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impyFandom: SVH
Title: Turn Back The Clock
Characters: Bruce Patman, Lila Fowler, George Fowler, Grace Fowler
Word Count: 645
Summary: Worst day of Lila's life.
----
The only problem with being an only child was the lack of having someone to one-up immediately. Instead, you had to find someone to properly appreciate how much better you had it and even as a child, Bruce Patman knew his neighbors weren't easily impressed.
It didn't help that that they were all old too. Still, Bruce knew at least one person who would recognize the superiority of his brand new bicycle. There was just one hitch- getting there. He'd never admit it, but he was still a little unsteady on two wheels and it was a bit too far to walk, but he couldn't very well be driven there to brag about his new bike. No, he'd just have to ride over there.
After leaving a note on his mother's vanity (it was the first place she'd go after waking), Bruce headed out on his shiny, brand new black bicycle. Only the best for the Patmans, he could still hear his father say proudly.
Bruce had barely made it down his own driveway before his first wipe out; luckily no one was around to catch sight of his fall. It was fairly smooth sailing after that and he actually made it to the gates of Fowler Crest without another incident.
He'd paused to catch his breath before riding up the drive when he heard was sounded like crying. He stashed his bike in the nearest bush and crept quietly closer to the house to investigate.
"Grace, don't do this," Bruce heard Lila's father plead.
"I have to, George. I need this," Lila's mother replied in a tone of voice Bruce heard his mother use when a member of the help was being unspeakably and utterly stupid.
"You need what? Space? Take a look around, we have nothing BUT space!"
“What's going on?” Bruce wondered. His own parents never yelled at one another (other people, yes of course, but never at each other). And if they did, they would never do so outside where just anyone could hear them. It simply wasn't proper.
“That's not what I meant and you know it!” Lila's mother slammed the car trunk closed. Odd, if she was going somewhere, why wasn't the chauffeur packing the car?
“Grace,” George Fowler said quietly. “What about Lila?”
What about Lila? Bruce felt sick to his stomach. Nothing good was going to come after those words. Nothing.
Grace Fowler slid inside her car almost as if she hadn't heard the question at all.
“Grace?”
The car started and the driver's side door shut quietly. Apparently the time for slamming doors was over now.
“Grace!”
Bruce watched in horror as Lila's mother slowly began to drive down the Fowler's impossibly long driveway. Just before she reached the gate, a tiny figure crashed through the bushes not far from where Bruce had left his bike.
“Mommy? Mommy!” Lila Fowler sobbed as she chased after her mother's car.
Bruce held his breath as he waited for Mrs. Fowler to stop the car, but instead he saw the car turn onto the street and drive away, the tail lights fading into the bright morning sun.
“Mommy!”
Bruce couldn't tear his eyes away from the sight of Lila crumpling to the ground, sobbing as her heart broke beyond fixing. Should he do something? But what? He was frozen in place, uncomfortable but feeling pulled towards Lila at the same time.
Just as he'd decided to go to her, Lila's father finally seemed to snap out of his haze and ran past Bruce, racing to his daughter's side.
Bruce watched as George Fowler scooped his daughter up in his arms and carried her slowly back home. As they passed by his hiding place, Bruce heard Lila's tiny voice ask, “When is Mommy coming home?”
Unable to bear hearing the answer, Bruce took off running for his own home, bicycle all but forgotten.
Still, he wasn't quite fast enough to avoid hearing the answer. “I wish I knew, sweetheart.”
----
Note: This one will require some polishing up, but for now it'll sit here and wait for that. I believe I teased this however long ago with Bruce witnessing the Ken and Lila breakup. So I began this year's grouping with Lila and Bruce's breakup and then wound the clock back.
And yes, this completely contradicts everything in the Grace comes back portion of Lila's arc for the aftermath of the Evil Twin. But since that contradicted everything we knew about Lila's mother previously, including stuff from the Kids books (seriously, when the stuff aimed at little, little kids paints you as a not so great mother, maybe your maternal skills were a bit lacking) I don't feel so bad about saying to hell with continuity.
Title: Turn Back The Clock
Characters: Bruce Patman, Lila Fowler, George Fowler, Grace Fowler
Word Count: 645
Summary: Worst day of Lila's life.
The only problem with being an only child was the lack of having someone to one-up immediately. Instead, you had to find someone to properly appreciate how much better you had it and even as a child, Bruce Patman knew his neighbors weren't easily impressed.
It didn't help that that they were all old too. Still, Bruce knew at least one person who would recognize the superiority of his brand new bicycle. There was just one hitch- getting there. He'd never admit it, but he was still a little unsteady on two wheels and it was a bit too far to walk, but he couldn't very well be driven there to brag about his new bike. No, he'd just have to ride over there.
After leaving a note on his mother's vanity (it was the first place she'd go after waking), Bruce headed out on his shiny, brand new black bicycle. Only the best for the Patmans, he could still hear his father say proudly.
Bruce had barely made it down his own driveway before his first wipe out; luckily no one was around to catch sight of his fall. It was fairly smooth sailing after that and he actually made it to the gates of Fowler Crest without another incident.
He'd paused to catch his breath before riding up the drive when he heard was sounded like crying. He stashed his bike in the nearest bush and crept quietly closer to the house to investigate.
"Grace, don't do this," Bruce heard Lila's father plead.
"I have to, George. I need this," Lila's mother replied in a tone of voice Bruce heard his mother use when a member of the help was being unspeakably and utterly stupid.
"You need what? Space? Take a look around, we have nothing BUT space!"
“What's going on?” Bruce wondered. His own parents never yelled at one another (other people, yes of course, but never at each other). And if they did, they would never do so outside where just anyone could hear them. It simply wasn't proper.
“That's not what I meant and you know it!” Lila's mother slammed the car trunk closed. Odd, if she was going somewhere, why wasn't the chauffeur packing the car?
“Grace,” George Fowler said quietly. “What about Lila?”
What about Lila? Bruce felt sick to his stomach. Nothing good was going to come after those words. Nothing.
Grace Fowler slid inside her car almost as if she hadn't heard the question at all.
“Grace?”
The car started and the driver's side door shut quietly. Apparently the time for slamming doors was over now.
“Grace!”
Bruce watched in horror as Lila's mother slowly began to drive down the Fowler's impossibly long driveway. Just before she reached the gate, a tiny figure crashed through the bushes not far from where Bruce had left his bike.
“Mommy? Mommy!” Lila Fowler sobbed as she chased after her mother's car.
Bruce held his breath as he waited for Mrs. Fowler to stop the car, but instead he saw the car turn onto the street and drive away, the tail lights fading into the bright morning sun.
“Mommy!”
Bruce couldn't tear his eyes away from the sight of Lila crumpling to the ground, sobbing as her heart broke beyond fixing. Should he do something? But what? He was frozen in place, uncomfortable but feeling pulled towards Lila at the same time.
Just as he'd decided to go to her, Lila's father finally seemed to snap out of his haze and ran past Bruce, racing to his daughter's side.
Bruce watched as George Fowler scooped his daughter up in his arms and carried her slowly back home. As they passed by his hiding place, Bruce heard Lila's tiny voice ask, “When is Mommy coming home?”
Unable to bear hearing the answer, Bruce took off running for his own home, bicycle all but forgotten.
Still, he wasn't quite fast enough to avoid hearing the answer. “I wish I knew, sweetheart.”
Note: This one will require some polishing up, but for now it'll sit here and wait for that. I believe I teased this however long ago with Bruce witnessing the Ken and Lila breakup. So I began this year's grouping with Lila and Bruce's breakup and then wound the clock back.
And yes, this completely contradicts everything in the Grace comes back portion of Lila's arc for the aftermath of the Evil Twin. But since that contradicted everything we knew about Lila's mother previously, including stuff from the Kids books (seriously, when the stuff aimed at little, little kids paints you as a not so great mother, maybe your maternal skills were a bit lacking) I don't feel so bad about saying to hell with continuity.
(no subject)
Date: 2015-10-10 06:14 pm (UTC)And the idea that Bruce witnessed all of this! Wow, talk about a bond developing before either of them know it. I am definitely digging Bruce's softer side. Obvs I made a good choice for your banner, LOL!!