todd // we never thought

[Scarlett Anne Owens]

Scarlett was in school. That was normal. That Mr. and Mrs. Owens were home, at the same time, was unusual. By strange work schedules were part of the norm in this household. They took the opportunity of free time to buy groceries.

They had just finished unpacking them all. Henry walked into the living room and sunk into the couch, turning on the news. He heard the phone ring, but ignored it. It was in the kitchen where Tracy still was.

A moment later he heard Tracy set something onto the stove. Was she going cook now? "Who was on the phone?" he asked, yelling in the direction of the kitchen. He had a hunch the call prompted the cooking.

Tracy was opening the packet of whole-grain Italian pasta. "Todd called. He's coming over. I'm going to make lunch, I don't like him eating takeout all the time."

Yep, Henry thought, that explained it. In Tracy's eyes, Todd will always be her growing boy in need of proper nutrition. "At least take out tastes better than that organic stuff." Henry joked. He was still stubbornly refusing to admit that last nights grilled wild Alaskan salmon was the best thing he had ever eaten.

"I'm sure Todd has enough sense of appreciate a good meal when he comes across one." Tracy called back pointedly. "It'll take an idiot not to appreciate real Italian pasta with fresh pesto." She said it in a manner of voice that suggested her husband was a bit of an idiot, but that was just their banter.

Henry sat up a little bit straigter. Italian pasta with fresh pesto? Damn, that did sound great. She better be making enough for him, too.

[Todd Stephen Owens]

Todd needed to come home. He felt sick and shaky and pale, but he must have looked normal at work because no one asked him any questions. It was a relief to hear her voice on the phone, to know they were both home... his parents, his center. It wasn't going to be easy for them either, but he didn't know who else to go to... and honestly, organic food was okay with him right. He was sick of eating crap.

When he arrived, he stood at the door a moment before turning the key in the lock. "Hey guys," He said with a little half smile. Part of him just wanted to cry, bury his face into his mothers shoulder and ask his father to chase the monsters away. But he was 26, he couldn't do that, and he hated to cry. But mom would sense it instantly, and he knew it. No beating around the bush for him.

His dad was on the couch. It was funny how much was genetics and how much was taught. Todd knew he sat in that position on the couch too, but dad looked like Scarlett, they way their bodies sat there, bones lining up with each other.

[Scarlett Anne Owens]

Henry didn't have mom senses but he wasn't daft enough not to realize that there was something wrong. "Hey there son, what's up?" He asked reaching for the remote and turning the TV off. He looked up at his son with concern. What was it - work?

Tracy's mom senses were tingling. She heard Todd come in - that was normal. But Henry turned the TV off, which meant they were talking. Which meant the there was something serious to talk about. Otherwise they would've both continued watching TV while she cooked. She wiped her hands and walked into the living room. "Todd?" she called.

Oh! He looked dreadful. His coloring was all wrong. She immediately went up to him and held his face. "Honey what's wrong? Are you sick?" She held her hand to his forehead.

[Todd Stephen Owens]

Dad never turned off the TV, it always took him extra time to figure out how to read Todd. But this was all at once, it must have been written on his face and he looked at his toes. Then his mom rushed in and held his face. His mom. No one could take that away. He felt like Tarzan, "No matter what happens, you will always be my mother."

"No, I'm not sick..." he said looking into his moms eyes for a moment. Todd bit his lip uncertainly. "My ... my blood sister hunted me down.. she was in my office at the station yesterday afternoon... she's staying in the motel, I offered to help her get a job in town... apparently the woman who gave birth to me was a real mess..." He could not call that other woman his mother. "And Nicole, the girl who says she's my sister, wants a fresh start... she looks just like me....." He had never known anyone who looked like him, ever, and that held weight.

"I have a family, I have a sister, I'm happy here, I love all of you and she came and messed it up..." He bit his lip. "I couldn't just let her leave, I mean, she's the only blood relative I've ever met but I..." Todd gave up and laid his head in the curve of his mother's neck and should, quiet tears rolling off his face as he held her thin, fit, body in his big arms. But she was strong one now.

[Scarlett Anne Owens]

While Todd explained his situation, Henry and Tracy made eye contact over his shoulder. One of their silent communication moments. Henry got up and put his hand on Todd's shoulder, giving him intermittent reassuring squeezes. Tracy never let go of Todd's face. They always worried about something like this happening. Sure it seemed less and less likely as the years gone by, but there was always the possibility.

And then when Todd finally broke down, Tracy wrapped her arms around his neck and Henry held his arms around the both of them, and they just stood there like that, heads bent together. Henry rubbed the back of Todd's back. Coming together like that was something they did when something was wrong. They had stood like that when Scarlett was diagnosed, that one time Henry was grieving for a coworker who died on duty …

After a moment, Tracy spoke, “Oh, honey, I know this must be so difficult for you. It's going to be hard to learn about all those things you wondered, but it doesn't change who you are. You're still our little grown boy. No matter what you find out, you're still our son.”

“Yeah, son. We're a family. That's not something someone can just mess up. I don't care who they are. You're my son.“

The only thing that was missing was for Scarlett to be curled up somewhere inbetween them all and say something eccentric, like It doesn't even matter if it turns out you were an experiment grown in a petri dish, you're still my awesome big brother and I'm going to pummel anyone who hurts you.

“You're just like your dad.” Tracy said, almost with an exasperated chuckle. “You two have such a strong sense of right and wrong. I think it was very generous of you to make her stay and try to help her get a job. You're such a kind person.”

[Todd Stephen Owens]

Todd loved when they stood like this, it had been a while since a breakdown, but it was comforting and reassuring. They were both right of course, it didn't change who he was, that he was their son, and they were his parents. It just rocked his foundation, an alternate reality he didn't quite want to face.

He had stopped crying and pulled back from his mother's neck a moment. "I couldn't just let her go, even if its hard for her to stay... I couldn't pretend she'd never come to see me. I... I have to know..." He held his mother tight, leaning into his father's hands. He realized they needed to know that they were his parents, no matter what. "You will always be my parents, my family." He remembered them talking to a young Scarlett when they adopted Todd. "We are extending the family, there is plenty of love to go around, you won't lose any now that Todd is getting some." It was sort of the same situation.

He felt better now that they knew, and they were here for him. But he still had one major worry. "What will Scarlett say?" He said quietly.

[Scarlett Anne Owens]

Henry squeezed Todd's shoulder. “I understand, son. You're a good man. I'm proud of you for wanting to stick with the situation and deal with it. If you let her into your life, she'll be one lucky person.”

“Of course we'll always be your parents. We're never going to let you go.” Tracy said, almost teary eyed from all the emotion and feeling for her son's pain. It was the burden of the mother, to never really be worry-free and happy if her kids weren't absolutely ok.

Both of them were bursting with questions to ask. Who was the girl? Where did she come from? What did she want with their son? Was she really going to stay in town? Were they going to meet her? But they put off their wonders for now, knowing Todd will likely tell them everything eventually anyway.

But what would Scarlett say? Henry and Tracy made eye contact again, silently communicating. There was no doubt that Scarlett worshiped the ground Todd walked on. It there was any indication that someone was stealing him away from her, than things might get a bit out of hand. And to stress her out when she was still recovering? Henry opened his mouth, not quite sure how to phrase what he wanted to say, “Son, maybe ...”

Tracy finished his sentence. “Maybe we should put off telling Scarlett until she's feeling a bit better.” her motherly and doctorly senses telling her that might be best.

[Todd Stephen Owens]

It was a good idea, but could Todd do it? Scarlett was reasonably perceptive, though these days she seemed a little foggy headed since meeting JUniper... but probably not foggy enough not to read her big brother. "Is that really gonna work?" He asked a little incredulously.

But even if he could hide it, if Nicole stayed in town, there was a very real chance that they would run into each other. She looked so much like Todd.. "She'd be more angry if she found out about Nicole by running into her and that we didn't tell her." Todd said, knowing he was probably right. He didn't want to set Scarlett back, but she seemed to be doing better....

[Scarlett Anne Owens]

Both Henry and Tracy knew that Todd had a point. If Scarlett found out that they had been keeping this from her, she'd go ballistic. Besides, there were not many to keep it from her. Sure they were protecting their little girl, but they had to remember that was was technically a legal adult, being 18 and all. There was no doubt that Scarlett herself would bring that up if giving the chance.

But suddenly Tracy remembered, "My pasta!" which was a strange outburst. It sounded like a peculiar swear, and she ran into the kitchen to make sure the water wasn't boiling over onto the stove.

Henry kept his hand on Todd's shoulder. "Maybe you should pick Scarlett up from school. She'd want to here your take on the situation more than ours, and you two would be alone taking a drive. Then we'll all have lunch altogether at home, how does that sound?"

Tracy came back hearing the last of that. "And that way she'd just be sitting the whole time. Not straining herself." Tracy's face was concerned however. "Oh honey just please break it to her gently?" She knew Todd would do his best but she couldn't help voicing her concern.

[Todd Stephen Owens]

Mom rushed in to check her pasta and he smiled softly, it took a lot for her to forget something. The woman could multitask, thats part of what made her such a great doctor.

Todd was kind of starving so he figured it might be better to eat before he got Scarlett, who probably had her own car anyway. "Can't we eat now? I'm hungry and my lunch break isn't forever." he asked. He didn't want to not eat lunch twice in a row.

Todd cracked a smile, "No mom, I'm going to break it to her as harshly as possible." He chuckled and shook his head. Of course he was going to break it to her gently, he'd be careful. He loved Scarlett. She was his sister and that would never change.