Movie night
Sep. 26th, 2003 10:43 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
suaine.livejournal.com posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
ds_flashfictionJust when I thought I'd send them to Toronto for the film festival, to watch German movies and Sci-Fi shockers, something else intrudes. Mainly, "Bowling for Columbine" which blew me away. So I wanted to make them watch it, which meant Future-Fic, and Future-Fic inevitably led to the question of whether or not they would be watching *that* movie with their kids. Which turned into movie night with Lizzy, who, I might add, is my new favorite teenager. This is what you get when your mind takes a (unexpected) left turn.
Movie Night
by Suaine
"You have *got* to be kidding me," Benton Fraser said over the noise from the stereo upstairs, Eminem's Lose Yourself on continuous loop. Ray just shrugged, glancing towards the stairs, and set the bag with the video tapes down on the coffee table.
"Honestly, Ray, that's no effective solution to our quarrel here. Giving in to her every whim will not make her a better person."
Ray still didn't say anything. Instead, he went to the kitchen to get himself a beer and a water for Fraser, rummaged through the cabinet and gave a little yip of victory when he found the popcorn with extra cheese. Lizzy's favorite kind. He turned on the microwave and continued to ignore Fraser.
"Really, Ray, you're spoiling her."
Ray just grinned and shook his head. They'd had this conversation before, they'd hashed out all the arguments, and there was no use in discussing it. He knew how to handle his two favorite stubborn mules. He walked Fraser back to the sofa, pushed him down into the pillows, gave him a quick kiss and popped the first tape in the VCR. A pointed look and he was off to get Lizzy out of her self-imposed exile. He arrived at her door, decorated with the typical teenager stuff and 'stay away' signs, just as the song ended.
"Hey kiddo, c'mon, I made popcorn."
At first there was no reaction. The music started again. Ten seconds, maybe fifteen, passed and then the music was turned way down, to a mere whisper. From the inside a small voice answered him.
"The cheese kind?"
Ray shook his head, grinning. "What else is there?"
Another moment of silence. "You got 'Eight Mile'?"
"Sure. And 'South Park'."
More silence, but the music was finally turned off. Lizzy was coming out. He felt like he'd negotiated a hostage situation all on his own as the door opened and Lizzy's tear-stained face peeked through the crack. He sighed, but there was a smile on his face. Lizzy, every bit the teenager, hesitated for a few seconds until she launched herself into his arms.
"You wanna tell me what happened with Ben?"
A snort, a shrug and a sigh. "You know, it's always the same. He thinks I'm still nine years old and he wants to protect me. I get angry. He gets angry. The usual."
"A boy thing?"
Lizzy blushed, looking scandalized, and pushed him away. "Daddy!"
"Not that, then... if it's not a boy-thing, what else is there?"
Lizzy mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like "he wouldn't let me go the Eminem concert with my friends". It didn't come as a surprise to Ray at all. He'd had his own argument with Fraser about that, about letting the kid grow up, giving her space and all. Except, he had to admit that Fraser was right about this, Lizzy was only fourteen after all and he'd loath to let her go alone to something like a rap concert.
"We'll work it out, freak. Let's just watch the movie and eat some of that popcorn."
* * *
Fraser, ever the efficient Mountie, had rescued the popcorn from certain death in a fiery hell. When they came to the sofa, both Lizzy and Fraser looked a little guilty and a lot sheepish. They hated to apologize to each other - a thing that had thrown Ray into fits of giggles when he'd realized that Mr. Benton "I'm sorry" Fraser couldn't say it to his daughter - but in the end they had that connection thing going. Whenever Lizzy was really hurting, especially when she had nightmares about her real parents, she turned to Fraser for comfort.
They watched 'Eight Mile' in silence, Lizzy with that delighted grin on her face, Fraser with barely disguised dismay. Ray figured he'd leave the two of them alone for a few moments to give them some privacy. The only thing they hated more than apologizing to each other was apologizing in front of an audience. He picked up the empty bowl and gestured in a fashion that meant something along the lines of "I'm going to the kitchen, anyone need anything?". Shrugs from both of them told him he was dismissed.
When he came back, Lizzy was curled up against Fraser's side and he had his hand lightly around her waist. Apparently some conclusion had been reached. From then on the mood changed to something lighter and conversation picked up again. They talked about their days, plans for vacation and carefully avoided mentioning anything to do with Eminem or concerts. It was the perfect time for 'South Park'.
* * *
"Did you have to sing along?" Fraser asked with indignation.
Ray couldn't help the grin. "It's a catchy tune."
"It's vile."
"It's funny."
"It's making fun of Canada."
"No... it blames Canada for everything from bad manners to global warming."
Well, it was a funny song, and neither Ray nor Fraser could stop themselves from laughing. Trying to tone it down, to avoid waking up Lizzy again who was a bit of a light sleeper, they shut each other up with small, light kisses. Ray wanted nothing more than continue this for hours, maybe even move it to the bedroom, but after a while, Ben turned serious again.
"So, what do we do about Lizzy?"
Ray sighed, "I figured you could log on to ebay, buy ridiculously overpriced tickets and the three of us go to the concert. That way she can see it and won't be alone, her friends will be there and we can even promise to stand at least thirty feet away."
The smile that lit Ben's face was worth all the hassle of the day. "You are a genius."
"And you are a freak, what gives?" Ray said, sporting a mock scowl. The conversation deteriorated from there. The bickering felt comfortable and right, just the way it had always been. It felt like home.
"Oh, and by the way, next week we rent the Alien series..."
"Ray!"
Ray got out of Fraser's reach, baiting him. "Not then, how about Predator? Terminator? Hellraiser?"
The menacing look on Fraser's face told Ray he was in for it now. Fall in love with a Mountie and you pay and pay and pay...
"Basic Instinct?"
"Ray!"
"Sliver?"
"She's fourteen!"
"Starship Troopers?"
"That movie is drenched in blood."
"Lionking!"
"Ray, will you stop-"
Ray grinned. Fraser stared. "You-"
"Got you."
And he did. That night and the one after, and the one after that.
The End
Movie Night
by Suaine
"You have *got* to be kidding me," Benton Fraser said over the noise from the stereo upstairs, Eminem's Lose Yourself on continuous loop. Ray just shrugged, glancing towards the stairs, and set the bag with the video tapes down on the coffee table.
"Honestly, Ray, that's no effective solution to our quarrel here. Giving in to her every whim will not make her a better person."
Ray still didn't say anything. Instead, he went to the kitchen to get himself a beer and a water for Fraser, rummaged through the cabinet and gave a little yip of victory when he found the popcorn with extra cheese. Lizzy's favorite kind. He turned on the microwave and continued to ignore Fraser.
"Really, Ray, you're spoiling her."
Ray just grinned and shook his head. They'd had this conversation before, they'd hashed out all the arguments, and there was no use in discussing it. He knew how to handle his two favorite stubborn mules. He walked Fraser back to the sofa, pushed him down into the pillows, gave him a quick kiss and popped the first tape in the VCR. A pointed look and he was off to get Lizzy out of her self-imposed exile. He arrived at her door, decorated with the typical teenager stuff and 'stay away' signs, just as the song ended.
"Hey kiddo, c'mon, I made popcorn."
At first there was no reaction. The music started again. Ten seconds, maybe fifteen, passed and then the music was turned way down, to a mere whisper. From the inside a small voice answered him.
"The cheese kind?"
Ray shook his head, grinning. "What else is there?"
Another moment of silence. "You got 'Eight Mile'?"
"Sure. And 'South Park'."
More silence, but the music was finally turned off. Lizzy was coming out. He felt like he'd negotiated a hostage situation all on his own as the door opened and Lizzy's tear-stained face peeked through the crack. He sighed, but there was a smile on his face. Lizzy, every bit the teenager, hesitated for a few seconds until she launched herself into his arms.
"You wanna tell me what happened with Ben?"
A snort, a shrug and a sigh. "You know, it's always the same. He thinks I'm still nine years old and he wants to protect me. I get angry. He gets angry. The usual."
"A boy thing?"
Lizzy blushed, looking scandalized, and pushed him away. "Daddy!"
"Not that, then... if it's not a boy-thing, what else is there?"
Lizzy mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like "he wouldn't let me go the Eminem concert with my friends". It didn't come as a surprise to Ray at all. He'd had his own argument with Fraser about that, about letting the kid grow up, giving her space and all. Except, he had to admit that Fraser was right about this, Lizzy was only fourteen after all and he'd loath to let her go alone to something like a rap concert.
"We'll work it out, freak. Let's just watch the movie and eat some of that popcorn."
* * *
Fraser, ever the efficient Mountie, had rescued the popcorn from certain death in a fiery hell. When they came to the sofa, both Lizzy and Fraser looked a little guilty and a lot sheepish. They hated to apologize to each other - a thing that had thrown Ray into fits of giggles when he'd realized that Mr. Benton "I'm sorry" Fraser couldn't say it to his daughter - but in the end they had that connection thing going. Whenever Lizzy was really hurting, especially when she had nightmares about her real parents, she turned to Fraser for comfort.
They watched 'Eight Mile' in silence, Lizzy with that delighted grin on her face, Fraser with barely disguised dismay. Ray figured he'd leave the two of them alone for a few moments to give them some privacy. The only thing they hated more than apologizing to each other was apologizing in front of an audience. He picked up the empty bowl and gestured in a fashion that meant something along the lines of "I'm going to the kitchen, anyone need anything?". Shrugs from both of them told him he was dismissed.
When he came back, Lizzy was curled up against Fraser's side and he had his hand lightly around her waist. Apparently some conclusion had been reached. From then on the mood changed to something lighter and conversation picked up again. They talked about their days, plans for vacation and carefully avoided mentioning anything to do with Eminem or concerts. It was the perfect time for 'South Park'.
* * *
"Did you have to sing along?" Fraser asked with indignation.
Ray couldn't help the grin. "It's a catchy tune."
"It's vile."
"It's funny."
"It's making fun of Canada."
"No... it blames Canada for everything from bad manners to global warming."
Well, it was a funny song, and neither Ray nor Fraser could stop themselves from laughing. Trying to tone it down, to avoid waking up Lizzy again who was a bit of a light sleeper, they shut each other up with small, light kisses. Ray wanted nothing more than continue this for hours, maybe even move it to the bedroom, but after a while, Ben turned serious again.
"So, what do we do about Lizzy?"
Ray sighed, "I figured you could log on to ebay, buy ridiculously overpriced tickets and the three of us go to the concert. That way she can see it and won't be alone, her friends will be there and we can even promise to stand at least thirty feet away."
The smile that lit Ben's face was worth all the hassle of the day. "You are a genius."
"And you are a freak, what gives?" Ray said, sporting a mock scowl. The conversation deteriorated from there. The bickering felt comfortable and right, just the way it had always been. It felt like home.
"Oh, and by the way, next week we rent the Alien series..."
"Ray!"
Ray got out of Fraser's reach, baiting him. "Not then, how about Predator? Terminator? Hellraiser?"
The menacing look on Fraser's face told Ray he was in for it now. Fall in love with a Mountie and you pay and pay and pay...
"Basic Instinct?"
"Ray!"
"Sliver?"
"She's fourteen!"
"Starship Troopers?"
"That movie is drenched in blood."
"Lionking!"
"Ray, will you stop-"
Ray grinned. Fraser stared. "You-"
"Got you."
And he did. That night and the one after, and the one after that.
The End
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no subject
Date: 2003-09-26 08:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-09-26 08:46 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-09-26 08:49 pm (UTC)I love Lizzy and the way Ray handles the two of them. Funny how Ray is so much more worldly in many ways, like dealing with kids. I don't think I'd let my 14-year old daughter go to an Eminem concert with her friends either. Love how they'll stand 30 feet away. Heaven help the person who tries to pass her any drugs or alcohol.
no subject
Date: 2003-09-26 08:57 pm (UTC)I wanted to write about "Bowling for Columbine". I had it all in my head, it was prefect and deep and ... and really didn't fit anywhere in the story. But the movie really rocks, and I'd love to see Ben/Ray react to it.
no subject
Date: 2003-09-26 09:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-09-26 09:14 pm (UTC)Thank you. You know, I *always* see them as the parent types. And Liz is totally real, she objects to any insinuation to the contrary - loudly and in my head ;)
no subject
Date: 2003-09-26 09:21 pm (UTC)RayK makes such a cool dad...so does Fraser, but not quite as cool as Ray. :o)
no subject
Date: 2003-09-26 09:43 pm (UTC)Oh, Lizzy sure thinks so ;) Thanks.
RayK makes such a cool dad...so does Fraser, but not quite as cool as Ray. :o)
It's true :) I love them as parents.
::big smile::
Date: 2003-09-26 09:43 pm (UTC)Family therapy by means of VCR sounds all too like these guys....
Re: ::big smile::
Date: 2003-09-26 09:49 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-09-26 10:02 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-09-26 10:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-09-27 02:07 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-09-28 02:57 pm (UTC)Of course, I have a special fondness for Ray tricking Fraser by mentioning The Lion King. :)
no subject
Date: 2003-09-28 03:31 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-09-29 05:26 pm (UTC)Whaaaah!!!
Date: 2003-10-06 05:01 am (UTC)And I've been in a class of 16 year olds who were shown "The Lion King" and *loved* it and got it as an introduction to "Hamlet."
I love stories with Fraser & Ray as parents, tell us more about Lizzy.
Julia
P.S. I don't know how old my daughter was when we took her to the South Park movie, but we are still cringing at our bad parenting. "Blame Canada" was the least offensive part!