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Mar. 1st, 2006 09:39 am25 February 2006
14 North Moore St
Manhattan
Late Morning
"HIIIIIIIIIIIII UNCLE RAY!!!"
The yell came from street level, and Ray was on the roof fixing the latest sensor to be added to the Firehouse's ghost-tech array; nevertheless he heard it, poked his head over the edge, and grinned. "Hi Alex!" he called back. "Hi, Joey! Hi, Catherine-"
His sister smiled up at him, a tired but genuine smile. "I hate to do this to you, Ray," she said, "but-"
"Just a second." He set the wrench aside. "I'll be right down."
Ecto's lights were already flaring gleefully as he landed at the foot of the pole. "They're here, Daddy!" the car announced. "Are we gonna go out to Brooklyn and play?"
"Maybe, sweetie," he said, patting the hearse's nearest door. "Depends what the boys wanna do."
"Yay!"
He couldn't help but laugh as he stepped out onto the street. Probably for the best- the boys were wrapped around his knees about two seconds later. "Good to see you boys too," he said. "Catherine? What's up? You weren't supposed to be here for hours. Aren't you and Alan going to see Spamalot tonight?"
She sighed. "Yeah, and we still are, but one of my clients had an emergency come up at a construction site, and I kinda hoped-" She gestured at Alex and Joey. "I mean, if you weren't too busy."
"Well, we don't have any jobs scheduled for today, so I don't see why not," Ray said. "If an emergency comes up I'll work something out with Janine- that cool with you guys?"
"YEAH!" chorused the boys.
Ray looked at Catherine, who nodded gratefully. "Okay, then," he said. "It's settled. You go deal with the job, I'll take care of the boys- come on, guys, let's head in and you can show me all the stuff you've been practicing since last week. You have been practicing, haven't you?"
Catherine shook her head a little as the gang of three disappeared into the firehouse. She'd never have dreamed of leaving the boys with their uncle a year ago. Then again, he'd been . . . well, practically a different person. Whatever had happened in the interim to change him, she was grateful.
Second Floor Lab
Early Afternoon
"-okay, now breathe out-"
"Ray? Are you done with the Torx set yet? I need to modify the Fenton filters on that- oh, hello."
Ray dropped his hands and nodded to the boys, who looked up at Egon and solemnly chorused, "Hi, Dr. Spengler." Alex added, "Uncle Ray left the Torx in that box, Dr. Spengler," and pointed to a blue box on the other side of the room.
The physicist nodded. "Thank you, Alexander." He scooped up the box and slipped out of the room without a further word.
Ray looked back at his nephews. "That was good of you, Alex," he said. "How did you notice where I put those screwdrivers as opposed to the Phillips heads? They're not labeled."
Alex shrugged. "They go tink when you put them away," he said. "The Phillips screwdrivers are heavier, so they make a different noise."
"Wow. You really took last week's lesson about paying attention to your surroundings to heart. Good for you."
Alex grinned. Joey pouted slightly. "I heard it too," the younger boy pointed out.
"Then why didn't you say anything?"
"'cuz Alex is bigger'n me 'n he answered first?"
Ray sighed. "Joey," he said patiently, "what did I tell you about big and small?"
"Size doesn't matter, Uncle Ray."
"Right. What does matter?"
"Doin' it right."
"Good boy, Joey. What are you going to do the next time Dr. Spengler asks a question and both of you know the answer?" He looked meaningfully at Alex.
"Raise our hands and wait to be asked," the boys chorused. "Unless it's an emergency," Alex added.
"Very good," Ray said approvingly. "Okay, guys. Five more minutes on the qigong exercises and then I think we can let it rest for the day. Ecto really wants to go to Floyd Bennett Field with you guys."
The boys beamed.
14 North Moore St
Manhattan
Late Morning
"HIIIIIIIIIIIII UNCLE RAY!!!"
The yell came from street level, and Ray was on the roof fixing the latest sensor to be added to the Firehouse's ghost-tech array; nevertheless he heard it, poked his head over the edge, and grinned. "Hi Alex!" he called back. "Hi, Joey! Hi, Catherine-"
His sister smiled up at him, a tired but genuine smile. "I hate to do this to you, Ray," she said, "but-"
"Just a second." He set the wrench aside. "I'll be right down."
Ecto's lights were already flaring gleefully as he landed at the foot of the pole. "They're here, Daddy!" the car announced. "Are we gonna go out to Brooklyn and play?"
"Maybe, sweetie," he said, patting the hearse's nearest door. "Depends what the boys wanna do."
"Yay!"
He couldn't help but laugh as he stepped out onto the street. Probably for the best- the boys were wrapped around his knees about two seconds later. "Good to see you boys too," he said. "Catherine? What's up? You weren't supposed to be here for hours. Aren't you and Alan going to see Spamalot tonight?"
She sighed. "Yeah, and we still are, but one of my clients had an emergency come up at a construction site, and I kinda hoped-" She gestured at Alex and Joey. "I mean, if you weren't too busy."
"Well, we don't have any jobs scheduled for today, so I don't see why not," Ray said. "If an emergency comes up I'll work something out with Janine- that cool with you guys?"
"YEAH!" chorused the boys.
Ray looked at Catherine, who nodded gratefully. "Okay, then," he said. "It's settled. You go deal with the job, I'll take care of the boys- come on, guys, let's head in and you can show me all the stuff you've been practicing since last week. You have been practicing, haven't you?"
Catherine shook her head a little as the gang of three disappeared into the firehouse. She'd never have dreamed of leaving the boys with their uncle a year ago. Then again, he'd been . . . well, practically a different person. Whatever had happened in the interim to change him, she was grateful.
Second Floor Lab
Early Afternoon
"-okay, now breathe out-"
"Ray? Are you done with the Torx set yet? I need to modify the Fenton filters on that- oh, hello."
Ray dropped his hands and nodded to the boys, who looked up at Egon and solemnly chorused, "Hi, Dr. Spengler." Alex added, "Uncle Ray left the Torx in that box, Dr. Spengler," and pointed to a blue box on the other side of the room.
The physicist nodded. "Thank you, Alexander." He scooped up the box and slipped out of the room without a further word.
Ray looked back at his nephews. "That was good of you, Alex," he said. "How did you notice where I put those screwdrivers as opposed to the Phillips heads? They're not labeled."
Alex shrugged. "They go tink when you put them away," he said. "The Phillips screwdrivers are heavier, so they make a different noise."
"Wow. You really took last week's lesson about paying attention to your surroundings to heart. Good for you."
Alex grinned. Joey pouted slightly. "I heard it too," the younger boy pointed out.
"Then why didn't you say anything?"
"'cuz Alex is bigger'n me 'n he answered first?"
Ray sighed. "Joey," he said patiently, "what did I tell you about big and small?"
"Size doesn't matter, Uncle Ray."
"Right. What does matter?"
"Doin' it right."
"Good boy, Joey. What are you going to do the next time Dr. Spengler asks a question and both of you know the answer?" He looked meaningfully at Alex.
"Raise our hands and wait to be asked," the boys chorused. "Unless it's an emergency," Alex added.
"Very good," Ray said approvingly. "Okay, guys. Five more minutes on the qigong exercises and then I think we can let it rest for the day. Ecto really wants to go to Floyd Bennett Field with you guys."
The boys beamed.
