Summers
Jean and Scott walked into the lounge argung over what to name their daughter.
"No way, Scott. We are not naming our child Buffy!"
"Jeanie," he whined. "What's wrong with Buffy?" Dawn spoke up.
"Scott, don't you dare name the kid Buffy. Have you any idea how much Buffy was teased in middle school? Despite the fact that she was the most popular girl there."
"Fine, we won't name her Buffy. But what SHOULD we name her?"
"You know for sure it's going to be a girl?" Dawn asked.
"I have a telepathic link with her," Jean said. "Besides, Hank did an ultra-soud. Definately not a boy." Dawn giggled.
"I dunno. Anybody got any ideas?" she asked, looking around the room.
Demetria and Octavian
"Minerva, goddess of wisdom," Demetria suggested. Octavian rolled his eyes.
"Please, Dem, what is the poor girl going to get as a nickname? Min. Or Minnie. Or something similar. And also, Minerva is the name of the old teacher in the Harry Potter books."
"Didn't know you read them, Tavvie," Demetria said.
"Just because you're my twin doesn't mean you know what I'm thinking, Demetria." Octavian entered a few numbers on his calculator. "Claire. Gwenvere."
"So, you want to name her after an adulterous queen?"
"Slander, Dem, it's called slander. Gwenvere was in no way adulterous."
Summers
"Guinevere," Scott said. "I like that. What do you think, Jeanie?"
"I dunno. What do you think about Ella?"
"Jean," Dawn said. "Kids will call her Ella-phant! And what if she's not thin? She'll be tormented all through school!" Jean sighed.
"THis is hard. My grandmother wants me to name the baby after her, but there is no way I'm naming my daughter Eloise. And almost all of the women in Scott's family had weird names. Except Dawn, of course." Dawn thought for a minute.
"Well, my middle name is Aurora."
"Aurora," Jean pondered. "I like that, but there are so many choices!"
Octavian
"Get a baby name book," Octavian suggested. "I'm sure there's lots of names you could pick. Brianna."
"Arabella, Isabella, Isabeau. I like the name Iseult, but it's got a sad story with it."
"As long as she doesn't go out with guys called Mark or Tristan, I'm sure she'll be fine. Jacinta."
Summers
Dawn was quiet for a moment, before she spoke up. "Well, how about Joyce?" she offered. Jean pondered it for a moment and then broke out in a huge grin.
"I think Joyce is a wonderful name, Dawn" she said. Dawn smiled. "Scott, don't you agree?"
"The perfect choice. Aunt Joyce would be honoured, I'm sure." Then Jean grimaced.
"But now we need a good middle name."
Demetria and Octavian
"I'm sure you can find something," Octavian said calmly. He looked at his newpaper, then made some more notes.
"We probably aren't really the best people to be asking about names. All of the people we knew back home were called things like Muffy, and Stephanie. It doesn't make for normality."
"Normality is an illusion."
"You're probably right, but it is fun to play pretend, isn't it?"
"You're the one who's going out with a merman..." Demetria slapped him upside the head.
Orlando and Dawn
"Hey!" Orlando spoke up. "I resent that remark.
"No, you resemble that remark," Dawn said giggling.
"That too. But what's wrong with mermen?" he asked Octavian.
Octavian and Demetria
"Nothing, nothing..." Octavian made a few more notes in the margin of his newspaper. "If I...no. Perhaps..." he mumured to himself.
"I happen to think they're rather intriguing," Demetria said. Ocatavian spared her and a glance, and cleared his throat. "What?"
"Nothing at all, Demetria."
"Well, if you've got nothing to say, Octavian, do please shut up."
"Watch yourself, Demetria Juno..."
Dawn and Scott
Dawn giggled. "What do you think, Dem? THink he'd make a nice little hoppy toad?" She snickered. "No. I actually learned my lesson about turning people into things they're not, even if they do deserve it."
"That's good, Dawn," Scott said. "Hmmm, how about Clarissa?"
Octavian, Demetria and Sergei
"Dawn, I think you yourself deserve to be turned into something hideuosly nasty. You're lucky I can't do it, and Nyx won't. And I'll believe you've learnt your lesson when I recieve an apology." Octavian made on mark on his newspaper, then stood, tucking his paperwork under his arm. "I was trying to do something important, but if I'm going to be harrassed, I am going." He left, head high and back radiating annoyance. Demetria sighed unhappily.
"Dawn, you really should stop baiting him." She fiddled with the corner of her shirt.
Sergei looked up and barked a laugh. "And I thought I had problems understanding people. You, miss Key, take the cake." He drank from his glass, filled with the everpresent vodka. "Katrinka," he suggested.
Summers
Dawn sighed. "How many times do I have to tell him I'm sorry? It was only supposed to be for a couple of days. It's not my fault I was put in a coma and the got kidnapped! I turned him back as soon as I had my strength back. Sheesh! Why can't people just let it go! I know I made a mistake, but what about what he did to Scott!" She walked off in a huff. She really felt bad about what sh had done to Tav, and she'd probably feel bad bout it the rest of her life. She didn't MEAN to ge kidnapped!
Scott sighed. "One of these days I'm going to lock those two in a room and let them fight it out. How about Joyce Melissa?" he suggested to Jean.
"I dunno," Jean said. "Maybe."
Demetria and Sergei
Demetria sat there looking unhappy. Her twin was still mad at her about the whole girl thing, and it was all just a mess. She never should've agreed to help Dawn. Sergei stretched and yawned.
"Or you could not have a middle name," he suggested. "Not dat I have room to talk."
Jean
"I think, Joyce Melissa Summers sounds good, sweetie," Jean said, giving Scott a kiss.
Demetria and Sergei
"It sounds great, Mr and Mrs Summers," Demetria said as she got to her feet. "Excuse me please." She left the room quietly.
"It doesn't escape my notice that everrryone in dis place is screwed up," Sergei said. "Borzehmoi."
Jean?
"Yeah, that happens. BUt we do have a very wonder counselor on campus, Chandra Kozel. Would you like to speak with her?"
Jono and Sergei
"Ad, nyet!" Sergei looked startled. (Hell, no!) "I have had enough of doktores, veh'i. I will just take my vodka and go..." He started to edge out of the room. Jonothon snickered.
Scared, Russki?
"Nyet! I just, I do not..."
Eh, she's not so bad. Jonothon shrugged. Can't help me, but she's really not that bad.
"E"b tvoju mat', khuilo!"
You say the nicest things, Sergei.
The Russian mutant bared his fangs at Jonothon. The corners of Jonothon's eyes crinkled in a grin. "You are one of the most irrritating people I have everrr met."
Scott
Scott sighed. He just wished he could get more of the students to visit Chandra. She really helped Dawn stop blaming herself for so many things that happened to her.
Jono and Sergei
"Anyvay, I will be going now. Jono, didn't you vant to show me something on your computer?"
Yeah, cobber. I liked the names for yer baby, Mr and Mrs Summers. Jonothon said as he stood. I'll try and convince him to go along. Of course, he'll probably be drunk if he does go. He sent privately to Jean. He doesn't trust people, and frankly, I don't blame 'im. He's been through 'ell. He looked up at Sergei. C'mon. I wanted to show you this site...
Sergei threw an arm around Jonothon's shoulder as they walked off. "Perhaps ve can put our heads together and write some more songs?"
Good idea.