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The very first time he uses it is just a few days after the wedding. He's not sure why, but his father, Charlie, Miles, Rachel, and Gene are dead set on using Marion's old bar for the some sort of meeting, which means, kicking him out. Charlie does the honors, shoving him lightly toward the door.
"Oh come on mom it's not even midnight!" He objects, crossing his arms over his chest and putting on his very best cartel face.
His father looks not at all amused, and is clearly going for the 'scary General Monroe' look, but Charlie looks for all the world like she's trying not to laugh. Instead, her hands find her hips and she arches an eyebrow at him.
"Home. Now." She says it with enough authority that Connor almost feels bad for the Ranger recruits that Carver has put under her.
"I feel like I at least deserve to know what this is about!" He objects, a bit of real annoyance slipping through. She seems to consider for a moment.
"Later." She tells him, pushing him lightly again. "Now go home." He steps out onto the porch and turns back once, putting on a pout.
"Are you and dad gonna be home in time to tuck me in?" He asks.
He hears Miles snort before the door slams in his face.
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He thinks, considering that they've been with the Rangers for the past two months and therefore haven't seen their family in as long, they'd be a bit more cheerful. Instead, they seem to be actively avoiding each other.
His father entertains himself with Miles, going into great detail over the fact that they seem to have pushed the last of the Patriots out of Texas, while Charlie keeps herself occupied with her mother and Gene.
Eventually, Rachel and her father retire to bed, leaving the four of them to start a very awkward game of poker. Despite Miles' complaints about losing in an attempt to lighten the air, the discomfort only grows.
Finally, inspiration strikes. He leans over to Charlie, who puts her cards down, thinking he's trying to see them, before resting his head on her shoulder.
"Mom?" He asks, putting on that innocent pout again, "Are you and dad getting a divorce?"
Miles chuckles and rolls his eyes, but his father looks entirely nonplussed. Charlie, on the other hand, plays right along, wrapping an arm around him and petting his hair gently.
"No, sweetie, of course not!" She assures him. "Your daddy's just being hardheaded is all."
"I am not!" Bass replies, looking indigent, before realizing he's been roped in an quickly shuts up. Connor's not ready to stop now though, and moves closer and buries himself into Charlie's side.
"If you do, can I stay with you? Daddy's mean."
Miles has his head buried in his hands and is shaking so hard with quiet laughter, Connor wouldn't be surprised if he fell out of his chair.
"Of course you can, Mommy'll always take care of her precious boy! I mean, it wouldn't be fair to deny your father any visitation but we'll work it out." She wraps her arms around him and hugs him, and he wonders if they'll have to wake Gene because Miles looks like he's about to have a heart attack.
"She won't if she's dead." It's his father, who's dropped his cards and crossed his arms over his chest, and is looking at Charlie with an expression that drops the humorous air in the room. He gets off of Charlie, who stands and just about drags his father out the door and into the next room.
He makes no move to eavesdrop on their conversation, especially after hearing a muffled 'I'm not going anywhere Bass.' Miles seems to finally get control of himself though, and he looks at Connor with something like approval.
"Good job kid." He appraises.
"Thanks grandpa!"
He has to duck to keep the boot Miles flings from hitting his head.
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When he wakes up on a couch with the worst hangover he's had in a really long time and his face feels like it's throbbing, his first thought is how drunk was he last night?
"Wha' 'appened?" He groans as he sits up, moving his head in a slow circle as he looks toward the kitchen, recognizing where he is as his father and Charlie's house. The latter is sitting on the counter, watching something out the window. She looks over to him, before smirking at him in that way he knows he's in for it.
"Good morning sweetie!" She chirps, loud enough to make him wince, getting down and walking toward him. Her hands are on her hips again as she looks him over. "How're you feeling?"
"Like hell." He groans in reply.
"Watch your language!" She replies in a too-sweet voice, before reaching a hand to smooth his hair back. "Come get your breakfast!"
The mere mention of food makes his stomach roll.
"What's the matter sweetheart? Don't you like bacon and eggs?" She asks in a far too innocent voice, and he very nearly throws up right then. She's back in the kitchen, and there's no possible way all the noise she's making is on accident. When he looks up, she smiles at him, before dropping a pan on the ground, making him wince.
"Sorry, I can be so clumsy sometimes!" She exclaims.
"I hate you Mom." He tells her, burying his face in the side of the couch. His father's voice from the stairs makes him jump.
"Don't talk to your mother like that."
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He's really not sure what's up, but all of the sudden his father seems to have gotten even more overprotective over Charlie than he usually is. If she so much as leaves his site he gets all agitated, and he'd find it hilarious if it wasn't so damn annoying.
"Oh come on. I don't think mom's running of with the stable boy!" He finally exclaims at his father paces up and down the room for the third time since Charlie went up the road to pick up meat from the butcher. She'd actually had to threaten Bass physical harm to get him to stay behind.
He probably wouldn't care too much if he wasn't living with them (could it really be considered living at home if he'd only known his father for a few years and he was actually older than his stepmother?) but as it was, it was irritating beyond belief.
In truth, he's actually kind of surprised how tolerant of it Charlie seems. While it does seem to get on her nerves, she allows it, and rarely shoves his father down a few pegs, which Connor knows she's very capable of doing.
He puts up with it for another week before he corners them.
"Alright, what the hell's going on?!" He finally demands, and he definitely does not like the almost conspiratorial glances his father and Charlie share. But then they're both smiling so brightly and so genuinely he thinks he's going to get whiplash and what is going on?
"Well, we were going to wait and tell everyone..." Charlie starts, glancing at his father for a second before shrugging, "But I guess you should be one of the first to know you're going to have a sibling."
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Connor thinks he should maybe try to reassure his father that Gene knows what he's doing, but he doesn't think it'll do much good. Bass has just about worn a hole into the floor from his pacing, and it wouldn't be surprising if he ended up bald from the way he keeps tugging at his hair.
He rests a hand on his father's shoulder, and he turns to face him, eyes that almost match his wide and plainly scared. It makes Connor's breath catch in surprise for just a second before he forces a smile.
"Dad, she'll be alright. They'll both be alright."
No sooner has he gotten the words out then they hear a newborn's wail from upstairs. In about the time it takes for either of them to take a breath, his father's halfway up the steps and he's right behind.
The door's still locked when they get up there, but they still hear the cries through the wood, and it's reassurance as they wait for anything.
After what seems like forever, Rachel appears in the doorway, a bundle held against her body. She looks at Bass, and Connor thinks it's the softest look she's ever given his father as she hands him the blankets, which squirm slightly.
"Meet your daughter, Bass." She says gently.
Connor steps back, gives them their moment as his father takes the baby girl into his arms, hands shaking ever so much. The tears in his eyes are falling over his cheeks when Connor looks away.
A part of him he hadn't considered asks if maybe he should be jealous of the baby that's reduced his father, the great President Monroe, to tears. But then a motion calls his focus, and he looks up to see the infant being held out to him.
It's a bit awkward, he's never held a baby before, but when he looks down at his little sister's face, he knows he could never be jealous of her. She's perfect. He glances up in time to see his father rush into the room where his wife is, Rachel just behind him, and looks down again.
"Hi there." He greets softly, feeling a bit silly. "I'm your big brother Connor. You're gonna be a very happy kid, you know that? I mean dad can be grumpy, and mom can be a total hardass." he cringes a bit, because he just cursed to a minutes old child, but continues. "Rachel's a bit crazy and Miles... well.. Miles will probably spoil you rotten." He leans against the wall and watches as the little girl's eyes slip shut.
"We're not a normal family at all." He adds in an almost whisper. "But you'll be loved."