Sal's Reality, Port aux Basques: The Official Road Trip Thread

[fire-in-flight.livejournal.com]

"So." Sal leaned on the hood of the van, sneaking in one more cigarette before they left for Florida. It was quite the sight: the massive maroon vehicle was stuffed to the rafters with luggage, snack food, and had a full tank of gas.

"So?" Ven was staring at her from the other side of it, completely amused at his mentor's stressed outlook. In all the years he'd known the woman, he'd never seen her really lose her cool - but she was coming close.

"So we've got ourselves reservations for the eight o'clock boat. And it's ten after six and we needs to get goin else we misses our spot. An' Mu launches in exactly forty-eight hours and..."

Ven stooped down to pick up Shae, who had barrelled down the stairs with her still-yawning mother in tow. "And we'll get there just fine. Didn't you say she had a portal waiting for you in North Sydney, anyway?"

Sal extinguished her cigarette and blew the smoke away from Shae, watching Jav, Kurt, and Vic come down the stairs hauling the rest of the luggage. "Yes, yes, and yes, but still, b'y, I hates bein' late." She held out her arms in response to Shae's attempt to get closer to her grandmother. "Give her here, look..."

She was interrupted by a loud bang that sounded like it was coming from her kitchen. She looked at Shae, who was grinning.

"D'you know what all that noise is?" she asked the toddler.

"Nope," the little girl shook her head, brown curls bouncing around.

"Want t' go find out with me?"

"Yeah!"

They went up the stairs together, Sal maneuvering Shae into a piggy-back position. "I betcha it's Leeroy. It always is."

"Uncle 'Roy is funny," Shae declared. "He's always doin' somethin'." The girl had a slight Newfie twang and it amused Sal to no end.

"Yes, b'y."

They opened the front door and peered into the kitchen where Sam had Leeroy in a headlock.

"Do I want t' know?" Sal asked resignedly. "Or should I just yell at the load of ye to get yer butts downstairs 'fore I loses it?"

Comments

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"They're playing." Surprisingly, the voice came from Jabez, who was hunkered on the back of the couch in worn baggy jeans and one of Leeroy's shirts.

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"Yes, b'y," Leeroy wheezed. "Nothin's the matter. Just... uh..."

He struggled.

"Lemme out."

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"There's a couple strangers out here, b'y!" Jav called back.

"No, not strangers." Mykayla dimpled as Zipporah hopped off her back and ran to see Sadri. "That's my youngest son and his wife. Scrat can't come, so he asked if I would."

Sam quirked an eyebrow and rested her chin on top of Leeroy's head.

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"Sam, this's Mykayla," Leeroy said, pointing to the woman. "I knows her from before. And Mykayla, this's Sam. She's my... uh... um..."

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Josh chuckled and jumped over the railing, then hovered two foot off the ground as everyone else moved toward the van.

[i_salted_dean]

"Hey." Sam stopped and stuck out her elbow as Leeroy ran into her. "You're floating."

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Kurt turned and looked back from where he sat in the shotgun seat, a grin on his lean face that showed clearly even with the image inducer he wore. "All aboard before our stunningly beautiful conductor sets something afire."

"She's the only one not in, b'y." Jav chuckled from where he sat with an arm around Mykayla's shoulders.

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"Yes... what... buh?" Sal made a face at Jav.

She looked around before climbing into the driver's seat and giving Kurt a quick peck on the cheek. "Did ye lock the house? up?"

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Josh walked over with a grin and patted the dog as it bounded out of the van, then blushed as he caught Jenny's eye and shyly escorted her to the playground and a swing.

"Play with me, Tante Sadri?" chirped Zipporah, bouncing in her own seat. "Oh, gotta turn my image inducer on... there. Play with me?"

Sam stepped back and watched the closeknit family mayhem, feeling a little out of place and unsure of what to do, then blinked as Jabez calmly climbed up and perched on top of the swings.

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"Sure." Sadri smiled and jumped out of the van, helping Zipporah out as well. They walked to the playground, where a very shellshocked Leeroy was going down the slide with Shae in his lap.

Sadri choked back a laugh and turned to Zipporah. "So what would you like to play?"

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Ven smiled. "I used to be the same way," he said. "'Cept I had three... but I understand where you're coming from. But you better get used to it because our family is frelling huge."

He leaned on the fence, smirking at Leeroy who was now being forced into pushing Shae on a swing. "And I only realized how big it was not too long ago. It kind of shell-shocked me."

[i_salted_dean]

"I've got new brothers in the Lunatic Cafe, too." She sighed and hugged herself. "A guy Sam, a couple Deans, and this big guy who's part cat and purrs."

"So." Kurt's disguised eyes smiled down at his beloved. "You know, I've been getting that question at home, too. Logan asks it every time she sees me."

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He grinned and started snapping pictures, only to grunt as Sam poked him quite ungently in the stomach. "Hey, that's grown on, b'y."

"Watch where you're going." She quirked an eyebrow at him.

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After a few moments Leeroy walked over to the fence, scowling at Jav. "You're some special, y'know," he said, attempting a mad dive at the camera that his brother had pointing at him.

He grinned at Sam. "Enjoyin' yerself yet?"

[i_salted_dean]

She didn't hear, she was too busy squirming free so she could aim a thumb at his ribs, which she had learned by now was a weakness for all the brothers.

Jav whooped, then squirmed away, only to come back with a vengeance and the light of battle in his eye.

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"There we go. All back to normal." Sadri grinned. "You might want to try the back of the neck if you can reach it. Pinch is and they all turn into little fetal balls. It's rather fun."

She smirked at Jav and walked over to stand by Ven, who was watching everything with his typical expression of complete bewilderment.

"Your brothers are nuts."

"I know."

[i_salted_dean]

"Yeah, right! You just wanted to hug me again." Sam gave him a half-exasperated look full of embarrassment.

"All aboard!" called Vic from the driver's seat. "Let's git this @#$%& wagon on the road!"

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"Get outta my chair an we might be able to, b'y!" Sal glared at Vic and tugged on his arm in an attempt to get him to move.

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"We watch the doors, b'y. Nobody's ever seen 'im get on." He frowned, then passed Shae back to her father and joined some of the other boat staff in chasing the streaker.

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"I don't know what's worse. The fact that he ran after the naked man or that I finds all of this completely normal." Sal sighed.

"Let's just go find a seat."

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He growled at her and put up a hand to sheild the plate. "Git yer own."

Sam glanced around, then got up. "Bathrooms?"

"That way, ma'am," said Jav absently, still watching Sadri.

"Thanks." Sam walked off, followed by Jabez.

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Sadri smirked and deftly stole another few french fries, giving one to Shae and leaving Ven to fend for his own food. "Make me," she said offhandedly, looking out the window at the Port Club, which was framed beautifully in the large rectangular porthole.

"How long until we actually go somewhere?"

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Vic just growled at her without moving his hands.

Mykayla was watching the footrub thoughtfully.

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Sal sighed. "That's some nice, b'y," she said to Kurt. Then she noticed that everyone was looking at her expectantly.

She smiled. "I've done this too many times t' be curious about the boat," she said. "Go on n' do anythin' ye wants. Movies r' that way-" she pointed to her right - "and food's that way." She pointed left. "Bathrooms in the middle."

She then looked down at Kurt, who had stopped rubbing her foot to listen, and nudged him with her toe again, grinning widely.

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"My son by adoption," she said softly. "Though I carried him."

"That kid ain't fifteen." Vic sat up with a frown. "Fifteen year olds don't git married."

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"Technically," Sadri said with a sly grin, "Ven and Jav and Leeroy are thirteen. I don't see you complaining about that."

"Dad?" Shae looked over at Ven, making a face. "You're old."

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"Why?" Mykayla quirked an eyebrow at him. "He's a lot nicer than you."

"Burn," chortled Vic.

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-Finally! I'm not the only one that thinks so!- They couldn't hear Jeimu's laughter, but got a very strong sense that the astronaut was clearly amused.

"She's right, you know," Ven said. "You are a jerk."

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Mykayla watched them go, saying softly. "I don't understand. Why would seeing those people cause her so much pain?"

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"I'm not sure," Sal said, staring at her hand and wondering why Sam had reacted the way she had.

She then snapped out of her mood as though remembering something. "Right," she muttered, reaching into her pocket and handing an envelope to Jav. "Mu wanted me to give this to you while we were on the boat."

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Jav gave him a scandalized look. "We did it the Burgite way."

"Which means?" murmured Mykayla.

Kurt cleared his throat and turned his attention to his daughter.

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Sal made a face.

"Did. Not. Want to know that!" She then decided to explain it to Mykayla. "Okay, Jeimu and I are both Burgites and our marriage traditions are rather... um... private."

She shuddered.

"So I guess Mu wants to do it the more... public kind of way." She made a face again. "Or somethin'."

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"Is he breathing?" wondered Kurt.

Jav gasped and muttered something in Mandalorian.

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"Guess so," Sal said, still smirking. "Udesii, Jav. It's not that big of a deal. Really. Jeimu just wants to have a party."

-And wear the dress!- Sal could tell Jeimu was speaking only to her.

"And she wants t' wear the dress, b'y," she continued, rolling her eyes.

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The quiet clone blinked and looked bewildered. "Why?"

"I needs a @#$%&in' smoke," muttered Jav.

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-Because you and Sal and Sadri are all here and within proximity of Newfoundland. You do realize that this is something that by all accounts isn't even probable. It's like finding a Starbucks across from a Starbucks. By the way, I'm glad you decided to come to Florida to watch my chintzy clunker of a space shuttle take off. The reason I'm talking so much is because we're in a built in hold that's going to take I dunno how long. Did we even meet more than twice?-

"Shut up," Leeroy said, staring at the ceiling as though that was where Jeimu was.

-Make me.-

"I will."

-Like to see you try.-

"Don't make me pull rank, guys," Sadri said. "I mean, I know you're not in the GAR anymore but I'll get Sal to beat you. Or something."

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Vic sat bolt upright, then scrambled to his feet and hurried over. "Mu? What the... oh."

He continued on to the bar as though nothing had happened.

"I don't think the kids are really interested, other than Zippy." Mykayla chuckled as her daughter joined her in Scrat's embrace, then wriggled free and crutched over to meet the other tiny woman, her differently coloured eyes friendly and curious.

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"Hello," Jeimu said with a grin. "You must be Mykayla. I'm Jeimu. Sorry for all the head noise - I was really bored."

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"Y'kin eat like that?" Vic looked at her strangely.

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"I think so," Jeimu said, scratching her head. "Worst that happens is that the french fry falls on the floor, right?"

[teh-rest.livejournal.com]

"Sick?" Jeimu stopped mid-chew and stared at Jav. "What the @!%&* makes you think that I'll get sick? I don't ever get sick." And then she smiled. "Good. Maybe I'll be able to sleep at night now without his image haunting my dreams."

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Jav chuckled, then leaned back to glance at where his brother sat with Sam. "I thinks they went to sleep."

Vic looked around from where he was playing with Zipporah and pretending he wasn't keeping an eye on Jeimu. "Yup."

"Cute." Mykayla dimpled from where she was sitting next to Scrat.

[fire-in-flight.livejournal.com]

Sal looked at Kurt as she drained her beer. "What's up?" she asked with a grin.

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"I'm just transfixed by your beauty." His grin grew slightly.

"Never said ye did," said Jav. "But you saw 'er when she got back. She looks like that most mornin's from the dreams she has."

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Kurt just gave Sal a totally besotted grin, then started to lean toward her, only for Zipporah to give him a gently smack upside the head.

"Zippy!" Mykayla looked up. "No!" She grabbed her little daughter and plunked her on the floor between she and Scrat's chairs, where she wrapped her little arms around herself and pouted.

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"But ye do love me." Jav's dark eyes danced as he gave her his cheeky grin and leaned over to put his arm around her shoulders.

Vic looked around at all the cuddly couples around the table, then over to Leeroy and Sam, before he glanced toward Josh, who now had Jenny cuddled in his arms as they both looked over the side.

"I'm gonna puke."

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Mykayla started as her watch gave a clear trill, then pressed a button on it. "Scrat, where are you?"

"In Florida," came his sheepish voice. "I forgot to reset the destination."

"Bonehead." Vic climbed back into his luggage hidey hole, taking Zipporah and Shae with him.

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"Alright," Jeimu said. "Everyone get in."

She waited until everyone did so and then raised her arms in front of her, closing her eyes and visualizing the destination...

Suddenly a shimmering patch of air appeared in front of the van, causing a chill to fall over the vehicle deck of the boat. Jeimu grinned, jumped off the roof of the van and slapped the rear end of it, telekinetically sending the entire van through the portal toward Florida.

-See you later,- she thought, before she, too, headed to Florida.

**

On the space shuttle Endeavour, Mission Specialist 4, Jeimu Chang-Oboa, snuffled as though waking up from a very long nap. Her self was whole again, with twenty-six minutes to launch, and nervousness set in almost immediately.

"Glad you could make it back," Yvonne Mahan, the mission commander, said with a grin.

"I try." Jeimu adjusted the headphones on her snoopy-cap. "Thanks, eh?"

"No problem. They're lifting the hold in a minute, then we're 9 minutes till."

Jeimu took a deep breath, listening as the other crew members did their communications check. For some reason this seemed to be validating the fact that yes, she was going into space and no, she wouldn't be home for six months. It was almost as though by verifying the comm check she was sealing her own fate.

Still, she grinned widely as she said it, letting the nervousness give way to excitement.

"Houston, Endeavour - MS-4," she said.

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"I'm feelin' a lot better now," Leeroy said, smiling to assure Sam that everything was okay.

He looked up at the roof, watching everyone assemble there. "How d'ye think we get up there, b'y?"

[fire-in-flight.livejournal.com]

Meanwhile, Sal was handing the parts of a radio to Jav.

"Now, me son," she said, emerging from the closet with the last bits of radio, "how much did Mu tell ye about what's to be expected durin' a launch?"

She grinned and hoisted herself through a window to a fire-escape that allowed her access to the roof, and motioned for Jav to follow. "Coz I can see how this might freak ye right out."

He handed her the speakers through the window, and she set to work arranging the radio on the roof and tuning it in so they could hear all the communications. She then looked up and was startled to see that almost everyone had gathered on the roof.

"What d'ye know," she said to the assembled people. "Ye beat me up here."

"...t-minus four minutes and counting..." the radio chirped.

Sal bit her lip and grinned nervously.