The Family [Finished]

[accalia]

Tony frowns that his joke was ignored, well these two need to talk, and it's not like he's mobile without assistance right now, so it's his turn to shut up and listen.

[yamikuronue]

Vic looks at her toes. "I'm no good," she says quietly. "Look where I got Tony."

[accalia]

"Hey now, I got myself into this mess, thank you very much. You didn't drag me into it, i marched in on my own, and i'm not about to march on out again now!"

Tony actually seems a touch angry at that, not at being in this situation, but that Vic blames himself for it.

[yamikuronue]

"Sure," she says, in a mollifying tone that implies she thinks no such thing.

[accalia]

Tony notices the tone and looks at Gabe, shooting him a 'help me out here' expression.

[yamikuronue]

Gabe frowns. "Don't do this to yourself," he snaps, sharply. Vic raises her head in surprise as he continues: "You did this when Father died, too. Not everything in the world is your fault. Sometimes life is just awful on its own."

"But I--"

"Maybe you made mistakes, maybe not. It doesn't matter. Nobody wants to see you tear yourself apart over this, Tori." His voice is gentle now, affection clear.

[accalia]

Tony nods to that. "Exactly. You did not cause any of this, so don't blame yourself."

[yamikuronue]

Tears flood to Vic's eyes, and she throws herself forward, wrapping her arms around Gabe's midsection. He rubs her back as they embrace, planting a kiss on the top of her head.

[accalia]

Tony smiles, yep. She, or he, does enjoy being the center of drama... not that this is a bad trait for a teenager.

[yamikuronue]

Gabriel ends up staying for dinner; Vic heats up enough canned tomato soup to go three ways, with toast on the side to dip in. It's a nice meal, full of lighter conversational fare than the tear-filled reunions that had become disturbingly normal for Vic the last few days. It is life writ small: family, food, and fun, the three pillars that make for a fulfilling existence.

[accalia]

Tony falls alseep just after the meal, needing to be helped to his bed on the broken couch. The next morning Vic is awake well before Tony. As Vic enters the kitchen, having finally been chased from his bed by an empty stomach, someone knocks on the door. The knock is prim and proper, but has a quality that says the knocker is not going away until the door is answered.

[yamikuronue]

Vic starts. Am I meant to be here? What happens if I am?

Worrying his lip between his teeth, he ducks into the living room, kneeling beside Tony and shaking him awake.

[accalia]

Tony's slow to wake but he does eventually, just as another knock sounds through the house. "Morning already?"

[yamikuronue]

"Someone's at the door," adds Vic, unnecessarily.

[accalia]

"Who is?" Tony asks. Apparently Vic's supposed to answer the door then?