Chapter Text
The house was a little run down and in need of some TLC, but it kind of looked like how Hunter and his three brothers remembered it. True, no one had lived in the house since their family moved out when they were teenagers, but the house was still in good condition.
When they moved, the brothers hadn't wanted to. All their friends were in town. Not to mention, they had four hamsters, two gerbils, countless goldfish, and a dog named Fives buried in the backyard. But, as a father now himself, Hunter had understood that their father had moved the family to give his sons a better life. That was exactly why he was moving back; to give his own daughter Omega a better, safer life than she had in the city.
After his wife died ten years ago, Hunter had raised Omega alone. They had a comfortable life in the city, but, in the past few years, things in the neighborhood had gone downhill with the gangs, drugs, violence, and other crimes. Then, after three mass shootings (the last one dangerously close to Omega's school), Hunter had decided that it was time to move to the country.
"This is where you grew up?" Omega said, looking at her dad.
"And your uncles," Hunter said. "Until your grandfather moved us to the city."
Hunter and his brothers Tech and Wrecker (who were triplets) were almost thirteen when they moved and their older brother Echo had just turned fifteen. It had been a difficult adjustment for them and Hunter could only hope that, at eleven, Omega would have an easier time.
The living room was filled with furniture and boxes waiting to be unpacked. In the kitchen, the counter and table held more boxes. Two of the five bedrooms upstairs had the rest of the boxes. Hunter had taken what had once been his parents' room while Omega's new room was the one that Hunter had shared with his brothers.
Hunter could still picture how his daughter's new room looked the last time he'd seen it. Blue walls with blue carpeting and curtains, two sets of bunk beds with sports, car, rocket, and wildlife bedding, four desks and chairs, sports posters all over the walls, model ships, cars, rockets, and dinosaurs on the shelves, and G.I. Joes, Transformers, Matchbox and Hot Wheels cars, and comic books scattered on the floor.
Now, the walls were painted lilac with lilac carpeting. Omega's purple, metal desk and chair were on one wall and her white, four-poster bed was on the other with her butterfly bedding already on it and her matching butterfly curtains were up. Hunter was sure by the end of the week, Omega's unicorn and wildlife posters would be up, the shelves would be covered with her dolls and figurines, and her toys and plushies would be all over the place.
"Let's get some of these boxes unpacked," Hunter said.
"Okay," Omega said, heading to her new room.
"Omega, clothes, not just toys."
Over the course of several hours, father and daughter unpacked what they could. It was getting close to dinner time when Hunter went to check on Omega and get her opine on dinner. All the boxes in her room labeled "closet", "dresser", and "chest of draws" were empty, indicating that Omega had unpacked her clothes. The totes containing Omega's animal figurines were stacked neatly in one corner, her panda stuffed animal Panda Lee and her mermaid plushie Aquamarine were on her bed, her favorite stuffed dragon Obsidian was on the bay window, and her favorite squishmellows (including her giant calio cat) were in the corner by her bookshelf where she was busy neatly arranging her WARRIORS, Thoroughbreds, Wings of Fire, Royal Diaries, American Girl, and Dear America books (the latter three arranged by the year they took place).
"So," Hunter said, "I was thinking our first dinner in our new home should be...pizza."
"Yeah," Omega said, jumping up.
"I already ordered it. Come downstairs and help me find the paper plates and cups."
It didn't take long to find them. The boxes had all been well labeled. Their tri-colored beagle Gonky followed them around, looking for his dinner. Gonky had been a gift from Hunter's parents two years ago. At first, Hunter wasn't sure about having a dog. He and Omega lived in an apartment, and Gonky had been a six-month-old puppy at the time. Plus, at the time, Hunter had thought that no dog would ever be like Fives. But Gonky had proven himself to be a good dog.
At the sound of the doorbell, Gonky ran to the front door barking. Small as he was, Gonky took his job of protecting his family seriously.
"Gonky, wait," Hunter said, coming to the door.
Obediently, the beagle stopped in his tracks. He had been through enough obedience training to listen to Hunter or Omega. He followed Hunter back to the kitchen.
"Here, Gonky," Omega said, putting a bowl of Dog Chow and Mighty Dog down for him.
Gonky went right to his bowl as Hunter opened the fridge to get himself and Omega something to drink.
"No milk," Omega said from behind him.
"No eggs or breakfast meat either," Hunter said, taking the last two bottles of Snapple Apple out. "We'll have to go to the store tomorrow."
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Hunter was awakened by a noise to see Omega in his room clutching Panda Lee and Aquamarine.
"What are you doing up?" he asked.
"I heard something," Omega said, "outside."
A howl sounded in the distance, causing Omega to scramble into her dad's bed.
"It's just a wolf, Omega," Hunter said. "Or more than likely a coyote. And it's far off."
But it didn't seem to work. Omega wasn't used to the sounds of the country. Having grown up in the city, she was used to sirens, alarms, and boomboxes, not crickets, owls, and the occasional wolf or coyote. She didn't crawl in bed with him often anymore. Mostly, it was when she wasn't feeling good or when she was scared. The last time had been the night of the shooting near her school. It took nearly a month before she would sleep in her own bed.
"Everything's going to be okay," Hunter said. "You can stay here tonight, but tomorrow you're sleeping in your own bed."
"Okay, Daddy."
Omega snuggled closer.
"I love you," Hunter told her as she started to fall asleep.
"I love you more," Omega said without opening her eyes.
"I love you most."
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Hunter and Omega left early the next morning. They had a lot to do. There were groceries to buy and put away and more boxes to unpack. On top of that, Hunter's brothers were moving in today. But first, there was breakfast.
"What can I get you?" the waitress at the local diner asked.
"I'll have the Western omelet with wheat toast," Hunter said.
"Can I have the House Special with bacon and wheat toast?" Omega said.
"And how would you like your eggs?"
"Sunnyside up."
"You are going to love living here," Hunter told Omega after the waitress left. "There are lots of trails to explore. And we have a big backyard."
"As big as the park?" Omega asked excitedly.
"Not that big but bigger than the courtyard."
Omega's eyes sparkled with excitement. She had heard her dad's stories about growing up in the country.
"What else is there?" she asked.
"There's a well on the property. We used to get some of our water from it. Your grandmother had a vegetable garden. And you uncles and I had a fort in one of the trees... and a secret one in the woods on the property."
"I want to see them."
"Once we're completely moved in, we'll go exploring. Your uncles will more than likely want to join us."
"Dad, can we have a garden like Grandma did?"
"Do you want one?"
Omega nodded.
"Then we can get some plants. Anything in particular you want?"
"Strawberries. And bell peppers."
Breakfast arrived, and the conversation turned to what they would need from the store.
"Now remember," Hunter said when they entered the grocery store after leaving the diner, "we're just getting basic groceries."
The grocery store was smaller than the one they went to in the city, but it was a lot nicer. Potted plants and flats of flowers were out front where employees were arranging them after bringing them out. Fresh produce was being set out as father and daughter entered.
"How about stew for dinner?" Hunter said as they got a cart.
"Yeah. I love stew," Omega said excitedly.
She helped her dad pick out some vegetables for the stew as well as some for the rest of the week.
"What kind of lunch meat do you want for your sandwiches this week?" Hunter asked his daughter at the deli counter.
"Salami," Omega said. "No, ham. No, bologna."
"Can I get half a pound of bologna, half a pound of roast beef, and a pound of Coby Jack," Hunter said to the woman behind the counter.
On their way to the meat department, they passed the bakery and Omega spotted the cupcakes.
"Can I get a cupcake, Daddy?" she asked. "Please."
Hunter smiled. He couldn't say no to his little girl.
"Just one," he said. "And you can have it after dinner."
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"Get the slow cooker out," Hunter told Omega when they got the last of the groceries put away.
"Where is it?" Omega asked, searching the kitchen.
"In the box marked "Kitchen Appliances'," Hunter said opening a box marked "Cooking Utensils" and pulling out two cutting boards (one shaped like a cow and the other like a sheep) and a knife.
Omega opened the box and pulled out all three pieces of the slow cooker.
"Now what can I do?" Omega asked once the slow cooker was on the counter and assembled.
"First wash your hands and then you can help me make dinner," Hunter said.
After washing her hands, Omega climbed up on one of the stools. Hunter was already cutting some of the bigger pieces of meat in half on the cow cutting board. Once the meat was in the slow cooker, Omega put in the stew mix with the carrots and mushrooms along with a little beef broth while Hunter cut up the potatoes and half a red onion on the sheep cutting board.
"Okay," Hunter said once the stew was done, "let's try and get some more unpacking done before your uncles get here."
They had just finished when a car pulled into the driveway. The first of Hunter's brothers had arrived.
"Uncle Echo!" Omega said, running up to him.
"Hi, Omega," Echo said, giving her a hug. "Someone else wants to say hi."
"Muchi!" Omega said when her uncle opened the door to the back of his car and she saw his pet bearded dragon.
"Give me a hand with this, Hunter," Echo said as he took one side of the terrarium.
"Omega," Hunter said taking the other end, "open the door & stay out of the way."
Omega opened the door & stood off to the side as her dad & uncle carried the terrarium into the house & up the stairs to Echo's room.
"That should do it," Echo said once the terrarium was on his dresser.
And not a moment too soon. Another car had pulled into the driveway.
"Is anyone home," Tech called as he got out of his car.
"Uncle Tech," Omega said excitedly as she ran from the house & he got a pet carrier off of his passenger seat. "Who's this?"
"This is Marauder," Tech said as a purebred Siamese cat looked back out at Omega. "She's just a little over a year old."
"She's pretty," Omega said putting a finger through the wired door.
"Careful. She's a little scared right now."
"Why don't you take her up to your room so she can get comfortable," Hunter said.
Another vehicle pulled into the driveway. The last of the brothers had arrived.
"Hey, guys," Wrecker said getting out of the truck.
"Uncle Wrecker," Omega said.
She ran up to him but stopped short when he let a big rottweiler out of his truck.
"Dad," Omega said backing up until she was able to hide behind Hunter.
"What's wrong with the kid?" Wrecker asked taking hold of the dog's leash.
"It's nothing," Hunter said. "Rottweilers, Dobermans, and pit bulls just weren't dogs you wanted to cross paths with in our old neighborhood."
"Lula's not like that. She's real nice & loves kids."
"Just give Omega time. She's used to small dogs like Gonkie."
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It didn't take long for Echo, Tech, & Wrecker to move their things into the house & unpack. Tech had taken what had once been their dad's den while Wrecker's room had once been their mom's sewing room & Echo's had been a spare room. Wrecker had teased him about spending a whole night in the room. It went back to when Echo was seven & the triplets were five. Echo had moved out of the room he had shared with Hunter, Tech, & Wrecker & into the spare room but didn't even last half a night before he moved back in because he missed his brothers.
"Dinner," Hunter called putting the stew on the table.
"Is that Mom's recipe?" Echo asked as everyone took a seat at the table.
"Complete with her secret ingredients."
A whine came from under the table & Gonky & Lula looked up at them. Marauder sat in the kitchen doorway.
"Omega," Hunter said, "feed the animals before you sit down."
"I'll help you, kid," Wrecker said getting up. "Lula's on a strict diet from her vet."
"I'll help, too," Tech said. "Marauder has different dietary needs than Gonky & Lula."
Omega carefully measured out the Dog Chow into Gonky's bowl before mixing in his Mighty Dog. Then she turned her attention to Lula. Under Wrecker's instruction, she measured out a scoop-&-a-half of Dog Chow into Lula's bowl before mixing in half a container of Baneful. After putting both bowls down for the dogs, it was time for Marauder's dinner.
"This is what she likes," Tech said getting out a can of Fancy Feast.
"That doesn't look like much," Omega said.
"She's had Friskies and Nine Lives before but she leaves half of it. It was more cost effective to give her Fancy Feast."
Omega began to reach for the Cat Chow.
"Just canned food," Tech said. "She gets dry only in the morning."
Omega spooned the food into Marauder's bowl before putting it on the bay window.
"This does smell good," Tech said as the family began helping themselves to the stew.
"What are these?" Wrecker asked picking up one of the rolls.
"King's Hawaiian rolls," Hunter said. "They're sweet rolls and really good."
"May I have some milk, please?" Omega said.
"Here you go, Omega," Echo said passing her the milk.
Omega carefully poured some into her glass.
"Oops," she said when she spilled a little on the table.
"That's okay, princess," Hunter said reaching for the paper towel on the counter. "Accidents happen. That's what paper towel is for."
The conversation soon turned to what everyone had been doing since they last saw each other at Christmas.
"So," Hunter said once dinner was over, "who's going to clean the kitchen?"
"I can," said Omega.
"You, young lady, are going to the piano to practice so you'll be ready when I find you a music teacher."
"I can get the kitchen," Echo said.
While Echo cleaned the kitchen & Wrecker took the trash out, Tech helped Hunter come up with a schedule for the household chores. Piano music drifted in from the living room indicating that Omega was indeed practicing.
"I think that's fair," Tech said looking at the schedule. "Everything is equally assigned."
"Dad," Omega said after finishing her last song, "am I done?"
Hunter looked at the timer.
"Five more minuets, princess," he said.
Omega started another song, one she & her music teacher had been working on before the move. Halfway though, she missed a note.
"Keep going," Hunter said when she stopped knowing that she would have started over.
When she finished practicing, Omega came into the kitchen & put a sticker on her chore chart next to "Practice Piano".
"Dad, does unpacking count as cleaning my room?" she asked.
"We'll let it count this time," Hunter said.
Omega put up a second sticker & then counted.
"Can we get ice cream after church tomorrow?" she asked. "I have twelve stickers."
"What's this about ice cream?" Wrecker asked coming into the kitchen.
"I have twelve stickers on my chore chart so I get to pick a special prize," Omega said. "And I pick ice cream."
"Then ice cream it is," Hunter said, "tomorrow after church."
"Thanks, daddy," Omega said giving Hunter a hug. "Can I have my cupcake now?"
"Don't get any icing on the furniture," Hunter said.
Omega ran to the fridge & took out her cupcake.
"I'm going to watch Ponies, if that's okay," she said.
"Go on. But if one of your uncles is watching something, watch it in your room."
"Okay, Dad," Omega said heading into the living room.
"'Ponies'?" Wrecker said looking at Hunter.
"My Little Pony," Hunter clarified. "She loves it."
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At 9:30, Omega came downstairs to say goodnight. She was wearing her new My Little Pony nightgown with a purple robe and slippers; her hair still wet from her bath.
"Did you brush your teeth?" Hunter asked when she came up to him and she nodded. "Picked out your cloths for tomorrow?" Another nod. "Then say goodnight to your uncles."
"Goodnight, Uncle Echo," Omega said giving him a hug.
"Goodnight, Omega," Echo said hugging her back.
"Wild Kratts tomorrow morning?"
"Sounds like a plan."
"Goodnight, Uncle Wrecker," Omega said sidestepping the dogs.
"Goodnight, kid," Wrecker said scooping her up into a bear hug. "We'll play some more tomorrow."
"Goodnight, Uncle Tech," Omega said giving him a hug after Wrecker put her down.
"Goodnight, Omega," Tech said. "Sweet dreams."
Finally, Omega ran back to Hunter and gave her dad a big hug.
"Goodnight, daddy," she said.
"Goodnight, princess," Hunter said hugging her back. "I love you."
"I love you more."
"I love you most."