8009/Big Sister's Surprise

Big Sister's Surprise
Date of Scene:	27 September 2021
Location:	Clarice Ferguson's Quarters
Synopsis:	Welcome to the family, Pete. You sure this is a good idea?
Cast of Characters:	Clarice Ferguson, Raven Darkholme

---

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    It's been a stressful week for everyone - but with Mystique back, and slowly recovering, tensions have begun to ease. Of course, Clarice's work load hasn't lessened at all - so she's deligated. And one of the things she deligated was getting a third desk for her living quarters. It makes things a little more cramped in the previously spacious entry, but Pete deserved something of his own.
    Not that he or Theo knew to expect the appearance of the desk. Nor would they expect the neat little stack of papers that she left sitting on top of it - with a little sticky note attached that says 'Turns out making someone your 'brother' is not a legal thing.'
    The stack of papers itself? Were the forms required to legally adopt an adult, with the date of adoption pre-written in as Pete's birthday - a few months away.
    Clarice, meanwhile, is simply sitting at her desk - her gaze trained on her computer, hard at work as she waits for the boys to return.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Theo and Pete enter the room together. This is not something new, they tend to be together almost all the time anyway. The difference here is that they are talking out loud. Normally their conversations are kept to their heads, but Theo has been working on getting Pete talking more and apparently has found just the subject to really get him going.

"I'm telling you, Bob the Drag Queen is not a drag name," Theo was saying. "It's a label."

Pete shakes his head profusely, "A drag name is whatever you want it to be Theo, it doesn't have to be Nina Flowers, or Phi Phi O'Hara. I mean next you'll tell me that Willam isn't a drag queen."

They both stop dead when they realize that something is different in the room. First Clarice is actually there, but it was more than that. It actually takes Theo a minute, but Pete is already walking over to the new desk to look at it, then over at Clarice.

"What's up?" he asks, sounding confused.

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Well, since I can't get rid of you - I thought you should have at least some space that is //yours,//" Clarice remarks simply, reaching out to turn off the screen on her computer, before she swivels her chair to watch the boys with a curious, almost appraising gaze. She's honestly not entirely certain how they'll take this surprise - she just can't imagine it'll be bad, though.
    It's worth noting that Clarice's handwriting on the little note is pretty atrocious - but she took her time to write it as nearly and carefully as she can. It's also worth noting that the handwriting on most of the paperwork is clearly not hers - she got someone else to fill things in for her. That's one of the privileges of being in charge.
    "What do you guys think?" she asks quietly, pulling a leg up onto her chair and wrapping her arms around it casually.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Now that Pete has pointed out what was different, Theo walks over to the desk and looks at it, then at Pete. Now the conversation is in the head because it's too fast to actually speak, something the two of them have gotten used to, then Theo nudges Pete.

The nudge has Pete reach for the papers to look at them. "Wait," he says, blinking before reading the post it again, then starting to look through the papers. The first time through is quick, almost excited, as he tries to grasp what the hell is going on with them and then he gets it and looks at Clarice. "Are these adoption paper?" He asks both excitedly and shocked at the same time. "So like... when I hit eighteen?!"

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "I'd make you my brother if I could. Turns out - that's not a thing," Clarice remarks simply. "Not legally, anyways. This is what I can do. I just thought- you deserve a legal family, and adopting you as a minor is a much bigger hassel, and might not go through before your birthday anyways, so..." She shrugs her shoulders. Why go the more difficult route?
    "What do you guys think?"

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Pete is faster than Theo, which is rare. The papers get shifted to one hand as he darts over and tackle hugs Clarice. Theo isn't that far behind, so his hug is tackle hug of Pete and Clarice at the same time.

"That... this... oh my god!" Pete stammers while hugging. It didn't matter to him that he would already be an adult, what mattered is that after nearly eight years, he had would have a real family.

Theo continues to hug and translates Pete into real English. "That's so wonderful, this is amazing, oh my god." He then adds for himself, "You're amazing Clare."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    Clarice lets out a quiet laugh in response, and wraps her arms around first one - and then both of them, not even minding that her still healing burns ache a bit from the abuse. A few silent tears leap into her eyes as she hugs them both. "You deserve a real family, Pete. You're an amazing guy, and Theo 'n I are lucky to have you," she murmurs.
    She's silent a moment before adding, "Of course, this means that - legally speaking - Theo'll be your Uncle."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Pete verbally acks and starts coughing and laughing at the same time, tears in his eyes. The idea of Theo being his uncle apparently nearly killed him.

Theo laughs, "You melted his brain, Clare."

""Did not!" Pete retorts. "Uncle Theodore."

Theo's turn to ack and laugh, "No, oh gawds, you're older than me!"

Pete laughs even harder, "Blame Clare, Uncle Theo."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "If you think that's weird - I mean, my son isn't only five years younger than me. That's just //wrong//. Like I said - if I could legally make you my brother, I would. I don't want to be your //mom//. No offense." Clarice is still grinning broadly, as she releases Theo so she can wipe the tears from her eyes.
    "I figured you both would like the idea." She grows a little more serious as she adds, "As part of this, though, you can change your name if you like. But I can't, and never would try to replace anyone as amazing as your parents were. If you want to leave your name as it is, or hyphenate it, or take Ferguson as a middle name... That's completely up to you, and you can take as much time as you need to think about it. I just- I wanted to make sure you knew that."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Pete steps back, wiping his eyes with another chuckle.

"No offense, but I don't need a mom, I need a sister," he says with a smile. "So it works out perfectly. I... don't use my last name much, Navarro. I'll probably hyphenate, be Navarro-Ferguson." He looks at the papers now, still a little shocked.

Theo steps over to look at the papers in Pete's hands, then to help chill the nerves that were starting to build in the older teen, says, "Need help with the big words?"

Pete snorts and pokes Theo in the side, but laughs, "I think I can manage."

Theo grins and looks back to Clarice. She was insane, she had to be. Taking on a sister become brother and now son become brother, neither of which she had to do but choose to do, all the while helping run a massive organization of mutants.

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "I guess I could get used to Navarro-Ferguson," Clarice agrees, watching the pair of them with a smile.
    She stays where she is - still in her chair, still with one leg up. "And I'm glad we agree about the mom/son thing. Just- no. Only in the eyes of the law." She's silent a moment before adding, "I love you both, you know. Learning I had a real family was..." She didn't even have the words to explain it. How could she?
    "I just wanted to give you a piece of that, too. As much as I could, anyways. And the promise that you'll always have a place with us."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Pete hands Theo the papers for a moment, then gives Clarice a real hug. Not one of those rapid reaction hugs, but a short, loving hug. "Thanks Clarice," he then whispers and places a quick kiss on her cheek before stepping back again. His eyes are still wet, probably will be for while, they're just leaking a little, it'll pass.

Theo smirks, not over the hug or the tenderness, but over something that ran through his head. Which is why once Pete steps back from Clarice, Theo gets slugged in the arm, all while both boys are still grinning ear to ear. "Ow!"

Pete shrugs, "You deserved it."

Theo rubs his arm, with a nod, still grinning. "Yeah, probably. That's what I get for thinking around you."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "You're welcome," Clarice agrees, returning the hug. "And thank you for helping my brother. And for helping me get my head on straight, huh?" She smiles with amusement at that.
    "We should probably get you one of those... guitar hanging hook things for out here - so you can keep your guitar near the piano?" she muses in a thoughtful tone. "...is there anything else we need to make this more a home for you, Pete?"

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Pete looks toward the piano for a moment. It is in that moment that a thought that goes through his head is transmitted to Theo, and Theo instantly falls over laughing. Sometimes the 'thinking around each other' goes both ways, because the minute Theo starts laughing, Pete goes crimson.

"Don't you dare repeat that!" He warns Theo, who looks like he's about to say something.

"Oh come one, Pete," Theo laughs. "That was funny as hell!"

Pete remains crimson as he turns to look more fully at Theo, and the battle begins. The mental combat of if it will be said out loud or not. The two just look at each other, one crimson, the other grinning and then they both nod.

"He won," Theo finally says. "No can repeat."

Pete grins now, "A hook would be nice, but really the desk is all the more I need. Theo has pretty much everything else, and we share."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "You guys are the worst sometimes, you know?" Clarice remarks in amusement. "But fine. Have your secrets," she agrees, waving a hand dismissively.
    "You can order the hook on the internet, right?" Clarice suggests, her gaze on Pete. "Use my credit card - not the allowance one."
    Wait. Pete doesn't have an allowance card. ... does he?
    Then again, someone hasn't opened the drawers in his new desk.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Pete will eventually find the card, and Theo knows the acceptable credit card, so the two of them will in fact have that hook ordered in no time.

"It's an embarrassing thing," Theo comments, nudging Pete toward the desk while offering him the papers again. "Sometimes I say em, sometimes I don't... but it's not always fair, cause thoughts are supposed to be private."

Pete takes the papers and goes to his new desk, sitting down to test it out. Clarice even remembered that he's nearly half a foot taller than both of them. "I wanted Chippendale's added to the room for decoration," he finally admits, then finally starts looking the desk over while being crimson again.

"Oh well, then he just says it," Theo snorts with a laugh. "After the battle was officially won, he moves in for the kill."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "How you guys want to decorate your room is entirely up to you," Clarice remarks in amusement. "But that sorta shit //can// come out of your allowance money."
    When Pete does eventually find the card - it has a sticky note attached to it as well. 'Until you finish school.' After all - fair's fair, as far as she's concerned.
    "Anyways, I should finish up my work. We'll celebrate this thing proper on Pete's birthday."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Both of them nod to her, and this time it's Theo who steps over and hugs her again.

"I'm going to finish up my home work and nap, and Pete will be heading to check on Mystique in a few minutes, in case someone needs something." He says as he steps back. "We got your back."

Pete grins as he carefully tucks the card into his wallet, then the papers go into a drawer to be filled out when he's not on a mission to deliver food and or coffee to those responsible for keeping Mystique in the bed.

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "I appreciate it," Clarice says gratefully, returning the hug. "I'm going to be a little more busy than usual until we finish taking these bastards down. And especially until Raven's better." She gives Theo a small smile as she adds, "And I'll remember to briefcase or dragon you guys if something comes up. Glad you're not letting any of this distract you from your studies..."
    That said, she turns her attention fully back to her work, a look of concentration on her features.