As Dave climbed out of bed, he decided that in celebration of the kids' return home from America, one of his famous fry-ups was in order. So once dressed, he headed downstairs to the kitchen and set about preparing a cholesterol feast of monumental proportions. As he did so, he couldn't help but let his mind wander through the hill and dale that were his thoughts.

_____________________

Oh, but I have missed those kids! Jules looks great, happy, and calm. I hope that continues for a while, because that could make life a lot easier around here. Then again, I have this fear I'm not likely to get my wish, what with needing to talk to the kids about possibly taking that new job and all. I just know she's going to be absolutely devastated. Even little things seem like the end of the world when you're her age, and this really is a big deal. There's no telling how she's going to react. I'd best try to talk to her about it soon, so she can have a little time to digest things before we have the big family meeting to discuss it. Of course, for all I know, Drew may have already told her about the offer. But I need to talk to her about it anyway. That would only be fair.

This is one time I'm not so worried about Drew. I'm sure he'd miss Maddy and the rest of the gang, but he'd be getting the opportunity to train and compete with the world's best. That would no doubt ease any misgivings on his part about moving. Of course, just exactly who would be making the move is another question. I know the child answered to Drew last night when I picked them up, but that doesn't exactly look like my son Drew. That is Gaby, through and through. I suppose it's possible that given a couple of days, Drew may make it back, but at this point I'm not really counting on that. Gaby's been the dominant one for so long at this point, that Drew's little more than a put on act. I sort of expected as much after the weekend in Atlanta, but I was still holding out hope that my boy might decide to come back from America.

_______________________

As the rest of the Bond clan drifted downstairs from their slumbers, Dave put the finishing touches on breakfast. It might not have been perfect, but it was abundant, and it was good. As they finished up their morning feast, it was Dave who first broached a return to the real world, saying, “Well I'm afraid I have to go into work.”

“Do you mind if I have the car Dave?” Jen asked.

“Demoted to the camper already?” Dave rolled his eyes. “'Course not, just don't go tiring yourself out Hun.”

“No doctor” Jenny grinned.

“Well I'll see you all later, and you two don't let your mother do too much okay.”

“Yes Dad.”

“No Dad.”

The kids' opposing replies meant the same thing.

“So what are you two up to today?” Jen enquired.

“I'm going over to see Charlie and Anna,” Jules enthused. “We haven't talked in like forever.”

“Drew?”

“Dunno, I might go for a ride later I suppose.”

“Well before either of you get too distracted you can unpack and get your washing in the machine.”

“Muu-uum,” Jules groaned.

“If you think you are leaving six weeks of washing to fester in your case young lady you have another think coming.”

“We did do washing while we were in Grottoes.”

“You must still have dirty stuff. You can go out after you've unpacked.”

“Yes Mum.” we both allowed.

After witnessing this exchange, Dave kissed Jenny on the cheek and headed out the front door on his way to work. En route, his thoughts once again took over primary possession of his conscious mind.

_____________________

Funny the things you miss. It had been six weeks since I'd heard the kids grumble like that over chores and such, and while I knew there was something missing, I couldn't quite put my finger on just what it was until this morning. That's what it was, the bickering. It just doesn't seem like home without it. It sure is good to have them home.

I'll talk to Jules as soon as I get home today. It's really only fair to give her a heads up as to what is going on. I'm actually hoping she won't react as badly as I fear she will, because the bottom line is this is a great opportunity for us to be together a lot more as a family than we were this past year. I'm fairly certain that hers will be the only opposition when family meeting time comes, but maybe I'm wrong and she'll think it a great learning experience?

______________________

Dave parked the camper and made his way into his office, where like so many days before this, he tried his best to keep his mind on his work and his nose to the grindstone. Of course, that was easier said than done.

______________________

I've a couple of uncomfortable discussion coming up. I'm really not looking forward to this chat I need to have with Juliette, but it can't be put off. George is anxious for my decision, and if I want to include the kids input, she's going to have to be told, and soon. I have a fair idea what her reaction is going to be though, and it's not going to be pretty. Can't say that I blame her, really. She's the one member of the family who won't benefit from the move, and she's far enough along in her schooling that she's not going to want to change. Unfortunately, I don't know that I'm going to be able to let her preferences override the positive impact for everyone else. Maybe I'd best stop thinking about it before I give myself a headache.

Frank wants to know what's going on as well, and I don't like putting him off any more than I do Jules. However, I don't want to burn that bridge until it's definite. Not that there's much of a decision to make at this point really. If Jen returns to the team, and there's a chance for me to go as well so we don't have to be separated, then I pretty much have to go, don't I? That's what all that was about the other day when Frank and I talked.

_____________________

Just as Dave was thinking about Frank, in he walked, making his way directly to Dave's desk. Dave looked up at him and said, “Well, speak of the devil.”

“Hello, Dave. How are you today? You look a bit distracted.”

“You could say that. The kids being back home is great, but brings with it some added complications.”

“How so?”

“Well, Jen and I had decided that we wanted to include them in the decision about the possible move, and while I'm not worried about Drew's reaction…I think he's already looking forward to it actually…I'm afraid Juliette's response is going to be less than positive. And I need to fill her in as soon as possible, as in today, so she can have a little time to think things through properly.”

“Moving a teenaged daughter away from the only world she's ever known. Doesn't sound like a recipe for a peaceful home life to me.”

“Nor me. But it's got to be done, and there's no time like the present. So as soon as I get home, the deed must be done. Then maybe I can stop keeping everyone hanging, waiting to find out what I'm doing.”

“Don't think I'm trying to rush you or anything.”

“No, I wasn't thinking anything like that. You wouldn't, I know. You've been too good an employer, not to mention friend, to do that. But rest assured, the decision is coming. Oh, did you get the cheque I left on your desk?”

“Yes. You didn't have to pay it off so quickly, I wasn't worried about the money or anything.”

“I know, but I don't like being in the position of owing people. So when we got so much more for the Passat than I expected, I wanted to settle things with you.”

“Fair enough, but that eliminates the one thing I had over your head in my effort to keep you here,” Frank said jokingly.

“Much as I hate to say it, you were the one who really made me think that job was something I might want to consider.”

“And I will kick myself for years for that one.”

“Well, right now I'd say it's an 80 percent possibility that I'll be taking the Apollinaris job, but I want to wait to make it official until after the kids have some time to digest things and we can talk about it. Sorry to keep holding you up in mid air like that.”

“I understand. Just let me know what you're doing, all right?” and with that, Frank left Dave's office and made his way back to his own, leaving Dave alone once again with his work and thoughts.

_________________

I think he was more surprised by my getting the car paid off faster than expected than the idea of me taking that job. I really am going to miss Frank, assuming we do move. He's been a good boss, and an even better friend.

Now back to the issue in question…Jules. I'm thinking that getting straight to the point may be the approach most likely to garner an explosive response, but it's also better than beating about the bush and risking not telling her at all. This is going to be fun…NOT!

____________________

A little later, his assigned tasks completed, Dave decided to head out a few minutes early, as he still needed to have that conversation with Juliette concerning Germany and the possible new job with Apollinaris. Once home, he walked in the door and was greeted by the sight of his eldest child plopped on the sofa, telephone in ear, just as if she hadn't been gone at all these past six weeks. Speaking up to get her attention, he said, “Jules, I need you to get off the phone for a bit. There's something I need to talk to you about.”

Taking the receiver away from her face, she replied, “In a minute, okay?”

“Don't take too long. This is important,” he replied as he made his way to the kitchen to put some water on for tea. Then returning to the front room he found Jules just breaking the phone connection and putting down the handset. “Water will be ready for tea in a minute.” Dave took a seat across the room in his favorite chair.

“So, what's this all about?” she asked, her voice dripping with teen angst.

“We as a family are going to have to make a decision soon, and I wanted to give you some information about the nature of said decision.”

“Why do I not like the sound of that?”

“Just wait until I've told you what's going on, then take your time and think things through. This is a major decision concerning the entire family, and your mum and I don't feel right making the decision without at least knowing your and Drew's opinions.”

“Now I really don't like it.”

”When your mum and I were in Atlanta, George, the Apollinaris team director, offered me a job.”

“As in…”

“As in director of their new youth development program, as well as serving as a bike mechanic for the team.”

“Now, let me guess,” Jules' anger started becoming obvious as she spoke. “This isn't something you can do from Warsop, is it?”

“No, if I were to take it, we would have to move to Germany.”

“How could you even consider such a thing? You want me to leave all my friends and…and… and…” she screamed at Dave, tears flowing down her cheeks. She then got up off the sofa, and stormed out of the room. Her stomping up the stairs could possibly have been audible in Nottingham, and the sound of her door slamming caused what felt like an earthquake that might have been felt as far away as London.

Dave continued to sit there for a moment, saying to himself, “That went well…” just as the teakettle started whistling, indicating that the water was ready. He got up, went back to the kitchen, and turned off the stove, making himself a cup of tea, which he then left sitting on the counter as he went upstairs for round two.

He knocked on her door and said, “Juliette? Please, let's continue this discussion.” He was demonstrating far more restraint than he had expected he'd be able to as he then knocked again and said, “Jules? Come along sweetheart.”

After a moment, Jules opened the door. She stared at her father for a moment before wiping the tears from her cheeks and saying, “How could you?”

“Jules, I know that moving away from all your friends is awful. But, if I take this job, we won't have to be separated from your mum all the time like we were last year.”

“Oh, now there's compensation for being dragged halfway across Europe against your will.”

Dave started losing his cool and raised his voice to match Jules', “Juliette Bond, wait one moment. Not another word until I've had a chance to finish telling you about this.”

Resignedly, Jules said, “All right. What else is there?”

Having regained some of his composure, a now much closer to normal sounding Dave said, “There are so many positives with this job, it's going to be nearly impossible to turn down. It pays more while being much more interesting work, and we can live with your mum all the time. It will allow Drew to train with your mum and the team, so it'll be huge for his development. And as far as you are concerned, there's an outstanding English school in Bonn for children of diplomats and so on where you can finish your schooling. I know you would miss your friends, but you could think of it like another extended learning trip, like your stay in America.”

“Except there won't be anyone there I know.”

“That is true. But please, don't just set your mind against this without giving it some real thought, all right?” and with that Dave walked away from his daughter's bedroom door as she closed it, this time in a much more subdued fashion. He made his way back downstairs, returning to the kitchen and his by now cold cup of tea.

__________________

Well, at least there were no surprises there. Pretty much the reaction I was expecting. I just hope she can calm down and look at things from the standpoint of what's good for the family. Ha! She's a teenager, the most self-centered creature on the planet. If she can't see an advantage to moving, she'll be 100% opposed, I'm sure of it. Unfortunately for her, the pluses for the rest of the family far outweigh that, so I'm thinking we're going to be moving. I just hope she'll eventually come around and see it as a good thing for all of us.

____________________

Glancing at his watch, Dave realized how late it was getting and said to himself, “Would you look at the time? Jen and Drew should be home soon. I'd best get something started for dinner.” After examining the available options, he prepared some chicken breasts and put them under the broiler to cook, then started some pasta cooking.

About the time the meal was ready, the car pulled in the driveway and in stumbled two very tired looking Bonds. “There you are! Get washed up, dinner will be ready in a moment,” Dave told them.

Jenny looked at him and said, “You are a lifesaver, luv.” Then she turned to Drew and said, “Go wash up and get your sister for dinner.”

Drew made his way upstairs to do as requested as Jen joined Dave in the kitchen to aid in finalizing the meal. She looked in the broiler and said, “Ooh, that looks good.”

“I hope it tastes as good as it looks. I'm still not the most confident around where my cooking is concerned.”

“Oh, you do far better than you realize most of the time.”

Just then, the kids came clomping down the stairs into the dining room, where Drew set the table while Jules slumped down in a chair and pouted. Jen took one look at her and said to Dave, “I take it you told her?”

Dave looked at his elder child and replied, “Whatever gave you that idea?”

That evening, the Bond family ate dinner in relative silence, as the gloom that radiated from Juliette seemed to drown whatever positive energy might have been in the room before her arrival. The moment she was finished picking at her food, she said, “May I be excused?” and without waiting for a response stormed back up to her room.

Dave looked first at Drew, then at Jenny, and said, “I suppose that could have gone a bit worse.”

Jenny looked at him as if he had two heads and said, “And how might that be?”

As they sat there looking at each other, Drew took the initiative and started clearing away the dinner dishes, taking them into the kitchen and washing up. In his absence, Jenny said, “If she doesn't come round, what are we going to do?”

Dave thought for a moment before replying, “Well, since Drew, you, and I are all pretty much in agreement that this is something we need to do, I suppose we'll have to just put up with her being extra grumpy, won't we?”

“I hope that's all it comes to, luv.”

“Me too.” After this brief exchange, Jen went into the front room to relax a bit while Dave went to help Drew with cleanup duty. Once there, he said, “Hey kiddo.”

“Hey Dad,” Drew responded as Dave picked up a towel and began drying dishes so they could be put away.

“I guess your sister isn't too happy about the prospect of moving, is she?”

“I think she's probably just blowing off steam. She'll come round soon enough.”

“I hope you're right, son. I hope you're right.” Dave then looked directly at his youngest child and asked, “And what's your take on things?”

Drew thought for a moment before responding, “I'm not thrilled by the prospect of leaving all my friends behind, but I can see how this is a great opportunity for all of us. You're an ace spanner, and the travel should be really cool. Plus we get to be with mum all the time.”

“And what about for you?”

“Do you think I'll get the chance to train with the team?”

“That is one thing I'm fairly certain of, son. George is wanting to keep a close eye on your development, so I can almost guarantee you'll be getting a lot of extra help with training.”

Once they had finished putting away the pots and pans, Drew headed up to his bedroom, while Dave joined Jen in the front room. “Hey there.”

Nearly asleep sitting there, she looked up somewhat startled and said, “Hey yourself. Kitchen sorted?”

“Yes, I had some first class help in there.”

“Any ideas on the Jules situation?”

“Well, I'm with Drew. I'm hoping she's just blowing up from raw emotion, and after she has a chance to think things over, she'll come round.”

“A bit naïve, don't you think?”

“Well, maybe, but I don't care for the alternative. I think we should sit down and discuss the whole issue as a family tomorrow. See if we can't iron a few things out.”

“Sounds like a plan. In the meantime, however, I think I'm going to go on up to bed. That trip to see Caroline has left me absolutely knackered.”

“I was afraid it might,” Dave responded as he got up, then helped her up and followed her up the stairs to the bedroom. Once Jen was settled in bed, Dave decided to take one more try at talking with Juliette, so he went to her room and knocked. When she opened the door, the tears were once again in evidence as he spoke, “Can we try to discuss this in a civil manner?”

She stepped aside allowing her father to come into her room as she replied, “I suppose.” He took a seat on the bench in front of her vanity, while she sat on the corner of the bed. They stared at each other for a moment before she broke the silence, “So what is it you wanted to discuss?”

“I think you have a fair idea about the subject matter.”

“How could you do this to me?”

“I swear to you, we are not trying to do anything ‘to you', as you put it. We're trying to make a decision about something that could be a great positive for the entire family.”

“I don't see how making me move to another country can be a positive thing.”

“Think of it like this. Didn't you miss your mum, with her being away so much last year?”

“What if I did?”

“If I take this job and we move to Germany, we won't have to be separated like that. We'll get to do a lot of traveling about the Continent, and the most important part is we'd all be together,” Dave paused to take a deep breath. “Wouldn't that be preferable to spending another year apart?”

“I suppose you could see it that way, but I still don't want to move.”

“Juliette, sweetheart, you're always on about how we should treat you like an adult. Well, right now I'm asking you to be an adult about this decision. In a perfect world, there'd be no need to even have this discussion. But we don't live in a perfect world, so we have to make tough decisions, and sometimes as adults we have to make those decisions based not on what we personally want, but rather what is best for the ones we love. Please think about that, all right?” Dave then got up and left the room, leaving his daughter to think about what he'd just said.

He returned to his and Jen's bedroom to find she was already asleep, so he quietly got ready for bed and climbed in beside her. Unfortunately, unlike his wife, he didn't find sleep quite so easily.

__________________

Well, at least there weren't any surprises this evening, were there? Juliette is having a major problem with the idea of moving, and honestly, if I were in her shoes I probably would as well. But we need to do what's best for the whole family, which in this case I'm pretty certain is taking the job and moving to Germany. Sorry, Jules, I wish there were another way, but there just isn't. I promise to try and make it up to you somehow. I'm not sure how at this point, but…

Drew is really starting to concern me. I was afraid something like this was going to happen. All that time as Gaby has finally made what appears to be a permanent impression on the child. No matter how much Drew asserts himself, he still looks like Gaby, plain and simple. There is no middle ground at this point. I mean yes, he answers to Drew, but tights under jeans? There's not much denying that, is there? Even most girls don't do that…only the really feminine ones, as I recall.

That child hasn't been able to present a seriously masculine image in…I don't know if he's ever been able to, frankly. I don't know, maybe everyone else has been right all along. Maybe life would be easier on the child if Gaby became permanent. She's certainly the more natural persona at this point. Even at the best of times, Drew seems hollow, like an act, almost. And that ignores the simple fact that nobody ever seems to see a ‘him' at first glance, no matter how the child is dressed. Of course, the fact that all his jeans are girls' might have something to do with that, but that can't begin to explain it all away. They literally fit the child better, so what are you going to do, eh?

_________________

Sleep did finally visit Dave Bond, but the dreams that night were not kind.

_________________

Dave walked in the house, to be immediately bombarded by Gaby bounding toward him and wrapping him in a hug the likes of which have rarely been experienced. “Good evening, Daddy!” she exclaimed as she kissed him on his cheek.

“Why the friendly greeting?” he asked as he extricated himself from his youngest child's vise like grip.

“Oh, Daddy, can I have some money for a new dress? Josh just called and asked me to the dance with him, and I have nothing to wear!”

Dave stared at the child for a moment before speaking, “Whatever happened to ‘I'm never going to wear girl's clothes again'?”

“Don't be silly! Why would I say something like that?” she asked, a confused look crossing her face.

Dave reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet, extracting some cash, which he handed to Gaby, “Here, this is all we can spare at the moment, so it looks as if you're on a tight budget, young lady.”

“Okay Daddy, thanks.”

She started to head out the front door as Dave decided he had one more question, “What about Maddy?”

“She can find her own date! I'll not be doing everything for her,” Gaby replied, kissing him again before heading out the door to go shopping for a dress.

Dave stood there touching the cheek Gaby had just kissed, seemingly in shock. Finally, he said to no one in particular, “Didn't that used to be my son?”

___________________

Dave's eyes flew open as he started to comprehend the dream that had just awakened him. He looked over at Jen's still sleeping form, then stared at the ceiling before finally managing a return to his sleeping state.

Jillian 06.09.06 © 2006
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