Violet heads downstairs and pauses. She leans into Miki. “Did he apologize yet?” She asks quietly.
Ben takes her wrist, yanking her outside (not violently, just forcefully)onto the back porch. He closes the door behind them and exhales, closing his eyes. “I came to apologize, Silver. What I saw,” He turns around to face her, “does not make me want to apologize.”
Cage gulps, watching them stalk outside. “Vi, can you fix it?”
She rubs her forehead, sighing.
Miki twisted her lips to one side. "I don't think so?"
Silver sighed, looking up at the sky and trying to not get any more upset. She took a deep breath before speaking.
"He's… I'm sorry, okay? I don't know why you hate it so much that we're close, but I'm sorry. He's down there blaming himself and hating himself for everything now–" her throat started choking up against her will. "And… Ben, he was so happy!" Her voice broke and tears spilled down her cheeks. "I haven't felt him be that happy in months. He felt safe and happy and Kissa was being sweet to him and he stinkin slept in a moving car in public. That's huge for him, okay? And then… And then…" She started hiccuping and gasping for breath to stay ahead of her sobs and keep speaking. "And then you came and yelled and now he thinks he did something horrible and awful and he thinks he's a bad person and he's not!" She ended in a wail "I wouldn't care if you just got mad at me but he can't handle that!"
He breathes, trying not to get irritated, and firmly takes both of her hands. “Listen. Silver. I can talk to gabriel. What I need right now is for you to listen to me. I’m-“ he blinks looking down to the ground then back to her. “Gabriel is okay. I know him. But I still worry. I’m sorry I raised my voice. And… cussed. It wasn’t right.” He takes him hands back, running them through his hair and turning around. “I don’t have a valid excuse for reacting how I did. I’m sorry.”
okay now her turn. Apologize to me please.
More tears welled up in her eyes as he so thoroughly and sincerely apologized. She sniffed violently, and stared at his back, her throat too swollen for her to speak. Slowly she approached him and pressed her forehead into his back, slipping her arms around his waist as she tried to catch her breath and calm her shaking chest.
He tenses a little with the feel of her arms around his waist. “Silver….” He sighs. “… don’t cry.” He takes her hands, slipping his fingers between hers, and leans his head down to kiss them.
Gabriel walks up the stairs, invisible, and stares at everyone being silent and watching the back door.
"I'm sorry," she whispered into his shirt between silent sobs. "I'm sorry I got so angry. You scared me in the car and I didn't know what to do. I'm so sorry I make you mad all the time. I try to be good and I still mess up. I'm sorry."
"Are they okay?" Miki whispered, biting a fingernail. "They've never made up this fast before."
He keeps her hands pressed against his face and closes his eyes.
“Silver…. I’m sorry my temper gets the best of me. I’m- I’m really bad at this. My father used to yell at me, so I know how it feels. And I shouldn’t pass it on.” He let’s go of her hands, turning around to face her. He puts his hands on her cheeks. “I was stressed and angry and brought it out on you. It’s okay. I’m sorry.”
A smile crosses violets lips as she listens in, hearing him even mention his father, which he never did. “I have a feeling they’ll be fine.” She quietly tells Miki.
Silver nodded, a wobbly smile flitting across her face. "Well, I'm sorry I'm your problem child. I never had a dad before so…" She shrugged. "But…" She bit her lip, tentatively looking up at him. "I do like Gabriel though. Like.. differently than how I love you and Cage. He is special to me. Is… is that okay?" She whispered.
Miki (LIGHTLY) smacked Cage on the arm. "Come on, now we need celebratory ice cream instead of behavioral-tory ice cream."
Ben purses his lips. “…well… yes? I guess? I don’t know.” He rubs the back of his neck, sighing, “you’d have to talk to Vi about it.”
Cage turns around jogging to the stove and flipping his bacon. “Yesss.”
Gabriel runs a hand through his hair and he turns around, walking up the stairs, passing Kissa on his way to the library.
Silver huffed a little laugh and pushed herself up on her toes to kiss his cheek. "Thanks Dad." She hugged him tightly around the next and whispered "I love you." in his ear.
Miki gave her ice cream substance a stir. "I think this is ready, whenever your bacon is done."
Cage nods. “Yeah, the bacons finished. Imma blend it.” He pulls the blender out of the cabinet and pours the bacon and grease into it, pressing the ‘on’ button.
Ben returns the hug, but loosely, and smiles. “Alright alright. I need to talk to Gabriel now.” He lets go of her and takes a step back. “You’re not angry with me anymore, yes?”
Violet turns around, heading towards the fridge, and pulls out a few leftovers from the night before. “Alright, heres lunch.”
She squinted at him, but tried to not get upset over the idea of him speaking to Gabe about all of this. "No, no, I'm not. Just… be gentle with him? Please?" She begged.
Miki watched him, elbows on the counter, chin in her hands.
"Cage, what if this turns out really nasty."
Cage shrugs, opening the blender and peering in to the bacon puree. “There’s so many of us, someone will like it.”
Violet looks over to the blender and swallows, furrowing her brow. “I don’t think I want to try it.”
Ben nods, eyes closed. “Yes, yes. Don’t worry about it. I have to find him first anyway.”
Miki took a peek at it. "I know it still tastes good but… that looks really gross."
Silver laughed. "Well, good luck with that. He's probably still in the basement or in his room. Or…" She stopped. "Or any of the other places he hides in regularly." She grimaced. "Sorry."
Ben waves his hand in dismissal. “I’ll find him, it’s fine.” He opens the back door and motions for her to go in. “C’mon, it’s freezing out here.”
Cage nods, swishing the blender around. “Eeeewww, watch it.”
"Are you sure we should add all that grease to the ice cream?" Miki asked, her face filled with concern. "I know it adds flavor but… in ice cream??"
Silver nodded and darted inside. She grabbed herself some lunch and then stopped to see what her sister was doong.
"What the pickle is THAT?" She cried, pointing at the blender. "I thought you were making ice cream."
Cage nods, handing the blender to Miki. “Do the honor of pouring it in, please.”
He turns to Silver, smiling. “We are making ice cream! Bacon ice cream!”
Ben stares. “Это мерзость.” He quietly says, turning and looking for Gabriel.
Kissa head down the stairs, yawning. “Lunch? Mmmn. Can I take a nap afterwards?”
Violet nods. “Yes, Dear.”
Miki made a gagging face as she took it and slowly poured it into the ice cream mixture. "This is probably a terrible idea."
Silver raised am eyebrow at them. "I… don't think… that's how you make ice cream, guys."
Cage stares, his lips pursed. “Yeeeah, maybe it won’t taste good. I think we made poison.”
Kissa looks over the food and gags. “YUCK. What on earth is that??”
Silver retreated to the nearest couch and started eating her lunch, but kept Cage and Miki in view so she could see their progress. "They're making nasty ice cream." She told Kissa.
"Check the recipe, Cage." Miki said as she stirred the bacon into the ice cream mixture. "Don't you have to churn ice cream for a million years before you freeze it?"
Cage picks up the phone, checking the recipe. “Aw man, our arms are so gonna die.” He looks back to Miki. “We have to churn it for an hour.”
Kissa snorts, covering her mouth as she tried not to laugh. “That’s what you get for creating it. It looks like pig slop.”
Miki blinked at him, then down at the ice cream slop. Slowly a smile crept over her face and she turned toward her sister.
"Silver." she said. "How much do you love me?"
Silver froze, her fork halfway to her mouth. "Not enough to do whatever you're giving me that look for."
Cage moans. “C’mon Sillllll. I’ll get you actual good ice cream. Pleeeeeease?”
Kissa rolls her eyes. “Don’t, please. You don’t want to get involved in this one.”
Silver raised an eyebrow at them. "What makes you think my brain won't get tired, just like your arms??" She pulled her feet up indignantly and sat on them. "I already clean up y'all's messes; I'm not gonna help you make any."
Miki sighed and began mixing the slop. "Okay fiiiiiiiiiiine. But if my arms fall off it's your fault. Cage, let's set a timer for five minutes and we'll trade off?"
Cage sets the timer. “Okay okay. I’ll ask Ben to help if it gets too hard. He’s really strong.”
Kissa makes a sandwich and heads upstairs, mumbling something about nasty bacon.
Cage looks around for a moment. “Hm. Where is Ben?”