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kwrittink · 4 years

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Wrong - ABISM

Pairing: F!Reader x AdoptedBrother!Jungkook

Genre: Fluff/Angst

Warnings: language, a tiny bit of belittling

It had been two- no, three - years since you last saw him. Your brother... If you could even call him that. No visits, no calls, not even a letter. He'd be completely out of your life, wasn't for his inevitable successful life, which caused people to talk about him once in a while, not aware of your past. Why would you even tell people you once were Jeon - after he took back his real name and career as the famous missing heir of the family's huge company - JungKook's relative when by that point you were nothing more than a complete stranger?

"Y/N, is the sketch finished already? Boss Min has been waiting for it since you arrived," Mou, secretary of said boss - your boss, precisely - asked, walking up to you and snatching your attention back to reality, the screen of the tablet showcasing an ad of some beauty product under Jeon's name. That's why your mind was wandering off.

"I have the final version already, I'm just waiting for TaeH-"

"I'm here, I'm here!" Kim TaeHyung, TI trainee and probably the best boy you've ever met in your entire life came rushing in, almost knocking stressed Mou out of his way, the art printed into a small poster. "Our printers were all malfunctioning, so I had to go to the copy place- Hope I'm not too late," he breathed out finally, strands of hair glued to his forehead as he tried to catch his breath. You chuckled at him, grabbing the page with one hand and patting the top of his slightly bowed head as you stood up.

"Don't worry, you were just doing me a favor, Tae. I'll pay you a coffee later, 'kay?" You reassured the newbie, then made your way towards your boss' office, happy that the whole printout was exactly the way you imagined it would be. Those sleepless nights wouldn't be wasted, it seemed.

"You know, sometimes it's a little painful to watch him," Mou started, by your side. You had barely noticed she was walking with you and snapped your head towards her startled, what she might have read as a confused look. "The new intern. TaeHyung, I mean."

"What about him?" You asked, now truthfully confused. Mou scoffed, rolling her eyes.

"I'm sure you're not that blind, Y/N... The boy obviously has a crush on you." She whispered, giggling as your eyes widened in surprise.

"Wait TaeHyung? No, he's just really nice. And I'm his mentor, he just wants to please." You waved it off, shaking your head in dismissal. There was no way that a guy like Kim TaeHyung was interested in you. He was really nice to you, but obviously, he was still a youngster, if the gossip was any indication.

Mou snickered, pushing the black glass door that separated the firm's director Min YoonGi from the rest of the world. "Whatever you say then. But keep that in mind when you have your coffee with him today." She advised, and it was your turn to roll your eyes at her before she announced your arrival.

Min YoonGi was someone really easy to deal with, once you did your job. The meeting was short, he had really liked your work and even had asked you to help in the presentation the company would have to the hirer - which meant he wanted you to talk about it. It was good to know your job was recognized, but you've been working hard for a while and was about to ask for a break before you collapsed. Sigh. Maybe after the deal was made.

"Hey, you don't seem so well," a voice came from your right, a small box of doughnut holes from that famous bakery on the building's street appearing into your sight. A smile was immediately plastered on your lips when you turned your face and met the dimpled cheeks of Kim NamJoon - not blood related to earlier mentioned Kim Taehyung -, thick glasses hiding his eye smile.

"You're water for the thirsty men sir," you sighed, picking one treat from the box and practically moaning at the simple yet tasteful ball of happiness. "Also, I can't believe you went to Jin's without me!"

"If you had answered my texts you'd know I was going," he quipped back, shrugging teasingly. You squinted at him, grabbing your phone and seeing that, for it was on silent the whole weekend you had let slip NamJoon's invite for this morning. Tsking, you put it away, snatching the box from his hands.

"Not an excuse mister, you have full access to my house," you countered, and he had the nerve to look coy, looking away in defeat. But in that motion you were able to see the badly hidden hickey painted on the side of his neck, giving you an idea why he didn't invade your apartment that morning. You'd tease him for that later, after figuring out who he had a date with.

"Anyway, be glad there's still some left, I ate most of it on my way here, I was starving,"

"I know you since we were children, you owe me this." Yes. Kim NamJoon, head of TI and the clumsiest guy to walk on earth was your childhood best friend and the only one in your current circle that knew about your past. Even more, JungKook used to admire NamJoon from a young age, and though you two were glued at the hip since even before your brother joined the family, JungKook warmed up pretty well to him. But when JungKook left, he had cut all ties with everyone from his past, embracing the new life presented to him, and leaving an equally devastated NamJoon missing a younger brother. That you couldn't forgive him for.

You got back to your desk, followed by NamJoon that was still after the doughnut holes even after having half a portion. He was stressed with the end of the month, where deadlines piled up and everyone was at each other's throats to get stuff done. You couldn't do much to ease his burden, too piled with your own work to try and help him with his. Besides, you were shit at programming.

"Oh I knew I smelled something familiar- Wait, you went to that patisserie down the street?" A cheerful face peeked from the other cubicle and revealed a handsome man eyeing your food. You quirked an eyebrow at Jung Hoseok, one of your other co-workers and part of said circle of friends. Not that you had that many people you truly enjoy talking to but you liked to live by the company's motto: quality is better than quantity. And that was also why the number of employees was so much less than others in the same area because Min YoonGi liked to hire only the best ones - and because he didn't want to waste time firing people later, you were aware.

For example, Jung Hoseok was an amazing designer, perfectionist and hard-working, even if he looked aloof and happy-go-lucky most of the time. But there was a reason for that, and because he expected from himself only the best, Hoseok - or Hobi, how he was called endearingly - also expected near perfection from his colleagues.

Unconsciously he had put himself in charge of keeping everyone in the line. And if anyone thought he wouldn't impose respect with his light demeanor, better change their mind quickly. The man was sharp and ruthless when disappointed, flipping his entire mood in a matter of seconds. It wasn't a point of him being bipolar or anything, he was just the type of parental figure that you wanted to only be on his good side.

"Not me, NamJoon fetched those before arriving at work. Want one?" Extending the bag at him, you saw how Hobi's eyes twinkled as he fetched a couple of sweets from the bag and chuckled to yourself, thinking he was cute, even if a couple of years older than you.

"Thanks, man I really needed this- Wow that's a hickey, if I've ever seen one," Hoseok was quick to notice as he turned to NamJoon, voice getting louder as he couldn't get a hold of his surprise. Your best friend's eyes widened greatly, apparently not aware that either the bruise was showing or that it was there at all while pulling his collar up. "Sorry dude, I couldn't help it, just... Sorry." Hoseok winced again, retreating to his desk while NamJoon glanced around in a panic to access who had heard the announcement. Apparently no one, but the crew had a sharp ear, you were aware. You just hoped Mou - who had a massive crush on him since he joined but never had the courage to tell him - hadn't heard it too.

Sighing, you got up your chair, grabbing NamJoon's hand and your purse in the other, meeting his lost puppy eyes. "C'mon, I'll fix this up. But you owe me an explanation, mister." You demanded while dragging him to the unisex room.

Your only regret was leaving the doughnut holes on top of your table, easy prey for all the wolves in the section.

The meeting was first thing in the morning, so you arrived an hour earlier to avoid any accidents and had a spare outfit in your bag if anything - NamJoon and his clumsy ass - were to happened to the cute but professional outdo you had put together so carefully. Mou was the first to greet you in the morning, her smile not quite reaching her eyes - maybe she had heard Hoseok's outburst the day before after all - as she handed you a cup with coffee and the keys to the meeting room.

You sighed. It was a tiring job the one you had, but it was at the same time fulfilling and well-paid. Min Yoongi was strict as he did expect everyone to work hard, but he was extremely fair when it came to paychecks. Every single extra thing the employees did was taken into account and correctly inserted into your account - including that one presentation you were to do for him.

"You're early today huh?" As if by summoning, a sleepy toned voice echoed through the room while you arranged your things - jolt of surprise barely concealed, and you could hear his quiet snicker when he noticed - and Min YoonGi entered the room. "Wouldn't expect any less of you."

You turned to him with a small smile, acknowledging his compliment, and waiting for what he had to say. YoonGi wouldn't show up before the meeting for no reason at all, you were aware. "So, I'm sure you read about our employers and are well-prepared for this but," He started, and suddenly your blood started to run cold. But? That's never good. He's going to make my life difficult, I feel it!

"The thing is, that company was recently bought by another one - don't look so scared, nothing has changed technically - and now you're going to be meeting the new owners, so just wanted to give you a heads up." The way he spoke was clearly as if he was casually mentioning that he had coffee in the morning and had an easy trip to the job today, but his words still couldn't avoid your internal panicking. Still, you nodded, swallowing the nervous lump in your throat, because you were a good designer, but could handle so much pressure. At least the whole ordeal wouldn't be changed. You breathed out.

"Okay boss, I'll handle this to the best of my abilities," you assured him, trying to put a brave face to the man that had hired you but was usually treating you like a sister/daughter he kept at arm's length. Even the satisfying glint of his eyes wasn't unnoticed by you, a sign of trust in your words.

"Good. Now, they have arrived earlier than expected, you think we can start or should make them stick to the schedule?" At that point Min YoonGi was definitely taunting you, corner of his mouth twitching slightly with undisclosed humor. You rolled your eyes.

"Send them in, I'm ready." Was what you answered, but minutes later you would regret that sentence immensely. Maybe you should have trusted your gut for once, as it told you that something was not right the moment your boss stepped outside the meeting room to get the new employers.

Because your smile faltered upon seeing that the man following your boss back inside was no less than - and that for some reason wasn't unexpected - Jeon JungKook.

So this is the layout we had and the whole process our team worked on with the previous employer - Mr. Park right here can confirm," you smiled warmly at the man who was accompanying the new owner for the meeting, glad of his reassuring and soothing presence. "But we are completely open to discussion and suggestions if the idea isn't to Mr. Jeon's interest." You tried to keep smiling as you glanced at the man who once had been part of your family now standing at the other side of the table with a completely unreadable expression while glaring at you.

"Well, I think we don't think that much different right?" Park Jimin, later owner - now co-owner of the 'ARMY' clothing line - nudged JungKook's arm to snap him back from staring at you so blatantly. YoonGi cleared his throat softly by the end of the table.

"Yes, we'll discuss some more of this project in the future, but for now it's fine," he said, and you had to restrain from quirking at eyebrow at him, though you could feel droplets of sweat trickling down your neck. Fine? "Next time though, I'd like to hold a meeting on my grounds, if that's okay with you?" And then he fucking turned to your boss, as if you weren't the one busting your ass in the last half hour explaining a project almost set to happen all over again.

"I think you should ask Miss Y/L/N, she's the one responsible for this," JiMin piped up again, and you were so glad he did, but not as how that forced the arrogant face of that other man to look back at you as if he was too tired to repeat his question.

"Won't be a problem, sir. We'll-"

"We? Weren't you the head of this project alone?" A frown creased deep between JungKook's eyebrows, as he looked down to his phone - probably checking his schedule -, already up and ready to leave. JiMin got up as well, seems to be confused by his partner's behavior, and you bit the side of your cheek in anger.

"Of course Miss Y/L/N is the prime creator of this whole entrepreneur," this time it was Min YoonGi's time to sprout into the conversation, and you were thankful he did before you said something insolent. "But to avoid being persuaded for any side whatsoever, she will be taking one from the team with her to the meeting - having in mind that Mr. JiMin will also be attending to keep it balanced."

For some reason, it looked like Jeon was taken by surprise, for his eyes widened for a moment before glancing at your boss. He wouldn't think we'd meet completely alone now, would he?

"Right, exactly. Mr. Park and I will be the only ones present, so it's only fair. I shall then talk to your secretary? I have a few days available."

"N-no JungKook, I think this you'll have to discuss with Miss Y/N, she's the one that's going to meet us there..." And just like that JungKook seemed to have lost his pose of nonchalant, seeming exasperated to leave the room but needing to face you one more time before doing so.

"Next Tuesday at 8 am at the north building?" What was he trying to do, set a romantic date or a professional one? Because either the case, he was failing miserably. You grabbed your mobile from the table, expression still stern and serene.

"I'll put it on the schedule. It's okay with you if I take Kim TaeHyung with me, boss?" You slightly turned to the man that looked as amused as someone would be while watching a drama unfold. He was only missing a snack.

"Sure, though he's a trainee..." The little squint your boss gave you was enough to tell you he was onto something about this whole thing - and if you could bet, you'd say he was thinking of something along the lines of ex-lovers or some other cheesy crap he secretly loved so much.

Thought it was much, much more complicated than that.

"It's good for him to learn on the job, plus his skills will help me, I'm sure." You explained, receiving a shrug in response from your boss. That was that then.

"We're all set then, I'm glad!" Park JiMin chirped, extending his hand at you. "It was really nice seeing you again Miss. Y/N, keep a great job!" He complimented after you shook his hand back with a small bow and a smile. Jeon's hand also appeared in front of you, for grasping.

"Till we meet again, Miss. Y/L/N." He said as you did the same to him, after a beat of hesitancy. It was somehow hurtful the way he said your family name in such an easy, detached way. As if he never was under it in the past, for so many years.

And it was in that way you realized the abysm between the two of you, the gap that separated your worlds definitely and clearly. He was no one to you, and you were no one to him.

________________________ masterlist

#wrong!jungkook #bts jeon jungkook #jungkook angst #jungkook smut #jungkook fluff #jungkook x reader

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scoutshonor56 · 5 years

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Burning Down the House

With a new year upon us, I decided to leave our pouting, petulant, and clueless “president” alone for a while. I’m at the point where I don’t want this blog to become a regular, though fun and cathartic, critique of this moron’s day to day behavior. Besides, who can keep up these days? Certainly I never intended this blog to become solely a political airing of grievances anyways, when started back in November of 2016 - but then, who would have ever envisioned the likes of Donald Trump in the White House?

So today I’m going to address an issue close to my heart; the wellspring that nourishes my spirit and is essential to the health and well-being of every living thing on our planet – the environment. You see, I’m a baby boomer who grew up in the 60’s, and was quite the impressionable 14yr old on April 22, 1970, when the first official Earth Day was proclaimed. That year also saw the creation of the EPA, and like most of us from “back then”, I still hold onto many of the ideals of an aged hippie -

Those who know me also know I later worked for NASA - another touchstone for my generation - at Johnson Space Center, inside the television/communication contract, for 14 years. During that time I got to watch the Space Station being built piece by piece, from when the first module, Zarya, went up on a Russian Proton rocket, to the first crew occupation, to its successful completion.

I still pay attention to our space program as a tax paying enthusiast, although not nearly as much, and thus I watched a fascinating show on NOVA a week or so back, entitled “To Pluto and Beyond”. It was about the continuing voyage of NASA’s New Horizons exploratory spacecraft, which is now traveling at roughly 37,000mph some 5 billion miles from our planet and still able to send back data and outstanding imagery to its home base here on Earth (taking over 4 hours to do so).

In a nutshell, when New Horizons was first launched, in January of 2006, scientists and astronomers didn’t even think much existed past what they call the Kuiper Belt (the area in space past the planet Neptune), other than insignificant, floating chunks of minerals and ice of varying size and shape – such as Pluto, now not even an officially termed “planet”.

But soon that would change as our telescopes got larger, more sophisticated, and certainly more powerful (such as the Hubble), revealing a wealth of new discoveries and vastly widening out view, and theories, about space past our solar system.

In just a little over two years after its successful flyby of Pluto and its moons, sending back stunning and never before seen imagery, project managers were able to plot a new course that would enable the probe to fly past what is now called 2014 MU69, or its more colorful nickname, Ultima Thule (which sounds much more bad-ass!)

To go into any detail about the show and this discovery would require a whole different blog, so for my purpose today, let’s just say the level of technology, engineering, and computational math involved in this exploratory endeavor is right up there with just about any other high achievement in man’s history; an incredible display of determination and shear brain power that simply boggles my mind. Sure, it was just an unmanned flyby, a probe…but successfully plotted over billions of miles, traveling at 37,000mph through orbiting planets, asteroids, and clouds of space debris, where a collision with something the size of a pea could mean instant disaster? Where the tiniest fraction of miscalculation can put the craft literally millions of miles off course? In the harshest and most unforgiving environment imaginable? You may as well try to explain quantum physics to me.

So what - what’s this got to do with a Talking Heads song... my point is this: excuse me if I don’t buy into this long running campaign of bullshit and misinformation put out by the petrochemical and carbon-based conglomerates, their money-wallowing and soulless lobbyists, and the special interest groups, who for the better part of fifty years have retained a complete stranglehold on our politicians and policy makers. They continue to control the discussion of our energy sources with fairy tales and scare tactics in support of a technology that is over 200 years old. Let’s dim the lights, roll out the boogyman, and wind him up:

“It will cost jobs!! The transition to renewable and clean energy is too expensive, the sources unable to compete in today’s economy!! The technology and infrastructure have yet to be fully worked out!! It’s much more difficult and complicated than you can possibly understand!! It’s simply going to take more time – it will be a long, slow process, and oil and gas will continue to play a dominant role in the meanwhile!!”

And on, and on, and on…

Bullshit! Germany now gets 40% of all its energy generated from renewable, clean sources. There are other countries in Europe harnessing tides to generate energy. Our planet is a hotbed for thermal energy potential. A recent study done here in Houston, at Rice University, claims Texas (who leads the nation in wind generated energy) has enough sun and wind to completely wean itself off coal within the near future.

Since when did America become the nation that couldn’t; that shied away from a challenge, technological or otherwise; that chose to follow instead of lead… was I stoned during that period? Did I miss something? Fifty-eight years ago, President John F. Kennedy stood at a podium at Rice University Stadium and declared:

“We choose to go to the Moon! We choose to go to the Moon...We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard; because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one we intend to win, and the others, too.”

To put this into context, at that time it had been just over a year since America had launched their first man into space: Alan Shepard riding a Redstone rocket 116 miles into suborbital flight, lasting fifteen minutes. Back then NASA scientists and medical professionals didn’t even know if a human could survive such a trip, or for how long. Would they retain their vision, their mental capacity? Would they lose all sense of direction? Pass out? Would they be able to endure and function during the required long duration flight to the moon and back? How would we even achieve such a feat?

OK, some might say, “Well, sure, NASA had a limitless budget - and after all, the space race was strictly for nationalistic reasons anyway, to beat the Russians to the moon…”

All true, but umm, have you looked out your window lately? Pay attention to any news? And no, Fox doesn’t count. According to a recent analysis, published in the Journal Science (see the story in the NY Times), our oceans are warming far more quickly than previously thought; like 40% faster on average than a United Nations panel estimated five years ago. Researchers now conclude that ocean temperatures have been breaking records for several years straight. Compounding the effects of our melting polar caps, warm water also takes up more volume than cold water, resulting in sea levels rising at an estimated rate of .13 inches (3.2mm) over the last 20 years. Satellite measurements tell us that over the past century the Global Mean Sea Level (GMSL) has risen by 4 to 8 inches.

Right now, over the last decade, we are seeing an increase in the number and severity of hurricanes, monsoons, tornadoes and wildfires. NEWS FLASH Gomer and Thelma Lu, this isn’t a conspiracy perpetrated by greedy and alarmist eggheads in lab coats, nor is it “fake news” or fuzzy science; and it certainly shouldn’t be considered, or treated as a political issue. It’s rock-solid, provable science that is accepted by 97% of scientists, climatologists, and geologists all around the world, who continue to ring the emergency bell. It’s happening today, all around us, and the bad news is we’re already too late; at this point, if we were to get serious this year, 2019, it will still be a game of damage control; of mitigating the consequences of our greed, ignorance, and gullibility.

In comparison, the goal and challenge of beating the Russians to the moon seems quite miniscule to that of restoring and maintaining the health of our little blue lifeboat called Earth.

“Whatever, our planet is a dynamic, ever changing thing - Earth has gone through similar climate changes before!” Yes, true – but over the span of tens of thousands of years, you moron. Man has achieved the same results in barely two hundred.

Just curious, but what part of 2.5 million pounds/second of co2 pouring into the relatively thin, fragile layer of atmosphere that protects our planet don’t you get? Too hard to think about, or conceptualize? Or is it easier for your lazy, flabby, unexercised brain to simply believe that it all just dissipates into outer space – you know, where the alien abductors that beamed you up into their mothership that weekend reside…

Make America Great Again? What a sad, short-changed, and utterly empty joke of a campaign slogan… Here, I’ve got one for you: SAVE OUR PLANET! For your children’s future and their children’s future. There simply is no option; no magical, last minute solution. No plan B. No spare planet accessible, sorry, this isn’t a movie - its real.

I simply don’t understand; why isn’t this the number one issue of concern for everyone? Could there possibly be a greater threat and more important challenge facing us all today?

Ah well, what the hell – we’ll all be fine in a couple thousand years after we evolve with gills and become aquamen and women… Although, good luck finding something to eat, as we’re also killing the entire food chain of life in the oceans, from coral reefs to the dolphins, the sharks, and the whales…I guess we could become aquacannibals – now there’s a surefire idea for a hit movie! Hmm, I wonder if we could talk Jason Momoa into that hard turn in the movie series plotline…

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remima · 7 years

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The Equilibrium Realization

A/N: Apologies for the awfully long hiatus. Here's chapter four. Disclaimer: All characters from The Big Bang Theory mentioned herein are not ours. We just take them out to play in our minds, for your reading pleasure. Chapter 4 Today was Junior's first school trip and they were headed to El Paso. Mary has been fussing all morning about the reminders and pointers that George might need while taking care of their twins. All he could do was nod and follow her around while she imitates a hurricane; one that brought organization instead of destruction. "Okay, now their feeding bottles has been sterilized and they're inside the first cupboard, and-" "Mary! Would you quit talking like this is the first time I'm taking care of kids?" George says, interrupting his wife. "Sorry honey, you know I just want to be sure that everything's in top shape before we leave." She then pulls two more cans of formula and placed them on the counter. "I know hun, but I've got this. Just check your things for the trip. Don't worry too much about me and the twins. We'll be fine." George pats her cheek and she couldn't help but lean into his touch. "Fine. But if one thing goes wrong, we're going home right away," she tells her husband. She didn't notice Junior entering the kitchen and catching the tail end of conversation. He has been looking forward to their school trip for almost two months. Hearing that his mother might drag them back home, earlier than they're supposed to just because of the twins, annoyed him. "Ma! Missy and Shelly won't be in trouble. Dad will take care of them. They'll be fine!" he all but yelled, which made his parents turn and frown at him. Realizing how whiny he sounded, he bowed his head and apologized. George bends down to level with his first born and lifted his face. "Don't worry son, I promise I won't give your mama a reason for you guys to leave earlier," he assures the kid, making him wrap his little arms around his father's neck. "Thank you, daddy." "Okay, now go get your shoes on. Your uncle Carl will be here in a few." He stands at full height again and looks at his wife. "That ain't fair you know." Mary tells him. "What is?" he raises an eyebrow at her. "You always know how to calm that kid down while he won't even eat Brussel sprouts unless I warn him that I won't let him play outside," she says, wrapping her arms around George's waist. "What can I say? He loves his daddy more'n his mama who wouldn't play ball with him," he tells her, smiling into her hair. Mary playfully hits him in the chest and looks at him. She couldn't help but smile at her husband's smugness. "You both take care. Call me when you get there, okay?" He kisses her forehead. "Now let's get your things ready. Carl's on a schedule and he won't wait if you take too long." "That brother of yours listens to no one. He does what he likes. I'm surprised he even considered dropping us off." "Constance and Philip won't be here until tomorrow. And you know bringing the twins isn't the best idea, what choice did I have but to ask him?" "Oh I understand that. One cranky toddler in the car is enough, but two? Lord can they cry!" Mary says as they walk in the living room, checking their bags. A few more minutes passed and George watches his brother's car drive away. He turns around and walks back in their house. A playpen has been set up in the far corner of their living room for the twins. Inside it, Missy was playing with the stuffed animals, while Sheldon was lining up the alphabet blocks. They could be a handful sometimes, especially Sheldon, but he wouldn't have them any other way. Sometimes, George still couldn't believe that his twins were now three years old. If was as if that horrific fire just happened yesterday. His wife never found just how close they were to losing their second son and he plans on keeping it that way. Constance agrees with his decision; considering how Mary can get and sparing her the unnecessary heartbreak since the boy was alive. When any of their kids get sick, she always goes overboard with how she takes care of them. He appreciates it, that she is such a loving and caring mother, but he's afraid of how much more attention she'll pour on Sheldon if she finds out that he came out of her, lifeless. In the playpen, Missy walks on wobbly knees and throws a stuffed elephant at the blocks that Sheldon arranged, vertically. The blocks went in different directions and Sheldon throws a frown at her sister, but does nothing. He crawls around the enclosure and gathers the blocks that has scattered around them. Missy was now busy with the milk bottle that she left at the far end of their playpen. George stood there, watching the interaction between the two toddlers with his brows drawn together. Other kids might have bawled their eyes out after what Missy did to Sheldon's structure. But Sheldon didn't. He just frowned at her sister and started playing again. Shaking his head, George went to the kitchen to get a can of coke and went back to the living room to watch their television. He was hoping to see a football replay but at noon on a Friday, he didn't have a lot of choices but variety programs and soaps. He flicked through the channels lazily but had to look over Missy when she started crying. He walked over to the pen to see what the problem was. "Aw, is my little girl still hungry?" he coos, trying to get Missy's attention. His daughter was waving her little hands, one of which was clutching the bottle that she just emptied. Missy stands up and walks to her father, murmuring her request for more milk. The twins can already talk, but Sheldon's words were a little bit more coherent compared to her sister. Another difference that the he, Mary and Mary's parents have noticed. George carries her up and decided to bring her with him to the kitchen to stop her from crying. Once in the kitchen, he sets her down on one of the high chairs while he looks through the cupboard. Missy greedily grabs the bottle when he handed it. With Missy, looking happy again, he carried her back to their play pen. "How about you, Shelly? Do you want more milk-" he stops talking, when he takes Sheldon's appearance. The boy was in a trance, unblinking and focused on what he was looking at. He was standing, holding on the railings of their enclosure. George bends down next to him, cupping his little face with his hands. "Sheldon?" he asks, again. Sheldon remained unblinking, just staring at something in front of him. That's when the sound of the television reached George's ears. "Most of North and Central America will be able to have a clear view of the Annular eclipse. It is expected to last for at least two hours, starting at four in the afternoon…" Came from the voice of the newscaster. He tore his vision from his son and looked over his shoulder to see a slow-mo video of an eclipse; the moon, moving to cover the sun. The light of the sun created a ring of light once the moon was completely blocking it. The woman in the news kept talking about the phenomenon, accompanied by a series of images and footage of a similar type of eclipse that happened, years ago. Looking back into his son's eyes, he noticed that his usual blue eyes looked dark, now. He thought it may be the lack of light inside the house and didn't pay much attention to it. But there was something disturbing about how the child was not even moving. It was as if he was understanding what the newscaster was talking about and was keen on finding out more about what's going to happen. The news ended, and just like that, Sheldon started blinking again, batting his eyelids softly. "Daddy? Where's mommy?" he asks his father. "He went with Junior today. She won't be back until Sunday afternoon, but you have daddy here. And meemaw and pop-pop tomorrow, too" he replies, still perplexed as to why his son seem to have been hypnotized by some news about an eclipse. "Pop-pop! Meemaw!" Sheldon squealed in excitement upon learning that his grandparents will be coming over. "Yes. And meemaw, too. Is my baby boy, feeling okay?" he asks, feeling his forehead to see if he was getting a fever. "Yes daddy. Daddy, paper and colors please," he asks his father, pointing at the table where his and Missy's coloring stuff was piled up. Sheldon immediately turned his attention to his coloring books and started working on one page. All the while, George was looking at him curiously; like he was trying to see if he'll go into another trance just like earlier. Since George was a tall man and his kids were on the carpeted floor, there was something that he didn't notice. Sheldon's forearm, specifically the half-moon mark, darkening again. -------- "I should be home by six tonight. Thank you for watching over the twins," George tells Philip as he crosses the threshold, slinging his bag over his shoulder. "Nonsense, you know we're happy to do it. Now go on," Philip tells his son-in-law, waving a hand to send him off. George waved to Constance before going down to their yard to hop on his truck. He didn't usually have work during the weekends, but one of his coworkers at the factory got the flu and needed him to cover for the fellow. Not to mention he could use the extra money. Having three kids was not easy. Between him changing jobs every other month and Mary, volunteering at the church, they weren't saving a lot these days. Especially after finding out that Sheldon was, as the doctor put in simple words, gifted. The doctor was thrilled with his findings that he started going on about advanced studies and materials for fast-learners. Junior was in a Public school. Most of the books and other school materials that he had to have for school were from his grandparents. But even George knows it would be too much if he'll allow Constance and Philip to pay for the twins the things they need for school - especially Sheldon. A couple of school years of them taking care of Junior's needs was enough for him. He doesn't think he can take another blow on his ability to provide for his family. No matter how subtle the blows were. His mind was wandering to dangerous places while driving to the plantation. He turned the radio for some much-needed distraction. The radio was set to a local news station and the person was talking about the eclipse that was happening in a few days' time. "Honestly don't get all the ruckus about moon and sun mergin'." He mutters, changing the dial to find a station playing some music. Passing through a grocery store, he saw a family of four looking so happy as they made their way back to their car. The kids were showing off each other's new toys, while the parents looked at them with adoration. George continued to look at them through the rearview mirror and he couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy. They were barely getting by. He had to do something about their financial situation. Fast. Constance was watching the twins from the door of their room. The couple finally managed to get them down for a nap. The two have been playing - fighting over toys for the good part of the day. "What time did George say he'll be back?" she asks her husband. "He said four-thirty. Are you getting tired? You can take a nap too, if you'd like to," Philip suggested. "Nonsense. I ain't sleepy. Why don't we help the guy more, instead? I'll cook dinner." Philip looked down at his wife. Full of concern and love for their daughter's family. When he looks in her eyes, he sees nothing but genuine kindness. Constance was in her early fifties and he was just a couple years older. They have been married for almost thirty years and Mary was their only daughter. They weren't the richest in their small town, but they never had money issues. As much as Mary would like to hide their problems to her parents, they can tell that something was going on. Just like what any other parents would do, they're helping their kids out as much as they can. As much as they can, without hurting their son-in-law's feelings. Philip knows if George can help it, he wouldn't accept their assistance. The fact that he hasn't said anything to refute them was enough to confirm that the problem exists and George hasn't found a way to take care of it yet. A couple of hours pass and the couple hear the familiar sound of George's truck pulling up on the driveway. The twins were already up from their nap and were, thankfully, playing on their own instead of bickering again. "That's our cue to leave," Philip looks at his wife and stands up from the couch. Sheldon heard his grandfather and immediately wobbles his way to his grandparents, not wanting them to go home. The child has grown fond of the two and liked being with his pop-pop and memaw a lot. They usually read him books and the boy enjoys nothing more than being read to. The boy tugs at his grandfather's pants, looking up hopefully. "You're leaving?" he asks. "We have to little boy. But we'll be back soon," he tells Sheldon, just as the door opens revealing George. "Philip, Constance." He greets, removing his cap. He sees his son, looking like he's pleading again for his grandpa to not leave. Happens all the time. It makes him a little sad when he sees the boy doing that. Missy on the other hand, runs to his father and wraps her arms around his leg. "Hey there Missy. You're gon' have to get off for a second and let me change, these pants are dirty." And she lets go, smiling up at him. George walked the couple down their yard. Before Philip got in their car, he motioned for George to follow him. Once they were out of earshot from her wife, he placed a hand on his son-in-law's shoulder. "I heard there will be an opening for a football coach down at Clear Lake high. I don't know if you'd be interested but I heard they pay well and I know the principal. I could talk to him about giving you a shot at the position." George looked up at his father-in-law. Of course, they knew. How much do they know, though? He felt his face getting hot. He felt embarrassed that his Philip was offering him a job. Seeing the man's reaction to his offer, he patted his back and shook his head. "George, there ain't nothing wrong with accepting this. Just think about your family. Don't worry, son. I've been through the same. I know what that's like." He assures George. He sighs, and looks around before answering. "I'll give a mind to it. Thank you," George says. He watched the car disappear into down the trail leading to the highway. He huffed and made his way back to their house to take care of the twins. ----- It was almost six in the evening and he's finished feeding the kids. Missy was on her back on the couch. Sheldon was on the carpet, scribbling on the blank side of his coloring book pages. The sun doesn't usually go down until past seven during November up to January. Looking out the window, the surrounding looked a bit darker than usual. George got up to see check it was about to rain. "Well I'll be damned. I forgot about this eclipse happenin' today," he mutters. He watched as the sun gets completely covered by the moon, forming a ring of light around it. From the inside of their house, he hears an unusual ringing, then he hears Missy shriek. "Daddy! Sheldon's flying!" He runs inside, just in time to find Sheldon, elevated from where he was before he went out. The picture was bone-chilling. It looked like something straight out of those scifi movies where the character has supernatural power. George was quick to grab Missy, shielding her, from what – he didn't know exactly. Then he was stuck, mouth agape and eyes, wide open. As quickly as it all started happening, it ended. The eclipse was over, the boy, his son – slowly descended onto the floor and with a soft thud, he fell on his back, sound asleep. Like nothing out of the ordinary happened just a few minutes ago. He, once again, looked just like what a three-year-old boy would look like when it's sleeping. Somewhere, over four thousand miles away, the same thing happened to a little girl. And Daniel was just as clueless as George was when it all ended.

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