Bracing for impact

[lightupthesky]

(A few months ago)

She has been putting this of and that's bad for her. The ocean blue sapphire sits on her hand and it's making it itch because...Well, because Damion's car isn't here and she's going to tell her brother something very big. Todd probably isn't going to be happy, but...

oh, just knock, youo doofus!

She knocks.

Comments

[dcnobsidian.livejournal.com]

Todd glances up from his dish washing at the sound of a knock at the door. He blinks a few times and grabs a towel. "Just a sec!" he calls.

A moment or two later and Todd opens the door. "Jenny," he greets with a smile, offering his twin a hug. "What brings you by today?" he asks.

[thegreenones.livejournal.com]

"Good news," But she has that smile. That "uh, oh," one. "Can I come in?"

[dcnobsidian.livejournal.com]

Todd's smile shrinks slightly but he nods. "Sure," he says, stepping aside to let Jenny in. "Can I get you something to drink?" he offers as he leads the way over to the kitchen.

[thegreenones.livejournal.com]

"Water would be great!" She looks outside from the couch. "Nice garden. Impatients, right?" It's the one thing Jenny has of their mother, other than a commitment phobia the size of Gozilla; an appreciation and knowledge of green, growing thing.

[dcnobsidian.livejournal.com]

Todd nods and heads into the kitchen to fill a glass up. "Yeah. Damon likes them," he says with a happy little smile.
After a moment he comes back into the room and holds the glass out to his sister. "And they are nice."

[thegreenones.livejournal.com]

"Are you growing them?" She reaches for the glass, which exposes her ring. There's more to the question then mere gardening. Rose is as much a part of them as Alan, and they both struggle with their mix of heritage.

[dcnobsidian.livejournal.com]

"Hopefully," Todd chuckles. "They're new," he admits sheepishly. The ring gets a glance before Todd turns his attention back to Jenny.

[thegreenones.livejournal.com]

Her nervousness evaporates. "Happy looks good on you, you know." She smiles a little more and sips her water. "How's Damion?" She's not stalling - much.

[dcnobsidian.livejournal.com]

Todd chuckles slightly and shakes his head. "Who doesn't happy look good on?" he asks, a joking tone to his voice. "He's doing well. Just a little grumpy this morning because our night out got interrupted," he says.

[thegreenones.livejournal.com]

"Ooo." She winces. "I hate that. Hero stuff?" Then, she waves it off. "Nope. Retired. Sorry. Forgot."

[dcnobsidian.livejournal.com]

Todd immediately looks away with a sheepish expression on his face. "Umm. Sorta," he admits. "Manhunter needed a hand and I was there..." he trails off with a slightly guilty expression.

[thegreenones.livejournal.com]

"Todd -" She reaches for him. "Doesn't have to be like before. I mean, you off-loaded the luggage cart, and you spend all that time with Shade. Damion is great or you and you for him. Maybe occasionally being a spooky badass is okay, too if it fits in with the big stuff."

[dcnobsidian.livejournal.com]

Todd doesn't move from the spot, he just sighs a little. "I know," he says. There's a small, almost not there wince as the Shade is mentioned but Todd says nothing on that subject. "I do miss it. Especially when I hear about all the good you and the others do. Been talking to Damon about getting back into it. At least part time."

[thegreenones.livejournal.com]

She searches his expression. It's always more what he does then what he says hen it comes to reading his moods. "And?"

[dcnobsidian.livejournal.com]

"Well, he supports the idea," Todd replies with a shrug and a small smile. "I just haven't decided if I'll actually do it yet. And if so, when," he says.

[thegreenones.livejournal.com]

Wow. Damon is nothing short of every Christmas present Todd never got growing up for that kind of support.

"Or how you will." She swirls. "Pieter commutes in from the coasts to do things with the JSA. Maybe you can, too?"

[dcnobsidian.livejournal.com]

"I'm not sure if I'd be coming right back to the JSA, Jenny," Todd replies. "Not sure I'm ready to work with Dad again so soon. Or some of the others," he sighs. "I was considering staying out here for awhile longer, offering my help to Manhunter and whoever else is around."

[thegreenones.livejournal.com]

She frowns a little. "If it's about forgiving you, then they already have. If it's something else, it's something else."

[dcnobsidian.livejournal.com]

"You remember how unhappy Dad was when I went to stay with Richard...er The Shade," Todd points out. "I'm not sure he has forgiven me..."

[thegreenones.livejournal.com]

She huffs a little and he's getting the hands on her hips. "Dad died and came back, too. I just did that recently. It tends to re-prioritize you thinking." She shrugs with one shoulder. "Besides, I think he was more worried than pissed off."

[dcnobsidian.livejournal.com]

Todd winces and holds up his hands in defeat. He knows he can't win the argument once Jenny gets her hands on her hips. "Maybe I'll...call and talk to himself this week."

[thegreenones.livejournal.com]

She stands on her tip toes and kisses Todd on the cheek. "There you go."

With all of Todd's stuff, she has momentarily forgotten why she came.

[dcnobsidian.livejournal.com]

Todd looks a little embarrassed. After a moment, he takes a breath.

"So. How're things with you? What about that good news your were bringing?"

[thegreenones.livejournal.com]

Oops.

"Yeah...um..." She stumbles on her words. She holds out her hand and squeaks. "Kyle."

[dcnobsidian.livejournal.com]

Todd blinks a few times and then looks up at his sister. He frowns slightly at the squeaking and stumbling and then offers a small smile, waiting to see what his twin says.

[thegreenones.livejournal.com]

Oh...

Her heart sinks to her feet and then takes the express elevator back up. "This," she says, holding out her engagement ring. "It's from Kyle. I -" She's a little darker green now. "My priorities shifted a little."

[dcnobsidian.livejournal.com]

Todd looks down at the ring and stares a moment. Slowly, he looks back up at his sister with arched eyebrows. "From Kyle? He asked you to..." he trails off, hoping she completes the sentence for him.

[thegreenones.livejournal.com]

"To marry him, yeah." Queue the babbles. "But first the Star Sapphires made us think we were married to test us out on the Vegas planet to refine their Star Sapphire rings, because they're based on love, only it was weird stalker love. They even programmed something to make mom show up as a robot and..." She takes a deep breath. "so yeah, after that I figured what the hell?"

[dcnobsidian.livejournal.com]

Todd is quiet a moment, just listening to the babbling. He's a bit surprised by the mention of Star Sapphires, having thought there was only one. He frowns deeply as their mother comes up but banishes the thought and moves to hug his sister with a chuckle. "Congrats, Jenny."

[thegreenones.livejournal.com]

That...went better than expected. She collapses a little into his hug. "Sorry, nerves." Thought you hated the guy.

[dcnobsidian.livejournal.com]

Todd smiles and shakes his head slightly. "Don't worry about it," he says. "So who else knows so far?"

[thegreenones.livejournal.com]

She titters nervously. "Uh, everyone?" She sighs. "We got kicked out of the apartment because the Zamarons had us so long. We've been saving up for another place and staying with Rex the Wonder Dog in a mother-in-law place his humans have in the backyard." She winces. "I'm trying to figure out how to tell Dad."

[dcnobsidian.livejournal.com]

Todd frowns a moment. "So everyone knew but me and Dad until now?" he asks, shaking his head. "That's something else I miss, not being out of the loop," he jokes a little.

"I suggest making sure Kyle is hidden somewhere safe before you do," he continued with the teasing.

[thegreenones.livejournal.com]

"Noooooo..." She says. "It's just you and Rex the Wonder Dog. And Kyle's Mom. See, Kyle's Mom calls every week and can't kill Kyle."

[dcnobsidian.livejournal.com]

Todd jumps slightly and offers a sheepish smile for a moment. "Oh, well lets see then," he says, looking up thoughtfully. "Well. Maybe you should just sit him down and tell him over coffee or something. And soon before it somehow gets out and he hears from someone else."

[thegreenones.livejournal.com]

"True enough, I just don't...you know." Her look says it all. Our Dad is the Willpower Emperor of the Universe and disappointing him is scary. She should know better though. Todd had that whole shadow-thing and then had to come out to Dad and his "semi-stuck in the 1940's" friends.

"Help? Advice? Chocolate? Neat places to hide if this goes badly?"

[dcnobsidian.livejournal.com]

Todd chuckles. "Relax," he says. "It will be fine," he goes on, understanding that look. "If he can handle me and Damon, he can handle you and Kyle," the shadow-wielder points out.

"Well, I wouldn't bring Kyle along. The Brownstone might be a good place to do it," Todd advises. "And you could always hide out here. Or maybe we can whip up a nice, wooden bunker for you."

[thegreenones.livejournal.com]

"Oooh, yeah. I heard there are still people who make bomb shelters for the basement out here."

She gives his house an look. "Maybe here? I just don't feel like telling the whole Brownstone yet. 'Sides, Dad sometimes needs to be yanked away from Gotham and New York and see the rest of the world rather than letting reporters cover it."

[dcnobsidian.livejournal.com]

"We don't have a bomb shelter," Todd teases again, just a little.

"Here? Hmm. Might work. Invite you both over for lunch and you can tell him then. Just make sure you tell him not to let everyone else know," Todd says, serious once more.

[thegreenones.livejournal.com]

"Gee, the nerves show that much?"

[dcnobsidian.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, sorta," Todd replies with a chuckle.