Work Text:
Tony went into the kitchen and grabbed the keys to the jeep that he had placed in the kitchen drawer. He twirled the keys around his fingers and sighed deeply. He knew selling the van had been the right thing to do and Mitch was the perfect buyer. But he still felt a little sad. The van had been an important part of his life for years. Angela was right though. He was now a Connecticut father who was doing all he could to make a better life for him and for Sam. And the jeep was obviously going to make life easier for all involved. It wouldn't be constantly breaking down like the van was always doing. He went back outside and walked over to the garage where the jeep had been for the past three days. He opened the side garage door and walked inside. His jeep and Angela's jaguar sat side by side like a married couple. WHOA?! Where did that come from? He must still be feeling sentimental and overwhelmed by everything. He chuckled to himself. 'Angela must be rubbing off on me.' He pushed the garage door opener on the wall and watched as the large door opened up the cool night air filling the garage with a gentle breeze.
He walked over to his jeep and opened the front door and slid into the driver's seat. He put the button from his tux in the glove department for safekeeping until he could tape it to the visor like Marie had. On the other hand maybe he shouldn't. After all, the van had been for Marie, Sam, and himself. It had taken them places while they sang songs and played silly games and Sam played with MR NICKEL in her sweet childish way. He knew then that he couldn't keep the button in the jeep. The button was a part of his past and although it was important to him and always would be he knew the right thing to do was keep it somewhere else. He opened the glove department and took out the button and held it between his fingers.
"Marie? I know you're watching from above. I hope you're not too disappointed that I sold the van. But the thing is I needed to buy a new vehicle. The van was important to me- to us- but it's time I moved on. And the guy I sold it to reminds me so much of me. I know he will take care of our van. And this button? I'll keep it safe. After all, it's from one of the most important days of my life. I love you Marie. I'll always love you but like I had to let you go I had to let the van go too." He smiled and slipped the button into his pocket. He put the keys into the ignition and started the jeep up and drove it out of the garage to wait for the rest of the family.
He was suddenly hit with a sense of deja vu. This reminded him of the time they had all gone to New Hampshire for breakfast after Angela's client Mr Larson had tried to bribe him with a brand new shiny red convertible. Angela had suggested that they take the convertible for a spin before he gave it back. And now they were about to do the same thing. Only this time he didn't have to give the jeep back. It was his. Free and clear. Well except of course for the payments he and Angela were splitting 50/50. But this jeep hadn't been a bribe, it had been a generous and loving gift from Angela. He still marveled at how generous she was. And not just the jeep but so many other things. After all she had opened up her home and life when she hired him all those years ago. And now the five of them were a family -an unconventional one- but a family nevertheless.
The back door opened and they all walked out and went over to the jeep. Angela opened the passenger door while Mona, Sam, and Jonathan slid into the back seat.
"I want to go get ice cream!" Jonathan exclaimed as he slid over behind Tony and buckled his seat belt.
"No twerp! We are going to the mall!" Sam rolled her eyes and sat in the middle and buckled herself in.
Mona got in beside Sam and buckled herself in as well. "I don't care where we go as long as none of you embarrass me." They all looked at her like she had grown another head.
"Us embarrass you Mother?!" Angela smirked.
"So where would you like to go Angela? Any place in particular?" Tony smiled at her.
"Oh no. No place in particular. How about we just drive around?" she smiled back.
"Okay." he drove out of the driveway and pulled into the street.
"Music?" Tony asked after a few minutes.
"Sounds good." Angela said softly. He turned the radio on and fiddled with the dials.
"Good idea Dad. After all this FM thing is really catching on." Sam teased him while Mona and Jonathan burst out laughing.
"Hardy Har Har Sam." He finally settled on a station that played music from the 1950's and 1960's. By some weird coincidence Baby You Can Drive My Car by the Beatles was just beginning. Tony and Angela began to sing along while in the back seat Mona, Sam, and Jonathan groaned in mutual frustration.
"Well at least we're all in the jeep and no one can hear the two of you embarrassing us." Mona said.
"Well we could open the windows and sing louder." Tony suggested giving Angela a wink which made her giggle.
"NO!" Mona, Sam, and Jonathan shouted in horror.
Tony and Angela laughed.
"Okay. We promise we'll behave." Angela assured them.
"Good." Jonathan sighed and leaned back in his seat. He looked out the window and watched as the scenery flew by. Mona did the same out her window while Sam looked out the front window. Everyone was quiet letting the jeep cocoon them while Tony drove them nowhere and everywhere. After a while Tony slid his hand over and grabbed Angela's hand that was sitting in her lap. He gently pulled her hand off her lap and placed their hands in the middle between them. They smiled at each other knowing things were changing between them and had been for years. Sam noticed them holding hands and quietly nudged Mona and Jonathan. She put her finger to her lips and motioned with her head to the front seat. Mona and Jonathan smiled when they saw Tony and Angela holding hands. The three of them smiled at each other all hoping for the same thing they had been for years.
Maybe the jeep was a step or drive in the right direction.
.