Sunnydale AU: at the corner of your eye

[americas_son]

The problem with Grahame being in LA and Mother spending most of her time in Sacramento is that, for all intents and purposes, the Chandler household has been whittled down from three (from four) to one. That makes less work to go around, and it's getting harder and harder to justify keeping on all the staff. Cal is combing intently through records and other paperwork, trying to find a balance between what's best for the Chandler finances and what will cause the least amount of difficulty for those who depend on the Chandlers for their wages.

Comments

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

"I knew a kid at McAuley who could get through the alphabet twice," Cal says.

[if_inconvenient]

"I suppose it would be rankest hypocrisy if I accused him of having too much time on his hands."

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

"Yep," Cal says promptly, grinning.

[if_inconvenient]

"Then I will refrain."

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

"From having a life?"

Cal fiddles comfortably with the tab on the soda can. It snaps off in his fingers.

[if_inconvenient]

"From being a hypocrite. I'd think I need not expend any particular effort to avoid having a life."

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

"I dunno," Cal says. "I mean, you have a friend and everything. That makes it a lot harder to not have a life."

Not impossible, but harder.

[if_inconvenient]

"Two friends," he corrects, smiling. "Clearly I am doomed to vitality."

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

"Yep," Cal says. "Sorry about that."

Poor Sherlock.

[if_inconvenient]

"However shall I cope?"

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

"It might be too late," Cal says. "You didn't even break in or anything."

[if_inconvenient]

Sherlock laughs.

"I have no recourse. I must simply resign myself to being ordinary."

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

"Well, I wouldn't go that far."

Cal flips the soda can tab onto the table.

[if_inconvenient]

"Oh, good."

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

"No, if you went and turned ordinary on me, I'd have to do an exorcism."

Cal considers.

"Do demons do that?" Is possession a thing? He doesn't remember coming across any mention of it.

[if_inconvenient]

"Some kinds, yes."

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

Cal grimaces.

"Neat."

[if_inconvenient]

Dryly: "Although, that I recall, the result is not usually ordinariness."

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

Cal gives him a narrow-eyed look.

"Well, that's what you would say, isn't it?"

[if_inconvenient]

"Oh dear. You have me there."

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

"Yep."

Cal sips his soda.

". . . you think that thing was a demon?"

[if_inconvenient]

"A definite possibility," he admits. "Or some other variety of spirit."

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

"But not actually -"

No, he knows it wasn't. He also knows he should tell Sherlock about the whole thing. Any detail can be important.

He's just kind of working up to it. In his own way.

[if_inconvenient]

Sherlock waits.

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

"I keep wondering," he says eventually, "why it was Stane first. I mean. You'd think it would have tried Dad first. That would make the most sense, wouldn't it?"

He looks down at the soda can, which he's rotating mechanically in one hand.

"But I think it just wanted to freak me out. It was only Dad for a, a minute. Not even a minute."