<span style="font-size: 15px">Back to his house it would be. He didn't want to be far from, well, home. Not with what was happening, and that was the safest place he could think of, even if Edith's ability to get in and out sort of made that seem difficult. <br/>
<br/>
Chris did call the office to give them a brief overview of what might happen, and he was blown off, essentially, because they had equal rights to Brock since they were still married and shared custody. He could picture the receptionist from the day he was called in to talk to Finn feeling like this was some sort of righting of his wrong for his rather rude comment. No, it had to be all serious, there was no emotion when it came to safety. He told his boss that he had to go home early, and promised that the work would be finished the next day. He may have mentioned the fact he did more work than he was actually paid for in general, he could only work so many hours overt time and to meet his ridiculous demands, he was working far more than that and technically, it was illegal, and they were an office of lawyers, but sadly these people were also lazy, which left him to pick up their slack because he had taken to finding retreat and sanctuary in his work. He left earlier than normal to get to the school a bit earlier than he would have any other day if he were to pick him up, there was no Jeep parked anywhere, and he felt better with that. <br/>
<br/>
Edith made no show at the school, but he kept an eye out just in case. She wasn't typically one to just say (threaten) something and then not fall through with it unless she was in enraged, which she hadn't seemed. He found Brock and hugged him before searching out Finn. <br/>
<br/>
"Back to our house?" he asked, just to clarify. He made sure that Brock was buckled in the back seat as usual, and did enjoy the excitement from Brock since he had picked him up, something he hadn't done very often before, but was becoming more often as the days passed. He wanted to just go home and hold Brock and talk to Finn, because he seemed to care, and he was actually a very good listener. He didn't want to make the man feel used, though, which he had a hard time with because he didn't really understand the boundaries there to be respected. <br/>
<br/>
Brock wasn't nearly as enthusiastic about his day, but not everyday could be amazing, but he did let them know that he still had fun over the day and that he learned a lot. He had taken out his homework to work on the practice sheet for a moment when the front door was opened. Chris froze, and turned to see who it could possibly be, only knowing one person who would walk right in. Edith had her hands on her hips and to her side was Jimmy, still looking like a drug addict, still looking like a gang banger, and of course, sporting more prison-style, shitty tattoos all over his arms, hands, and even his face and neck. Edith also looked rather terrible, and he noticed that the very expensive clothes he had originally bought her were no where in sight. It was like she threw away everything in the life from before to make a new one, but yet she was trying to get to Brock. <br/>
<br/>
"Mom?" Brock stood up and ran straight to her. He hugged her and cried against her legs. "I didn't think you'd ever come back. Are you gonna come back for good now?" <br/>
<br/>
"No, no, Brock, mommy can't come back right now. I just wanted to spend some time with you. I missed you, my favourite little man," she got on one knee and hugged him to her chest before kissing his cheeks. Chris looked at Finn and then back to Edith and Jimmy. Brock went on about what had happened for the past week, and then Jimmy broke away and walked closer. Chris physically flinched and took a few steps back, holding his hands up. <br/>
<br/>
"Stop. I don't want you here, but I'll tolerate it because Brock is happy," he said. <br/>
<br/>
"Got yourself a boyfriend while Edith was away, did ya?" Jimmy pulled a chair out from the dining table and sat down, making himself at home. Chris was just thankful he hadn't started smoking inside his house yet. He didn't want that, but Jimmy never cared before and he had a feeling he hadn't changed too much. "I didn't think it was all so surprising, but when I told Edith about the whole thing back in the day she said she wanted to get Brock, so here we are. Not that I'm complaining, I haven't seen you since you were barely an adult." <br/>
<br/>
"You've been in and out of prison, sorry if I didn't want to bother myself with getting attached." <br/>
<br/>
"Attached to me? No. Nobody's that, but you always did--" <br/>
<br/>
"Stop talking. We aren't having a conversation. You're not even welcome here. Just, just..." he looked at Jimmy and then at Finn and he immediately opened his mouth to apologize but he could already hear the taunts and insults coming from Jimmy. He closed his mouth with a quick snap and looked to where Edith was listening to Brock talk to her, moving his hands as he made gestures to enhance his retelling. "Uh, Finn, I'm sorry, but maybe this was--" <br/>
<br/>
"Let your boyfriend stay, I don't mind." <br/>
<br/>
"He's not my... he's just a friend." <br/>
<br/>
"Right. Of course. I forgot, don't worry, I won't tell anyone else. Edith, though, ooh she was pissed. She even slapped <i>me</i>. I didn't do anything wrong, I just told her the truth." Jimmy leaned back on his chair, propping his feet up on the table and Christ didn't even know if he could tell him to stop. He was already feeling horrible, he was scared and terrified and sad and he felt so broken. <br/>
<br/>
"And I told Edith, by the way, I don't know what you're talking about. You didn't tell her about...?" <br/>
<br/>
"Oh, yeah, I thought it was important to tell her." And he felt like he was pushed into a freezing ocean. "I mean, it wasn't much of a secret, was it? You got around." <br/>
<br/>
"I was... never mind, it's not important. Just, don't let Brock know." <br/>
<br/>
"Don't worry, your kid won't hear anything about you from me, but Edith on the other hand..." And he realized he hadn't even been listening to Edith but she wouldn't tell Brock anything. He was seven, he didn't need to hear whatever it was Jimmy had told Edith about his youth and then his later teen years and early adulthood, before he married Edith when he was twenty-one. What was he supposed to do? He looked at Finn and felt horrible that he had managed to be stuck in the middle of all of this. He looked at him and tried to apologize, but nothing came out of his mouth. He really was pathetic. So pathetic that he couldn't even apologize because he didn't want to be knocked down by Jimmy. One would think you'd grow a tolerance after so many times, but it never seemed to hurt any less. "At least he's not at my place, right? Edith said you'd have a hissy fit and demanded to pick him up, but I told her that we should visit you here. It's more comfortable for you and Brock and I can see what kind of fancy house my street-sissy lives in. It's nice, really, looks like a magazine or something. You know, the ones middle aged women read and wish they could have but can't because they spend all their money on more magazines." <br/>
<br/>
"Out of everything you just said, just don't call me that again. Don't <i>ever</i> call me that." He got the courage and he turned to Finn again. "I'm so sorry. I didn't know that they'd come here and I know you probably feel uncomfortable, so I'd understand if you want to leave, I can, uh, pay for the cab or something. It's not bother, I'm just really sorry--" <br/>
<br/>
"And you're not fucking?" Jimmy asked, entirely with the intention of making him uncomfortable, which he had. <br/>
<br/>
"So sorry," he added on the end.</span>