3.14--With Arms Outstretched

Often while his sisters are out playing or ignoring him, Gideon sneaks into Dasia's room and plays dress up. In his world, he's the reigning authority figure and everyone must listen to what he says.  Sometimes he wishes his sisters would stop being such babies and join him, but that would mean actually being nice to them and Gideon isn't sure he is capable of that.  Instead, he throws Dasia's toys around her room and jumps on her bed... to make a point or something.  He's still working on that part of the equation.

Ellis still doesn't understand why Gideon and Dasia don't make more of an effort to get along.  Gideon can definitely get on your nerves, but he is still their brother.

"Why do you guys fight so much?" Ellis pesters.

"I already told you.  Because Gideon is a butt head and starts fights with me."

Ellis shrugs with a slight smirk. "Maybe he's jealous."

"Or maybe he just sucks." Dasia deadpans.

"I don't think calling him names is going to make him want to be your friend."

"And nothing else I do will either."

Ellis shakes her head sadly in confusion, but decides to drop the subject. "If you say so."

A couple of days later, Dasia becomes a teenager-

-and Harper finds out she is pregnant with their fourth, and thankfully last, child.

When Harper breaks the news to her friend and boss, Leliana, Harper is invited over to the Theirin household for a late lunch.

"Yep.  There is definitely a child growing in there."

Harper laughs. "I certainly hope that's what it is."

Leliana quickly shifts topics as soon as she hears Duncan's footsteps coming toward them;  "...And that's when they told me that his head popped out and I realized I was in so much pain, I could nearly faint.  Oh hi, son!"

Duncan hears just the briefest portions of the conversation and heads straight toward the front door.  His mom had a tendency to get into the gory details, and he would much rather not be regaled with the disturbing facts about his birth - again. "I'll just... uh..."

Leliana waves. "Okay, have fun dear.  Be back by dinner and be safe."  Duncan nods and heads out of the house as fast as his legs will take him.  As soon as Duncan's out of the door, Leliana laughs. "And that's how you get rid of the kids when you want some alone time."

"Talking about their birth?" Harper smirks.

"Or something else equally embarrassing or horrifying."

"Mother of the year award goes to?"

Leliana chuckles.  "Trust me.  Once your kids all start becoming teens, you'll do anything to get some time alone - or time with your husband."

That night, Dasia returns home late from her first shift of work at the science facility.  

Harper and Cedric attempt to keep a serious face when they see her new uniform. Dasia sighs; "Oh get on with it."

"Bill Nye the Science Guy wants his clothes back." Harper begins.

Cedric laughs. "I really hope those high-waters are for something functional and not because they thought it looked cool."

"Are those loafers?  I think I've seen a few of the old men wearing those around town."

Dasia smirks.  "If you are both done, I would like to change." Cedric gets up from the couch and walks quickly to the stairs. "Where are you going?" 

"To get the camera.  This is a prime opportunity for a family photo!"

Dasia runs to her room before he can reach the stairs. "No it isn't!"

Dasia calls Duncan as soon as the photo fiasco is done with. 

"Hey; what's up?"

"You should come over."

"I can't.  I'm babysitting Michaela."

"Bring her too."

"Why don't you just come over here?"

"Because... I don't want to?"

Duncan sighs. "You're seriously the laziest person I know. Fine, I'll be over in fifteen minutes."

"Victory is mine!" Dasia blurts before Duncan can hang up and laughs when she hears him mutter a quiet protest.

"See you in a bit."

True to his word, Duncan comes over with his little sister Michaela and after doing their homework and watching a late night b-movie, they find themselves bored.

So they move their fun to the kitchen and slaughter each other with pillows.

Ellis doesn't like doing homework, but she particularly doesn't like doing homework while she hears others having fun during her misery.  She sighs heavily, scratching out another wrong attempt at a math problem.

"Do you need help, pumpkin?"  Cedric asks.

"If I give you five dollars, will you do my homework for me?"

Cedric laughs.  "You're going to give me five dollars of the allowance money that I gave you to do your homework?  As much as I like getting my own money back, perhaps we can strike another deal."

"What's that?"

"You do your own homework and when you get stuck, I'll assist you."

Ellis frowns. "But this is torture."

"And I'll be there every step of the way through it." Cedric says smiling.

Gideon also doesn't like doing schoolwork.  He decides to be a foreboding presence in the kitchen while Dasia and Duncan have their fun.  To his chagrin, it doesn't sully their mood or make his homework seem more enjoyable.

Late that night after all the kids have gone to sleep, Harper goes into labor.  They leave and come back without the kids ever knowing that they have a new brother named Pacey.

And when Harper and Cedric finally make it upstairs to shower, change, and feed their new son; they realize how tight the space is in their house even after their recent renovations.  Whether they like it or not, a move is in order.

Harper snuggles Pacey closely, laughing at the ridiculous space they set up outside their bedroom for him. "Don't worry, little tyke.  This is only temporary."

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Abrupt ending is abrupt.  Also, I swear I'm building a plot here.  I just have some filler chapters to sort out and write before the meat of Ellis and Dasia's story comes into play.

There's really no new updates besides Cedric being at level 8 of his career and Harper at level 6.  They currently have about 200,000 simoleons saved from not spending money on anything besides bills, so they have more than enough to get a new house.  Finally.