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For Professor Fitz this morning has been a little different than usual; For starters he was up since 5 AM and has been hellbent on cleaning and cooking ever since. It wasn’t unusual for him to be up early, but the cleaning, and especially the cooking is a little strange coming from a done-with life 65-year-old man. He was, however, relentless in creating his trademark wasabi wings that day, and for a good reason.
It’s been years at that point since his kids visited him, and this time Fitz had the (dis-depending on how you view it)pleasure of meeting not only Petrona, but also NuMarcus. The two haven’t met since Marcus has run off with his money and his most important paperwork; he wasn’t exactly over this per se, but the Professor was more than ready to put it behind if it meant he could see his son again. With the siblings came his grandson, Iggy as well. This amount of people has more than enough warranted a holiday dinner from his part.
Fitz has seasoned every wing he had made with a near-unedible quantity of wasabi, and he was right at the moment of putting said wings into the frying pan when the doorbell rang. He straightened up and looked at the door behind him, curious as to why his guests are so early. “Why would they ring the doorbell anyways?” He pondered to himself. “Iggy sure would’ve just excused himself inside. Maybe this isn’t them after all?”
The doorbell rang again, and the Professor has found himself not moving an inch.
“Could it be Crystal??” He wondered while turning around more and slowly stumbling to the door. “This would be the worst timing if it was her… But then again, she would have told me if she wanted to visit me. She always does.”
The doorbell rang for a staggering third time and this time it was accompanied by a loud thump. Fitz at this point knew that it could neither be Iggy nor Crystal. He slowly got through his assortment of keys, while the pounding on the door got louder.
-I’m coming!! Gosh…-He mumbled to himself while opening the door.
The guests had stood in the doorway, but as the Professor guessed, it was none of the family members he had expected. Instead, his sister, Edna had stood before him proudly along with two redheaded figures, who Fitz couldn’t exactly recognize, as he hasn’t seen them in such a long time. They both grinned at him with a smile that would have made even the bravest men slightly unnerved. The girl of the two was the one who opened her mouth first before the Professor could even take a breath to speak:
-Surpriiiiiise!!!!- she giggled while giving Fitz the most unwanted hug of his life. -Haven’t seen you since…EVER! Uncle! Good to meet you!
-I uh…
-My name is Xandra! – the girl twirled around and smirked. – And this is my brother, Xolo!
Xolo gently raised his hand for a wave. Fitz still hasn’t recovered from the shock of being hugged by this strange human girl (?) but he tried his best to smile and wave back.
-I… Wow!... Good to meet you too. Haven’t seen you since-
-Since they were babies, yea. – Said Edna, not letting the Professor finish. - But they wanted to meet you for so long! So, I decided to bring them to you with me. I really hope it’s not a problem to you, Isaac, I know you’re always busy…
-Well actually.. – Fitz tried to rearrange his thoughts – It’s not the best time. You are very kind to have visited me, but Petrona and Iggy’s going to visit. Along with Marcus…
-Marcus? – Edna’s eyes brightened a little. – You talk again?
-Talking is a bit of a strong word. – Fitz scratched the back of his head. – We more like. Tolerate one another. We put up with each other for Iggy.
Edna nodded in understatement.
-But the more, the merrier right? – asked Xolo quietly. He wasn’t focused on his uncle while speaking, he, more or less, stared inside the hallway of his house, looking at the few pictures Fitz had hung up to the walls over the years.
-I don’t know if I cooked enough… - the Professor gave both Edna and him an awkward smile.
-We won’t eat. Xandra’s also exploring the house now. – Xolo murmured, making Fitz turn his head around at high speed. Edna also excused herself inside Fitz’s house, looking for his daughter.
-Xandra? Xandraaa- Excuse me- - she made her way through the hallway and the kitchen. The Professor took a deep breath and turned back to his nephew.
-Feel yourself at home. -He said with a hint of sarcasm.
-I sure will. – Xolo replied. He slowly made his way towards the living room and sat down, seemingly still taking in the view of the Professor’s home.
Fitz stayed at the doorway to recollect himself. Not only was he already anxious from the thought of seeing Marcus and Petrona, now he had to play the part of being the negotiator between his and his sister’s strange family as well. He glanced at the road to see a car pull up, which he has recognized to be Petrona’s. The veichle parked down before his house in which, the Professor saw the tiny hands of Iggy, waving at him. Fitz’s expression softened at the sight, and he let out a relieved sigh.
“At least I expected you three to arrive.” He thought.
The door of the car opened, and his grandson quickly ran into Fitz’s arms for a hug.
-Hey, Iggy. – the Professor said cheerfully.
-Hey, Gramps. – Iggy answered, still hugging tight. – I missed you!
-Missed you too kid. – Fitz glanced at the car again, now empty. Petrona was unpacking from the car’s trunk, with NuMarcus watching her. They took their time with it, slowly getting their belongings and making their way to their father’s porch. The Professor put Iggy down and crossed his arms, waiting for them silently.
-Hey dad. -greeted Petrona first with a quick hug. – I’ll put Marcus’ baggage inside. It’s heavy.
-What’s in it? – the Professor asked. – And why isn’t Marcus carrying i-
-It’s NUMarcus, pops. – his son interrupted. – NU. As in. New! Don’t forget-
Fitz rolled his eyes and said nothing, instead, he gently pushed NuMarcus and Iggy in. It was his grandson who went in first, already bolting it into his room, to put down his backpack in. NuMarcus took his time in the hallway, slowly looking around in the house that he grew up in. He looked back to his dad, his visor displaying three dots as he did.
-Well, nothing changed in here. – He broke the silence. – No new paint, new furniture, nothing. You’ve got money pops, you could use it sometimes!
-I like it this way. – Fitz replied, annoyed. – But thanks for the tip, Marcus, I appreciate it.
-….For the last time. It’s NU-
-Dad – Petrona cut in, now free from NuMarcus’ bags. Did you make this?
-Make what? – The Professor inquired, curious. He quickly realized what Petrona was talking about however, with the smell of wasabi wings was quickly flowing through the room.
-It smells…Alright. – She replied, giving a faint smile, as if she was proud of her dad for making something edible for once. – You’re improving this whole cooking thing.
-It was about time! – NuMarcus added. – And I’m hungry. Can we eat?
-Well… - said Fitz, rubbing his palms – We need to talk about something first. Remember auntie Edna?
-Of course. – came from both siblings.
-Well, she’s here too. With the twins. Do you remember them too?
-The twins??? Of course, I remember them! – NuMarcus replied with glee. – Man, I wonder how much they’ve grown!
-So, we’re about to eat together? – Petrona inquired instead, raising her eyebrows. She at this point realized that it probably wasn’t her dad who cooked those wings. Fitz nodded, confirming her suspicions to her. NuMarcus was still grinning, giddy with happiness, from the news:
-So? Where are they?
-I… -The Professor started - Xolo was in the living room, and Edna went off to search for Xandra. I think they stayed upstairs though. Edna’s probably showing her around.
Fitz wasn’t wrong, as the three saw Edna and Xandra coming in, along with Iggy, who seemed both anxious and curious about his grandfather’s guests. Xolo also came to greet Petrona and NuMarcus from the kitchen, carrying the scent of wasabi wings with him. Iggy scurried shyly next to his grandpa, while his mom, and uncle said their welcome to the three other guests. He peeked up to the Professor, while holding his hand.
-They said hi to me upstairs. – he whispered, while also nodding his head towards Edna’s direction. – Is she really your sister?
-She is. -Fitz nodded, giving Iggy a warm smile, while also patting his hair. Even though the dinner didn’t turn out the way he’d hope, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of warmth now, that his family was together again.