NYPD Blue Fanfiction

Rene's Fanfic

Arrested Development Continues

HOME FIRES

Connie and Theo sit in the car after she picks him up from the sitter.

Connie: “How was school today?”  She’s really glad to see him and reaches over to squeeze his shoulder knowing any other sign of affection would embarrass him.

Theo: “Fine.”  He says it in a way that lets her know his day probably wasn’t fine. 

Connie: “Your dad has to work late so it’s just you and me for dinner.  If we hurry we can stop at the market and still be home before time for Andrea to leave. 

Theo:  “Can’t we just go straight home?” 

Connie: “We can.  But we’d have to go back out to the market and carry Michelle with us.”  She’s already driving but glances over at him.

Theo: “Let’s just go now.”  He’s still using his long-suffering tone.

In the market Connie picks up some produce for a salad, detergent, and a few other items.  Thinking Theo hasn’t eaten fish sticks for a while, she stops in front of the frozen seafood.

Connie: “Do you want to pick out something for dinner?”

Theo: “Okay.”  He opens the door and reaches for fish sticks, but something else catches his eye.  “What are popcorn s-h-r-i-m-p?  Do I like those?”  

Connie: “Shrimp.  You do like them, especially when they are on my plate.  You remember.  Last summer whenever we went to a seafood restaurant and I ordered shellfish, you could eat just a few.  We had to see if you inherited your dad’s allergy.  If you want those, this would be a good night.  It’s just us and we’re not allergic.”

Theo: “Those are good.  Besides I like Dad’s fish sticks the best anyway.”

Connie stops herself from pointing out that Dad’s fish sticks are the exact same frozen ones as she would have fixed.  But as they walk toward the checkout she can’t help thinking, “Good luck getting him to cook them for you.”

Theo pulls the mail from their box just as the door to the building opens.  A woman and boy enter and walk over to the mailboxes.  The woman nods at Connie. 

Connie: “Hi, Connie McDowell.  This is Theo Sipowicz.  We live upstairs.”

The woman starts to extend her hand then stops and smiles when she sees that Connie’s arms are full.  “Angie Pesenti, this is my son Joey.  I told him I thought there was another boy about his age in the building.  Seeing a pack of diapers poking out of a bag, “You have a baby too?”

Connie: “A baby girl, actually she’s my niece.”

The two kids stand staring at each other.  Connie nudges Theo in the back with the detergent prompting him to speak to Joey.  “Hey.”

Joey:  “Hi.” 

Angie:  “That went well.”  She takes a pen and piece of paper out of her bag.  I’ll give you our number.  I’m sure Joey would love for Theo to come play some time. “Theo, would you like that?”  

Connie: (when Theo doesn’t respond) “That would be great.  Wouldn’t it, Theo?” 

Theo: “Do you like to play with cars?”

Joey:  “Yeah, I have lots of them.”

Theo: (sounds excited) “Me too and a fire truck.” 

Connie:  “Come on, Theo, we have a babysitter to relieve.”

After they had been home a little while, Connie put Michelle in her seat and left her in the living room floor.  Theo had first gone to his room, but his stripped bed just reminded him of his problems.  He came back out into the living room to do his homework there.  Connie had changed into jeans and a t-shirt, started a load of laundry and was now preparing dinner.  She glances into the living room where Theo is kneeling in front of Michelle, making faces at her.   He is supposed to be doing his homework, but she doesn’t care.  Since moving in, he often ignores the baby.”

Theo: “Connie, why does Michelle wiggle like that?”

Connie: “She’s happy you’re paying attention to her.  When she’s a little older she’ll reach out her hands toward you, but right now all she can do is wiggle all over to show how glad she is to see you.  Babies love their siblings.”

Theo: (completely puzzled) “What?”

Connie: “Siblings, brothers and sisters.”

Theo: “But I’m not really her brother.”

Connie: “She doesn’t know that.”  She can see Theo is thinking that over.  “So, it would be pretty cool to have a friend right here in the building, wouldn’t it?”

Theo:  (walking into the kitchen) “Yeah. Connie, when will Daddy be home?”

Connie: “I don’t know for sure.  It may be really late.”

Theo: (in a whiny voice) “Before I go to bed?”

Connie (stooping down to face him) “I don’t know.  He’s helping someone who is in trouble.”  She wished she could explain to him how important it was for Andy to prove that the drugs weren’t John’s, but he was too young to understand.  All that mattered was that he knew that his dad was doing a good thing, and that’s why he wasn’t home.  The baby started fretting then.  “Sweetheart, would you go play with Michelle some more, please.  It would really help me a lot.”  Theo returns to the living room and leans over Michelle who squeals and wiggles.   “She loves for her big brother to play with her.  Maybe you could do that while your dad and I make dinner every day.  It would be a big help.”

Theo:  (holding a rattle in mid-shake) “It would be my job?”

Connie: “Yes, that would be your job.”

Theo: “Usually Dad brings something home and you don’t cook.”

Connie: (choosing her words very carefully) “That’s true, but we still have to get the food on the table.  Let’s fix our plates and eat in the living room.”  Before Theo can ask she adds, “No, we’re not looking at TV while we eat.” 

Connie was relieved that dinner went okay.  Theo talked a little about school and tried to make her promise to call Joey’s mom the next day.  She avoided making any promises. But if she got home in time she did plan to arrange for the two boys to play together.  The last thing she wanted to do now was break a promise to Theo.  The move had really been rough on him.  She felt everything would work out, and they would all adjust to the new living arrangements.  But it was harder than she had expected.  Now John had been set up.  She was worried about John, worried about Rita, worried about Andy working day and night, worried about Andy worrying about John. 

After dinner Theo finally starts his homework.  He pulls some papers from his backpack for his dad to sign.  Connie looks at them and sees that his school work doesn’t seem to be suffering.  Maybe it’s an escape for him.  He leaves the papers on the kitchen table.  Connie assures him that his dad will see them.  After making Theo’s bed she heads back to the living room just wanting to hold her baby for a few minutes.  Theo is sitting on the floor using the coffee table for a desk.  She picks up Michelle and sits down on the couch.

Theo: “Can you listen to me read now?”  He had to read aloud for ten minutes every night. 

Connie: “All right, sit here beside me.”  She shifts Michelle in her lap and puts her right arm on the back of the couch behind Theo.  She gives him a quick hug, but he pulls away.  Usually Andy listens to Theo read.  Andy still reads to Theo quite a bit too.  Connie knows that Andy believes Theo does so well in school because he inherited his mother’s smarts.  But she thinks Andy reading to Theo every night has just as much to do with it.  He finishes reading the chapter in about twelve minutes. 

Theo: “I’m through, can I watch TV now?”

Connie: “Let’s talk for a few minutes, then you MAY watch TV.”

Theo: (hesitant) “What about?”

Connie: “Have you ever heard the expression, ‘Be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it?’”

Theo: (shaking his head) “No.”

Connie: “What do you think it means?”

Theo: “Say it again.”

Connie: “Be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it.”

Theo: “I think it has something to do with wishing for too much.”  It was more of a question than a statement.

Connie: “Right.  Let me give you example.  You know how all last winter the three of us hung out together.  Sometimes we went places.  Other times we just stayed at your apartment playing games or watching movies.  Then after you were in bed, I’d leave and come home.”   She pauses and watches Theo’s reaction.  He nods and she continues.  “I already loved you and your dad dearly.  I wanted to be part of your family.  Then in the spring when your dad and I started dating,” she smiles at her memories, “I felt it even more.  I wished we could be one family.  And now we are.  I got what I wished for.  But I never imagined my little sister would die, and her baby would also be part of the family.  That doesn’t mean that I don’t still want us to be a family.  It just isn’t the way I had imagined it.”

Theo:  “I wished you could be part of our family too.  When you started sleeping over at our old apartment, I was so happy.  I liked having you there when I woke up.  I wanted you to come live with us there.”

Connie: “That’s sweet of you to say.  But didn’t it wake you when we had to walk through your bedroom to get to the bathroom?”

Theo: “No, I was used to Dad walking around after I was asleep.” 

Connie: “It really is a better arrangement for you to have your own room and for your dad and me to have a room with a real bed in it.  This pull-out isn’t exactly comfortable.  It sinks down real far where your dad sleeps.  He’s so much heavier than I am that I was rolling downhill toward him all night.  I’d have to grab the arm of the sofa and pull myself back over to my side of the bed.”  Theo was laughing at her description making her laugh too. 

Theo: “That’s funny.” 

Connie was thinking that she hadn’t seen him laughing in a long time.  “What I’m trying to say is that I still love you and your dad.  At the same time I love Michelle too and want us all to be one family.  Babies need a lot of care and they take a lot of time.  But I love you just as much as ever.”  She gave Theo another quick hug.  This time he didn’t pull away.  “Sweetheart, I know it may be hard to believe now, but everything is going to be all right.” 

Theo: (staring down at the floor) “I kind of like having Michelle in our family.”

Connie: (smoothing his hair) “I know you do.  I think you’re a good big brother.  Go put on your pajamas and brush your teeth.  Then you can watch TV until bedtime.” 

Theo: (using the arm of the sofa to pull himself to his feet) “Okay.”

Andy comes home to find a single light on in the living room.  Apparently Connie has gone to bed early which irritates him.  He opens Theo’s door and watches him sleep before quietly closing the door.  The door to his and Connie’s bedroom is partly open.  He walks in expecting to find her asleep.  But she is sitting up reading. 

Andy:  (sits on the side of the bed and kisses her) “Hey.  I thought you’d be asleep.” 

Connie: (shaking her head), “No, I was cold, so I climbed into bed.” Seeing Andy glance down at her chest, she smiles and slides her hand down the side of his face.  “Did you find anything?”

Andy:  “Not yet, but I’m certain it’s Laughlin.  I got so tired that I was afraid I’d overlook something, so I stopped for the night.  Baldwin’s still there.   How have things been here?  Theo didn’t sound all that bad when I called to tell him good-night.

Connie: (taking Andy’s hand) “It really wasn’t a bad night.  I talked to Theo.”

Andy: (sounds annoyed) “About the bed-wetting?”

Connie: “Not exactly, about us being a family and how I still love him even though Michelle takes up a lot of my time.  About how I love you both.”  She looks into Andy’s eyes.

Andy:  (calm now) “Medavoy told me that Theo is going through what they call regressive behavior.  He’s jealous of the baby and may not even be aware of it.” 

Connie: (looks toward the book lying on the bed) “I was just reading about that.  Wish I’d read it before talking to Theo, but I don’t think I messed up.  Did Greg go through this with his daughters?”

Andy: (shakes his head) “When he was a kid and had a baby brother, he started crapping on the front lawn.” 

Connie: “You’re kidding.”

Andy:  “It’s what he told me.”  (pauses) “What was Theo telling me on the phone about another kid?”

Connie: “A boy about Theo’s age lives downstairs.  His mother gave me their number.  I’ll call tomorrow if I get home in time.  It can’t hurt for him to make a friend in the building.”

Andy:  “No, it can’t.” (pauses again and looks down at the bed) “I, uh, you were right.  When I snapped at you, it wasn’t about detergent.  I’m sorry.”

Connie: (clasping his hand in both of hers) “How was John when you saw him?” 

Andy: “He was putting up a brave front, but he almost broke down when he asked me to get him out of there.”

Connie: (getting out of bed) “You’ll get him out.  Come on, I’ll make you a sandwich or something while you look over the papers Theo left out for you.” 

In the middle of the night Michelle cries waking Connie.  Andy had been restless earlier but doesn’t wake up now.  After changing and feeding Michelle, Connie comes back to bed.  As she is drifting back to sleep she hears Andy talking in his sleep.  She can’t make out all of it.  But some of his words are clear.