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Post by Cannonball on Nov 8, 2006 14:19:38 GMT -5
Sam led Paige to the covered gazebo and took a seat. He gestured at her to do the same, and then sat there in an awkward sort of silence for a few moments.
"Y'all grew up on me," he said, eventually, and smiled. "Ya found yaself a nice guy - and yeah, I know maybe I weren't the friendliest, but he seems OK. I'll be watchin' him, though. An' y'all were honest with me, Paige. I respect that, and it means a lot. Thank ya."
He stood up and stared out over the gardens, his arms folded over his chest. "I ain't been so honest back, an' I hope ya understand why that is. When I tell ya, anyway."
Sam Guthrie. He could Beat About The Bush for his country.
Taking a deep breath, he sighed so heavily it was a wonder the gazebo didn't collapse on top of them.
"Brenda left me," he said. "Couple months back. Just up and went."
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Post by husk on Nov 9, 2006 20:02:46 GMT -5
Paige's eyebrows raised.
"Sammy!" she whispered in surprise, and clasped her hands together because somehow, a Momma Guthrie style bear hug was likely not what he needed just now. "Oh honey are you okay?"
Well okay, she couldn't help herself. Moving to him, she ran her hands down his strong arms, biting her bottom lip.
"Rotten little..." She cleared her throat. "Well she never did appreciate ya for what ya were, anyway. Always tryin' ta change you. No good piece'a" She bit her lip hard this time.
"Sorry Sammy. Sweetheart where you been then? Same place you were livin', just by yourself?"
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Post by Cannonball on Nov 10, 2006 17:03:42 GMT -5
"Don't badmouth her if ya can help it Paige," said Sam, with a soft smile. "I know it's stupid of me, but I guess I still love her. Keep tellin' myself it's all just a phase she's goin' through - an' that tomorrow mornin', the key will turn in the locak an' in she'll come."
He looked out over the gardens.
"Mind, I done been tellin' myself that for best part of six months now an' she ain't comin' back. Got the divorce papers through couple months ago. 'Irreconcilable Differences', apparently, whatever the hell THAT means. Mostly I reckon it's 'cos I was out of town so much with the company."
He welcomed his sisters gesture of physical support. The Guthries had always been a touchy-feely family, and Sam one of the most demonstrative of the lot. "Doc signed me off work with - ah - a touch of depression for a couple weeks. Re-evaulatin' my life. An' when I saw ya with that Bobby guy, I figured...ya got more important things happenin' in ya life now than some stick-in-the-mud ol' big brother. So I sorta thought if I tell ya now 'bout me an' Bren...y'all know, an' we can get past it, an' I won't interfere none with ya own life. 'Cos y'all bein' happy is one of the things that keeps me goin', Chubs, an' I promise ya, I ain't gonna interfere."
When Sam was nervous, he did have a tendency to ramble.
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Post by husk on Nov 10, 2006 17:48:19 GMT -5
She wasn't as big as Mama and didn't have that great big bosom but that didn't stop her from pulling her brother close, kissing his temple and rubbing his back just like she used to.
"Oh Honey. You bein' hurt ain't gonna bring me down. I'm happy just to be able to help you in any way I can. I'm so sorry Sammy. Can't imagine what you're going through. DOn't you think you could stay here for a few while you're on vacation and all, relax, play with the kids, blow some steam in the Danger Room? It'd be good for you."
And me, she thought. She didn't like to admit it but she missed home so much sometimes her chest ached.
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Post by Cannonball on Nov 12, 2006 4:33:35 GMT -5
"Don't you think you could stay here for a few while you're on vacation and all, relax, play with the kids, blow some steam in the Danger Room? It'd be good for you."
"I was gonna stay for a couple weeks," he said, holding onto her for the comfort it provided. "I guess I was just anxious 'bout crampin' ya style, y'know? An' hell, Paige, ya got more style in one li'l finger than ya big brother has in his whole body. Ya even TALK pretty now."
He closed his eyes and let her gentle ministrations comfort him. "Momma went spare," he said, finally. "She's so disappointed in me, Paige, an' that just makes me feel bad. She keeps tryin' to get me to come back an' live at home. Can y'all imagine how tough that'd be?"
This, of course, was nothing new: Momma had been trying to get Sam - and Brenda - to move into the family home since before their ill-fated wedding.
The Danger Room. Now there was somewhere that he hadn't thought about in a long while.
"I'm too old for all that now," he said, shyly. "I ain't used my powers in so long..." He broke out and told her about his misadventures on the way here, when he'd crashed through someone's roof. It was typical Sam; using humour to conceal how he really felt. If the doctor had been concerned enough to sign him off work for depression, he must have been bad, but to his credit, he was bearing up well.
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Post by husk on Nov 12, 2006 20:27:47 GMT -5
"Bull-shit you are!" She said defiantly, crossing her arms and fixing him with a sweet smirk. "Maybe a little rusty, sure, but don't you dare go curling up inta your shell just because you got knocked in the dirt."
She brushed a bit of hair off his forehead, grooming a common way for Guthrie girls to show their affection. With that many kids around, you did a lot of cleaning faces and straightening collars.
"So come in there with me. I'm new to the whole thing, only been in there once, an' so you won't have any competition to worry about." She giggled. Just about the only person she'd have conceded that sort of thing to was her older brother.
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Post by Cannonball on Nov 13, 2006 14:04:15 GMT -5
"Bull-shit you are! Maybe a little rusty, sure, but don't you dare go curling up inta your shell just because you got knocked in the dirt."
She probably still remembered those dark, black days following Daddy's death, when Sam, blaming himself for the accident that hadn't been his fault, had quite literally curled up into his shell. It had taken all of Paige's considerable talent to coax him out again and once he had unfurled from his pitiful little state of misery, he'd realised his responsibilities.
It had been his family that had stopped him from destroying himself then and it would be his family who saved him this time.
"So come in [the Danger Room] with me. I'm new to the whole thing, only been in there once, an' so you won't have any competition to worry about."
"The Danger Room..." Sam laughed and his whole face brightened. "Now I ain't been in there for so long...still remember the fight I had with ol' Summers about some of the things we kids got up to when his back was turned. Damn son of a bitch was only a couple years older'n most of us, but acted like he was way older."
He rubbed at his nose and put his arms around his beautiful, treasured little sister.
"Thank ya, Paige," he said, softly and warmly. "I know y'all didn't like Brenda much, but ya gotta understand, sugar, I loved her. I sure don't understand what it was I did wronog, and I probably never will. But thank ya for carin'. Means a lot to me, ya know?"
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Post by husk on Nov 13, 2006 16:54:02 GMT -5
She hugged him tightly, resting her head on his shoulder. Gosh it was good to have him around again.
"You bet Sammy. Doesn't matter what I thought of her really. We'll get you patched up though. Get you a real-"
Just then her cell phone rang in her back pocket. With a sigh, she pulled it out, murmuring an apology to her brother.
"Well ain't that it. It's Mama," she said, smiling and flipping the phone open.
"Mama! How's the hell are ya? You'll never guess who I got here with me." She winked at Sam.
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Post by Cannonball on Nov 13, 2006 17:00:52 GMT -5
When Sam realised that it was his mother on the end of the phone, he rolled his eyes comically and moved away slightly to lean over the edge of the gazebo. "Tell her I was gonna call her tonight," he called back softly, "but my phone's been outta power for the last day and a half, and like the idiot I am, I forgot my charger."
It was truth.
Momma had been anxious when her son had said he was going travelling. She was convinced that the doctor signing him off work meant that he was ill and needed - well, mothering. And if there was one woman in this world to whom mothering came easily, it was Momma Guthrie.
It had been partly that which had firmed up Sam's decision to take a break. He was twenty seven, not seven. He needed to get through this in his own way.
He stared out over the gardens whilst Paige talked to their mother.
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Post by husk on Nov 14, 2006 16:12:30 GMT -5
“You’re sure? But you didn’t want to let me go until this year!” She looked at Sam, turning around with her eyes a little wide.
“She wants Lewis to come up to the school.” Paige brushed hair out of her eyes. “Well yeah he’s here Mama. He’s visiting for a few. Yes, JUST visiting. Wouldn’t hurt if he became and X-Man you know- hey, let’s figure out Lewis first. Now why do you think he should come up here? What about all that you used to give me about wantin’ to make sure I don’t forget my roots? Humans an’ all? Oh.” She smirked. “Well that makes sense.”
Covering the phone, she relayed Mama’s words to Sam. “She says when I was old enough to come you weren’t at the school so there was no one to watch over me. Now that I’m here Lewie may as well come too.”
She thought she’d gotten away from babysitting siblings, but then, it’d kind of be nice to have him there. Maybe it would entice Sam to stay.
“Well sure. On the train?” She blinked. “TONIGHT? Well jeeza Mama you sure didn’t… sure, I’ll help out.” Paige made a face. “No problem, I’m sure Sam- well, I’ll have someone take me out there. I think his car may finally have given up the ghost.” She chuckled.
“Yeah, not at all Mama. Love you too. Bye.”
Shoving the phone in her back pocket, she threw up her hands. “Can’t get a day’s rest round here without somethin’ else comin up!”
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Post by Cannonball on Nov 15, 2006 16:08:08 GMT -5
"Don't reckon as the ol' girl will make it as far as the end of the driveway, let alone the rail station," said Sam, a little mournfully, running his fingers through his hair. "Momma was tryin' to talk to me 'bout Lewis when I was there the other day, but guess I was just bein' a li'l bit selfish what with my own problems..."
He sighed.
"Look, Paige honey," he said. "I figure as ya gonna want to spend a bit of time with that fella of yours, seein' as how he's been...away...an' all. So if ya want me to maybe borrow one of the Institute cars, go out there an' get the li'l guy on my own, I'll understand."
He gave her an uncertain smile.
If there was something Sam Guthrie should never accuse himself of, it was selfishness.
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Post by husk on Nov 16, 2006 8:50:52 GMT -5
Paige rolled her eyes. "Boys come and go, Sammy. Family's forever." It was a line Mama had used back before Paige learned that lesson.
Linking her arm in his and leading(dragging?) him back to the house, she kept her defiantly upbeat attitude going. "He's not showin' up til ten o'clock anyway, so I got some time. I'll just tell Bobby he's gotta take me out for dinner, and that'll be that." SHe smiled.
Nearing the door, she leaned her head on his shoulder. "I love ya, Sam. Glad to have you around."
[end scene]
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