Shannon Vaughn [uɐɯɹǝʌlᴉS ǝʇɐN] (
privatematter) wrote in
diversified2014-01-29 10:06 pm
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Entry tags:
Do you want to build a snowman? [ closed. ]
WHO Shannon Vaughn (
privatematter), Eli Delacroix (
aspectional), Alyssa Vaughn.
WHAT surprise water powers!
WHERE Delacroix-Vaughn abode.
WHEN Summer of '93.
It had started with the Americans With Disabilities Act in '91. Someone had clapped Shannon on the shoulder and jokingly asserted that he could go and adopt some little Vaughnlets without worry. Shannon had, of course, related it to Eli with amusement but not much thought, and that had somehow led into more serious discussion about whether they would actually ever want children someday. The idea had simply sat there in the corner of their minds, waiting and growing while they went about their lives, moving in and coming together in all senses except legal.
Then they remembered that someone in their little group of reincarnated weirdos was actually a high-profile lawyer. Things had snowballed from there and by the very end of '92, the cogs turned in a miraculous way, and Shannon and Eli found themselves the fathers of a very precocious and amazing little girl named Alyssa.
Currently, it was a weekend which meant Shannon had the day off with his family. Because he wasn't officially a cop, he actually managed to have a normal schedule despite working for the Chicago PD. Sometimes he went in anyway, but nowadays he tended to lounge around at home and try his best to keep up with a three year old. That in itself was pretty challenging, especially when she forgot to put her toys away and Shannon ended up stepping on all the sharp, hard corners of her dolls or cars. Those cars were going to be the death of him, he just knew it.
"C'mon, Lyssa," he said, shaking his foot free and trying not to let the pain poke holes in his tone. "It's time for lunch. You wanna get cleaned up for lunch?"
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WHAT surprise water powers!
WHERE Delacroix-Vaughn abode.
WHEN Summer of '93.
It had started with the Americans With Disabilities Act in '91. Someone had clapped Shannon on the shoulder and jokingly asserted that he could go and adopt some little Vaughnlets without worry. Shannon had, of course, related it to Eli with amusement but not much thought, and that had somehow led into more serious discussion about whether they would actually ever want children someday. The idea had simply sat there in the corner of their minds, waiting and growing while they went about their lives, moving in and coming together in all senses except legal.
Then they remembered that someone in their little group of reincarnated weirdos was actually a high-profile lawyer. Things had snowballed from there and by the very end of '92, the cogs turned in a miraculous way, and Shannon and Eli found themselves the fathers of a very precocious and amazing little girl named Alyssa.
Currently, it was a weekend which meant Shannon had the day off with his family. Because he wasn't officially a cop, he actually managed to have a normal schedule despite working for the Chicago PD. Sometimes he went in anyway, but nowadays he tended to lounge around at home and try his best to keep up with a three year old. That in itself was pretty challenging, especially when she forgot to put her toys away and Shannon ended up stepping on all the sharp, hard corners of her dolls or cars. Those cars were going to be the death of him, he just knew it.
"C'mon, Lyssa," he said, shaking his foot free and trying not to let the pain poke holes in his tone. "It's time for lunch. You wanna get cleaned up for lunch?"
no subject
"I told you that we'd never hear the end of it once she learned no," Eli said cheerfully as he walked over and picked up the toy Shannon had stepped on and went on to pick up anything else in his way. "If you're not going to get cleaned up, Lyssa, I'm going to give your lunch to the dog."
no subject
"Dad's right, you know," Shannon said in a stage whisper. "Chase just loves PB&J. Sure you don't want to hand that over and go with Dad to wash up?" He held a hand out, palm up, waiting to see if she would change her mind and give him the toy.
He really should have known better. Alyssa whapped his hand with the toy to try and push the offending object out of the way. "No. Chase eats doggie food, not samwishes!"
no subject
"Super smart dogs like Chase love sandwiches." Eli came over and knelt down in front of her. "And we don't hit people with our toys, so what do you say?"
"Sorry, Papa." She still doesn't seem to want to give up the toy and go get lunch, but one step at a time here.
no subject
"Ow," he said plaintively. "I forgive you, sweetie, but aren't you hungry? We should take a break for food so we can keep playing today."
Alyssa hemmed and hawed, tiny little lips put together in a tiny little pout. She continued to play with her horse figurine as she thought, not particularly hard, but as if the mere action would buy her time forever.
no subject
"Well, Papa and I are going to eat lunch together. If you're not going to eat, then we're going to leave you all alone with no one to play with."
That seemed to knock the kid into gear. "Don't leave me alone! Want you and Papa here, Dad."
"But we're hungry, Lyssa, so we're going to go eat." Eli paused as if he was thinking really hard about it. "You can come with us and once we're done eating, I bet Papa will let you play some more."
no subject
She wrapped her arms around his neck and locked her knees around his side while he supported her with his forearm. She gave him a quick peck on the cheek and he grinned. "What's that for?"
"'Caaause... I love you? Lots and lots?"
Shannon merely let his amusement through. She probably wanted something.
no subject
"Do not!"
"I know that sweet talk little miss trouble, you want something."
no subject
"Now, if I were Lyssa... what would I be trying to get right now?"
"Nuffing," she answered sweetly.
"Uh-huh," he said, very obviously unconvinced. He moved to the cupboards to get her cup before heading to the fridge. "I guess we'll just have to get you lunch, then, since you clearly don't want anything specific."
no subject
"Well you heard her, papa, she wants nothing, so I guess we won't give her anything," he said as he moved in and tickled her belly.
"Dad!" She squealed with laughter as he tickled her. "Stop it! Don't want nothing."
"Aha, my interrogation skills work yet again." Eli stopped tickling and went back to work.
no subject
Worried frown on his face, he turned toward Eli. "Come look at this," he urged. He was trying very hard not to jump to conclusions or otherwise get freaked out but something completely inexplicable was happening in his kitchen. Inexplicable things shouldn't be happening in his kitchen. "Make sure I'm not going insane here."
no subject
A giggle interrupted his thought and he glanced over at Alyssa, who had on her best innocent smile, though it really didn't fool him. "--then that means it was our daughter. I think I need to make a call."
no subject
Putting a hand to his forehead for a moment, Shannon moved to place the cup in the sink to thaw and started to retrieve another one. He needed something to do with his hands while he let his thoughts run. "Thomas? Don't tell me you're calling him. No, wait, actually, if you do I want to talk to him, too. How in the—H-E-double-hockeysticks does this happen?"
As he got to the cup again, Shannon paused and turned toward Alyssa. She had frozen the milk, probably as a way to get out of drinking it. He could see no other reason for the obstruction. "Sweetie, why did you freeze the drink?"
Lyssa grinned and raised her arms high in amusement. "Soda!"
no subject
He stepped out of Shannon's way, letting him do what he needed to do while he thought about it. By this point, Eli knew very well how his partner functioned and knew better than to get in the way unless he really needed to. "Of course I'm going to call him. I'm sure that this is his fault to begin with and Michelle was probably in league with him, the traitor." This was the worst part about having gone to Michelle for help adopting a child. She was still the liaison between Thomas and the rest of the Aspects and helping them wasn't going to change her loyalty to Thomas. "I'll be sure to give you the phone so you too can threaten to murder him. He might actually take it seriously if it's from you."
Eli put on his best disapproving dad face and looked over at Alyssa. "You can't freeze your drink just because you don't want it, honey. Will you unfreeze it for me and your papa?"
no subject
He shook his head, going about getting things ready for a simple sandwich. Eli seemed to have a better idea of how to handle this little revelation than he did, and so he let Eli take charge on that front. Whether they capitulated to her demands or not, Alyssa was still going to need something to eat lest she get incredibly cranky by the afternoon. "You think he'd need Michelle's help to set something like this up? Hah. Just let me at 'im, he'll think twice about trying to pull the wool over our eyes again."
Alyssa looked at her dad very seriously, very thoughtful. "Soda?" she asked hopefully. Maybe she could still end out on top of this!
no subject
He chuckled softly at Shannon, smiling as he did so. "On the legal part of things? Yeah, that was all Michelle, but locating her and putting her our way? That sounds like something the stupid bird would do."
Eli looked back at Alyssa with an equally serious expression, as if they weren't arguing over something so trivial as having soda. "No, Lyssa, you can't have soda. Wouldn't you rather have some juice or milk?"
no subject
Alyssa crossed her arms with a most grave expression on her face. "No milk," she insisted. "Soda."
no subject
Because he was a child at heart, Eli mimicked her posture and expression. "No soda," he said back. "Juice or milk. And if you freeze them, you won't get anything to drink."
no subject
There was a moment of silence from Alyssa. "I think you make a compelling point," she said, tone of voice saying she had obviously heard it from somewhere else first. "Juice."