2020-03-14 - Alexandra - The Drunken Yardbirds - Reinhardts Yuki Jude Ulick

John Reinhardt lit his two barbecues and let them heat up. He looked out over the yard and exhaled. The spring evening was mild and full of promise. He had tasked his kids with some set up chores and was hoping everyone could work together smoothly. So far so good. He heard Owen stacking plates to bring out through the open kitchen window and saw Kurt and Logan through their window gathering supplies. They were old enough that he had sent them with cash to the LC to buy beer, wine and hard liquor and then to the grocery store for mix, ice and napkins. It was an easy task to set them on with them just having come back and they were so eager to help.

Owen and Seamus were to set the table and then help him prep food and fill the grills. He knew Vincent would bring lasagna and Stephanie and Micheal had offered a Cesar salad and garlic bread. John and his boys were making an assortment of sausages that went with lasagna and foil packs of roasted vegetables with garlic and herbs.

Kaitlin and Yuki had offered some kind of dessert that was to be a surprise.

Colleen had been called into work for a series of training sessions and meetings preparing for the inevitable sweep of the pandemic finding it's way to Alexandra. so far they'd been lucky so the Reinhardt family felt it was safe to gather and keep enjoying life as they always did.

John left the grills to saunter into the house and collect some of the sausages. Owen passed him with the stack of plates.

"Where's Shay?"

Owen shrugged, now looking his father in the eye at 6'3 "Dunno. He's on cutlery though."

John sighed. Owen kept track and measured what was fair between he and his brother always. Too close in years. He stepped past the kitchen and called out up the stairs "Shay?"

He could hear muffled conversation from Kurt and Logan through the wall and then their laughter as their back door squeaked open.

Seamus heard his father call him from his bedroom, which used to be Fiona’s.  He jogged down the stairs, dressed neatly but casually in trainers, jeans and a light sweater.  “I was
 Just texting someone.  Sorry.”  He ducks around his father and into the kitchen for the cutlery.  “What am I doing again, Zero-man?”  he asks, just teasing.  He is 6’2 to Owen’s 6’3 … it felt like just another competition to him with his older brother.

Logan comes out of his place and moves some bottles around on the large picnic table.  That was new since he’d last been home.  Apparently Peter O’Brian and his Dad had made it to accommodate the family while the island was just gone.  It was HUGE and could probably fit twenty people.  As long as he and Kurt were two of those people.  He’d lost his family for three long years.  The only thing that had made it bearable was his Great Uncle Ulick, the last of his grandmother’s brothers who had come to Canada after Alexandra had vanished.

Michael moved along the street with Stephanie.  His house was closer to the school on 4th and he found he really did like the little house.  Once he thought it might be cramped, but for his family it was perfect.  They even had a back yard that overlooked the water.  Tristan had been given the choice to come with them, come later or even not come at all.  Michael had told him why the party was happening and Tristan seemed to like Vincent enough, but while this was a social gathering … it was likely every last member of the family would get drunk and be extremely animated.

John snickered at Seamus "Set the table with your brother Smartass. Logan or Kurt bought napkins...or they were supposed to. Then come back for some of these veggie packs." John poked at the sausages he hoped were thawed in their bags, laid out on a cookie sheet "Aw come on thaw. I'll cook this batch first and thaw it on the grill..." He muttered as he picked up the tray and some utensils and headed back for the door. Owen opened it for him from the other side and held it open for both his father and Seamus. He had heard the Zero Man comment and pretended to ignore it and then set the plates out and greeted Logan briefly as he set bottles out.

"Thanks." John barked and stepped through. He saw Logan and nodded at him while dealing with the packages "Oh good you're back. Did I give you enough cash for it all?"

Kurt wrestled a cooler full of ice through their door and hoisted it with a little throat clear, walking towards Logan. "Are we putting all this at that end?" He noticed the long table and was seeking direction for the cooler. "Hi John. I'd hug you but my arms are full." He smiled warmly at him.

John smirked "Probably best....I've been touching meat....I mean....shit that sounds bad." He laughed.

Kurt gave a little "Ooooh!"

Stephanie had given Micheal the giant salad bowl and was carrying several foil wrapped garlic breads in a cloth shopping bag. "Fortnite..." she muttered. "Our son lives there now. Too bad we can't have family dinners for him there and all eat pixels." They came to the house and started crossing the lawn, veering to the side to head to the back yard. "Eat first before you drink too much. It will minimize the carnage...."

Michael chuckled.  “The internet has claimed him.  That was … surprisingly fast.”  he sort of understood.  Over at the cop shop there was elation at the return of the world and immediate immersion in it.  Almost as if they had not been gone.  He snorts and hefts the salad.  “Yes, dear.”  he teases, although he does love being married.  He turns to his brother, having come around the corner just in time to hear his last comment.  “Is that the lesson you’re going to give your new son?”  he asks, cheekily.  He looks at Kurt and braces himself for a hug when he hears a great booming voice.

“Are ye ready to feast, lads!”  Ulick Fitzpatrick came around the corner of the house, carrying a large bag and followed by his sister and Yuki Tanaka.  “Feast and then DRINK!”

Jude Murphy emerged from the trees between the houses on Third and the inlet’s waters edge chuckling.  “Don’t tell me the rumors are true and that old Irish drunk really was allowed in the country!”  he looks around at those who have assembled and smiles at them all.

Ulick looks over the table at him, plopping the bag down and it clunked, betraying at least two bottles inside.  “I thought you were dead, lassie!”  he makes his way over and hugs Jude hard, slapping him on the back audibly.

“I’ll give you Lassie you old Irish stereotype!”  Jude retorts.

Kaitlin Reinhardt approaches her grandson Logan.  “Oh the family is back together.”  she is nearly weepy eyed as she hugs Logan hard … again.

Logan laughs at his uncles and hugs his grandmother back.  “Yes we are.  And I’m glad to BE back, Gran.”

Seamus snorts, still working to set the table with Owen.  He sets neatly but quickly, as this is not the most fun he’s ever had.  He watches his family, knowing they are not all yet arrived.  “Your bestie is late.”  it didn’t really bother him that Owen and Vincent were best friends, but it did amuse him, as in many ways the two of them were leagues apart.

John hangs back at the grill, arranging and then turning sausages and then fitting in the foil packages that Owen had gone back for. He watches the family gather and grins at them all, lingering on Uncle Uilick and his antics. Casually he nags Owen and Seamus "Did you wash your hands?"

Owen rolls his eyes and sarcastically retorts "No Dad I just licked them clean. Yes I washed." He's now at the table with Seamus and makes a disgusted face at him "Yeah they're late....probably best not to guess why." He nods to those arriving with a small grin.

Stephanie gets greeted by the first Kurt hug and almost drops her bread bag.

"New family. You must be Stephanie. Look at you...you're gorgeous. We haven't met. I'm Kurt."

Stephanie pats his arm awkwardly "Hello Kurt..." She laughs "Thanks." She looks at Michael like what the hell.

Kurt lets go of Stephanie and swoops towards Michael "Hello big man. Don't worry you're gorgeous too. You too should have babies. Just think of the combination...." He jumps back from Micheal and just catches a sneeze in his inner elbow "Pardon me."

Stephanie sputters beside them and laughs more. "Gesundeit Kurt."

"Danke." he replies "I don't know where that came from."

John chuckles and then watches Jude and Uilick talk.

Yuki looks tiny compared to the Reinhardts and he smiles shyly, shrinking a bit more as things get immediately rowdy. He watched Kaitlin embrace Logan twice, knowing how much she missed him. He's clutching a Tupperware full of mochi to him like a shield though as he watched a sneezy Kurt start to make the rounds.

At their apartment, Fiona yanks on her clothes as she looks at the clock "Shit...we're late again.....Vincent stop tempting me with all the happy sex." She runs to the bathroom and rips a brush through her hair.

Vincent chuckles as he puts his clothes back on.  He zips up and moves into the kitchen to wash his hands.  “I’ll happily take the blame.”  he announces.  He turns his attention to the oven, where four lasagnas are warming up nicely.  He takes them all out and wraps them all on foil.  “You take two and I take two?”  They’re quite heavy.  Two are chicken and two are his Reinhardt usual buffalo meat.  He could carry three if the two are too heavy for Fiona, but he thinks she’ll manage.

Back at the Reinhardt gathering, Seamus snorts.  “Of course I washed my hands, Dad.”  he reports in his turn.  “Rinsed them in the toilet twice, just to make sure I got all the soap off.”  he leans into Owen.  “Someday you’ll understand, Owen.  There’s some things worth making yourself late for.”  he sniggers and moves around, finishing his part of the job.

Michael watches Stephanie and Kurt, amused.  At Steph’s look, he shrugs.  “Kurt hugs.  It’s what he does.  You’ll get used to it.  Probably.”  He accepts his hug and then shrugs.  “We have Tristan .. don’t squeeze the life out of him when you DO meet him, thanks.”  he tells him.  “Don’t you think there are enough large gaps between me and John and Colleen and Jude?”  he arches his brows at the sneeze, but at least Kurt managed to sneeze in his sleeve.

Ulick turns from Jude to look down at Stephanie.  “A bonnie wee lass!”  he booms.  “Barely bigger than a fairy!”  he looks between Steph and Michael, his mind going places it probably shouldn’t, but then turns to Kurt.  “Ya like the hugs, do ya lad?”  he asks and gives Kurt one of his own huge bear hugs, known to drive the air out of any pair of lungs.  Lifting Kurt up, he takes a moment before returning him to the ground.  “Now THATS a hug, laddy.”

Jude shakes his head and, when Kurt is returned to Earth moves to him and looks down in his turn.  “You can hug me at weddings, funerals and other emotionally charged events like hockey championships.”  he explains, his face partly deadpan and partly deadly looking.  “But since this is an engagement party.”  he offers a hug, which is light and half hearted, as Jude doesn’t know Kurt all that well … mostly by hugging reputation.  But he also has a reputation for not being overly affectionate to anyone he doesn’t consider family.  Vincent counts more than Kurt because Kurt was not on the island while they were cut off from the rest of the world.

Kaitlin watches her family and finally lets Logan go.  She’d just gotten her family back and then had lost Logan.  Both she and Colleen had been beside themselves.  She moves to Yuki’s side and leans into him, smiling.  Ulick had nearly killed him with his hug, and even though Kurt wasn’t as big as Ulick, she could understand how Yuki might be a bit gunshy.

Logan smiles at the interaction and laughs when Ulick hugs Kurt.  The Prince of Hugs has competition.  He opens his mouth to speak and quickly raises his arm to cough into it.  “Yea.”  he winds up saying.  He looks at his brothers and shakes his head.  “Christ you two grew.”  Logan himself seems to have stopped just above his father’s height and both his little brothers were closing in fast on both of them.

Fiona sets her hairbrush down on the shelf and then shifts her hips side to side, feeling a sudden gush. Dammit they had used a condom......oh wait...oh thank the goddesses of fertility...."Yeah...just a minute....oh....yes! Mildly annoying timing but oh yes." She stuff toilet paper between her legs and washes her underwear in the sink calling out musically "We're NOT pregnant!"

John snorts at his sons and keep grilling, enjoying the sunshine and the breeze on his face as well as the surrounding antics of all the family.

Owen rolls his eyes at Seamus and stalks off after finishing his tasks. He had heard Logan but hadn't replied, clearly distracted by his own thoughts. He sits down half way to the water and just looks out at it ebbing and flowing.

Steph backed up a little at the sneeze but saw it caught and relaxed. She had been reading the news of course and was trying to keep her head. She joked back to Kurt and Micheal "I'm good with the one...it's our fate. Besides we can't afford the bandwidth if we produce another gamer." Stephanie blinked a bit at Uilick, not sure how to take his comment or his look between them. He was the weirdest of the Reinhardts even though he didn't bear the name. She steps away to set out the bread on the table at the opposite end from the booze.

Kurt is completely winded by Uilick but has never looked more delighted "Oh you're my new favourite....or maybe I just want to be you!" He starts laughing and turns to Logan "I love your family." He takes in what Jude is saying and respectfully hugs him with some restraint, sensing his discomfort "Thank you Jude. I will always respect boundaries when people need to set them." He rubs at his throat and clears it again "I think I need a drink....bit dry today. Must be the spring." Kurt's thirst makes him skip Yuki. He must be really thirsty. He pours himself a glass of sweet white German wine and then holds up the bottle "Anyone else?"

Stephanie wanders over "Is that a Riesling? I like that one...yes please Kurt." She accepts the glass and sips with him.

Yuki looked relieved to be passed over by Kurt and gave Kaitlin a little kiss on the cheek as she leaned in. "I should probably put this in the freezer for us." He stepped away from her with a loving look and headed for the house with their offered dessert.

Vincent closes his eyes and tosses out a quick prayer of thanks when he hears Fiona announce her period.  “Good … now I don’t have to tell your father his first guess was right.”  he calls back and finishes wrapping the lasagna.  He moves to grab a hoodie and turns.  “I’m ready.  Lasagna is ready.  Let’s go.”  he’s actually excited and curious about this dinner.

Seamus watches Owen wander off to look at the water.  Even though that is usually one of the things Seamus himself does when he’s brooding or needs to think, he gets distracted by Logan.  “You expected us to remain literal little brothers forever?  You sound like Mom.”  he is broad across the shoulders with a barrel chest.  Build a lot like his uncle, thanks to his working out at The Gym every chance he got.

Michael mock shudders.  “Bankruptcy.  No … thanks anyway.”  he looks at his uncle and points at him.  “Get your mind out of my bedroom, Uncle Ulick.  I never tried to imagine you with a woman and I expect the same in return.”  he watches Kurt and rolls his eyes.  “Wine?  Please tell me that that is not only my love’s favorite, but that there is plenty of REAL alcohol to be had.”

Ulick looks at Kurt and growls something fervent in Gaelic.  Apparently his hug had backfired on him a little bit … but it was OK, he did like hugs.  He laughs heartily and looks at Michael.  “But you’re a Reinhardt, lad.  And she is such a tiny little sprite.  How can I not?”  he all but demands. Immediately he assures his nephew.  “In the bag, Michael.  Good, wholesome Irish whiskey.” he looks at Logan suspiciously, as if accusing him of allowing a substandard drink like wine at a family gathering.

Jude shakes his head and rubs at his temple, then looks at Stephanie.  “I should have told you when I met you that it’s the Murphy side of the family with any sort of class.”  he motions to Ulick, Michael, John and even Seamus.  “They’re animals.  Dogs, I tell you.”  although back in the day, Jude didn’t spend too many nights alone, himself.  He then turns to the table and the bottles.  “Looks like three bottles of Jameson....” he looks over at John.  “Two of which came from Ulick.  Jesus John, I thought this was a celebration!  You pissed at that boy already?”  he growls good-naturedly, as if three bottles of Irish Whiskey might not be enough for them all.

Kaitlin watches Yuki seek the sanctuary of the house and turns when she hears Ulick.  “You’ll never change.”  she accuses and looks at Stephanie apologetically.  “He did the same when he met Heinrich.”  she tells her daughter in law.  “But then he and Henirich got in a fight and …  well .. Ulick won .. I didn’t see him much after that…”  her words peter out and she sighs almost angrily.  Heinrich still raises his evil head sometimes, even though he’s been dead three years and more.

Logan defends himself from the wrath of his uncle.  “Kurt likes Reisling and so does Mom.  Clearly Stephanie is a woman of good tastes.”  Never hurts to brown nose all of the older males at one time, he figures.

Fiona was quickly sorted out and fully ready and met Vincent, taking her share of lasagna in hand "My Dad thought I was pregnant?! God...…." In no time at all they were walking across the side lawn to the back, hearing the chatter of those already gathered.  Fiona heard her great uncle above the din of the others and she made her way to the table and set the lasagna down. "Hello dear family. Please try not to kill my fiancé with alcohol poisoning."

Owen stays down by the water for awhile, scrolling through his phone, smiling wistfully and sadly between photos and texts.

Stephanie hears Micheal and Uilick, because who can't hear Uilick and just slams back her wine, thrusting her empty glass out towards Kurt for a refill.  Jude makes her laugh a little and she gives him a grateful look before sipping again. When Stephanie sees the last pair approaching gives Fiona and Vincent a small smile "Don't worry I'll help drink some to lessen the load. And congratulations!"

Kurt refills Stephanie's glass but then almost spills the wine as he runs to hug Fiona and Vincent together, bottle still in hand and teetering on an angle. "You two are so beautiful!! Love is beautiful...…"

Yuki quietly reemerges from the house. He had been gone awhile. Making an obvious excuse he mutters "Got turned around finding the bathroom....." Then he sees Stephanie, Michael and Uilick and Kurt practically charging the happy couple and ducks behind Kaitlin "Oh boy...."

John wipes his hands on a nearby cloth and heads over to the table, leaving the grilled items to sizzle "Beer, wine....whisky,,,,somebody pour me something..." He gives Logan and Seamus a twinkly eyed look and then grins at Fiona and Vincent about to be mauled "He's like an affectionate boxing match." He clears his throat and chuckles at Logan "And that's all I'm going to say about it.  “Hey where's O?" John's gaze shifts to Uilick, Michael, Stephanie and Jude as well.

Vincent nods as he grabs his bag and they start out.  “Yes, he did.  I think he’s less ready for that than we are.”  he laughs and enjoys the walk, despite the heavy lasagna.  When they arrive it is almost a race to set the lasagna down before Kurt gets to him.  Once the hugs are out of the way, he looks at those gathered.  “Sorry we’re late.”  he doesn’t offer any reasons for it.  “I think four lasagna’s should make up for it.”

Seamus watches the hugging with amusement, shaking his head.  He reaches for the very knives he brought out and takes the foil off of each lasagna in turn, cutting each pan into eight servings.  “Owen’s by the water.”  he starts dishing out pieces of the lasagna and placing them on the plates.  “Hey Owen.  Come on!  It’s a party, man!”  he yells, even as he serves.

Michael watches Stephanie slam down the glass of wine and wipes away a mock tear.  “I love it when you drink like a Reinhardt.”  he sniffs and finds a seat, wasting no time digging into the lasagna.  “Someone get me a drink!”  he calls.  Food first .. and then …. Drinking like he was born to it.

Ulick calls out “Congratulations!” and only shakes Vincent’s hand before taking a seat where there is lasagna.  He inhales deeply and picks up a fork, preparing for his first experience with Vincent’s cooking.  Taking a large bit into his mouth he chews, his eyes getting wider. Finally he swallows.  “Welcome to the family, Vincent.”  he looks impressed and not much impresses him after sixty-five years.  “Chicken lasagna?  Well my blood pressure thanks you.  If the food is always like this, we’ll sue for custody of you if Fiona loses her head and tries to divorce you!”

Jude moves to Vincent and hugs him, then moves for the bottles of alcohol and glasses.  He pours the glasses full for all of the men and then pauses, looking to see if any of the three women want some as well before he sits.  “Vincent is an incredible cook.  This is the first time I’ve had his cooking since the island’s been back to decent rations, so I can only imagine what he’s come up for with a full pantry.”  finally he sits and digs in.  Not saying another word, he eats, showing that he too is impressed, but he lives in the North Woods, so arguably anything but what he’s catching for himself is impressive.

Katlin gives the gentlest hugs of all and heads for the table with a glass of wine supplied by Kurt.  She sips it daintily and digs into her lasagna.  Eating with her usual efficiency, she smiles.  “You’ve done it yet again, Vincent.  I am going to be proud to call you my grandson.”  she looks at Fiona.  “What kept you so long?”  she pries.  “You could have called one of the men to help you if it was too heavy to carry or if you needed help you know.”

Logan also hugs Vincent, then goes to sit as well, also yelling,  “Come on, Owen.  We’re not saving you any!” it is a clear threat when faced with Vincent’s lasagna.  “Man you’re as good as 13.  We went there a couple of times, me and Kurt.  Your Uncle Vincent wouldn’t let us pay once he figured out who I was.”  He blushes and digs in.  When Vincent cooks, the table tends to go quiet while people stuff their faces.

It was a sacred space that surrounded the consuming of the lasagna. Like a ritual feast. Plates were filled and the family savoured and communed with the lasagna. Reverent nods acknowledged Jude, Uilick and then Logan's words. Owen had drifted back as if drawn to the light as a sunbeam shone through the clouds upon the table. The heavens illuminating the elation of each bite, each scraping of eager fork to anticipating mouth. Fiona held up a finger towards Kaitlin, unable to answer her grandmother until her slice was consumed. It was simultaneously monastic and orgasmic.

As the slices were devoured, the aura dissipated enough for John Reinhardt to sniff upwards in the air. A distinct scent of smoke pierced the perfection and he jumped to his feet.

"Fucking shitballs! The sausages!" He had forgotten, they all had. The first batch was charred to coals. John cursed and scraped them off the grill "Dammit."

Stephanie winced and elbowed Micheal "Let's pass the salad and bread...." She reached for the bread and handed it off.

Fiona took it gingerly, watching her Dad with empathy "Sorry Dad....."

Owen wiped his face with a napkin and got to his feet, stepping beside his father and taking another utensil to help remove the remains of the sausage "If we clean the grill we can still do the veggies and the beef ones..."

John just whimpered and shook his head. Yuki appeared beside him and handed him a beer.

Kurt called out "Do you need a hug John?"

John growled and downed the beer in one go and then started laughing "No......shit though those weren't cheap. Sorry guys."

Vincent isn’t immune to his own cooking, and enjoys it with gusto … until the excitement of the grill distracts them all.  He half stands, and then sits again, saying nothing, although he had been looking forward to John’s grilling.  He fixes himself a salad and grabs a piece of passing bread.

Seamus almost gets up with Owen, but sees his brother has it well in hand and finishes what’s on his plate.  Then the salad and bread appear and he takes a little bread and a huge salad.  Gone are the days of hating vegetables.

Michael winces as his brother mourns, then laughs when Kurt offers his customary consolation.  He takes a little salad and a little bread as well.

Ulick swallows his last bite and watches his nephews pain.  He reaches for his glass of whiskey and holds it aloft in a silent toast.  “To charred sausages!”  he toasts.  “You did your best, boy!”  he comforts John in his own way and takes to large swallows of the Jameson.

Jude shakes his head in sympathy, also taking a decent bit if the passing salad.  He, too, reaches for his whiskey.  “To char!”  and drinks deeply as well.

Kaitlin gasps when John jumps up to save his contribution to the dinner.  “Money isn’t everything, John.”  she chides.  “The family is back together.”  and then Ulick bellows and she shakes her head, taking some salad and bread.  Yes … the family is back together.

Logan nearly leaps to his feet as well, but Owen beats him to it.  He sits and takes salad and bread, having almost forgotten there were other things to this dinner besides lasagna.

After the grill was empty John waved off the comments and intensely scrubbed at the rungs with the wire cleaning brush. Owen took the remains and the wrappings into the house to put them in the garbage.

Yuki rejoined Kaitlin and took some salad and bread as it passed again. He nodded down the table to Stephanie and Michael "Thank you." He had been paying attention to who brought what.

Fiona leans into Vincent and says "Ok you've eaten,,,,do you want a drink?"

Kurt pretended to be hurt by the dismissal of his hug offer and then overheard Fiona "Vincent doesn't have a drink? Where are my manners?!" He reaches for the wine and then looks tentatively at him "What DO you drink?"

Owen comes back, swings past the table and unabashedly grabs a beer before going to the grill to help put the remaining food on. He catches Seamus's eye and shrugs slightly with a trying a bit too hard to be nonchalant look.

Vincent smiles at Fiona and nods.  “Yea … I think I do.”  he gives her a quick peck on the lips and, before Kurt can offer him wine, he finds a full glass of whiskey pressed into his hands by Ulick.  He nods thanks, looks at the glass, bites his lip and takes a tentative swallow.  He coughs and blinks, then makes a face.  “Yea ….”  he murmurs and takes another, which is easier for him.

Seamus looks at Owen’s shrug and wonders at it before he also reaches for a glass of whiskey.  If he let Kurt serve him wine he would never live it down.  He might have gone for beer, but saw his Great Uncle Ulick give Vincent whiskey and then Vincent drank it.  Out drinking Owen just became a priority.  He takes a drink and coughs, blinking.

Michael watches the young men take what he believes is their first drink … certainly of any kind of hard liquor.  Peter O’Brian and Jack Douglas had made a still with help from Jude while the island was out of touch, but now that was definitely illegal and he knew the men had already dismantled it.  But they’d never let kids have any.  He wondered how the boys would react, but then noticed John scrubbing the grill.  He stands, taking two glasses of whiskey and moves to the grill, handing one to his brother.  “Clean later, Mom.”  he mock orders, toasts the charred grill and drinks deeply.

Ulick watches the boys drink with a nod and a smile.  “Ahhh to be young again…”  he muses, taking another two swallows from his glass.

Jude chuckles watching the young men drink, then Michael teasing his brother.  He tips back his glass and takes a huge swallow.

Kaitlin watches the boys drinking with curiosity and a slight tension in her body.  She reaches for her wine and takes a tiny sip, then goes back to her food.

Logan smiles and looks at his brothers and Vincent as they drink.  Then he asks curiously.  “So when’s the big day you two?”  He knows they’re getting married, but doesn’t know when.

Fiona watches Vincent with laid back amusement. This was a new side of him. She'd been tipsy before but never fully drunk herself. She gave Kurt a little hand signal to pour her some wine and accepted it with a mouthed "thank you" as she watched Vincent down his second. Then she just watched him, grinning like the Cheshire cat. Her phone battery was full and she had lots of photo space. She glanced tentatively at her grandmother, remembering her comment from earlier that she missed replying to at lasagna time. Giving Vincent a little arm squeeze she eased her way off the bench and moved down to sidle in beside Kaitlin. She didn't get into it immediately, just sat with her, seeing her unease. Instead she answers Logan with a wry look "Halloween wedding. You all better dress up."

Yuki shifted over a bit to make Kaitlin less squished as Fiona sat on her other side. He laughed about the Halloween wedding and toasted with the whisky he had been poured as the rounds were shared.

Owen sipped his beer slowly, waiting by his Dad for instructions. He didn't try to hide it. He knew what kind of night it was. Plus their parents had always said if they were going to experiment with drinking, do it at home so they knew everyone was safe. He'd been drunk once on a dare and gone from tipsy to sick to total blackout. Shay had taken full advantage of it and he had woken up with a penis drawing across his face. Shay's argument was that it was just a dickhead warning label. Tonight he was pacing himself and possibly stashing all the markers and pens in the house before bed. He smiled at his Uncle Mike as he mocked his Dad and handed him a drink.

John took the drink and put down the scrubber "Yeah well." He glanced at the sausages and remaining veggies "Maybe we'll make a nice casserole tomorrow." He shook his head and then toasted with Micheal and drank.

Kurt heard Fiona say it was a Halloween wedding and just about burst from excitement. He grabbed Logan's forearm "We better pick our theme so we can plan! How delightful!"

Stephanie slowed a little on her wine sipping but was on her fourth glass by this point and looked very relaxed. She nodded and gave Vincent and Fiona a knowing look "Didn't you two meet on Halloween?"

Vincent drinks and watches those around him.  “I’ll be wearing white and Fiona will be dressed in black.”  he tells anyone who happens to be listening.  He considers saying more, but wonders if anyone will ask why they made that decision.  The alcohol is relaxing him, and he’s not feeling too bad yet.  He does just take a sip of the alcohol, however and then winks a little cheekily at Stephanie instead of answering her.

Seamus drinks steadily.  As far as he is concerned it’s already been proven that he can outdrink Owen and he carefully considers options for brother graffiti later in the evening.  He hadn’t come out of the fraternal drinking dare completely unscathed and expected he would have the hangover from hell come morning, but he’d hidden his pain from Owen while he teased him about the dickhead warning on his forehead.  Listening to his Fiona and Vincent he snorts.  “I’ll have to think of something good.”

Michael drinks with his brother and then heads back to the table.  He smirks at the casserole comment and is about to tease more when Fiona announces the Halloween wedding and Vincent tells what they will be wearing.  “I get it.”  he sits and looks across at Vincent.  “Because you were an angel and she was Wednesday Adams.” he snorts.  “Cute.”  He takes another deep drink.  “I think I’ll take a page out of your book and come dressed as a cop.”  he leans into Stephanie.  “That’s when they met alright.  And I remember their first date.”  he eyes his brother with a smirk.  “You can dress as Stalin and Stephanie can dress as a waitress.”  he chuckles.  “Whoever dreamed we would be here after that date?”

Ulick arched his brows, looking genuinely interested in the wedding plans.  “Maybe I’ll wear a kilt.”  he suggests and it’s hard to tell whether he is serious or not.

Jude grins, remembering hearing about the stunt his brother-in-law had pulled on Fiona and Vincent.  “Dress up as in wear a suit, maybe?”  he offers with a smirk. 

Logan laughs as Kurt clings onto him and looks between his sister and her fiance.  “I shall dress up and tell a lovely story at the reception.”  He lifts his glass, winks and drinks deeply.  “Meeting Fiona on Halloween and he’s still here …  Cheers, little brother.”

Kaitlin continues to watch the youngest members of the family drinking, her stance still tense.  “Oh, that’s … lovely.”  she replies, absently.  “I remember you telling me that, Fiona.”  she looks at her granddaughter and the younger woman might see a slight edge of fear in her eyes, as if the older woman is afraid of something happening.

John sees Fiona’s look as he hears Michael calling him out on his totalitarian parenting techniques of old. He sheepishly smiles at Fiona and Vincent and then Michael “I’ve done better since.” He saunters to the table and awkwardly swings his leg over, trying not to roundhouse anyone and sits across from Michael. With a side eye at Uilick he chortles “Promise not to moon us in yer kilt. Way too easy if you go traditional.” He toasts his beer at Jude after the suit comment “Canadian tuxedo?”

Fiona retorts at Shay from beside her grandmother “Don’t you dare just slap on a mask and a hoodie Shay.” She rolls her eyes and laughs at her Uncle Mike and then darts a retroactively fierce look at her father.

Owen kept relatively quiet and eased his way into a second beer, watching Seamus’s intake with interest. He sat down at the end of the bench a bit apart from the group looking a little melancholy for a moment before leaning on his elbows and rolling his neck from side to side.

Stephanie cracks up at the little wink from Vincent. He had never done that before. The whiskey was kicking in for sure. She slbows Micheal after his comments “A waitress? So like…” she does a flourishing hand gesture in the general area of her mid body “This?”

Kurt’s head swivels as he listens to the conversation around him. He snuggles into Logan and sniffs a bit and then clears his throat “It is lovely to be married on the day you met.” He looks around the yard “something’s blooming and tickling my allergies…..”

Yuki has been listening, nodding and chuckling along but had his eye on Kaitlin, sensing her tension. He slid his arm around her waist and gently rubbed her back between her shoulder blades. He had some ideas about what might be bothering her but would wait for her later confirmation.

Fiona now finally answers Kaitlin. She had been highly amused by Vincent’s little wink at Stephanie but her face took on a more serious quality now “Gran, are you ok? I didn’t answer you before. I hope I didn’t offend you. Vincent and I were late because we’re young and in love.” She frankly stated with a little smile at Vincent. She shifted back to her Gran “You know I’m a powerhouse right? I don’t need a man to carry stuff for me. I mean it’s nice when they want to I suppose but I’m pretty kick ass.” She assured.

Vincent settles back, listening to the family.  He looks over at Seamus.  “You need to be more creative, Shay.”   he encourages.  Then he heard Fiona answer Kaitlin and bites his lip, although he does not blush.  Unusual for him.  He simply shrugs.

Seamus snorts a laugh.  “Ok .. so if we all pick a theme of when we first met Vincent …”  he considers.  “I could dress like a doctor, because I think Owen cooked the night I met Vincent.”  he looks over at Owen.  “You could dress as a chef. Or better yet a jalapeno pepper.”  he smirks, his eyes twinkling.

Michael nods at Stephanie.  “Yea.  Like that.”  he agrees.  “Beats a kimono?”  Sakura Sushi did not have a real uniform, so casual dress worked for him.  He takes another drink, his mind thinking back on that date.  In hindsight, it was hilarious.  Listening to Fiona, he looks at his mother, then at his brother.  Leave it to Fiona to just answer the damn question.

Ulick laughs heartily.  “There’s no way BUT traditional, Lad!”  he insists.  “I just hope I don get a draft at the wrong time.”   He looks down the table towards his sister and her boyfriend.  "”Ya awfully quiet, Yuki.”  he calls down.  “I know ya have ta ‘av drunk wit at least Michael before.  Ya cain’t be too quiet round us.  Even Jude’ll run his mouth ya put enough whiskey in him.”

Jude nods at John.  “Exactly.”  he replies and then smirks.  “Maybe I’ll see if my old uniform still fits me.”  he wonders if anyone has seen him in his old military uniform.  “Formal, of course.”  He snorts and looks at Ulick.  “The man can’t get a word in edgewise with your drunken blathering!”

Kaitlin turns beet red and blinks a moment before smiling, shyly.  “Oh … I … understand.”  she replies and then nods, looking between Fiona and Stephanie.  “You girls are so strong.”  she tells them.  “I admire all of you girls so much.”  she sips her wine and leans a bit into Yuki.

Logan puts his arm around Kurt and smiles softly at his family.  You could never deny … these family gatherings were never boring.

John’s temple instinctively pulsed a bit at Fiona’s brash admission. He downed his beer and reached out for a whiskey, not even noticing who poured it. He accepted that Fiona and Vincent did that but knowing the timing was still momentarily jarring. He darted a glance at Vincent who looked so relaxed he could only be half cut.

Fiona gave her Gran a little half hug and said “Where do you think I learned it from? You are too. Life dealt you some shit.”

Owen’s lip slides up into a half snarl and then he chuckles and flips Shay the bird “I can cook now jackass.”

Kurt snuggled up to Logan and teased Jude “Oooh a man in uniform! That’s always nice.”

Yuki smiled timidly at Uilick. Clearly the big loud man dwarfed him both physically and just in his sheer presence of personality. “I have and I do….just not like I used to. My drink is Saki but it hasn’t seemed fitting since…” He looked at Stephanie not wanting to dredge it up and then just shrugged.

Stephanie rolls her eyes at Uilick and then looks highly amused that Fiona just tells it like it is and then gives Kaitlin an emotional smile “It’s been a journey for me….but it’s better these days.” She gives Michael a little kiss on the cheek and then slowly and somberly turns to Yuki. “Since you lost your best friend…it’s ok Yuki. It helps us all to talk about it.” She looks at Uilick “We lost my Dad.” Her eyes dart back to Yuki “Hiro.”

At the name Yuki’s eyes fill up and he nods and then downs the rest of his drink and mutters “Sorry.”

Vincent looks over at Kaitlin.  “I know what you’ve been through.  Seen it .. in others.”  his eyes flash for the briefest of moments, remembering what he saw his mother go through.  “That’s why I think you’re the strongest woman I know.” and he drains his glass.

Seamus smirks at Owen, actually impressed he held his temper.  “Yes … yes you can.”  he concedes and toasts him.

Michael listens to Fiona, then Yuki.  He responds to Vincent with a silent toast and then looks at Yuki.  “Hiro was the best.”  he remembers.  “Not everyone would take a Reinhardt through their door so well.”  he grinned.

Ulick had not known Hiro, but he is looking between his sister, Fiona and Vincent.  Not knowing Vincent the man’s words tell him volumes.  “Aye.  That she is, Vincent.  That she is.”  and he drinks, then slaps his hand on the table.  “Time to lift the level of the water, boys!”  he cries and begins to stand.

Jude chuckles as Kurt gushes about a man in uniform.  “I’m not cutting my hair, but … sure .. why not.  I don’t think I’ve worn that funeral since Smitty’s funeral.  Be good to wear it to a more upbeat event.”  he looks towards Vincent and nods, knowing about his father by reputation.  He drains his own glass and moves to stand.  “I could make some room…”

Logan smiles at Kurt and then his grandmother.  “Vincent’s right, Gran.”  he agrees and then blinks.  “I didn’t think I had to ….”  but suddenly his bladder is making demands.

Vincent blows out a breath.  “Yea …  I guess I need to go too…”

Kaitlin blinks rapidly at Vincent's words and smiles.  She seems to be relaxing slowly.  She watches her brother and the other men and, knowing them, peeing may well be accompanied by singing … but she has to wonder if Vincent’ll know the words .. and if it will even matter if none of them does.

Fiona gives her Gran another little squeeze and looks at Vincent with enough love to melt an iceberg after he speaks. As the males begin to flock she stifles a snort and then laughs out loud “Don’t cross the streams boys…”

Owen swallows hard hearing Yuki, Stephanie and then Vincent speak to their Gran. It softens his demeanor to Seamus so when Seamus conceded and toasted him he toasted back with a clink, drained his beer and took another downing it easily during the conversation that followed. As great Uncle Uilick announces the exodus he shifts a bit and nods “Yeah…I better…” He looks back at his sister with a mock horrified face “Fuck…Fi…that’s gross!”

Kurt smooths Logan’s hair “Heavens no….don’t you dare. I was just think of the dress up factor…a little role pl…” He stops himself realizing he’s really feeling the alcohol hit him as his inhibitions almost crash and burn completely. With a little humble blush he follows Logan to nature’s latrine.

Yuki swelled at all the love and kindness and wiped at his eyes as they spilled over. He reached out and took Kaitlin’s hand, offering her support too as he shot back his glass with the other hand. A small man has a small bladder and as if by habitual suggestion he felt the need to follow the men, but timidly. He turned to Kaitlin before letting go of her hand “They do this all the time?”

Stephanie looks overwhelmed but smiles with shining eyes at Yuki, Kaitlin, Michael and Vincent. As the piddle procession begins she nods at Fiona and laughs hard at her comment. “Jesus…should we get the disinfectant now?”

John sniffed a bit and toasted in rounds as feelings were shared. He had downed two beer and was on his third whiskey by the time Uilick called them all to action. John found both comfort and amusement in the bizarre urinary ritual that seemed to descend through their ancestral line with no known origin. He knew the song well, but as his personal etiquette dictated he usually waited for another to lead them. Among the line he stood, pecker in the breeze, inviting both song and fluids to flow.

Ulick is the oldest among the men and he, like his father, began the song.  It was not an ancient tune, as his father and older brothers had heard and fell in love with it in the 1980’s.  It immediately replaced the familys older song and had been proudly sung, usually in Gaelic translation, by the male members of his family since.  As Heinrich had not been Irish, nor even liked, by the Fitzpatrick men, Ulick had hung onto the tradition until John was of age and later, Michael.  Now they sang with John’s sons and Fiona’s fiance.

“Ya new lads may not know the words,”  he began as he found a patch of grass that would allow him to look out into the inlet and unzipped.  “But ye’ll learn em in time.  Tagether we piss and bond in the fine tradition of the men of my family since before the Famine!”  and he began to sing, his voice loud, rich and almost frighteningly nice.  Of course, his voice rose when he hit the chorus.

I am going, I am going
Any which way the wind may be blowing
I am going, I am going
Where streams of whiskey are flowing

Vincent found a place at the foot of a tree and listened as he unzipped his jeans and prepared himself to continue the ritual.  He’s glad to be included, as he is not a Reinhardt … yet.  Not peeking, he began as Ulick started singing and began to chuckle when Ulick began the chorus.  Of course … the streams of whiskey were definitely flowing tonight.

Seamus picks his spot, back to the women and the table, of course.  He was too young when the island was cut off and he realizes that he and Owen had not followed the tradition when they had gotten drunk that time.  But he listens carefully and is determined to learn the song … for next time, of course.

Michael knows the song well and also remembers the first time he’d heard it, out for his first drunk with his big brother and visiting uncle.  Ulick had made the trip specifically for that reason, as a matter of fact and Michael quickly understood that this was how the males on the Irish side of his family bonded.  It was a strange ritual, but its what they did.  Fitzpatricks passing it along to Reinhardts.

Jude had been part of the ritual when he came of age, a year after Michael.  He’d been very thrilled that Ulick had made the journey to include him as if he were part of the family and not ‘just’ Colleen's baby brother.  He wonders as he sings along, if Vincent might feel the same.  At these events, they all became Reinhardt men.

Logan had missed the ritual when he came of age and he was glad to participate now with his younger brothers and his future brother-in-law.  He’s a little concerned about Kurt, but is glad that Kurt came and participated, despite being a wine drinker.

Kaitlin watched the men, finally seeming to relax.  As they began to pee, she even smiled and looked between Fiona and Stephanie.  Given Fiona’s words, she is guessing that her granddaughter did not know the song was indeed about streams.  Standing, she moves to the side of the house and turns on the water to the garden hose, then drags it to the far end of the table, dropping it in the grass near the singers.  “No need for disinfectant, Stephanie.”  she tells her.  “I came prepared.”  and she goes into her bag and brings out a container of soap for when they are done.  Chuckling she sets it on the table, where they can all use it when they are finally done and returns to her seat.  Looking at the backs of the ten men she laughs almost like a young girl.  “There haven’t been this many since before I left home.”  she remembers.  “I think the record is a dozen with my uncles in attendance.”  she waves to the men.  “This is only ten.”  Clearly, she has seen this ritual several times in the past.

John joined in Uilick, loving the  Pogues update of their tradition. He bet those scrawny Irish and English men pissed in the alleys of London, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. It was a noble tradition and he was glad to share it with his brood and Vincent. He harmonized with Uilick when he hit the chorus and to his now drunken ear they sounded akin to a Celtic barbershop quartet….er maybe dectet in their perfect pitch. To a sober ear, John was about 3 octaves off key and had created a cacophony of noise.

Fiona grinned at her Gran as she set up the hand washing station “Impressive preparation Gran.” Then she couldn’t help herself. She pulled out her phone and just had to record. “Don’t worry…I won’t post online….just maybe pull it out as blackmail for weddings and birthdays.” 

Owen picked a spot carefully, slightly apart and not downwind from Uilick. After Fiona, Owen was one of the best singers in the family and through recent life connections, a Pogues fan. He knew the song and sung it well and with deeper emotion one would expect from a pissing choir. His voice rose slightly over his father’s singing the correct harmony to the chorus with Uilick. It was a melancholy rite of passage.

Kurt was a little lost but having what might be called an anthropological experience. He stepped in by Logan and unzipped but then found he just couldn’t pee in the crowd of singing men. He zipped up again and folded his arms, listening and laughing quietly to himself.

Yuki chose a spot even further over, on the other side of Owen. He peed quickly and zipped up self consciously. He tried to join in on the chorus and fumbled at the words having never heard the song before. When John’s voice went off the pitch he winced a bit and laughed but then focused on Owen beside him who sounded surprisingly soothing to the ears.

Stephanie gave Kaitlin a thumbs up and then just shook her head laughing. She saw Fiona start recording and leaned in gesturing at her phone and then holding up her own, mouthing the words “Send me that.” She was closer to John than Owen so when Uilick rose with the chorus and John bastardized it she muttered “Jesus fucking Christ.”

Ulick finished his piss and let himself dangle in the slight breeze as he raised his arms in a passionate finish.  Then he tucked in, zipped up and turned.  Seeing the running garden hose, he cheered.  “Now for the wash!”  he exclaimed, happily and headed for it,  picking up the hose and bringing it a little closer to the bench then soaping up his hands.  He sees Fiona recording and smiles brightly.

Vincent finished and tucked himself back in.  Moving to the table he saw that someone had the foresight to pull out the garden hose and set out soap.  He figured that had to have been Kaitlin and he smiled, wetting, washing and then rinsing his hands.  As he looked around, he noticed that Fiona had her phone out and recording, and he remembered the little part of his conversation with John about how Fiona would never let him forget this day.  But he didn’t want to forget this day.  Shaking his hands dry, he heads back to Fiona, realizing he is weaving a bit and nearly falls as he attempts to straddle the long bench facing her.  “I love you.”  he announces, his voice mixed with whiskey infused emotion.  Then he leans on the table and tries to rest his head in his hand, missing the first time, then getting it right and looking at his fiance with absolute love.

Seamus heard Owen singing and was annoyed that his brother knew the words to this song when he did not.  He finished up and got himself right.  Once he was all zipped in, he took his turn at the water hose and headed for his seat.  He staggered back to the table and sat, using the table to steady himself so he didn’t wind up in the grass and looked at his sister, even as Vincent stared at her like a fool.  “Oh for fucks sake, Fiona.”  he groused, even as he chuckled.  The whiskey had hit him pretty hard, but he wasn’t sure he was done yet.

Michael also finished with his arms raised before tucking in and zipping his pants back up.  He turned and moved to the soap and water with a slight stagger.  He sees Fiona recording and gives her a thumbs up.  “A piss that will live in infamy!”  he declares.  “Don’t forget to send that to India!  One of us might get a recording contract!”  He returns to Stephanie and half hugs her while he sits, kissing her cheek and resting his head on her shoulder.

Jude finishes up and gets himself straightened out, then moves to wash his hands.  He looks round at Fiona recording and chuckles.  Moving back to his spot, he shakes his hands a bit before simply using Ulick’s shirt to complete the job.  Then his head turns, looking at and past the house.

Logan finishes and as he tucks in and zips up looks at Kurt with a grin.  “The only thing shy about you is your bladder.”  he teases as he goes to take his turn at the hose.  Hands washed he heads back to his seat and is about to comment on Vincent’s sappiness when he catches out of the corner of his eye his mother coming around the house.

Kaitlin moved into the house as Fiona pulled out her phone and brought out the mochi from the fridge.  Back at the table, she applauds the men, but also Fiona, who is still recording the experience.  She had quite a few family photos stored electronically now and she looked forward to some video files as well.  “You all performed wonderfully.”  she praised them.  “And you can have some mochi for dessert.”  Then she spots her daughter in law come around the house.  “Ah, Colleen you’re just in time.”

Colleen Reinhardt didn’t even bother to go inside the house, she simply walked around it.  She had heard the last of the song from Central Street and could not help but grin to herself, albeit it quickly.  The medical briefing had not been at all what she had expected … it had frightened her more than she would allow herself to admit while it was going on.  But now that she was home, her fear was again hidden as she looked at her family.  She moved to John and hugged him hard, then kissed him lightly, then looked around the table.  “Dessert sounds wonderful, Kaitlin.”  she agreed and was the first to take a mochi ball and bite into it.  The center contained a red bean paste generously flavored with Irish whiskey … truly international.  She made a sound of pleasure as she chewed and wondered how she should proceed.  Even IF she should tell them about the meeting.

Fiona gives Uilick as little thumbs up as he passes. She stops recording as the hand washing starts as it wasn’t the funny part. Fiona stifles a giggle as Vincent stumbles all over. She pats his head and lets out her laughter as he goes all puppy on her. “I love you too you adorable drunken Minstrel.” Fiona winked at Shay as he protested the filming. She was still holding the phone but record was off. They couldn’t see that and they were so drunk they might now figure out that she wasn’t pointing it at anyone. She jokes to her uncle “It’s like a Monty Python skit.”

Stephanie was still very amused by it all “I doubt India will want to promote singers who only perform with their dicks in their hands.” Stephanie cradles Michael to her as he rests his head “You need to slow down now dear. I can’t carry you.” She teased. Then she added onto Fiona’s Monty Python comment “Always look on the bright side of life…” She half sung.

Owen makes his way back and waits his turn for hand washing. Seeing Fiona’s phone out he mutters “Fuuuuck me…” and laughs. He washes and heads to his end of the table after grabbing another beer. He laughs at Vincent’s clumsy devotion and then swallows his next sip of beer a little harder.

Kurt looks self conscious about the shy bladder comment. Logan was right. Urinals were a challenge for Kurt all his life. He could just never go. He revered this ritual but wasn’t sure he could ever fully partake. He would simply be a participant observer. He washes his hands after Logan and waves to Colleen as she approaches, unsure if she caught it. She looks distracted.

Yuki  looked gratefully at Kaitlin for the set up of the hand washing station. She was so organized that way. It was a weird night, not a bad night, just odd. He hung back as others washed seeing Colleen join the fray and smiling at her. He brightened a little as Kaitlin said Mochi, their creatively culturally blended recipe. He was looking forward to it. He stepped up to the hand washing station and took his turn.

John was last to hand wash but efficient as he saw Colleen and was eager to great her. He hugged her back hard, his drunken hands a little lower than they should be but not a full ass grab. He was still vaguely aware of the children at least, the grown children. He kissed her back like he was trying to catch her lips again for more but she went light so he eased off. He sank down beside her and took a mochi as well before other hands dove for them all. “Mmmm….more whiskey. I like it. Thanks Mom and Yuki.”

Colleen savored the whiskey in the mochi, even though she was not known to enjoy the hard stuff.  “This tastes wonderful you two.”  she praises the collective international efforts of Kaitlin and Yuki, and then does something that may betray her tension.  Looking around the table, she sees no empty glasses, but she notices that one of the bottles of whiskey still has a little bit in it.  Grabbing it, she drinks the rest straight out of the bottle.  Two swallows worth.  Blowing out a breath, she leans against John a moment.  After that meeting, she needed the drink.  “That meeting was … rough.”  she announces.  “Adum says he will be sending a public announcement about the town’s plans to keep us all healthy.  Probably on Monday.”  she knew she was being a buss kill, but this was important.  She praised herself for not shutting the party down and sending her loved ones into isolation right there and then.

Vincent tore his eyes away from his beloved Fiona when Colleen arrived and sat.  He reached for a mochi and bit and found he liked it.  Looking around, he is more than content not to drink anymore.  Certainly not anything hard.  Turning properly on the bench, he moves a bit closer to Fiona as he watches Colleen reach for a nearly empty bottle and drain it.  Her words make him wonder.  Fiona had mentioned that Italy had closed itself off because of this coronavirus, but he hadn’t thought it had hit Canada too badly.

Seamus enjoys the mochi and has cracked open another beer by the time his mother starts speaking and wonders at his mother draining the bottle.  He’s never seen her to the like before, but she was his mother.  Maybe she did this from time to time and wasn’t as uptight as he’d thought since his teen aged years.  The news that the mayor is sending out an announcement strikes him as odd, but he says nothing, sipping at his beer.

Michael chuckles at Stephanie’s words.  “Fair enough.  One more beer and I’ll be done for the night.”  he opens a can and takes a sip before Colleen drains the bottle of whiskey, which gets his attention.  Colleen never touched the hard stuff.  The mochi was one thing, as was any alcohol infused candy or dessert in his opinion.  But what Colleen had consumed was a good two shots of whiskey.  She followed that up with the announcement of the mayor sending out an announcement and he straightened.  “I know Josh was at the meeting, too.  And Hank Stanley.”  he mentioned, having had an idea that it must be serious considering this meeting involved the top people on the island.  He glances at Stephanie, not wanting to worry her, and not outwardly showing alarm.

Ulick sampled the mochi cautiously, as it was a new food, for him, but he loved it and quickly popped a second into his mouth.  “A treat.”  he praises.  At Colleen’s words, he looks at her, curious.  He’d been hearing about the coronavirus, having been part of the world while Alexandra was out of the picture, but he was under the impression that it wasn’t that big a deal in Canada.

Jude enjoyed the mochi, but his jaw tightened slightly when Colleen spoke.  Through his own reestablished connections, he may know a little more than the others about this disease and when Michael reveals that both the police and fire chiefs were also at the meeting, he nods.  It sounds like Adum is taking it seriously, which he had expected.  The whole island had become like a large family and like its previous mayor, he knew Adum considered the residents like an extension of his own family.  “It’s pretty serious.”  he intones and while he considers reaching for another beer, does not.

Logan loves the mochi, but his mother's words make him curious.  Glancing at Jude when he speaks, he nods.  “Yea.  All of our classes moved online starting Monday.”  he announces.  “So I won’t have to travel back and forth.”  he glances at Kurt.  “We’re letting the lease on our apartment lapse.  Now you’re all back, I’m moving home.”

Kaitlin smiles at the obvious enjoyment of the dessert she and Yuki created.  Colleen drinks from a bottle and then speaks, followed by Michael, Jude and Logan and she bites her lip, looking at her daughter-in-law.  “How serious is it, Colleen?”  she asks.  “Are the kids in danger?”  she isn’t worried about herself, but she isn’t often worried about herself, thinking those thoughts selfish after the life she’s led.

John sobers several notches listening to Colleen and then watching her drink right from the whiskey bottle like she’s parched for some kind of salvation. He wraps both arms around her tightly when she leans against him, looking worried. “What should we be doing Babe?” He asks straight out. He could tell she wasn’t fucking around.

Fiona almost choked on her mochi as her eyes went wide at her mother’s drinking. She froze, listening to her in stunned silence. She read the news. She knew things were bad in Europe already and that Canada’s cases were ramping up too. She nodded after her father’s question, giving her full attention to the answer.

Owen was not a news reader as a general rule. He had heard bits and pieces about Covid-19 but really saw it as a faraway problem still. And he had been stuck in his own head a lot lately. He frowned at his mother’s behaviour and everyone’s reactions. Surely it couldn’t be this bad?

Kurt’s eyes teared up. He was close with his family in Germany and he knew. He just hoped they could flatten the curve before it made it here.  He looked at Jude “It’s serious and deadly back home. If we can do anything to stop that here…we have to.” He nodded at Logan “We’re probably much safer here than in Vancouver.”

Yuki set his mochi ball down and sighed heavily. “I don’t have many living relatives left in Japan but they’re all under lock down. And people are worried about the damned Olympics…..”

Stephanie looks taken aback by Colleen and then catches Michael’s eye “Tristan’s not going to school if it’s here.” She scrutinizes Colleen “Is it HERE?” Her jaw is set and she looks ready to pounce. She glances at Kaitlin and Yuki “The children are in less danger than you two.” She points two fingers “Go hole up. We’ll bring you groceries and supplies. I’m not even joking….”

Colleen listens to her family.  But it is Stephanie she stands and moves to, sitting between she and John with Michael on Stephanie’s other side.  Looking directly at her, she speaks to them all, but her full attention is on her sister-in-law.  “It is NOT here.”  she assures her.  “And Adum will do everything he can to keep us safe.”  she licks her lips and wonders what to tell a clearly frightened mother.  She sighs and looks quickly at Michael.  “You’ll probably hear at least some of it Monday, but I know Adum plans to shut the ferry down.  I don’t know for how long, but I also know it won’t be immediate.”  she looks at Stephanie again and contradicts herself a bit, wanting to be as honest as she can.  “The coronavirus could be here, but so far no one is showing symptoms.”  she sighs deeply and then nods in understanding.  “They left a limited amount of tests and a ton of information.”  she looks at Kaitlin, Yuki and Ulick.  “But, as a medical professional, I have to agree with Stephanie here.  When you leave here, I want you to go home.  There’s Skype and phones and emails … it won’t be like isolation at all.”  she takes Stephanie’s hand and squeezes it.  “Don’t pull Tristan out of school just yet.  Remember that the town Day Care is in the same building.  Isabella is in the same building.”  She hoped that Stephanie would calm knowing that their mayor’s own young child was in day care in the Academy with … all of the island’s other children.  That that might calm her.  Adum wouldn’t put his daughter at risk.

Vincent swallows hard and slips an arm around Fiona.  Suddenly he didn’t feel so drunk.  He nods his agreement to Stephanie and Colleen’s order for the older people in the family and then he swallows hard, then clears his throat, thinking about Giovanni.

Seamus bites his lip and looks at the older people around him.  Stephanie might think his grandmother was older, but he thought his parents were also at risk.  He looks at Owen and blows out a breath.

Ulick listens and, when Colleen adds him onto the list of those who should go into isolation, he opens his mouth to protest, but then closes it.  “Alright.”  he agrees.  He’s heard the news himself and one thing he’s learned … he is not immortal.

Jude nods at Colleen’s report.  He looks between she and Michael.  “I know I don’t have to tell you two to be careful.  But be careful.”  as if anyone around them had forgotten that of everyone on the island, Colleen and Michael would have little choice but to work through the crisis.

Logan listened and cleared his throat.  He’d known it as serious and yet… he and Kurt had been…  He nods and takes Kurts hand.  “We’re also going into isolation.”  he announces.  “I don’t know what we have.  Allergies, a cold, the flu or …”  he doesn’t continue the list.  “If you need us to help with cleanup, we’ll work something out.”  he stands and clears his throat again, feeling a sense of guilt that he may have infected his family already, coming off the mainland.  “Come on, Kurt.”  he tugs his hand and heads for the add on apartment he considers home.

Kaitlin listens, but blinks when Stephanie all but demands she go into self-isolation.  “But …”  And then her brother agrees and, just knowing how he can be, blinks in surprise, which quickly turns to fear.  “We .. we will…”  her voice aivers a bit and then gets stronger.  “We’ll be fine.”  she goes back into that mode where she reassures all around her.  Then Logan mentions that they will self-isolate … right then and there.  “Oh, Logan…”  she almost whimpers, fearing for the worst, but trying to look like she’s alright.  She clears her throat, forcing herself not to cry with the worry that is suddenly washing over her, especially for Colleen and Michael.

Michael places his arm around Stephanie’s waist, hoping to calm her as Colleen tries to reassure her.  He looks at Jude.  “Doubly careful, bro.”  he intones.  His thoughts are back at work.  Of course, he isnt thinking of quitting, but he knows Stephanie is frightened and wonders if that might become an issue in the days to come.

John lets go of Colleen as she stands and rubs the back of his neck, noticing his own tension. He wasn’t a panicker by nature but what Stephanie said about his mother and Yuki unsettled him. He listened to Colleen trying to reassure Stephanie but then heard her contradict herself and bit his lip. The whole thing just gave him a bad feeling.

Fiona listened in concentrated silence. She reached out and squeezed Vincent’s hand and then her eyes shifted to her grandmother and filled with tears that she fought to control.

Owen caught Seamus’s look and exhale sighed to himself. This all sounded so extreme. And they’d just all gotten their lives back to normal. He hung onto his mother’s words that it wasn’t here. Of course it wasn’t. They’d been cut off for so long. What were the odds?

Kurt gasped a little and blurted out “Oh god I’m sorry. I swear it’s allergies……but if it’s…” He starts to choke up and gets tugged away calling back again “I’m sorry……” A full sob escapes him before he’s out of earshot.

Yuki rubs Kaitlin’s back but nod with resignation “They’re right Kai….we should go. The kids can help us stay in touch. Keep the mochi and the dish. We’ll get it another time.” Yuki isn’t freaking out, but is a man of action.

Stephanie is all over the place through the conversation. She looks relieved when Colleen says it’s not here but then reels in terror and doubt as Colleen goes on. She already mostly worked from home with some face to face consultations with businesses she did the books for in town. Those could easily be done remotely. The gears were visually turning in her head. She watched Logan and Kurt walk off looking a little sucker punched. All it would take was this one event…if they had it. She gave Michael the steely eye. His work was such a high contact zone. They would have to take some precautions. But first they had to close off this evening. Taking charge she nodded at Yuki and Kaitlin “Go. Be safe.” Then she looked around the group at each person in turn with severity. “Ok anyone who doesn’t live in the same household just back the fuck up from each other. We’ll bin the garbage, stack the dishes and then we’ll use the hand washing station and all go home. This isn’t a drill people.” It was time to get informed and act.