the man's arms tighten protectively around the little boy. It was clear to both of them that Dick was not awake enough to realize what he had said and who he had said it to and Addie wondered how Slade would handle it. He surprised her.
“Missed you too kid.”
“Slade!” Addie tried to keep her voice low so she did not wake Dick further but she was not going to let her husband lie to a child who was not awake enough to know who he had spoken to. It would only upset Dick more when he found out what he had said.
“Hush Addie. Let me put him to bed and we will sort it out in the morning.” Addie followed Slade as he carried Dick back down the hall and watched from the doorway of the darkened room as Slade started tucking Dick into his bed. The man-made it halfway across the room before Dick stirred.
“Daddy?... Don't...” Slade paused and then turned back towards the boy. The man knelt by the bed and brushed a lock of hair from Dick's face.
“Dick wake up.” The boy shifted into the touch of his hand and Slade sighed. “I need you to wake up for me kid. Come on now.” Blue eyes finally fluttered open and Slade brushed another lock of hair from the boy's face.
“Slade?” The child moved to wrap little arms around his neck. Slade returned the hug and started to soothingly run his hand up and down Dick's back when the boy suddenly started to cry.
“What happened Dick?”
“Missed you.”
“I know you did. I'm here now though.”
“'m sorry.” The tears turned to body shaking sobs and Slade lifted the boy into his lap as he sat on the bed.
“What happened Dick? Tell me what's wrong.” The little boy curled against him and clung to him.
“I-I..miss....”
“You miss your father?” Dick nodded and shuddered. “No one expects you to apologize for something like that kid.” The little boy furiously shook his head.
“I-I' m sorry f-for...”
“For thinking I was him?” Dick nodded and once again burst into tears. Slade held the sobbing child and ran a hand through the boy's hair. “I'm not mad at you.” Dick looked up at him with huge liquid blue eyes.
“I t-thought you would be.” Slade shook his head and brushed a lock of hair behind Dick's ear.
“I'm going to take care of you kid. You are part of my family now and you can call me whatever you want.” The child stared up at him with huge wide eyes. When he moved Dick practically flung tiny arms around his neck and Slade let the suddenly very happy child cling to him for a few moments before he gently pried the kid from around his neck.
“You need to so to sleep now.” He moved Dick from his lap and situated the small boy against the pillows. He then brought the blankets up around him but as he moved to stand Dick caught his hand.
“Can you stay? Please?” Slade glanced towards the door and Addie discretely motioned for him to do as the child had asked. She slipped out of the room before Dick noticed her and Slade nodded. The five-year-old's face lit up and the boy scooted over to give him room. When Slade had made himself comfortable the boy all but pasted himself against his side and almost immediately fell asleep.
Slade smirked down at his youngest son and brushed his fingers through the child's hair. If Dick was ready to consider him his father the he was not about to prevent the child from doing so. Whatever was best for the little boy was what he wanted.