you have powers!

“I’ll have ‘em call off the early retirement party then,” she grinned. Rita let out a laugh, imagining Redwood’s bowling alley full to the rafters with fellow enthusiasts (of bowling or free food, whatever you like). “Well, it is all about location, location, location. Do you guys have cool team jackets? Any bowling nemesis-es? Wait… Nemesi? Oh, so very true. I work at a bar and squeeze in shifts at the casino too so I’ve seen the snacks-and-alcohol shctick in full swing. A couple of shots in and you’re either proposing, brawling, crying or tipping generously.” 

-

“Please do. I’m down, but I’m not out. My kids might say otherwise, but don’t listen to them. Well - listen to Violet, she’s the only one that speaks with reason” He was old, but there was still life in the old dog. Retirement was a long time away for him. Unfortunately. “We have team shirts at the moment, we decided against jackets because we didn’t want to look like we stepped out of Grease. The town over are our rivals, and Lucius doesn’t care for the online comments they make. I guess they’re our nemesis-es” He’d never forget the great championship brawl of last year. “Sometimes it’s all four” he chuckled, “People get into the spirit when there are literal spirits involved”

⛧┈┈•༶

“Hey man, is it our fault that there is a whole Shondaverse out there with at least two shows literally spinning off from the OG Grey’s? I think not. We should just be counting our lucky stars that when we head to work we don’t have to deal with any ghosts of exes past, floods, blackouts, some intern trying to steal our man when you’re not looking. Plus, if any of us go into cardiac arrest, there’s a solid chance either my or Helen can perform the surgery-,” he paused, letting out a laugh with his hands held up in mock surrender- “Alright, alright. Just Helen.”

Lucius gave Bob a nudge as he mocked what now did literally sound like a mid-life crisis fashion choice. Yeesh. “You’re laughing now but I’m gonna tell the whole family that’s exactly what you want for Christmas this year, right down to the feathered hat.” Aw man, Vi was really having to navigate a lot in this world. Lucius had thought her getting through high school had been enough of a trip. “They were all way better off when they were, what, this tall-,” he gestured just off the floor- “If you don’t count them trying to stick everything in their mouth. Nose. Ears… Man, I take it take it back. We should text her right now and ask who she’d call for a bailout. Ten dollars it’s Cool Uncle Lucius.”

-

“Yes. Because you two and all you other Shonda obsessed people keep giving her shows views and in turn that gets them renewed, and new ones picked up. I don’t want to think about having a drama filled workplace like that” Bob hated his job enough, he didn’t need ex’s added into the mix. He already fought with Mother Nature on a daily basis thanks to insurance claims from people. “Hey, I said that she probably could perform surgery, not that she should “ he laughed “She is very much not a licenced professional so don’t go giving her any ideas. The doctors at the hospital already have to deal with my three kids when they get hurt, let’s not add Helen into the mix.”

Bob let out another wave of laughter, shaking his head and giving his bud a playful shove, “You dare, and I’m going to get Helen to arrange a lunch with you and Edna that Helen and I will conveniently forget about” Stuck with Edna’s ramblings may drive Lucius mad. RIP to his friends sanity. “They might have been better off, but Helen and I were run off our feet. Being outnumbered by three tiny terrors was no joke. Then it was the fascination to see if they could fit Lego in their ears or peas up their nose” he laughed. Bob joked, but he wouldn’t change the memories of his kids growing up at all. “It’s obviously going to be Cool Uncle Lulu. She’s not going to call her Uncool Dad. I used to be cool, and then she got older, now she thinks I’m like a dimwitted racoon or something”

Lucius laughed at Bob’s usual reaction to Grey’s (Helen had gotten Lucius into it in the first place). Between the two of them, poor guy knew way too much about Meredith and Derek’s on-again, off-again, messy romance. Again, the only messy romance Lucius wanted to entertain right now. “How else am I supposed to get ready for the new season, Bob? You’re lucky I don’t bring out the old ER box sets.” He shook his head, trying to hold back a smile. “Yeah right, a whole new me. Cashmere turtle-neck, leather pants. I’ll start wearing hats again like in college. The kids’ll stop thinking I’m cool.” Lucius gave a sympathetic nod, patting Bob on his shoulder. “Some tag-team to have steering your life, huh? But hey, Vi’ll be alright. She’s going to do her own thing and if she needs bailing out, well, you’re here. I’m here too.”

-

Helen introducing Lucius to Grey's Anatomy was a bane of his existence, mainly because whenever the new season was on, he was promptly banned from the living room while they watched it. If Helen wasn’t going on about it then Lucius was, and by association Bob knew what was going on in the show he didn’t watch. “Ugh, please don’t. You’re as bad as Helen. She’s been rewatching anything remotely related to that bloody show. So much so that I’m convinced that if she was to take a medical exam, I think she’d pass it with flying colours” Which wasn’t an underestimation. He had a theory that she could possibly perform surgery, however he wasn’t putting that one to the test. “Oh yeah, nothing screams cool like leather pants and wearing hats” he joked, a laugh bursting from his chest “Yeah, the poor girl’s got it tough. Dash and Jack-Jack have it lucky compared to her at the moment, though I don’t doubt that will change once they consider Project Violet completed. I’m not sure we’re the best two for someone to be calling for a bailout, but I’m sure Vi would appreciate the sentiment.”

Taking a sip of his drink, Ray’s brow knit together as he listened to his friend lament about his job. “Well, what would you rather be doing? I mean, what’s really stopping you from going out and doing what you really want to?” The Bug family had always had a mentality of, if you can support yourself, you should do what you love.” Frankly he was one to talk. Though he loved running the boat tours, it certainly wasn’t what he wanted to do with the rest of his life.

-

“I was once a pro boxer and then gave up that game to become a firefighter. I would’ve love to have stayed in that profession until retirement, but something happened and with a wife and two kids going on three to care for, I did what any husband and dad would do, I found a job and I worked” he shrugged. Life wasn’t as easy as doing what you love. “Sometimes you gotta bite the bullet and do what’s best for the people you care about.” It’s a tough pill to swallow, but it would be swallowed nonetheless.

“Because I’m not already under a large amount of it.” He said with a joking tone. Grabbing the drinks, he walked over to where Bob sat down. “I think so, we’ve done a lot of work today and trained really hard at bowling. So, it works.” Chuckling a bit he handed the bottle over to him. Stepping back to the end of the dock closest to shore, he picked up some of the better fishing poles he had and the tackle box. “So tell me, hows work been for you? I honestly, don’t quite remember what exactly it is you do.”

-

Bob let out a laugh, who wasn’t under an insane amount of pressure these days? He didn’t know anyone who wasn’t. Ray had more than most, what with his large family and his business being two of the main stressors, never mind if he had anything else going on. “We worked the hardest we ever have” he agreed and clinked the neck of his bottle against Ray’s “Cheers” he called before taking a swig. “Work’s work. To be honest with you, I hate it. I’ve always hated it. I work in insurance and let me tell you, it’s not where I pictured myself being. It’s nowhere near it. But alas, I’ve got a family to look after”

“My bad,” she laughed, hands held up in mock surrender. You could tell that he was a Dad™ and a good humoured one at that (lucky for her). She smiled at the horn tootin’, making note to look into Redwood’s bowling scene. “Tough but fair, I hope. Toot away but this does mean that eventually proof’ll be needed. I’m sure whenever the next big bowl is on, I’ll hear about it now,” she joked before pausing- “My dad actually used to bowl with his work buddies. Not to untoot the horn but I think he showed up more for the free food than anything else.”

-

“There’s some life in this old dog. Don’t put me down early” he joked with a chuckle. He has Dash for a son, no joke phases him any more. “Surprisingly, and don’t let this blow your mind, you’ll be able to find us at the bowling alley. We have practices and when games are due we’ll try and drum up support” Bob could understand the free food mentality, it’s a strong persuasive tactic “People can be won over with snacks and alcohol, it helps people blow off some steam and socialise.”

“I don’t even want to think about the fit my family would go through if any of us went missing.” Ray said with a frown. The thought had crossed his mind when he went on the search for Alice. What sort of fear and terror would be sitting in his chest if any of his siblings were taken. “Yeah you would think, about the tours thing, but with everything else going on there wasn’t a whole lot of time. Which is okay, I suppose.” Coming up to his trailer, he pointed over toward the little dock. “Go ahead and grab a lawn chair I’ll grab the poles. You want something to drink?” 

-

“It’s not worth bearing to think about. Causes an unhealthy amount of stress. As long as everyone is present and accounted for, happy and healthy then all is well.” he said in an attempt to move onto a lighter topic. As a father of three, a kid missing had Bob’s back up. He only hoped that Alice would be found safe and well as soon as possible. “That’s fair. Unfortunate for the tours, but it’s a reason you can’t argue with. It’ll pick up in no time for you, I’m sure of it” Bob hoped for the best for Ray, he wanted to see the guy succeed. “You got it” he called while he broke away to go head towards the lawn chair “Eh, sure, why not. I say we’ve earned a beer.”