9/4 Instance: Good Night Mr. Snuggles

[Slarti]

Timelined a day or two after It's a Girl!

<Bobby> The small package tucked under his arm, Bobby gave Paige's door his customary knock, humming to himself.

<Paige> "Coooooome iiiiiiiinnnnn!" Paige sang out as she closed her laptop lid. She sat up on her bed to see who was coming to visit her.

<Bobby> Bobby opened the door and strolled in, still humming. Kicking the door closed behind him, Bobby gave her a bright grin and a bow. "We keep meeting this way, babe."

<Paige> Paige giggled at him and patted her bed for him to sit down. "Well I like to see my favorite people!" She grinned and pulled out her bag of gummies for them to share.

<Bobby> "So do I," he said, not quite keeping the package hidden as he joined her on the bed. He bounced in place a little.

<Paige> Paige tossed a gummy bear at his face. "Whatcha got there?"

<Bobby> "Well, I have news!" Bobby failed in his attempt to catch the gummy and had to pick it up from the bed before popping it into his mouth.

<Bobby> He handed her the floppy, tissue-paper wrapped package. "Open it." He grinned around the gummy bear and happily chewed.

<Paige> Paige didn't waste anymore time talking. She was opening that package! She blinked at the pink fabric, then held it up to fully examine the shirt that said, 'I'm the auntie.' She bit her lower lip a bit, then pounced on Bobby with a hug. "I love it!"

<Bobby> "Good! You'll be the official auntie to take her shopping for pink and frilly things," he nodded and returned the hug. He turned his head and kissed her cheek.

<Paige> Paige sniffled just a bit. "I can do that!" She pulled back enough to look at him. "You know I love you just as much as any of my brothers, right? And Lorna like my sisters."

<Bobby> "Well, since we're both only children, we'll adopt you," he said with a smile. "And I have you to thank for... well, lots of things."

<Paige> She scoffed at him. "I haven't done anything."

<Bobby> "No, you have. Things are better, now. A lot less tense." He sighed. "It's not normal, but it's better."

<Paige> "But I didn't do that... You two did that." She ruffled his dirty blonde hair.

<Bobby> "But you helped. Helped ...calm me down, get me thinking about how to fix things." Bobby leaned in and gave her another hug. "I got to be there for the sonogram... I've gotten to feel her kicking too. It's... just awesome."

<Paige> Paige sniffled again. "I am so, so happy for you guys." She hugged him tightly. "And I get to be an Auntie!"

<Bobby> Bobby nodded, blinking rapidly himself to keep from getting emotional. "You do!" A similar package sat in a drawer in the bedroom he still didn't share with Lorna, however. It was for Rogue. "And you'll be an awesome auntie."

<Paige> She giggled at him again. "Was there ever any doubt?" Paige poked him playfully.

<Bobby> "Well, nooo, of course not." Bobby grinned and reached over to steal another gummy from her. "So, what have you been up to?"

<Paige> "Just working hard. My kiddos keep me busy. They like to experiment!" She giggled a bit. "Oh! That reminds me!" She hopped up and moved over to her desk. "I totally forgot I got a package today. I had to leave it and didn't get to open it. I hope it's that new pink hair dye I ordered." She shot him a grin as she started to open the box.

<Bobby> "Nooo, not more pink!" Bobby claimed the candy when she got up and kicked back to make himself at home on her bed, Chucks hanging off the edge - he knew better than to touch the comforter.

<Paige> Paige laughed at him as she pushed the sides of the box down. "Yeeeees more-" Paige's sentence was cut off by her scream. She stumbled backward, tripping over her chair and crashing to the ground.

<Bobby> Bobby was up from the bed in an instant, gummies flying everywhere. "What?! What's wrong?!" He went to her and crouched beside her, moving the chair away and looking over at the box in puzzlement.

<Bobby> He couldn't see what was inside from this angle, but looked from it to Paige and back.

<Paige> Her hand grabbed his arm, her other one covering her mouth. She tried to tell him that she had seen her childhood stuffed pig slaughtered in the box, but she could just shake her head. And then she started crying. "Mr. Snuggles...."

<Bobby> "Mister Snuggles?" The hell? He patted her hand and pulled it away, stretching over to the box. He looked inside at the shredded toy, back to Paige, back at the box. It looked... vaguely familiar?

<Paige> Paige nodded to Bobby's question. She composed herself enough to answer him. "I left him... by accident." She pushed herself up off of the floor, standing back enough to where she couldn't see inside the box.

<Bobby> "There's... a note in there. You want me to look at it for you?" Bobby held the box out of her line of sight, searching through it.

<Paige> "I... I guess." Paige backed up a bit more, getting her crying under control. "What kind of a person would do such a thing?" She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.

<Bobby> "It's a picture." Bobby set the box on her desk to unfold the thick paper. He made a disgusted noise and folded the paper back up. "I know who." Crazy fucker. He started looking for return information - a tracking number, anything.

<Paige> Paige pressed her hands onto her face to hide. She sank down onto the bed to compose herself. "Just when I start to be ok again... he does this."

<Bobby> "You're still okay, Paige... this is just... you have to ignore him." Who sent their ex-wife defaced wedding photos? It was just wrong. And crazy. Definitely crazy. "Do you still have that restraining order?"

<Paige> Paige nodded. "Yes... does this mean he broke it? Or did it have to be physical?"

<Bobby> "I think it's any kind of contact, babe... but I'm not really sure." There was a bar code on the box, and an address. Bobby took a piece of scrap paper from her desk and scribbled it down before going to the bed.

<Bobby> He sat down and put his arms around her. "You're okay."

<Paige> She rested her head against him and took a few deep breaths. "But poor Mr. Snuggles isn't..." She sniffled again.

<Bobby> "No," he sighed. "I'm sorry." Bobby gave her another kiss on the cheek. "Want me to take him? We can arrange a proper burial."

<Paige> Paige looked up at him, not sure if he was being funny or not. Concluding that he was sincere, she smiled. "I'd like that actually." She stole a kiss from his cheek. "Thanks, Bobby."

<Bobby> "No problem, auntie Paigey." Good, that way she wouldn't have to see her face gouged from her wedding photo, or the names he'd scrawled across the image. It was definitely time to talk to Xavier.

<Paige> Paige giggled at him and slid her t-shirt on. "I can't wait for the baby to get here!!! Have you picked out a name yet?"

<Bobby> "No, not really. Guess James Tiberius Drake is out unless Hank read the little blobby screen wrong." Bobby grinned at her, flicking a curl displaced by her wardrobe change.

<Paige> "I should hope not! Who else am I going to buy little pink outfits for? You are too big for them."

<Bobby> He laughed. "We thought about Madeline, actually. After my mom."

<Paige> "Awwwww that's so cute! I'm sure your mom would love that." Paige grabbed one of her pillows and hugged it to herself. "You think I'll ever date a guy who isn't a total dick?"

<Bobby> "Oh, love is putting it mildly," he chuckled. "Aww, Paige. Sure you will." He sniffed. "We just need to get you a screening process or something."

<Paige> Paige giggled at him and poked him a bit. "You mean you aren't a good enough screening process?"

<Bobby> "I dunno, considering." He rolled his eyes toward the box. Although, he supposed you couldn't predict somebody going batshit insane.

<Paige> "Well, you can't take the blame for that... we all thought he was awesome when we were in school."

<Bobby> "Point." He shrugged. "And hey, there for a while Lorna thought I had gone psycho too... I mean, as frustrated as I was that she thought she didn't know who she'd married... I can see her point. Especially after seeing what you've gone through."

<Paige> "Except you're not psycho and you're still Bobberz." Paige ruffled his hair.

<Bobby> "Well, yeah. Of course." Bobby made a face at her and reached for the gummies, flicking one at her before eating one himself. "But that's just because I'm awesome."

<Paige> Paige caught the bear in her mouth with a smirk. "You arrrrrrre awesome!"

<Bobby> He clicked his tongue playfully and tossed a bear into the air to catch. "And talented."

<Paige> Paige shoved him aside so she could catch the gummy.

<Bobby> Bobby laughed and tackled her.

[puppygirl]

Hey! Darren wants to know where his t-shirt is, damnit!

But poor Pagiey, and poor Mr. Snuggles! If Clarice found out she'd totally try to fix him Or at least give Paige Wilbur to snuggle.