Eye of the Beholder

Author’s Notes: Well, I’m back from vacation and I survived heat, humidity and in-laws and I managed to write most of this chapter. Thank you blue_lioness, Reed McCoy and Capt_Davey_Jones_Lover for your reviews.

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“Are you sure this isn’t too much?” Stuart asks.

“No, I’m fine,” Hank assures his host. “I could take more, but I’m afraid that would leave me with the inability to see where I’m going.”

“I’m not even carrying half of the amount of wood you are and my arms are starting to scream,” Mike chuckles as he tries to shift his load to ease the strain without dropping any of it. “I think he’s toying with us, Stuart.”

“I assure you, gentlemen, I am not toying with you,” Hank tells them as they start to head back to the house.

“Yeah right,” Mike snorts while Stuart opens the back door. “That’s why you pretended to slip on occasion when you were splitting the logs.”

“Well, it has been some time since I last split wood, so I’m afraid I’m woefully out of practice,” Hank replies, not bothering to tell the other two men that it was only a month ago that he had filled his parents’ woodshed.

Mike only gives Hank a disbelieving look before snickering and then following Stuart into the house. Hank silently brings up the rear, carrying more wood than the other two combined and managing to firmly close the back door even with his arms full, faintly hearing the doorbell at the other end of the house. Hank silently follows the other two men from a distance, sighing to himself that while he kept his word to Amanda to take it easy on her father, he knows the older man didn’t buy it for a minute.

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“You keep pacing like that and you’ll wear a hole in my carpet,” Cathy teases.

“If I stop pacing, I’ll start climbing the walls,” Amanda states, not bothering to slow down.

“Why are you so nervous?” Cathy asks as she starts to pull platters and serving bowls out of the hutch.

“Oh, I don’t know,” Amanda answers in a near hysterical voice. “Maybe it has something to do with Father Clancy coming over for dinner tonight when I happen to have my boyfriend here.”

“So why would that make you nervous?” Cathy questions, pretending ignorance.

“Oh please, Mom,” Amanda replies with a humorless laugh. “You’ve been trying to marry me off for ages and you can’t tell me that you aren’t silently planning my wedding to a man I’ve only known for a couple of months.”

“Oh really, Amy, don’t be so paranoid,” Cathy scoffs. “It’s not like I’m going to have him marry you in the living room.”

Dad would if he knew what we were doing before we came here, Amanda thinks to herself.

“Besides, if I wanted to plan your wedding, I would invite Charlene to dinner, not Father Clancy,” Cathy continues, completely and blissfully unaware of her daughter’s thoughts. “After all, she’s the church secretary and she would know what days the church is available.”

“Thanks, Mom, that’s a great comfort,” Amanda snorts.

“What’s a great comfort?” Annie inquires as she walks into the room.

“That if I wanted to plan Amy’s wedding to Hank, I would have invited over the church secretary, not the priest,” Cathy chuckles as she collects the serving items and starts for the kitchen.

“The thought of you getting married and having kids is rather frightening,” Annie says acidly.

“Could you two please try and get along this evening?” Cathy requests with a look for her daughters that promises much misery for the both of them if they don’t comply.

“I will if she will,” Annie says as Cathy leaves the room, sounding innocent and much put upon.

“I will when you shit out whatever crawled up your ass and died,” Amanda growls under her breath, knowing full well that her mother will never hear it, but Annie will.

Before Annie can shoot back a scathing retort, Amanda is out of the room and down the hall, silently praying to God that she’ll be able to keep from strangling her sister in the foreseeable future. She hears the back door shutting just as the doorbell rings and with a groan, she goes to answer it. She spots her father heading to the living room with his arms loaded down with wood for the fire and sweating with the effort, but it barely registers in her brain as she reaches the front door. With the fake calmness she’s learned from being a lawyer and with a pleasant look plastered on her face, she opens the door to a gentleman about her father’s age, though he’s quite a bit shorter.

“Amy!” Father Clancy happily cries as he opens his arms. “It’s so good to see you again.”

“Hi, Father Clancy,” she replies with a genuine smile as she quickly bends over for her hug, making sure that the embrace doesn’t end up with the priest’s face buried in her chest.

“How are you?” he asks as soon as they step apart.

“I’m doing well,” she answers while she ushers him into the house.

“Your mother tells me you brought home quite a surprise yesterday,” he jovially says as he unzips his coat.

“Yeah, I finally brought home a boyfriend,” she confesses, shutting the door behind him.

“He must be some…one…special,” he says, gasping the last couples of words, his eyes becoming very wide.

She turns to see Hank coming down the hallway loaded down with more firewood than should be physically possible for anyone to carry.

“You could say that,” she replies, unable to keep a smile off of her face.

“Ah, I see your parents’ extra dinner guest has arrived,” Hank says with his own grin.

“I’ll properly introduce the two of you as soon as you have your arms free,” she tells Hank as she waves him into the living room.

“Was that…?” Father Clancy starts, his eyes still rather large.

“It was,” she confirms as she helps him out of his coat and he starts laughing a good, loud belly laugh that’s amazing loud for coming out of such a small frame.

“I always knew that when you found someone special enough, he would be very different,” he chuckles while she hangs his coat up. “I just never imagined how special or different.”

“Well, it’s not like I had a lot of choices about bringing him home with me,” she tells him as her father emerges from the living room, dusting small pieces of bark and sawdust off of his clothing and hands.

“Father Clancy, so good of you to join us,” Stuart greets as he steps forward to shake the other man’s hand.

“I could hardly do otherwise, especially after hearing that Amy has finally brought home a special someone,” Clancy replies, a grin stuck to his face.

“Yes, she caught us by surprise too,” Stuart tells him while they head for the living room where Mike is helping stack the wood in Hank’s arms, Amanda quietly trailing behind them.

“But a most welcome surprise, I’m sure,” Clancy responds, barely even noticing the heavily decorated room.

“Father Clancy, I’d like you to meet Hank McCoy,” Amanda introduces as the last pieces of wood are neatly stacked next to the fireplace. “Hank, this is my parents’ pastor, Father Tim Clancy.”

“A pleasure to meet you, Father,” Hank says as he hastily brushes his hands off and then shakes the newcomer’s hand.

“Oh, the pleasure is entirely mine, Ambassador,” Clancy says as he pumps the larger hand.

“Please, call me Hank,” Hank insists.

“With pleasure,” Clancy assures him before turning to the other man in the room. “Mike, how are you? It’s so good to see you again. How’s the family?”

“Hi, Father,” Mike greets as he shakes the offered hand. “We’re all fine. How are you and Nancy?”

“We’re doing very well, thank you,” Clancy replies.

“I thought I heard Father Clancy’s laugh,” Cathy states as she steps into the room.

“Ah, Cathy, so good to see you again,” Clancy greets and goes to hug his hostess. “You left church after services so quickly yesterday I didn’t have a chance to talk to you.”

“I know, I’m sorry about that but I had to get home to make sure that everything was ready for when Amy came home,” Cathy responds. “And I must that I’m very glad that I did. Now, dinner will be served shortly, so perhaps a few of you gentlemen should wash up. Amy, would you mind helping me in the kitchen please?”

“I thought I was banned from helping in the kitchen after the mashed potato incident,” Amanda states suspiciously.

“You can at least help get the food on the table,” Cathy replies, staring at her daughter with a dangerous glint in her eye.

“Fine,” Amanda responds, having no doubt that her mother has another reason for wanting her assistance.

“Would you care for more help?” Hank asks as the women reach the doorway.

“Oh, thank you, Hank, but that won’t be necessary,” Cathy assures him cheerfully just before she and Amy leave the room.

“So, what did I do to offend Princess Annie this time?” Amanda quietly questions when they’re about half way down the hallway, sarcasm dripping from her words. “Did I sneeze wrong? Or maybe I didn’t genuflect the way she likes. Or perhaps, it’s the fact that I refuse to bow down and grovel at her feet.”

“Really, Amy, this is beneath you,” Cathy replies in exasperation. “Is it really that hard for the two of you to get along even for one evening? You’re both adults now; you could try acting like it.”

“I will when she does,” Amanda retorts. “Of course, that will require her to stop running to you or Dad every time she thinks I’ve slighted her in the least. It would also help if you and Dad didn’t give into her every little whim”

“What makes you think we do any such thing?” Cathy demands as they enter the kitchen.

“Oh, I don’t know,” Amanda drawls while she leans against a counter as Cathy starts filling bowls. “Maybe it has something to do with the fact that you never ask for my help in the kitchen unless she’s been whining about something. Maybe it’s time you let Annie start fighting her own battles, Mom. She’s a grown woman now, not a sickly child who may not survive the night.”

Before Cathy can form a response, Amanda grabs a couple bowls of food and heads for the dining room. She finds Annie there overseeing the kids while they set the table, making sure everything is just so. Amanda barely spares her sister a glance as she sets the bowls down on the table and then returns to the kitchen, never seeing Annie’s withering glare.

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Hank silently endures grace as Father Clancy blesses the food, Amanda and her family, him, the house and all of God’s creatures, trying to ignore his grumbling belly and snarling Beast.

Food, Beast growls impatiently. Eat.

Soon, Hank assures it and a moment later Amen is said and the food starts to be passed around the table.

“So, Amy, what song will you be gracing us with this year?” Clancy asks as he helps himself to some salad and anyone who was about to take a drink quickly sets his or her glass back down while Hank furrows his brow at this curious behavior.

“I thought I’d do a medley of songs this year,” Amanda answers with a straight face.

“And which songs would those be?” Clancy inquires, a smile tugging at his lips.

“Well, I thought I’d start off with Christmas at Ground Zero, followed by Grandma got Ran Over by a Reindeer and then finishing up with The Night Santa Went Crazy,” Amanda replies seriously while Mike and the kids snicker, Cathy and Stuart both sigh while rolling their eyes, Annie studiously ignores the conversation and Clancy and Hank both have a good laugh.

“Amy, you are such a delight,” Clancy chuckles a short time later as he wipes tears from his eyes. “Now, as much fun it would be to hear you sing these amusing songs, I was hoping for something a bit more sacred then secular.”

“Fine,” Amanda sighs dramatically and Hank quietly snickers. “What do you suggest?”

“How about the song you did last year?” Clancy suggests. “I heard nothing but complements afterwards.”

“Very well,” Amanda moans, acting completely disappointed.

“Good, I’ll put you towards the end of the service, if you don’t mind,” Clancy says. “That should give the song a nice dramatic effect with all of the candles glowing.”

“That’ll be so neat,” Bethany chirps.

“Will you wear your hair up?” Beverly asks excitedly. “I like your hair when it’s up.”

“Oh and you have to wear the green blouse,” Bethany adds. “You did bring it with you, didn’t you?”

“Yes, I have it with me,” Amanda chuckles.

“Oh and the black skirt, the fuzzy one,” Beverly puts in, all but jumping up and down in her seat.

“So what song will you be performing?” Hank asks, realizing that the girls have completely derailed the topic.

“You’ll find out tomorrow night,” Beverly quickly tells him with a sly smile on her face.

“You’ll like it, trust us,” Bethany adds as she grins at him.

“Then I will take the world of two lovely young ladies,” Hank tells the girls with a chuckles deep in his throat. “I must say that I am now eagerly waiting for tomorrow night.”

“Well, if Amy gives us her usually excellent performance, than you shall not be disappointed,” Clancy assures him. “Do you regularly attend church, Hank?”

“I’m afraid that I don’t,” Hank confesses. “When I was living with my parents we went as often as we could, though the winter months often meant we often spent days being snow bound. I remember one winter that was so bad that the snow plows were unable to get to us for nearly a month. It’s a good thing my mother was always canning and preserving the fruits and vegetables from the garden. Though I’m afraid the chickens that we kept for eggs didn’t fair as well that month. After that my parents always made sure we were well stocked for the winter just in case.”

“We had a few winters like that when the girls were still young,” Stuart says. “Fortunately after the first winter we invested in a full sized freezer so the chickens were safe.”

“Didn’t you also have goats?” Hank asks.

“Yes, but have you ever tried goat meat?” Stuart counters with a grimace. “It’s not the most palatable food in the world, besides we needed them for their milk.”

“So how did you manage the boredom that is inevitable with being trapped inside a building for so long?” Hank questions.

“With a lot of patience and even more praying,” Cathy states with a smile. “We have a closet full of games and a library of books that helped us get through the dull times and when things got really rough we had The Good Book to turn to.”

“So, what were the most played games?” Hank questions. “I know with my family it was Monopoly and Trivial Pursuit.”

“Amy preferred Monopoly as well, but Annie liked Yatzee,” Cathy replies.

“If you decide to play Monopoly against Amy, be warned that she’s quite the land baron,” Stuart warns with a smile.

“I shall keep that in mind,” Hank chuckles. “Maybe Trivial Pursuit would garner me better results, if you have it.”

“Oh we have it,” Amanda tells him. “But the only way I’m playing is if I’m on your team.”

“I have no problem with that,” Hank happily replies, Beast purring at the idea of being close to her.

“I do,” Mike says suddenly and everyone looks at him in shock. “The only way I’m playing Trivial Pursuit against Hank is if is on his own team and the rest of are on the other.”

“Either way, you know he’s going to mop the floors with the competition,” Paul mumbles, not even looking up from his food.

“Why do you think I want to be on his team?” Amanda laughs.

“Well, if you get to be on his team, I want to be on it too,” Paul states, finally looking up at his aunt.

“Us too!” the twins chime in eagerly.

“Hold it, not everyone can be on Hank’s team for one,” Amanda tells them. “For another thing, by the time dinner is done, the food put away and the dishes washed, you three will probably be in bed.”

“But we want to play too,” Beverly whines.

“We haven’t even decided if we’re going to play anything yet, so there’s no point in discussing it right now,” Cathy states forcefully, fixing each of the kids with a firm glare.

The kids stare at their grandmother for several seconds before they concede defeat and then sullenly go back to their meals. Dinner is eaten in a tense silence for several long minutes while Hank wracks his brains trying to come up with something that will lessen the tension in the room. He hits upon something that was briefly said earlier in the evening and while he knows that he’ll pay for it later, he decides that it will be a good mood lifter.

“Amanda, I was wondering about something,” Hank says.

“What’s that?” Amanda replies, leaning over her plate so she can see past Paul and Mike to finally land her gaze on Hank.

“What was the ‘mashed potatoes incident’?” he asks and a horrified look passes over her face.

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Disclaimer: I don’t own the rights to Monopoly, Trivial Pursuit, Yatzee, Christmas at Ground Zero, Grandma got ran over by a Reindeer or The Night Santa Went Crazy.